Liability. Power to in place or places safe, ordinary risks of mining excepted, the person SEC. 7. Whenever twenty or more persons working in any mine Inspection s or place where mining is done, or the owner, operator or agent of to be made, when. any mine, shall notify the inspector of mines in writing that his services are needed, he shall immediately make an inspection thereof and shall examine as to the necessary precautions and general safety of the mines and see that all the provisions of this act are observed and strictly carried out. SEC. 8. Whenever by reason of any accident in any mine, loss of life or serious personal injury shall occur, it shall be the duty of the manager or superintendent of the mine, and in his absence the person or officer under him in charge of the mine, to give notice thereof forthwith to the inspector of mines, stating the particulars of such accident, and the said inspector shall, if he deems it necessary from the facts reported, go immediately to the scene of such accident and make such suggestions and render such assistance as he may deem necessary in the premises and personally investigate the cause of such accident and take such steps as he may deem necessary for the safety of the employees of such mine and to prevent accidents of a like or similar nature. SEC. 9. The owner, operators or agent of any mine shall at all times keep a sufficient and suitable supply of timber and logging on hand, when required to be used as supports, props or otherwise in the mining work, so that the workings of such mine may be rendered reasonably safe and secure. SEC. 10. Any workman, employee or other person who shall open, remove or disturb any fence, guard or rail and not close or replace or have the same closed or replaced again around or in front of any shaft, test pit, shute, excavation, cave or land liable to cave, injure or destroy, whereby accident, injury or damage results, either to the mine or those at work therein, or to any other person, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding fifty dollars or imprisonment for not more than sixty days in the county jail for each and every such offense. SEC. 11. It shall be the duty of the inspector of mines appointed under this act to make and file no later than September 1st of each year with the auditor of the county for which he is appointed and with the State commissioner of labor a full and complete report of all his acts, proceedings and doing[s] hereunder for each year ending June thirtieth, stating therein, among other things, the Accidents. Timber. Injuring, etc., appliances. Reports. Violations. tors. number of visits and inspections made, the number of mines in operation, the number not in operation, the names of the mines, where located, the owners, lessees or managers, the names of the officers, the quantity of ore shipped, the number of men employed, the average wages for different kinds of work, the number of accidents, fatal or otherwise, the cause of such accidents, and such other information in relation to the subject of mines and mining inspection as he may deem of proper interest and beneficial to the mining interests of the State. Such report shall be included in the biennial report of the State commissioner of labor. SEC. 12. Any owner, operator or agent of any mine in this State violating the provisions of this act shall be deemed guilty of a gross misdemeanor and for each offense upon conviction shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars or more than five hundred dollars. Negligence, SEC. 13. Any inspector of mines appointed hereunder failing to etc., of inspec- comply with the requirements of this act shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than one hundred or more than one thousand dollars and be dismissed from office, and the said board of commissioners shall remove him from office for neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetency, malfeasance in office and other good cause. Notice required. Written con sent. What assignments void. What cities CHAPTER 309.-Assignments of wages. SECTION 1. No assignment, sale or transfer, however made o attempted to be made, of any wages or salary, earned or to be earned, shall give any right of action, either at law or in equity, to the assignee or transferee of such wages or salary, nor shall any action lie for the recovery of such wages or salary, or any part thereof, by any other person than the person to whom such wages or salary are due or to become due, unless a written notice, together with a true and complete copy of the instrument assigning or transferring such wages or salary, shall have been given within three days after the making of such instrument to the person, firm or corporation from whom such wages or salary have accrued or are accruing, or may accrue. SEC. 2. No assignment, sale or transfer, however made or attempted, of any unearned wages or salary shall be in any manner valid or effectual for the transfer of any salary or wages to be earned or accruing after the making of such assignment, sale or transfer, unless the person, firm or corporation from whom such wages or salary are to accrue shall consent thereto in writing. Any employer or agent of such employer accepting or charging any fee or commission for collecting the amount due on any such assignment, sale or transfer shall be deemed guilty of a misde meanor. SEC. 3. Every assignment, sale or transfer, however made or attempted, of wages or salary to be earned or to become due, in whole or in part, more than sixty (60) days from and after the day of the making of such transfer, sale or assignment, shall be absolutely void. ACTS OF 1907. CHAPTER 180.