Montana labor news., 1944-06-29
DIVISION OF LABOR
CAUTIONS ABOUT
HIRING CHILDREN

With vacations near ror thousands of
school children in Montana and with
more opportunities for these young
people at higher rates Of pay than ever
before. a warning to employers to seek
their W and the children's best inter-
ests by complying with state and federal
laws regarding the use of children's serv-
ices was issued jointly by Henry A..
Yaeger, inspector in charge, Montana
~neapolis regional director of the wage
and hour and public contracts divisions
of the U. S. Department of Labor.
IN their eagerness to aid in the war
effort and in their enthusiasm for earn
ing money. many children will be apply
ing for Jobs for which they are not
physically or e%motionally fitted Hill
said. parents, employers, state and fed
eral officials should cooperate to re-
strain children from indulging in the
excuses of their own enthusiasm in fill
ing vacation jobs"
Summing up federal law relating to
the employment of children, Hill en-
phasized the following;
l. Generally the minimum age for en-
plovment under the Fair Labor Stand
ards Act Is is years of age; however,
children IA years of age and older may
be employed at certain jobs and under
certain conditions.
?. The minimum age Of IS years APP
plies to most occupations connected with
explosive plants, motor-vehicle drivers
coal mining, logging and sawmillings, OPP
Grafton Of wood-cutting machines, and
the use of radioactive substances.
Concerning Montana state law regard
ing the use of children's services, Yaegel
drew particular attention to the use OF
age certificates which should be obtained
from the state division Of labor rat
Helena.
THE age certificate program, although
compulsory under Montana law, is pri-
marily for the employers protection" hi
said. age certificates prove the age o.
the minors to the employer so that hi
will not unwittingly employ a child un'
der age for the particular job to b'
done and they act also as work permits
Montana law also provides that n
child under the age Of 16 years may b
T, employed at any time in or about an.
mine. mill. shelter, workshop, factory
any railroad, passenger, or freight eleva
tor, telegraph, telephone or messenge
company or in any like establishment
, in which hazardous machinery is oper
ated. For children 16 years and olde
working in any of the above occupation
: or industries. age certificates must b
obtained.
Jaeger further pointed out that n
person under the age Of 81 may be EN-
j., ployed to serve beers, liquors or wines
. customers at retail.
Severe penalties are provided by Mon
81 tana state law against employers fo
| failure to have proper age certificate
r and for employing under-age children
e prohibited occupations, and against
- parent of an under-age child who ha
permitted his child 10 De ehpIoyeu d
= an occupation prohibited to children IN
der 16 years of age.
Under the federal wage and hour Law
volators are subject to a fine of No
1t more than $4,000 and for the secon
# offense, Imprisonment in addition to
n fine.
: Under the Wage and Hour law, a
st employer must be engaged in interstai
/ commerce or in the production of goo'
n for interstate commerce before he is COY
is cred by child labor regulations OF IL
act. The Walsh-Healey public contrac
ID act, affecting establishments havir
Is government contracts equal to or in e.
is cess of $4,000 provides that liquidat'
damages of $40 a day for each child VI