health officer who was a lawyer, and no friend to the restriction of child labor. The deputy inspector in that city reported the finding of young children in factories, etc., with the health department certificate on file. who were unable to read or write in the English or any other language. I ordered the children removed from the workshops, and in an interview with the gentleman representing the board of health of Buffalo, I elicited the information that he was acting upon the plain instruction of the law's provisions. This contention was carried to the attorney general of our state, and he decided the matter in favor of the health officer. While the decision of the attorney general was all right from a legal standpoint, I regarded it as a severe blow to the work which had been going on for years by all those who had labored so hard to take and keep the child out of the workshops, factories, etc., and to direct its young footsteps, by legal means, into the schoolhouse; and, furthermore, I was determined that such decision was not to remain the law of our state. An amendment was prepared and submitted to the statutory revision commission, having the matter in charge, and as a result of such effort, we have the following very stringent provision bearing on the subject of school attendance:

Sec. 73. School attendance required.-No such certificate shall be granted unless it appears to the satisfaction of such board, department, commissioner or officer, that the child applying therefor has regularly attended at a school in which reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, English grammar and geography are taught, or upon equivalent instruction by a competent teacher elsewhere than at a school, for a period equal to one school year, the year previous to applying for such certificate, and is able to read and write simple sentences in the English language. The principal or chief executive officer of a school, or teacher elsewhere than at a school shall furnish, upon demand, to a child who has attended at such school or been instructed by such teacher, or to the factory inspector, his assistant or deputies, a certificate stating the school attendance of such a child.

The law is very drastic and means business, and we are much pleased with its effectiveness when applied; for, it gives the department, as it should. full control of this subject, and in connection with which, the provisions bearing on this matter, which are contained in the penal code,-no one cares to try conclusions with the department, or to question its right to enforce the provisions of the child labor law. That our manner of handling the law is effective, is plainly shown by the reports of our inspectors from all over the state as they find place after place which our records show formerly to have employed young children indiscriminately, who now absolutely refuse to employ any child under the age of 16 years, and those of them who do employ young children do so in strict conformity to the law, thus saving the department great annoyance on this point, and stopping all complaint ensuing from this source.

SWEATING.

Article 7 relating to tenement made articles, or as it is better known as the "sweating" law, is very satisfactory to the department and splendid results have been obtained during the past year under the application of the present arrangement of the sweating laws in New York. The most effective part of the law is the tag; by its use we can say, in all truth, that if no exceptions were made in favor of members of a family working in living rooms, we could force the "sweaters" entirely out of the homes and into the shops. By its application we do now force the "sweater" and

his illegal working crew out of the tenement and into the shop; by its use we enforce cleanliness in the house, workroom, and in the shop building; by its use we cause dark halls in dingy shop buildings to be properly lighted; by its use we can dispossess the obstinate "sweater" and force the landlord or his agent to do the work of dispossessing; by its use we can make the worker, jobber, or wholesaler give any desired information under the law, and by its use we can close all connection with the living and the workrooms. We have made it build fire escapes on sweat shop buildings, made them clean water closets and build or provide them where necessary. Separate them for the sexes and properly care for them in all other respects.

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The effective working of the law was most noticeable last spring during the great strike in New York city of some 20,000 clothing workers for a period of nearly two months, during which time-with all the discontent which is usually present among the workers on such occasions-not single complaint was made against the department, nor was a single charge made that the law was not capable of coping with the conditions which might be found to exist. I think the satisfaction of the workers themselves has been very forcibly voiced by the secretary of the Clothing Cutters' National Union who said at a meeting of workingmen a short time ago, that New York had the best law of this kind which he thought possible to devise. All this is said in favor of the tag.

We cannot use the tag to keep out of our state the material of which the "sweater" is made. We cannot by its use force the wholesaler or jobber to pay a better price for the labor done. We cannot by its use send the "sweater" out west, to grow up with the country, as advised long ago by the late Mr. Greeley. The "sweater" is still coming in at the port of New York with the arrival of each incoming steamer or vessel, and as a rule he stays there after landing.

