The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-08-08
u. S. Department Of Labor
Wage and Hour Division

-
Wage and Hour Division
Active operations under the State
Agreement plan, signed by the
Wage and Hour Division, U. s.
Department Of Labor, and the
State Of Minnesota, will begin Aug
ust 1. The Agreement provides
for inspections and Investigations
of wages, hours and working con-
ditions as outlined in the Fair Lab
or Standards Act, by inspectors Of
the Division of Women and Chill
dren Of the Minnesota Industrial
Commission.
Announcement Of the date was
made today by L. A. Hill, acting
regional director of the Wage and
Hour Division.
Minnesota was the third state
to sign an agreement with the
Wage and Hour Division and the
Children's Bureau of the U. s. De-
partment of Labor. J. D. Williams,
Leslie M. Gravlin, State Admins
traitor; Attorney General J. A. A.
Burnquist and State Auditor Stat
ford King signed for Minnesota.
Colonel Philip B. Fleming, Admin
istrator of the Wage and Hour
Division, and Katharine F. Len
root, chief of the Children's Bur
eau, signed for the Federal agen-
cies.
The agreement designates the
Division Of Women and Children,
headed by Miss Florence Burton,
to cooperate with the Wage and
Hour Division and the Children's
Bureau in making inspections I'M
der the Federal Wage-Hour law.
Six new inspectors have been
added to the State Division, one
of whom will be designated as
assistant chief Of the Division of
Women and Children. Clerks and
stenographers have been added to
take care of the additional clerical
work.
The Division Of Women and
Children will be reimbursed by the
Federal agencies for salaries and
other expenses incurred in the en-
forcement of the Act.
L. A. Hull, acting regional direc-
tor Of Region XII, which includes
Minnesota, North and South Da-
kota and Montana, with head1uar-
tiers at 406 Pence Building, Min
neapolis, said: "It is felt that work
ing with the State Industrial Com
mission will strengthen the en-
forcement of the Federal Wage
Hour law in this state, as it will
give an increase in the number
of inspectors actively engaged in
this work throughout Minnesota.
Several Federal inspectors will be
retained in Minneapolis for spec
ial investigations or cases which
have been referred to the legal
section.
'The Federal Wage-Hour law re-
auires employers to pay at least
30 cents an hour to their employ
ees, and one and one-half time the
regular hourly rate of pay for all
time worked in excess Of AZ hours
per work week. After October "a,
1910 overtime pay will start after
the first 40 hours in any work
week.
1.-THE State Agreement will elimi-
nate considerable duplication in in
spections. In the past, a factory
may have been inspected one day
by the State and the next day by
Federal Wage-Hour Division inves-
tigators.
Complaints Of Violations Of the
Federal Wage-Hour law will be
received by the State or Regional
office. In any case, Federal COM
plants will he analysed and re-
viewed by the Regional office and
referred to the Division Of Women
and Children for initial investiga-
ton by the State inspectors. Any
cases requiring litigation, regard
less of the office in which they
originate, will be referred to the
legal section of the Wage and Hour
Division.
The State will submit to the Reg
ional office reports Of investiga-
tions conducted. Representatives
of either the Federal enforcement
agencies-the Wage and Hour Divi-
sion or the Children's Bureau-may
conduct any investigation or inspec-
ton deemed necessary for the eff
fective administration of the
Wage-Hour Act. Attorneys for the
Wage and Hour Division and the
Children's Bureau will be available
for consultation with the staff Of
the State Industrial Commission.
The first State Agreement was
signed by North Carolina and the
second pact was signed by Con-
necticut a few days before the
Agreement with Minnesota was
signed, Mr.. Hill said.
The headquarters Of the investi-
cation staff will be in the State