Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-29
State Dairy Instructor F. S. Adams
Speaks at Auburn Grange.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meeting of Governor and
Council, Thursday, May 20, 1918, at
10 A. Nj.

missioner Connolly in his report de-
clares:
The enforcement of the laws per-
tanning to the employment of chill
dren has been of first Importance il
the work of the department Every
legitimate effort has been made to
bring about effective enforcement aaG
the claim is unhestatingiy advanced
that conditions in Maine in this re-
spect were never better.
Believing that satisfactory results
could only be obtained by the CO.
operation of the employers and the
department, we have endeaNored -
bring about such a condition. that
while admitting that minor Irregular
ties in the filing of records and cectiti-
Gates, etc, were to be expected, the
fundamental law that no minor under
IA years of age shall be employed
must be obeyed to the letter. En-
IRENE leniency has been Shown at the
risk of inviting criticism.
In taking up the work If factor:
Inspection, we found thai practically
no effort had been made to enforce
the amendment enacted III 1909, re-
quifing minor to present to the ep-
ployer an age and schooling eertih-
cate from the superintendent of
schools. Age certificates only were
on file with the employers, with three
exceptions.
THE form of employment ccrtif-
cate in use was based on the i9hi law
and did not allow of complete re
port of the conditions surrounding the
minors employment.
The result of the changing of these
conditions has been far reaching, and
is to a great extent responsible for the
better conditions now obtaining
Many children, unable to qualify be-
fore the school authorities. have con-
tinued in the day school rather than
accept the alternative of attending
regularly at night school, superin
tendents are given opportunity t.
personally advise the children aud
parents and the extra care and Itten
ton necessitated has encouraged the
employers to reduce the employment
of children under Is years of age 70
the minimum. One superintendent #
schools reports having received sou
applications for schooling certificates
in Is months. He had previously re-
ceived none. OF the 500 examined b.
this superintendent in 1912, about 209
were granted certificates. or in other
words, 800 children were retained in
day schools in that city. that other
wise would have been Illegally enc
ployed in the mills.
Night Work.
Might work by minors should ~
prohibited, and this provision should
extend to employments, mercantile
and other, not regulated by our pres
ent child labor laws. Such an en-
actment would minimize the injurious
consequences resulting from oceupa
tions now entirely unrestricted.
Male children under ten years aai
female children under sixteen yeaTS
should be prohibited from engaging IN
any street trade, and others should ne
required to first obtain PERMISSION
from the school authorities who
should be given authority 10 formulate
and enforce rules governing 5ucn EN-
ployment.
AN effort should be made to bring
about better system than our pres
ent out date night schools Tor ti'e
education of children entering EN-
pleyment at an early age. II seems
possible that a system of centinuil-
ton or part time schools could be
provided, to have the direction of all
working children between the ages 9i
fourteen and sixteen.
"A reduction in the number OF hours
of labor for minors is imperative Il
Maine is to keep in touch with tue
progress of other commemorative,
such reduction would aid in the
solution of the foregoing problem of
education.
Several states require physical
examination by physicians OF All
minors before being allowed TO enter
employment. If this general law IS
not adopted. at least authority should
be given the department to require
such a certificate in any instance
where it is deemed advisable. When
an extremely delicate boy or slrl IS
met with in a mill, an age and schoot-
ing certificate is meaningless, ana the
continuation in employment of the
child. unless by consent of physl :
clan, is little less than crime.
Laws restricting child labor meet
with the approval of the average citi-
zen, and efforts towards their en-
forcement is thus made comparatively
easy. Our State laws are not far be-
hind those of other commemorative,
taking into consideration the nature
of our various industries. Each ses-
sion of the Legislature should be
made a stepping stone towards their
perfection along the lines recommend, .
ed by the closest students of the chd :
dren's welfare in the industrial wori1
Fire Escapes.
Commissioner Connolly AYERS the
necessity of proper escapes for fire pro-
lection as follows
The problem of protection from loss
of life or injury in case of fire is a Sc
rious one. Our present law does not
cover buildings used solely for lodge
,urpoSeS and thereby permits the