The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-11-30
OUR CHILD LABOR LAWS
AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT.
Paper Read by W. A. Punk Before Social Sci.
ence Club Tuesday Evening.

children in occupations, exhibitions, or
places dangerous or injurious to life,
limb, health or morals.
Cleaning machinery in motion is pro-
hibited for minors in West Virginia, for
males under eighteen and females under
, twenty one years in Michigan, and New
York, for males under sixteen in Penny
slvania and Rhode Island, and for child
ren under fourteen in Massachusetts.
Operating or assisting in operating dan
gerous machinery is prohibited for child
rem under sixteen years of age in New
York; cleaning machinery in motion or
working between the fixed and travers
ing parts of machinery in motion is pro-
hibited for minors in Missouri and New
Jersey; cleaning machinery in motion
by males under sixteen and females UNI
der eighteen and operating or assisting
, in operating dangerous machinery on
the part of children under sixteen years
of age is prohibited in Iowa, and opera
ting or cleaning machines in motion is
prohibited for children under twelve
| years of age in Louisiana.
In New York children under eighteen
years of age are not permitted to be
J employed in any factory in operating or
using any emery, tripoli rouge, cOrun-
dunn, stone, carborundum, or any abra-
sive or emery polishing or buffing wheel
/ where articles of the baser metals or of
/ iridium are manufactured.
An Illinois statute specifies a long
list of dangerous operations in which
children under sixteen years of age are
not permitted to be employed. These
include, among others, sewing belts, adj
justing belts to machinery, oiling or
cleaning machinery; operating circular
or band saws, planners or polishing
machinery, emery or polishing wheels,
wood turning CT borlifss machinery,
stamping machines in sheet metal, tim
/
rugating rolls. elevators, steam boilers,
steam machinery, cracker machinery,
wire or iron Strengthening machinery,
rolling-mill machinery, laundry machin-
cry; setting up pins in bowling alleys,
preparing compositions i'll which dam
gerous or poisonous acids are. used,
manufacturing paints, colors, or white
lead, etc. The operation management,
care or custody of elevators on the part
of children is prohibited in ten states.
For this purpose the age limit in Ohio,
is fixed at twenty. and in Rhode Island
at eighteen. in Massachusetts,, at eigh-
teen for elevators running over 100 feet
per minute and at sixteen for slower
elevators. in Minnesota at eighteen for
elevators running over, 200 feet per minute
and at sixteen for other elevators, in
New York, at eighteen for elevators run
Ling over 200 feet per minute and at
fifteen for other elevators. In Con-
necticut, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
the age limit is sixteen years and in
Pennsylvania it is fourteen. Below these
ages children are not permitted to be
in charge of or to operate elevators. In
New York the prohibition applies only
to elevators in factories, and in Rhode
Island it applies to passenger elevators
only. In the other states the statutes
apply to all elevators.
Twenty-Five states and territories
have laws limiting the hours of labor
for children from twelve to twenty one
years of age. The limit varying from
eight hours per day to sixtysix per
week. The following are some exam
pies. as taken from the United States
Bulletin of labor: Six hours per day,
three in the morning and three in the
afternoons: For children under sixteen
years of age in agricultural factories
and manufacturing establishments in
Porto Rico.
Eight hours per day: For children
under sixteen years of age in factories,
stores, mines, or other occupations which
may be deemed unhealthful or danger
Gus, in Colorado, and for children under
eighteen years of age in cigar factories
in Indiana. In Wisconsin children under
eighteen years may not be compelled to
work over eight hours per day in manu-
featuring establishments.
Eight hours per day or forty weight
hours per week: For children under
sixteen years of age in any gainful oc
cupation in Illinois. s.s
Nine hours per day: For boys under
fourteen and girls under sixteen years
of age in ali occupations except agri-
cultural and domestic service and clerks
in stores in Michigan, and for children
under sixteen years of age in factories
in New York.
Nine hours per day or fiftyfour hours
nor vuoal.. For chiIdran under eiobt epu