The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-11
state Commissioner of Labor Sends
Out Warnings to Employers
and School super
lntendents.
DEFINES LIMITS OF ACT
Children May Work on Farm During
the Summer Without Neces-
sity Of Securing
Permits.

A. L. Urick, state commissioner Of
labor, has addressed a letter to school
superintendent in Iowa regarding
the child labor law provisions. In
his letter he says:
During the summer vacation chill
dren of any age or grade are permit
ted by the law to work on truck farms
or in other similar work, and no per-
NIT is required for that kind Of work
during the summer vacation. When
a school is in session the regular
conditions apply to the same as to
other occupations.
But you have no right under the
law to issue permit at any time,
whether school is in session or not,
to any child to work in any factory,
store, shop, place Of amusement, res
taurant, delivery Of merchandise, etc.,
unless said child is fourteen years OF
age and has also completed the sixth
grade. II you do you will be yourself
violating the law.
For the benefit of the parents
and employers, l append brief sum-
mary of the provisions of the law.
which must be complied with. A fine
of 500 is provided by the law for any
parent who gives false affidavit re-
garding a child, and also for any en-
ployer who employs child contrary
to the provisions of the law, or for
anyone violating any portion Of the
law
al. No child under sixteen years
of age may be employed in any other
work unless permit has been issued
by the superintendent of school
please note that even those chill
4 10
mits must secure regular permit
before they can be employed).
"t2. During the summer vacation
children may DE employed on truck
farms or in any agricultural work, or
in housework, without a permit, ire.
spectiye of age or grade.
"'3. No permit may be issued at
any time to any child under fourteen
years of age or over and who has not
finished the sixth grade.
No. 4. No person under sixteen
years Of age shall be employed before
the hour of in the morning or after
the hour of o'clock in the evening,
nor shall anyone under sixteen be
employed more than eight hours in
any one day or more than forty
eight hours in any one week.
"s5. The permit issued for any
child must be kept on file by the
employer as long as said child re-
mains in his employ, and must be re-
turned to the superintendent Of
schools, together with the reasons
why said child is no longer employ
ed, within two days from the term
ination of said employment
From the above letter 1t will be
seen that the state commissioner of
labor will not interpret the law in
any other way, but that children
must secure work permits both dur
ing the vacation period and during
the school year. Persons who do not
comply with this requirement will be
reported Immediately to the state in.
spector. Since there is a heavy fine
for violation Of the laws both en-
ployers and parents should be very
careful not to take matters in their
own hands, but they should consult
the superintendent of city schools to
make certain that they are not VIC
lating the provisions Of the child la
DOR law and thereby rendering them
selves liable to fine