Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-17

and without such supervision an act regu-
lating the employment of domestics would
be without force, The department contents
itself with overseeing the work of the en-
ployment agencies where domestics are
engaged to determine whether or not the
positions offered the applicants are bona
fde positions. Further than that 1t has no
legal power
The act states that females in estnb-
lshments may not be employed more than
ten hours in any one day or more than
nfty-four hours In any one week; or more
than six days consecutively except those
working in fruit and vegetable canncres
and nurses in hospitals, Overtime is al
lowed on three days in the same week pro.
vided II does not exceed two hours any
one day or ffty-four hours for tho week,
in case OF legal holiday or the loss OF
more than thirty minutes due to altera-
tions or damage to machinery.
Those under twenty-one years., except
telephone operators more than eighteen
years old or nurses in hospitals, must not
be employed between Q y. IN. and n. M,
and no worker may be employed between
10 p. m. and n. m except as manager.
superintendent, clerk or stenographer. At
least forty-1ve minutes is set aside for the
midday meal but this may be reduced to
thirty minutes where the working day Is
less than eight hours. No employe may
be required to work more than six hours
continuously without the stated intervals
of forty-fve or thirty minutes, and shall not
be required to remain in the workroom
during meal and rest periods.
The law further imposes health provisions
and the posting of schedules so that the
employe may readily understand when her
rights are nfrlnged upon.
AT TO HOTEL RULE.
Upon the enactment of the law a dispute
arose as to the whether or not II applied
to domestic employees In hotels. The In
dustrlal board OF the department there
upon made ruling which threw tho pro-
lection of the law over female hotel en-
ployes as WE'LL
Modified regulations for short-term sum-
mer hotels were permitted to subdivide the
one required day of rest into two half
days each week Hotels and institutions
employing not more than ten women were
permitted to give the day of rest a one
complete day of twenty-four hours each
week. one complete Sunday ore week
and complete week day the next week.
alternate Sunday with one-half week day.
totaling two full days each fortnight or
two half holidays each week, defining half
day as five hours consecutive service. Ho-
tells and institutions employing more than
ten women were required to adhere strictly
to the act.
IT. addition, the worlSmen's compensa-
tion act excluded domestics, together with
agricultural workers, from the benefits Of
its provisions.
No law fixes their hours. True, there Is
a custom adhered TO by good housekeepers
of setting certain hours for work and cer-
tain days "ofr' for recreation But even
In the best-regulated households emergen-
Giles arise, such as late dinners or recep-
tions, where the servant is called upon for
extra time. There is no law to prevent a
domestic working after 10 m. or before
G a. m. or surrendering her day "ofr"
More impressive than complaints Is the
fact that coincident with the rapid falling