New-York tribune., 1907-01-03
ENFORCING LABOR LAWS
Commissioner Sherman on Factory
InspeciOn-WOrk of Children.

me me l3ng negiscted factory laws of the state but is
sno N regard TO those provisions restricting hours
OF Iaoor and those applying 10 tenant factories,
last default will have been to large degree made
sooG pei9re this report is published. because action
been purposely deferred. order to take advantage
OF the amendments which make the provisions re-
lating to bakeries more readily enforceable Rapid
progress IS also predicted with tenant-facIory
xi1 @ tenenent work by reason Of the ncrease in the
tbI9er OF IaGt9ry INSPECTORS; although. will be
carry out all the provisions relating tenements
OF sweatshops the report says:
II must not be inferred from the foregoing remarks
ABOUT Gnclean sweatshops that the average condi-
bad. The contrary Is the fact But that city is by
d a the greatest clothing manufacturing city in the
WORKSHOPS II is not unnatural that a great many.
should have to the very W bottom of the
sanitary scale. =
TENEMENT HOUSE WORK.
The subject Of tenement house work deserves the
nitude in New York CITY but also because of the
rz fZen OF partial views in regard to il {ilat gen.
70 explain: on account of the lack OF statistics
to it The subject matter sought to- be regulsfed
py our tenement house provisions is home work,
Tiea en- IN tenement houses. and then only when
naunicate disease and they regulate work in shops
IN tenement houses well in living apartments
.,,s Ihe effects OF the law even although only par
{cy {iasy enforced @ nave been most beneficial Manu-
stopped in the worst tenements of certain neigh
borhoods. while, on the other hand, q large num-
materially improved and cleaned in order to secure
ncenses. In these low grade tenements, to which
haye not fixed very high standard for structural
liness and its Continued maintenance and to
enforce standard of cleanliness practice has
peen 20 make repeated visits 10 every house under
observation until landlords. janitors and tenants
rooms the Same staodsrs % IesnIiness santa
2fc hat We do IN aoTOr
with such notifications and additional regulations
Some Of the objections publicly agitated against
hon. home work in tenemsnts are economic 1t is felt
lation as in tenements and factories and therefore
10 lead to excessive hours insufficient wages and
child labor 1t is not worth while to discuss this
measure. and is therefore properly hot aimed at
economic conditions But I cannot let 1t pass with
out saving that the more become familiar with
hypothesis that the conditions of the poorer work
ers would be improved and the evils of the sweat
ing system ameliorated by an absolute prohibition
Of home work in tenenents.
LABOR OF CHILDREN.
The department has made the strongest possible
the labor of children. Almost every factory in the
state has been Inspected with this subject especially
been discharged. Careful records of ali such cases
have been kept and every factory in which a viola
tion has been found has been subjected 20 a rein
specton or. where possible, to many Teinspections.
amount inspectors time required to do so each
six days work.. and because there is much ignor-
ance and confusion about the law regulating the
teen We have therefore generally passed first of
fences with a warning. but have tried 10 prosecute
all serious second offences and TO draw dead line
at the age of fourteen years so as to punish every
factory proprietor who employed child obviously
under that age without some unusually valid ex
cuse.
But up TO the last OF June the results of our
efforts were most encouraging, few prosecutions
were unsuccessful. and few violations We're found
on second inspections with the exception OF some
obstinate offenders and Of many smaller proprietors
difference we thought that We had brought the
factories Of the state generally into strict compl
ance with the law. But with the coming Of the
n Lvss ike th 51Irstir of dam snG he abiISren
i.AS ~ 2t-t " Ie, ai1L ~. I'll
wrongly advised by their teachers that they did
need employment certificates, those between four
teen and sixteen nearly all made no attempt 70 get
thein' out went 10 Nork IN Floiauon 81 tdW. We
but the magistrates pretty generally turned against
at least 50 far as New York City and Syracuse
are concerned-in New York by their refusals 70
f NAM N rIe concrioDe a beref6Te }ornS IN IN
the conviction that the department not proper
ly enforce the present law during vacations.
SO far as It affects chiidren between fourteen and
sixteen-has Tor lis sole object education regard
less Of health or, safety. leads 10 absurdity ard
purposeless hardships during vacations, and that
and obtain permanent certificates and continue in
factories who with limited provision for vacation
certificates uigst use them instead and return
school again. I recommend a careful consideration
Of this question TO all interested in the subject Of
I would also recommend that the law be amended
under sixteen years Of age 70 eight a day The
reasons for this recommendation are both hygienic
for children Of fourteen and ffteen to work in the
tory One should realize that by comparing it with
the average school day OF six hours, which
And compared with the eight hour day for mature
workingrnen on public contracts, it is out of all
proportion
HOURS FOR woMEN's WORK.
The provisions regulating the hours of labor of
as those 20: male minors under eighteen. No
bonTs work ~ ne geaI Ifo1Don fn & 9i more @ man Sky
doubt TO its constitutionality has always
last report pointed that out Explained that we
were AFRAID to test the question and recommended
that separate prohibition OF night work for
general prohibition should be declared unconstitu-
uonal because Of its application to women
would remain unaffected This advice not fol-
The clause and the result has been that il was de-
eiared unconstitutional by the Court Of Special
one. An appeal from that decision is pending.
employment of women sixteen at any or all
hours Of the night. There are sufficient hygenic
: OF work in factories at night and therefore
Few my recommen 1ation that prohibition of
night work by women under twenty-one be enacted.
ed for Section OF The Labor law eeneTsiiv Known
as The Eight Ho3r law was in fuiI force and effect
far as il applied to employees OF the and
municipal corporations and Of contractors with the
state but il had been declared unconstitutional
its application to work for contractors with
state and OF contractors with the the law has
been generally successfully enforced: But have
been unable TO enforce It IN It's application 10 en-
No sooner had the new law taken effect on May
TO pour in upon this department; and its inability
plants as promptly and effectively as the impa-
tenee Of the compliments demanded, occasioned a