-Free public employment offices. SECTION 1. The commissioner of labor of the State of Minnesota to have offices. is hereby directed to organize and establish in all cities in this State containing fifty thousand (50,000) inhabitants, or more, free public employment bureaus, for the purpose of receiving applications from persons seeking employment, and applications from employers desiring to employ labor. There shall be no fee or compensation charged or received, directly or indirectly, from persons applying for employment, or from those desiring to employ labor through said bureaus. There shall be appointed by the commisSuperintend- sioner of labor, for such bureaus, one superintendent, who may be ents. removed by the commissioner for good and sufficient cause, such appointment to be made immediately after this act becomes a law, and thereafter at the commencement of the biennial session of the legislature, the salary of such superintendent shall not exceed ($1,200) twelve hundred dollars per annum. SEC. 2. The superintendent of such bureaus shall cause to be received and recorded in books to be kept for that purpose, the names of all persons applying for employment, as well as the name and address of all persons, firms or corporations applying to employ labor, designating opposite the name and address of each applicant the character of employment desired or offered. Such superintendent shall also perform such other duties in the collection of labor statistics, and in the keeping of books and accounts of such bureaus as the commissioner may direct or require, and shall report monthly all business transacted by such bureaus to the office of the commissioner of labor, at the State capitol. SEC. 3. Every application for employment by employer or employee which is made to the free employment bureaus shall be void after thirty days from its receipt, unless the same be renewed by the applicant. When an applicant for labor has secured the same, he shall within ten days thereafter notify the superintendent of such bureaus upon a notification card provided for that purpose. If any such applicant neglects to notify such superintendent, he or they shall be barred from all future rights and privileges of such employment bureaus at the discretion of the commissioner of labor, to whom the superintendent shall report such neglect. SEC. 4. There is hereby annually appropriated out of any money in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of ten thousand ($10,000) dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act. CHAPTER 202.-Safety appliances on railroads. SECTION 1. On and after the first day of July, nineteen hundred and eight, it shall be unlawful for any railway company or common carrier, in moving freight between points in the State, to haul or permit to be hauled, or used on its line, any car not equipped with couplers, coupling automatically by impact, and which can be uncoupled without the necessity of men going between the ends of the cars. SEC. 2. On and after the first day of July, nineteen hundred and eight, it shall be unlawful for any railway company or common carrier, in moving freight between points in the State, to use any car that is not provided with secure grab irons or hand holds in the ends and sides of each car for the greater security to men in 'coupling and uncoupling cars. SEC. 3. Any railway company or common carrier violating any of the provisions of this act shall forfeit to the State one hundred dollars ($100) for each and every such violation. Records. Applications. Support. Couplers. Grab irons. Violations. Limit of six CHAPTER 253.-Hours of labor of employees on railroads. SECTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any railroad company within the State of Minnesota, or any of its officers or agents, teen hours. to require or permit any employee engaged in or connected with the movement of any rolling stock, engine or train, to remain on duty more than sixteen consecutive hours, or to require or permit any such employee who has been on duty sixteen consecutive hours to perform any further service without having had at least eight hours' rest, or to require or permit any such employee to be on duty at any time to exceed sixteen hours in any consecutive twenty-four hours: Provided, however, That this section shall not apply to work performed in the protection of life or property in cases of accident, wreck or other unavoidable casualty: And, prorided further, That it shall not apply to the time necessary for trainmen to reach a resting place when an accident, wreck, washout, snow blockade or other unavoidable cause has delayed their train. Violations. SEC. 2. Any officer of any railroad company in the State of Minnesota violating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100), and not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each offense, or by imprisonment in the county jail not more than sixty days, or both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. Enforcement. It shall be the duty of the State railroad and warehouse commission, upon complaint properly filed with it alleging a violation of this act, to make a full investigation in relation thereto, and for such purpose it shall have the power to administer oaths, interrogate witnesses, take testimony and require the production of books and papers, and if such report shall show a violation of the provisions of this act the commission shall, through the attorneygeneral, begin the prosecution of all parties against whom evidence of violation of the provisions of this act is found; but this act shall not be construed to prevent any other person from beginning prosecution for violation of the provisions hereof. Interlocking devices. Block signals. Violations. Age limit. Employment school during term. CHAPTER 276.