Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1916-10-28
CHANCES TO
Child LABOR Law
Commissioner Would Make
Act Conform 10 That
in Neighboring States
WILL ALSO FATHER
SANITATION LAW

Changes in at least two State laws orl
new acts to take their places will bel
proposed to the next legislature by the
Delaware Child Labor Commission. a
new law, carrying all the good features
OF the present child labor law, and in
addition the best of what can be CLEANED
from similar laws in force in other
States, will be presented as well as
new sanitary law, while it is possible
that additional legislation will be asked
on ire protection; a widows pension fund
law may be fathered, and an amend
ment to the present ten-hour law involv-
ing the elimination of the one l2hour
day allowed now, may be taken up.
Meeting in quarterly session yester-
day afternoon in the Office Of the pre-
sident. Charles Warner, in the Odd Eel
lows Building, the Commission wrestled
with the problems devolving upon it in.
the task of Strengthening out matters
pertaining to legislation from l.3O
O'Clock until after 5 o'clock. Before
taking up the corrections the commits
sion proposes TO suggest be made IN the
present child labor law the members dis
cussed three ways of presenting this
subject matter-by amending the pres
ent law, by proposing an entirely new
law. or recommending the establishment
of certain general rules for the guidance
Of the commission and then turning over
20 the commission the administration OF
those rules
II was decided that such advanced
legislation might do for the State Of
Wisconsin, from whose laws the idea
was borrowed, but that IL would not
pass in Delaware. As nearly every
clause in the old law is affected by the
proposed alterations. the first method OF
presenting the proposed legislation was
also abandoned. The changes 10 be re-
quested were gone over one by one, and
while slight in themselves, when taken
individually. make quite q difference in
the law as a whole and. ii adopted, will
do much to improve conditions among
children Of the State. Any changes
proposed in the present law will be con
sistent with the Federal law on the sub
iect which goes into effect September
next.
Among the changes proposed Is a
provision doing away with the Vaca-
ton certificates that permitted a
child 10 work in the summer time.
In the opinion OF the commission this
certificate was inadequate, and they
propose to amend Il by giving a tenn
porary or provisional employment GER
tificate. This certificate would be
given to BOYS over ~ and girls over
IA. as a medium whereby they could
obtain employment during the hours
that the schools were not in session;
the occupations to be defined by the
inspector and the inspector given the
right to revoke the certificate any
time any OF the provisions that went
with IL were broken.
Another important amendment that
will be proposed TO the now existing
law is that child must present
card from its employer-to-be stating
the kind of employment II will work
at before the general employment GER
tificate will be granted. Provision will
also be made in the new bill for the
elimination OF the old ruling which
said that II child had attended
school 100 days during the year, the
employment certification could be
granted. In place of this the commits
sion would place section saying that
the child would have to have reached
a certain grade in school before Il
would be allowed to work.
After the proposed changes had
been gone over thoroughly II was de-
cided to have a draft of the new law
sent to each member OF the commits
sion as well as the advisory commit
tee so the commission will be able 10
consider IL in its entirety at the next
meeting
Discussion OF proposed changes in
the sanitary law followed the read
ing Of a report on her investigation
of sanitary conditions by Miss Mary
S. Malone. the ten-hour law inspec-
tor. Miss Margaret II. Sherman.
representing the Consumers League.
stated that a bill. providing for rene
dying the conditions complained OF in