Evening star., 1951-03-13
Senate Unit 0Ks
Bill Modifying
Child Labor Law
Provision to Increase
Carriers Age Limit BY
z Years Eliminated
By Don S. Worren

The Welfare Subcommittee of
the Senate District Committee to-
day approved a modified version
of the Nicely bill to strengthen the
Districts child labor law.
The group, headed by Senator
Pastore, Democrat, of Rhode Is
land, eliminated from the bill pro-
visions which would have raised
by two years the minimum age for
newspaper carriers and street
corner statesmen. This leaves the
minimum are for route carriers,
for work outside of school hours,
at 10 years, and for street sales
men of papers at IL years.
The bill as reported will reduce
the maximum work week for
minors from 48 hours to 40 hours.
Set Up New Safeguards.
It also will set up some addi-
tional safeguards for youths en-
ployed in industry. forbidding any
minor under 16 to perform me-
chanical or operational process
The measure is being worded
however, so that this would not
prevent a minor from performing
Office or messenger work for an
industry.
Committee officials said the re-
vised bill would not affect present
provisions of law under which a
minor who has completed the
eighth grade of school to take full
time employment without a work
permit, except that children un-
der Is could not engage in me-
chanical occupations.
Original Draft Sharply Debated.
The original draft of the bill
had been sharply debated at pub
lie hearings, with some spokesmen
for national groups urging a
strong protective law. and some
Washington group spokesmen
contending many Of the more
stringent provisions were unnec-
essary.
The Pastore subcommittee also
reported favorably on two other
bills. One would give the Board
of Public Welfare wider discretion
in the use of facilities at the Ma
tional Training School for Girls.
The other would require BARRIERS
to post their prices in their shops.
These and other measures, in
cluding District daylight saving
time and extension of District rent
control, are to be considered to-
morrow at a meeting of the full
Senate District Committee.
Police Pay Bill Passed.
Meanwhile. extra pay for police
who work six days Of the week
now has been approved at both
ends Of the Capitol, but additional
legislative steps must be taken
before it can become law.
The House and Senate yesterday
passed their own bills to this end
but did not act on the same docu-
ment or language. The Senate
measure carried an amendment
limiting the extra pay to men
needed each day to fill the au-
thorized strength of the Metro
politan. White House and Park
Police forces.
5-Day Week Legislated.
Extra pay for those continuing
to work a six-day week was
planned when it was found
Washington police could not
be put on the legislated f1ve-
day week as yet because not
enough men have been recruited
The Senate yesterday passed and
sent to the House six other bills
and held up action on a seventh.
ALI these were Of minor impor-
tance.
The one held up would permit
the District to exchange small or
odd-shaped parcels Of land with
private owners of abutting similar
areas when this was found mu-
tually desirable. Senator Schoep-
pei, Republican, of Kansas asked
for the delay.
Bills Passed by Senate.
District bills passed by the Sem
ate include those that would clar-
ify the responsibilities of the Dis
trict auditor, authorize the Com
missioners to settle claims for and
against the city government up to
$4,000, increase the fees of con-
demnation jurors from IS to $40
a day. increase the license fee of
podiatrists from 50 to S., provide
legal authority for assistant Dis
trict disbursing officers and pro-
vide for issuance of licenses for
vehicles for hire between March
and April /.