The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-11
KEEP AFTER LABOR
Law VIOLA TOR S.
Agents of Bureau of Labor Have
Secured Twenty-threc
Convictions.
ALL ARE NOTIFIED FIRST
Prosecutions Made Only After
Repeated Warnings Have
Failed.

Within the past year twenty.three
convictions of violations Of the States
labor laws have been secured by the
Bureau OF Labor. Eleven of these
have been In connection with the
statute forbidding the working of re-
males for longer than ten hours in
any one day. willis the others were
for employing children under the age
OF fourteen.
Labor Commissioner James b.
Doherty believes that the result will
be far more strict compliance with
the laws on the subject. It has never
been his policy to prosecute II he
could avoid 1t, and, in fact, he is in.
clined to look upon the large number
of convictions secured more with re.
greet than with pride. In every In.
stance he has given notice to the OF.
fender, and In some cases he mas re.
peated this warning, only taking lega.
action when he found that no other
course was open to him. He desires
compliance with the law, and not
prosecutions and fines.
All Were Notified.
For long time after the passage
OF the statutes. Mr.. Doherty spent his
time acquainting employers with their
terms. He had printed copies of the
laws sent to all establishments, ana
followed this up with personal nDti-
fications.
In some of the prosecutions for vic.
iation Of the ten-hour law it was
claimed that the girls were being
worked few minutes longer than tho
ten hours for five days in the week
so that they might be given part o,
q holiday on Saturday. In .other cases
however, SO such claim was made. IT
being found that the girls were SIMPLY
working overtime.
Speaking OF the recent four cases in
Richmond fos. this offense, Commits.
eioner Doherty said yesterday that
they are doubtless due to the habit
in this city of getting up rush just
preceding Christmas. He Is convinced
that in practically every case the extra
work that is done at this time coula
Just as easily be arranged for at some
other time in the year. If study We're
given to 1t
However, whether or not 1T can be
conveniently done, in his opinion 1t
will have to be done. for he proposes
to keep after all offenders. He takes
the position that 1t is his business to
see that the statutes are obeyed.
Tried to Amend Law.
The proposition of working longer
hours for five days in week SO as to
secure time off on Saturdays. led to an
attempt TO amend the law during the
last session of the Legislature. A
change was proposed which would per.
nit such practices, provided no female
should work longer than sixty hours in
a week. There was tremendous op-
position to this amendment, and after
repeated hearings, at which represent
tatives Of labor organizations and OF
social workers societies opposed 1t,
1t was allowed to die.
In the child labor cases, the employ
er was prosecuted in all instances
where conviction was secured, save
the three cases at Newport News. Here
the parents Were brought up in court
and punished, it appearing that they
had certified to the employer that the
children were of legal age. Another
attempt was made to punish parents,
but failed, the judge taking the state
ment OF the parents over other evil
dence, which purported to be state
ments made by these same parents
at other times.
Hard to Convict.
In such instances, conviction ia ex-
ceedingly difficult Naturally, 1t is
unlikely that any one other than the
parent is in position to swear to the
age, and II the father and mother say
the child is old enough to be within
the law, the task Of contradiction ia
almost hopeless. However. statements
OF parents in other respects. such as
In school enrollments. are taken by
some Judges.
In statement prepared by Commits
sioner Doherty yesterday aided by
Special Agent ]. B. Clinedinst. who has
worked up the cases, it is found that
convictions Were secured as follows:
Ten-hour law-Richmond. 4 suf-
folk. /: Norfolk. Q; Danville. 9; Bed
ford City. 1: Lynchburg. /. Total. IL.
Child labor law-Richmond. 2; suf-
folk. i; Norfolk, 1; Norfolk county. i;
Portsmouth. Il: Newport News, 81;
Danville, 2; Basic City, 1. Total. -.
EPW0RTH CHURCH