-Safety appliances on railroads. SECTION 1. Whenever in the judgment of the railroad and warehouse commission it is necessary for the public safety, said commission may require, at all railroad crossings, junctions and drawbridges in said State, the establishment of interlocking devices, or such other safety appliances as are necessary for the protection and safety of the traveling public. Where two or more railroad companies are interested, the division of the expense of installing, maintaining and operating said interlocking plant or safety device shall be agreed upon by the respective companies required to install the same; in case they can not agree, then such division shall be determined by the railroad and warehouse commission after a hearing. SEC. 2. The commission may require any railroad company on any part of its line or lines operated in this State, to install and operate a "block signal system" or any other devise [device] or appliance that in its judgment will best promote the public safety. SEC. 3. Any railroad company neglecting to comply with any order of the commission made under this act, shall be liable to a penalty of twenty-five dollars ($25) for each day such neglect shall continue, to be recovered in a civil action in the name of the State and paid into the general fund of the State treasury. CHAPTER 299.-Employment of children-General provisions. SECTION 1. No child, under 14 years of age, shall be employed, permitted or suffered to work at any time, in, or in connection with, any factory, mill or workshop, or in or about any mine; and it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, to employ any child under 14 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. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to employ any child over 14 years of age, and under 16 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, unless the employer procures and keeps accessible to the truant officers of the town or city and to the commissioner of labor, assistant commissioner of labor, facCertificates. tory inspectors and assistants, an employment certificate as herein prescribed and a list of all such children employed. On termination of the employment of a child, such certificate shall be forthwith surrendered by the employer to the official who issued the same. The commissioner of labor, assistant commissioner of labor, factory inspectors and assistants, may make demand on an employer when a child apparently under the age of 16 years is em ployed or permitted or suffered to work and when such employer does not have and exhibit the certificate as required by this section, that such employer shall either furnish him within 10 days, evidence satisfactory to him that such child is in fact over 16 years of age, or shall cease to employ or permit or suffer such child to continue in his employment. The commissioner of labor, assistant commissioner of labor, factory inspectors and assistants and truant officers 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 within ten days after such demand, such evidence of age herein required of him and shall thereafter continue to employ such child, or permit or suffer such child to continue in his employment, proof of the giving of such notice and such failure to produce such evidence, shall be prima facie evidence in any prosecution brought for a violation of this section that such child is under 16 years of age, and is unlawfully employed. SEC. 3. An employment certificate shall be issued only by the superintendent of schools, or by some one authorized by him so to do, or whc. there is no superintendent of schools, by the chairman of the school board or the chairman of the board of education, or by a person authorized by such chairman: Provided, That no superintendent of schools, member of the school board or board of education or other person authorized as aforesaid, shall have authority to issue such certificates 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. SEC. 4. The person authorized to issue an employment certificate shall not issue such certificate until he has received, examined, approved and retained in his possession for the inspection of the public, the following papers duly executed; (1) The school record of such child, properly filled out and signed as provided in this act. (2) A duly attested transcript of the birth certificate, filed according to law with the officer charged with the duty of recording births which shall be conclusive evidence of the birth of such child. (3) The affidavit of the parent or guardian or custodian of the child, showing the place and date of birth of such child, but such affidavit shall not be required unless the last mentioned transcript of the certificate of birth can not be produced, which affidavit must be taken before the officer issuing the employment certificate, who is hereby authorized and required to administer such oath and 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 same and until such officer shall, after making an examination, make and retain for inspection by the public, a statement that, in his opinion, the child is 14 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 unfitness shall be determined by the medical officer of the board of [or] department of health. Every such employment certificate shall be signed in the presence of the officer issuing the same, by the child in whose name it is issued: Provided, however, That the employment certificate herein provided for shall be issued only to such children as: (1) Those whose poverty or that of their families renders it necessary for them to work for their support or that of their families: (2) Those who can produce a school record answering the requirements provided for in section 6 of this act. Contents of SEC. 5. Such employment certificate shall state the date and place certificates. 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 retained for inspection by |