The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-08-11
Illinois Legislature Improves Act
Which Had Been Unchanged
Fourteen Years.
NANf DEFECTS ARE REMOVED
Statutes Now Harmonlze With the
Standards Set by the New Fed
eral Measure-Other News OF
the Labor World.

their standards of protection for youth
full workers, Illinois child labor law
trimming with defects in the light OF
present-day knowledge, was allowed TO
remain untouched on the statute books
for IA years. In the final session OF
the lass legislature it was rewritten to
conform more nearly with prevalent
ideas concerning the conservation OF
childhood. At least it harmonizes with
the standards set by the federal child
labor act.
The new law adheres to the old
standard of fourteen yetys as the mini
mum age at which children say quit
school for wage winning purposes. 1t
provides that no minor shall be per-
mitted to work more than eight hours
day or more than six days a week.
Like the federal law, it bars from work
In mines or quarries minors less than
sixteen years of age.
Radical changes are made in the
manner of issuing employment certit1-
Gates, one of the features in which the
former law was sadly deficient. That
law, indeed, because Of its flaws, en-
couraged truancy, delinquency, va
grancy and flock of other evils. The
methods employed were loose, making
1t difficult for the truant officers to
locate young persons to whom work
certificates had been issued and who
had left their Jobs or been dismissed,
| Thousands of them, consequently, were
| spending their time in poolrooms'
shooting craps and otherwise indulging
in improbable pursuits when they
should have been in school.
| Hereafter employment certificates
are to be issued by the superintendent
of schools or his authorized agents.
| Proof of age will have to be estab-
| lished as a prerequisite to obtaining a
certificate, another point at which the
old law was weak. Another requisite
is an examination as to physical fitness
| to undertake the work to be attempted,
| together with a statement signed by
| the prospective employer that such EN-,
pYoyment is intended. A school board
physician is to make the physical tests
A chnyass has been started in Penn
| sylyabaie of ailAr.sil1oad eI5p ts3y2Gs sSyhS
l.s.s.so been pensioned on age, With 0
view of ascertaining whether they can
not be re-employed in some capacity
m hnIY h.
present labor scarcity, which will be.
come more acute with army conscrip.
tion. The plan is to continue paying
these retired railroad men their pen,
sion, and such sum in addition as they
might earn in their new employment
1t is known that large percentage OF
the pensioners are still in good hath
and would welcome unemployment
with the railroads, many of them hav'
ing obtained work elsewhere.
A commission Of workmen visited the
Mexican capital to talk with President
Carranza concerning the alleged actlv-
tiles Of the leaders of labor unions in
some of the cotton and textile factories
Of Vera Cruz. 1t is said they asked
that the activities Of some of these la
Dor agents be curbed, as they have led
to disorders and in some cases to the
closing down Of the factories. The af-
fair was speedily adjusted and the
factories have resumed operation.
The famous Danbury Hatters' case
was settled and 141 hatters' homes
saved from auction when D. e. Loewe,
head Of the plaintiff firm in the boycott
action, signed release freeing the de-
PENDANTS from all claims. The amount
Of money involved In the settlement
was not announced. When the nego-
tiations began Loewe was demanding
at least $250,000. His legal claims to-
tailed $4,000. The hatters were will
ing to pay 100000.
It is estimated that there are about
GOO pensioners ON the Philadelphia &
Reading railroad system. They repre-
sent all classes, including engineers,
telegraphers, carpenters, machinists,
trainmen, clerks, agents, etc. The
Pennsylvania railroad has 1885 men
on its pension roll and 1t is estimated
that at least half this number are still
able to work.
Substantial increases in wages to
employees In the mechanical depart
ment Of the Northern Pacific, Great
Northern and the Chicago, st. Paul,
Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad com
panies agreed upon some time ago
have become effective. More than 49,
900 men are affected on the three
lines.
A compromise agreement on q 10
per cent Increase In wages instead of
the Is per cent demanded averted
the threatened strike of toolmakers and
machinists at the American British
company In Bridgeport, Conn.
About 1000 employees of the Union
Iron works shipbuilding plant. at
Alameda, on San Francisco bay. quit
work, demanding an advance Of So a
day for each gang of riveters.
Clerks, bookkeepers, Office assistants
and the like have a mortality from tu-
berculosis almost double that of all
occupied persons in the United States
more than fifteen years of age.