Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-31
LAST WARNING GIVEN
Child Labor Law Will Be in
Force Tomorrow.
EMPLOYERS TAKE HEED
Violations to Be Prosecuted as Soon
as, Discovered.
BADGES FOR BOYS WHO WORK
Iinute Particulars of Physical
Characteristics Are Required
in Parents.
EMPLOYERS TAKE HEED
BADGES FOR BOYS WHO WORK

Enforcement of the child labor law be-
gins tomorrow.
Employers of children have been given
thirty-one days of grace to allow time
for the issue of the age and schooling
certificates and the investigation of doubt
full cases; but after today when the in
spectors. Policemen C. c. Estes and r. A.
Saunders, find children under sixteen
years of age regularly employed and with
out permits to work in violation of the
new law the employer will receive no gen.
tie words of warning, but will be ordered
to report to. the judge of the Juvenile
Court. Prosecutions are expected to begin
soon.
Tomorrow also badges will be issued
TO bootblacks and newsboys at the Frank
lin School building. The law requires
that such boys shall wear a badge while
they are plying their trades. To ac
company the badge WORKING boys must
obtain a permit TO work. giving color of
hair. of eyes. distinguishing facial marks,
weight and height.
If you took pictures of children and
their finger prints you would have records
as complete as those of a rogues gallery.
commented an official of the police depart
ment when told of the requirements Of
the permits.
Minute Particulars.
And in filling the specifications of the
blanks required by law the Bertillon sys-
tem by which crooks and members of the
light-fingered gentry are measured, will
be largely followed. r. o. Wilmarth,
acting for the superintendent of schools
In issuing permits, has received instruc
tion in taking measurements by the Ber-
tillon system.
The classification will be minute For
instance. the color of the hair may be
designated light. medium or dark blond;
light, medium or dark chestnut; black or
chestnut black: brick red or chestnut red.
Eyes may be pale blue, steel blue, hazel
blue. light hazel. medium hazel, dark
hazel. light chestnut. medium chestnut,
dark chestnut light maroon, medium ma
room, dark maroon, light green, dark
green. pink. black, violet or hetero-
chromes.
AS for distinguishing marks, enough are
considered to enable the examiner to find
whole map of Europe, with all towns
of over 500 inhabitants indicated, on one
face. And in denoting facial marks the
permit will incidentally tell how many
millimeters each particular one is from
the nearest wing of the nose or from the
canthus or ciliary of the eye.
when the boys have received the badge
and permit they will have completed the
steps necessary to- allow them to work
legally in the District of Columbia
Preliminary Work All Over.
Most of the parents and the children.
numbering about 5000 in all, began the
preparations for this license about June l.
First. the boys obtained from their school
teachers a certificate showing they had at
tended classes regularly during the past
school year About July l they struggled
through a mass of humanity at the
Franklin School building and applied for
an age and schooling certificate.
Before that was issued each parent was
na1
the exact date of the birth of the child.
residence, color of complexion and of the
hair Of the child. In many cases trip to
the Office of the judge Of the Juvenile
Court was necessary.
But after many hours of waiting in line
at the Franklin School building and the
Juvenile Court the age and schooling GER
tifcate was issued.
Now comes the permit to work and the
badge. which are necessary for boys en-
ployed ne&sboys or bootblacks. Real
izing that there will be no less than l,2OO
of these to be issued, Mr.. Wilmarth has
announced that he will continue to issue
them to Patsy, Mike. Dick and the others
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next
week.
Many employers and parents have been
warned that they have been violating the
new law during the past few days. In the
investigation of the cases Mr.. Wilmarth
has made some startling discoveries, and
the attention of the inspectors has been
have been given. Tomorrow warrants
will replace warnings.
Many written complaints have been filed
with Judge" Wilmarth These. usually
say that certain child, claiming to be
sixteen years Old is only fourteen or If
teen, and thus requires a permit under
the law. One letter complained Of girl
working in department store The writer
said she was the girls Sunday school
teacher and knew the girl to be only If
teen years old.
Investigation Of these complaints. Mr..
Wilmarth stated today. has almost in
variably shown that the facts stated in
the comp laintS were true.
Many cases of children going to work
before O'Clock in the morning. contrary
10 the law. have been discovered. Recent
ly the permit officer found that one boy
who wanted a permit went to work at ]
am. and another was found who began
his daily toll at am. The inspectors
have warned the employers they are vio-
lating the law.
Only one parent has been found, it was
stated who made false affidavit regard
ing the age of his child. Mr.. Wilmarth.
who swore the parent was suspicious of
the boys age. He quietly had the records
of the health office searched TO find out
when the boy was really born. The rec
ords there varied with the statement of
the father.
Instructions to Inspectors.
In directing the inspectors to begin the
enforcement of the new child labor law
tomorrow, Commissioner Macfarland gave
them the following instructions:
Having completed your preliminary
work. according to the instructions given
you upon your appointment. by dividing
the District of Columbia into two divi-
sions. by serving notices ali the known
employers of child labor and comforting
with the superintendent of schools and
the judge of the Juvenile Court you are
now TO begin on the lst OF August further
execution of the law by directing and
reporting to the corporation counsel ac-
cording to the terms of the child labor
law. any infraction OF its provisions.
with view to prosecution.
You will be guided by the advice Of
the corporation counsel. who has already
answered various questions of construc-
ton of the child labor law act which have
been raised. and of these answers are
herewith furnished you.
You will have the cooperation of the
truant officers of the public schools pro-
vided for in the act. You will perform
your duties with courtesy. firmness and
a purpose to execute the spirit as we'll as
the letter of the law"