The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-08
BACK TOIS AGAIN
Piece Chopped From Auto Age
Limit Replaced.
State Labor Commissioner John
son Interferes.
EFFECTS LABOR LAW.
Children Under Is Years of
Age Not to Be Employed.
Other Items of Interest From
the City Building.
EFFECTS LABOR LAW.

Gentlemen, we must do something
about this automobile ordinance. We
have Jagged along with it and played
with it until the people of this city are
getting Disguised and they are ridicul-
ing the council for the manner in
which we have shifted the age limits
and pranked with the law. Here we
have passed and amended this ordi-
nance at a great expense to the city
and when we have it all ready for final
action it is found to be against the law.
Before this council passes an ordinance
st should find out first If it is accord
Ding to the state laws. Let's examine
into our actions further and not allow
the public to think that We have no
idea of what we are going to do next.
This council is rapidly bringing upon
itself the general laugh of the city
and it is our duty to stop this non
sense
These were the very true words
which issued from the mouth of Coun-
Gilman Jordan at the council meeting
LIST night when the city council had
received word from the state labor
commissioner to the effect that the
new automobile ordinance making an
age limit of fifteen years to automobile
drivers was a direct violation of the
state labor laws and it must be
changed.
The city council has been taking this
automobile ordinance in jumps and
they have been amending and chang
ing it ever since. First it was ripped
by the counc Gil, then by the motor league
and now the state gets into the game.
Last night Mayor Green informed
the council that he had received let
ter from w. l. A. Johnson, state Ia
Dor commissioner. who notified the
aldermen that the state of Kansas
would never allow such ordinance to be
passed-it was a direct violation or the
state labor law. The ordinance passed
q night before last reducing the age
limit of automobile drivers from eight
cen to fifteen years was laid on the
table and the old ordinance is still in
effect Thus the joys and cOngratula-
lions of the autoistS which were so evil |
dent yesterday will drop to renewed |
fighting blood today and the old fight
will be renewed
The letter written to Mayor Green in
reference to the state side oe the age
limit is in part as follows;
sWhile it may be probable and fire.
ouently occurs that boy 10 years OF
aee is cOmpetent to operate ar auto
mobile 1 think it will be agreed that
the immaturity of a child of that age,
the lack of concentration and presence
of mind in unforeseen emergencies
which frequently arise in the operation
of automobiles will make the practice
and vocation of operating automobiles
by children between 10 and IL years OF
age. one OF great DANGER 10 ne dlAu
limb not only to the lives of the oper- |
ators and passengers within but to |
the lives of the pedestrians and other
drivers of vehicles, the women and
children who drive horses and bugg1eS |
in and about the city and in view of
the further fact that the legislature |
has taken cogniZance of the necessity /
for protecting children against danger
Gus employment, as viii be seen by
section 3 chapter Go. laws of 1909, |
known as the child labor law where in |
the following occurs: No person under |
is wears of age shall be employed at |
any OCCUPATION nor at any place dam
gerous or injurious to life, limb or
morals
1T becomes the duty of the state fac
tory inspector and deputies to enforce
the provision of chapter 90 and in or
der to determine the age of such chill
dren working in dangerous places it
by this department each
certificate under the child labor law
and I beg to advise that in accord
ance with the duties imposed upon the
factory inspection department I feel
that it shall be my duty to hold that
state of Kansas by persons under 16
years of age is an occupation dangerous
to life and limb and if this ordinance
referred to is to stand it will be neces-
sary to test it in the courts, to de-
termine whether my version of chapter
ordinance recently enacted comes in
conflict with the said statute.
Il consider the enactment of the or
dinance reducing the age from Is to
Is years as a serious mistake and that
the ordinance should be repealed and
the former ordinance reenacted or at