deemed a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars and not more than two hundred dollars. Approved March 20, 1908.

CHAPTER 63.-Mines-Investigation of gases, etc. SECTION 5.

Scope of

As a contribution toward a better knowledge of the requirements for the safe working of the mines of the survey. State, the technological work of the [state geological, topographical, and agricultural] survey shall include an investigation of mines, gases and coal dusts and of such other matters as are appropriate, to such extent as the means of the survey may permit. Approved March 25, 1908.

CHAPTER 66.-Employment of children-Age limit-Inspection of factories.

SECTION 1. No child under fourteen years of age shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work in or in connection with any factory, workshop, mine, mercantile establishment, store, business office, telegraph office, restaurant, hotel, apartment house or in the distribution or transmission of merchandise or messages. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to employ any child under fourteen years of age in any business or service whatever, during any part of the term during which the public schools of the district in which the child resides are in session.

SEC. 2. No child between fourteen and sixteen years of age shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work in any factory, workshop, mine, or mercantile establishment, unless the person or corporation employing him procures and keeps on file and accessible to the truant officers of the town or city, and to the labor inspector, an employment certificate as hereinafter prescribed, and keep two complete lists of all such children employed therein, one on file and one conspicuously posted near the principal entrance of the building in which such children are employed. On termination of the employment of a child so registered, and whose certificate is so filed, such certificate shall forthwith be surrendered by the employer to the child or its parent or guardian or custodian. The labor inspector may make demands on an employer in whose establishment a child apparently under the age of sixteen years is employed or permitted or suffered to work, and whose employment certificate is not then filed as required by this act, that such employer shall either furnish him within ten days, evidence satisfactory to him that such child is in fact over sixteen years of age, or shall cease to employ, or permit or suffer such child to work therein. The labor inspector may require from such employer the same evidence of age of such child as is required on the issuance of an employment certificate, and the employer furnishing such evidence shall not be required to furnish any further evidence of the age of the child. In case such employer shall fail to produce and deliver to the inspector within ten days after such demand such evidence of age herein required of him, and thereafter continue to employ such child, or permit or suffer such child to work in such establishment, proof of the giving of such notice and of such failure to produce and file such evidence shall be prima facie evidence in any prosecution brought for violation of the provision that such child is under sixteen years of age and is unlawfully employed.

Age limit.

Certificates.

File.

Who may ap

SEC. 3. An employment certificate shall only be approved by the superintendent of schools or by a person authorized by him in prove. writing, or, where there is no superintendent of schools, by a person authorized by the school board: Provided, That no member of a school board or other person authorized as aforesaid shall have authority to approve such certificate for any child then in or about to enter his own employment, or the employment of a firm or corporation of which he is a member, officer or employee.

Evidence.

Description of child.

School record.

Reports.

SEC. 4. The persons authorized to issue employment certificates shall not issue such certificates until he has received, examined, approved, and filed the following papers duly executed: (1) The school record of such child properly filled out and signed as provided herein below. (2) A passport or duly attested transcript of the certificate of birth or baptism or other religious record, showing the date and place of birth of such child. A duly attested transcript of the birth certificate filed according to law with any officer charged with the duty of recording births, shall be sufficient evidence of the age of such child. (3) The affidavit of the parent, guardian or custodian of a child, which shall be required, however, only in case such last-mentioned transcript of the certificate of birth be not produced and filed, showing the place and date of birth of such child; which affidavit must be taken before the officer issuing employment certificates, who is hereby authorized and required to administer such oaths, and who shall not demand or receive a fee therefor. Such employment certificate shall not be issued until such child has personally appeared before and been examined by the officer issuing the certificates, and until such officer shall, after making examination, file and sign in his office a statement that the child can read and legibly write simple sentences in the English language and that in his opinion the child is fourteen years of age or upward and has reached the normal development of a child of its age, and is in sound health and is physically able to perform the work which it intends to do. In doubtful cases such physical fitness shall be determined by a medical officer of the board or department of health, or by the county physician. Every employment certificate shall be signed in the presence of the child in whose name it is issued.

SEC. 5. Such certificate shall state the date and place of birth of the child, and describe the color of the hair and eyes, the height and weight and any distinguishing facial marks of such child, and that the papers required by the preceding section have been duly examined, approved and filed and that the child named in such certificate has appeared before the officer signing the certificate and has been examined.

SEC. 6. The school record above mentioned shall be signed by the principal or chief teacher of the school which such child has last attended and shall be furnished, on demand, to a child entitled thereto. It shall contain a statement certifying that the child has regularly attended the public schools or schools equivalent thereto or parochial schools for not less than one hundred days during the school year previous to his arriving at the age of fourteen years or during the year previous to applying for such school records, and is able to read and write simple sentences in the English language, and has received during such period instruction. in reading, spelling, writing and geography and is familiar with the fundamental operations of arithmetic up to and including common fractions. Such school record shall also give the age and residence of the child, as shown on the records of the school and the name of its parent, or guardian or custodian: Provided, That upon the filing with the person authorized to issue employment certificates of the affidavit of the applicant or of his or her parent, guardian or custodian, showing that diligent effort has been made to obtain the school record hereby required and that it can not be obtained, then the person authorized to issue the certificate may issue such a certificate without having received such school record, but it shall be his duty, in such case, to examine the applicant as to his or her proficiency in each of the studies mentioned in this section; and in such case the employment certificate shall show that such examination was had in lieu of the filing of the school record.

