New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-01
LABOR LAW NEEDS.
Report Urges Changes ProU's'ons
for Children Better Enforced.


e. roaka less theoretical and more enforceaoie the
nrovisions governing the employment Oh women
and children: the redraftng of certain secuOhs %
as To facilitate clear interpretation, ana the dOoii
ton of the States free employment -o-sat,on.
New-York City are among the recomrnehoaCoii'
in the fifth annual report of the State CoElnlssior
of Labor made public tonight Commissiohel
Tecumseh Sherman calls attention TO the laca 'ia'
he has been in office only since last May. Ills 10
port therefore covers observations e1'ehulns 0'e
only a part of the fiscal year
Takinr I'D the subject OF child labor. the report
says
The provisions of the law which prohibit the
employment OF children under fourteen ana Oh er
tifcates in or in connection with factory nave oI
that the deparment will soon be able boast that
they thoroughly enforced The failure 10 eie s
edenuste number of inspections. But already the
plan OF frequently reinspecttng where i ,Ie
detection Of several agrant repettions and In the
exemplary punishment OF some Oh inc oileA
One of the greatest difficulties in enforcing the
Child Labor law heretofore removed, Mr. Sher-
man says, by the amendment Of 1so0' wnich pro
yides that where a child is apparently under SIX
teen, but is alleged to be over that age the en-
ployer must on demand of the Commissioner OF
Labor, produce certain specified documentary proc,
of it's age or discharge it. 1t has already resulted
in the discharge of hundreds of young children
The commissioner recommends that the lam Do
amended to prohibit such evasion
The report states that the provision OF the Id"
prohibiting night work is openly violated espe-
ciallv in the employment of women over twenty
one but the department has feared to test this
particular prohibition because 1t Is so closely )one
with the prohibition of night work by male ana
female minors, that IN case Of an adverse oeclsio
both prohibitions might be held to 1an tOse'ne'
Tho commissioner recommends that this portion OF
the law be redrawn and amended SO as TO contain
separate provisions applying to all minors ana 10
females of whatever age respectively considering
the work along the tenement house line Commas
sioner Sherman says:
cannot complete my review Of the law without a
criticism OF one other Of its details II gIosibueS
that none of those articles which 1t speclnes sns
tenement house by any person other than tn, tns
members Of the family lying and t6e children or
the children OF either II this definition Of Ia tb
too difficult OF enforcement and too arbitrary
The subject of factory inspection receives con-
siderable space in the report Mr.. Sherman cans
attention to the fact that neither for merit nor
for long service has a single deputy factory IN
spector been promoted advanced in salary Inls
has had a tendency he says. TO drlVe the HlosI
efficient and ambitious out OF the service
Commissioner Sherman, speaking of the made
ouate number of factory inspectors at MS COM
mand. says:
There present thirty.seven deputy {aGtoTy
OF whom is assigned to mines ana No., au 1s
5bfryfour inspectors to inspect and enforce the
Iar- 4, over thirtv-1vs thousand factories includ-
ing bakeries. and approximately i5Uo0 ten9nentSI
the Complicated provisions of Article OF the
labor law It is capable of mathematical demon
stration that these thirtyfour cannot possibly 90
the work laid out for them. Five years ago there
yra ffty which number was then deliberately re
duced while their work has since oeen muIupIeu'
Referring to that part Of the labor law limiting
q davis work in bakeries to ten hours. which mas
neen declared unconstitutional by the United States
s,prenne Court on the assumption by the court
mat baking is mot necessarily injurious or
unhealthy occupation Commissioner Sherman
says:
While that may be true 1t is nevertheless q fact
that the bakeries IN ~ ic tberefore the
beneficial effect of this section, II not lnvaNd'
would principally apply are generally uncIean
ali the more important that this department should
he provided with the force and the remedy To com
mel such adjustments to be kept clean and SAM
tary.
In discussing the "sweatshops which. ne says
svts+ IN New-York City and in other places in
the State Commissioner Sherman suggests tnat
~. denartment should be armed with the right to
ston work until the requirements Of the law as
regards cleanliness are lived to. 1t is recon-
ner6ed that no attempt be made at present 20 |
revise the labor laws generally. they are prob
.b,, stl IN their formative stages and liable TO
MANY annual amendments
After receiving the report of committee which |
investigated the Free Employment Bureau In |
NeN-York City. Commissioner Sherman says:
..r have no faith that any material Improvement |
can he made in the bureau. and, therefore, ror the
raa sons set forth in the foregoing report recon-
mend that Il be abolished and that It's Iorce 10
a+bcr with the appropriation for 1t, be diverted 10
"a The other bureaus, and more particularly the |
bureau of Factory Inspection