Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-01-05
Its Strong and Weak Points as
Brought Out In an Interview
WITH DEPT. Representative
Who Visited Alma 10 See whether Law Was
Being 0bsyed or Ignored

What do you regard as the most es-
sential features of the new labor law?
THE last legislature abolished the
bureau of labor and statistics and cre-
sted what is known as the department
OF labor. There was empowered de-
partmental regulation of all industrial
concerns where labor is employed, in
cluding factories, workshops and
stores; also conditions surrounding
thesters, hotels, tenement and school
houses, assembly halls and public
buildings.
Along with the effort to create
means of safeguarding the lives and
health of labor, it was intended that
the department be, not menace TO
industries as some suppose. but help
rather, when possible. Neither was it
intended that an industry should be
arbitrary with the department, hence
the wording of section 81"
Section 81 Any person who vio-
lates or omits to comply with any Of
the foregoing provisions of this act,
or who interferes in any manner with
the factory Inspector in the discharge
of his duties, or who suffers or permits
any child or female to be employed in
violation of its provisions. shall be
deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and
on conviction shall be punished by a
fine of not less than ten nor more than
one hundred dollars or by imprison-
ment for not less than ten nor more
and imprisonment in the discretion of
than ninety days, or by both such fine
the court.
What are the provisions OF the act
regarding the employment of children
and females?
Section 10 of the act provides as
follows"
Section 10. No child under the age
Of twenty-one shall be employed, per-
mitted or suffered to work in any
theater concert hall or place of am
usement where Intoxicating liquors are
sold No child under fourteen years
Of age shall be employed. permitted or
suffered to work in or in connection
with any mercantile institution, store,
office, hotel, laundry, manufacturing
establishment, mine, bowling alley,
theater, passenger or freight elevator
factory or worksop, telegraph Or
messenger service within this state.
at further provides that. between
"a and 10 a child may work if possess
ing permit This permit is issued
by the state on application, signed by
the parent or guardian and the super
intendent of schools of the district in
which such child resides, but they
must be able to read intelligently and
write legibly simple sentences in the
English language; must have received
instructions in reading, writing, spell
ing, English grammar and geography,
and must be familiar with the funda-
mental operations of arithmetic up to
and including elementary operations in
fractions. In other words the child
must meet the educational demands,
must be ID years of age, and it must be
also with the consent of parent or
guardian before a permit will be is
sued. This takes it entirely out of
the hands of the notaries public, who
under the old law were allowed to
issue working papers Many instances
were found where they had taken
sworn statements from parents who
really did not know the age, but were
willing TO swear falsely in order to
get the child out to work
In reference 10 this matter will say
there is not rhe slightest hesitancy in
prosecuting cases of employment of
children who are working without hav-
ing fulfilled these requirements.
Section 9 contains provisions for the
employment of females:
Section 9. No male under the age
OF eighteen years, and no female, shall
be employed in any factory, mill, ware
house. workshop, clothing dressmak-
ing or millinery establishment, or any
place where the manufacture OF any
kind of goods is carried on, or where
any goods are prepared for manuiac-
turing. or in any laundry, store, shop
or any other mercantile establishment,
for a period of longer than an average
of nine hours in a day or fifty-four
hours in any week nor more than ten
hours in any one day.
"When, three years ago, the great
people of the state in constitutional
convention provided for legislative au-
thority in the enactment OF this law,
! could not but think it to be a new
era in our civilization. There should
not have been among us all single
arbitrary mind That we have en-
countered some obstinacy. however,
goes without saying. as it's few laws
that suit all But its constitutionality
has been recently decided by the STU
preme court, and all violators from