SEC. 7. The local board of education or the school board of a city, town or district, as the case may be, shall transmit between the first and tenth of each month, to the office of the labor inspector, a list of the names of the children to whom certificates have been issued during the previous month,

SEC. 8. No person under the age of sixteen years shall be em- Hours of laployed or suffered or permitted to work at any gainful occupation bor of children. more than sixty hours in any one week, not [sic] nor more than ten hours in any one day; or before the hour of seven o'clock in

the morning or after the hour of seven in the evening. Every Night work. employer shall post in a conspicuous place in every room where such minors are employed a printed notice, stating the hours required of them each day of the week, the hours of commencing and stopping work and the hours when the time or times allowed for dinner or for other meals begin and end. The printed form of such notice shall be furnished by the state labor inspector, and the employment of any minor for longer time in any day so stated shall be deemed a violation of this section.

Violations.

SEC. 9. Whoever employs a child under sixteen years of age, and whoever having under his control a child under such age permits such child to be employed in violation of section one, two or eight of this act, shall, for such offense, be fined not more than fifty dollars, and whoever continues to employ any child in violation of either of said sections of this act after being notified by a truant officer or a labor inspector thereof, shall for every day thereafter that such employment continues, be fined not less than five nor more than twenty dollars. A failure to produce to a truant officer or labor inspector any employment certificate or list required by this act shall be prima facie evidence of the illegal employment of any person whose employment certificate is not produced, or whose name is not so listed. Any corporation or employer retaining employment certificates in violation of section two of this act shall be fined ten dollars. Every person authorized to sign the certificate prescribed by section five of this act, who knowingly certifies to any materially false statement therein shall be fined not more than fifty dollars, nor less than ten dollars. SEC. 10. Truant officers may visit the factories, workshops, mines, and mercantile establishments in their several towns and ment. cities and ascertain whether any minors are employed therein contrary to the provisions of this act, and they shall report any cases of such illegal employment to the superintendent of schools and to the labor inspector. Labor inspectors and truant officers may require that the employment certificates and lists provided for in this act, of minors employed in such factories, workshops, mines or mercantile establishments, shall be produced for their inspection. Complaints for offenses under this act shall be brought by the labor inspectors.

SEC. 11. No child under the age of sixteen years shall be employed at sewing belts, or to assist in sewing belts, in any capacity whatever, nor shall any child adjust any belt to any machinery; they shall not oil or assist in oiling, wiping or cleaning machinery; they shall not operate, or assist in operating circular or band saws, wood shapers, wood joiners, planers, sandpaper or wood-polishing machinery, emery or polishing wheels used for polishing sheet metal, wood turning or boring machinery, stamping machines in sheet metal and tinware manufacturing, stamping machines in washer and nut factories, operating corrugating rolls, such as are used in roofing factories, nor shall they be employed in operating any steam boiler, steam machinery, or other steam generating apparatus, or as a pin boys in any bowling alley; they shall not operate or assist in operating dough brakes, or cracker machinery of any description, wire or iron straightening machinery, nor shall they operate or assist in operating rolling mill machinery, punches or shears, washing, or grinding or mixing mills, or calendar rolls in rubber manufacturing, nor shall they operate or assist in operating laundry machinery, nor shall such children be employed in any capacity in preparing any composition in which dangerous or poisonous acids are used, and they shall not be employed in any capacity in the manufacture of paints, colors or white lead, nor shall they be employed in any capacity whatever in operating or assisting to operate any passenger or freight elevator, nor shall they be employed in any capacity whatever in the manufacture

Enforce

Certain employments prohibited.

of goods for immoral purposes, nor in any theater, concert hall, or place of amusement wherein intoxicating liquors are sold, nor shall females under sixteen years of age be employed in any capacity where such employment compels them to remain standing constantly. Nor shall any child under sixteen years of age be employed at any occupation dangerous or injurious to health or morals, or to lives or limbs, and as to these matters, the decision of the county physician or city health officer, as the case may be, shall be final. Guards for SEC. 12. It shall be the duty of the owner of any manufacturing dangerous ma- establishment, where any person under sixteen years of age is chinery. employed, his agents, superintendents or other persons in charge of same, to furnish and supply, when practicable, or cause to be furnished and supplied to him, belt shifters or other safe mechanical contrivance for the purpose of throwing belts on pulleys; and, whenever practicable, machinery therein shall be provided with loose belts. All vats, pans, saws, planes, cogs, gearing, belting, set screws and machinery of every description therein, which is palpably dangerous, where practicable, shall be properly guarded; and no person shall remove or make ineffective any safeguard around or attached to any planer, saw, belting, shafting or other machinery, or around any vat or pan, while the same is in use, unless for the purpose of immediately making repairs thereto, and all such safeguards shall be promptly replaced. No person under eighteen years of age shall be allowed to clean machinery while in motion.

etc.

Wash rooms,

Seats for female

ployees.

etc.

em

Walls to be

or off

SEC. 13. Suitable and proper wash rooms and water-ciosets shall be provided in each manufacturing establishment, where any person under sixteen years of age is employed, and such waterclosets shall be properly screened and ventilated and be kept at all times in a clean condition; and if girls under sixteen years of age be employed in any such establishment, the water-closet shall have separate approaches and be kept separate and apart from those used by men. All closets shall be kept free from obscene writing and marking. A dressing room shall be provided for such girls when the nature of their work is such as to require any change of clothing.

SEC. 14. Every person, firm, corporation, association, individual or partnership employing girls under sixteen years of age in any manufacturing, mechanical or mercantile industry, laundry, workshop, renovating works, or printing offices in this Commonwealth, shall provide seats for the use of the girls so employed, and shall permit the use of such by them when not necessarily engaged in the active duties for which they are employed.

SEC. 15. The walls and ceilings of each room in every manulimewashed, facturing establishment where any person under sixteen years of age is employed shall be limewashed or painted, when, in the opinion of the labor inspector, it shall be conducive to the health or cleanliness of the persons working therein.

SEC. 16. Grand juries shall have inquisitorial powers to investigate violations of this act; also shall county judges and circuit judges, and judges of the circuit courts of the State shall specially charge the grand jury at the beginning of each term of the court to investigate violations of this act.

SEC. 17. A copy of this act shall be conspicuously posted and kept in each workroom of every manufacturing establishment, mill, mine or workshop or mercantile or printing establishment, theater, bowling alley, telegraph, telephone or public messenger company or laundry in this Commonwealth.

SEC. 18. Any adult person who violates any of the provisions of this act or who suffers or permits any child to be employed in violation of its provisions, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction, unless otherwise herein expressly provided, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars and not less than twenty-five dollars for the first offense, and for each subsequent offense by imprisonment for not more than ninety days and not less than ten days, or by a fine of not less than fifty

dollars nor more than two hundred dollars, or by both fine and imprisonment.

* *

SEC. 20. This act shall operate and be construed as a repeal of an act * [chapter 16, Acts of 1902], and as a repeal of an act * [chapter 52, Acts of 1906], and all other laws and parts of laws in conflict with the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

Approved March 18, 1908.

LOUISIANA.

ACTS OF 1908.

ACT NO. 31.-Interest to be paid on employees' deposits. SECTION 1. All corporations, firms and individuals doing business in this State requiring of its or their employees a cash deposit as a guarantee for the faithful performance of the duties imposed upon such employees, shall pay to such employee in cash interest at the rate of not less than four per cent per annum on the cash sum so deposited.

Approved June 20, 1908.

ACT No. 73.-Inspection of factories, etc.-Doors to open outwardly.

Repeals.

Rate of interest required.

fac- Doors to shall be so open outwardly. workshops; but

SECTION 1. All the doors for ingress and egress to tories with more than twenty employees swung as to open outwardly from the such doors may be hung on double-jointed hinges, so as to open with equal ease outwardly or inwardly.

Allowance of

SEC. 2. The provisions of this act shall apply to all buildings and houses within its terms, erected after its passage, from the time. date it becomes in force. As to all such buildings and houses heretofore erected, said provisions shall be applied from and after the expiration of six months from the date when this act became operative.

factory, failing to Violations.

SEC. 3. * * * The owner of any comply with the provisions of this act or to have same complied with as relates *** to such building or buildings owned by them, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, and upon failure to pay such fine and costs shall be imprisoned in the parish jail for a period not exceeding (90) ninety days.

SEC. 4. Provided, That this act shall not apply to factories, cotton seed oil mills and other like establishments where the doors for the purpose of protection against fire, are so arranged as to slide back and forth on rollers.

Approved June 30, 1908.

Sliding doors.

Commission

ACT 155.-Bureau of labor and industrial statistics. SECTION 1. The governor, shall, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appoint some suitable person who shall be er. designated "Commissioner of Labor and Industrial Statistics," with headquarters in such place as the governor shall designate. and who shall hold his office for a term of four (4) years. SEC. 2. The duties of such commissioner shall be to collect, Duties. assort, systematize and present in annual reports to the governor, and to be by him biennially transmitted to the legislature within ten days after the convening thereof every two years, statistical details, relating to all departments of labor in the State, especially in its relations to the commercial, industrial, social, educational and sanitary condition of the laboring people; and to the permanent prosperity of the productive industries of the State, and also inquire into the immediate causes of strikes, lockouts or other disturbances of the relations between employers and employees.