ARTICLE 9.-BAKE SHOPS.

No material change has occurred in our bake shop inspection law, nor have we any cause to find fault with its operations during the past year. A marked improvement in the condition of bakeries is noticeable all over the state, but, the work in bake shops, like the work in "sweat shops will always and at all times claim the attention of the inspectors. This is true more especially of the Jew and Italian bake shop, for "like causes produce like effects."

ARTICLE 9.-MINING LAW.

In the mining laws some radical changes were made. This is a law which it was never intended should be of any use or benefit to the mine workers. The original act was passed in 1890; a mine inspector was not appointed by the governor until 1893. The first mine inspector was a mine owner who never made an inspection of a mine during his incumbency, and this inaction was deliberate. The department of mine inspection, was abolished as a separate department, April 16th, 1895, and the power to enforce the provisions of the mining laws was vested in the factory inspector, with authority to appoint a deputy to do that particular kind of work. An inspector for this purpose was not appointed until the middle of November, 1895, and no thorough work in mine inspection was done in our state until 1896, notwithstanding the fact that the act took effect immediately after

its passage by the legislature. The deaths in the mines of our state in 1895, number twenty-eight (28); in the year 1896, under efficient and honest work in this direction there occurred but eight (8) accidents or deaths. In 1897, up to date, only one accident has occurred in our mines,-so you will see by these comparisons and by the above statements, that a labor law which was passed in 1890, and made operative upon its passage, took seven years to put into successful and practical operation. We do not look upon our laws as perfect; but we know they are far better than they were. And by intelligent and honest application they can be made to yield good results to the forces in whose interest they were framed,-giving all the safeguards and benefits which it is possible to obtain from such legislation.

NEW JERSEY-Chief Ward reported that the laws in that state were very satisfactory and working well, and that there had been no changes made in them by the last legislature.

OHIO Chief Knaub reported the work of shop inspection, etc., in his department as progressing finely under their present laws, but that there had been no special legislation in Ohio since the last convention of the International Association of Factory Inspectors. After a little talk on the observance of the laws in Ohio, the chief stated that Mr. Wagner, one of the bakery inspectors of Ohio, in the course of the convention, would read a paper on their bake shop laws, which were generally complied with. He also reported that they were having some trouble with their blower law, in having orders to place exhaust systems complied with, but believed in due time that the law would be appreciated, and opposition to the law would cease.

ILLINOIS-Assistant Chief Harris, in the absence of his newly appointed chief, whom he had not met yet, spoke for his delegation substantially as follows:

"Illinois as you are aware is represented here by ten new delegates. We came here not to teach but to learn. It is only four months since the burden of inspection and enforcing the child labor laws has been bestowed upon us, but we accept our duties gracefully and feel that there is nothing sweeter and nobler in the human heart than the desire for the advancement of humanity, and the embetterment of our laboring men and women. We know that too much care cannot be taken by factory inspectors. Inspection is the safeguard against moral and physical injuries to life and limb and furnishes protection to health, all of which brings a feeling of safety alike to the employee and employer. I consider the factory inspection laws of Illinois the best work of our legislature, and a just debt that they owed the working men and women. Our latest amended law reads as follows:

"No child under the age of fourteen years shall be permitted or suffered to work for wages at any gainful occupation hereinafter mentioned. A register is required to be kept of all children under sixteen years of age, giving their name, age and birthplace. Sworn affidavits are required by

parents. A list of all persons under sixteen years of age is required to be posted in each of the rooms where they are employed. No person under the age of sixteen years can be employed more than sixty hours in any one week, nor more than ten hours in any one day. The presence of any person under the age of sixteen in any manufacturing establishment, factory or workshop shall constitute prima facie evidence of his or her employment therein.' We have splendid blower laws.

Profiting by what we learn here and our experience in the field I assure you that with God's help we will be at the next meeting of this philanthropic body, and I assure you that the Illinois inspectors will be prepared for any emergency that will present itself."

CANADA—(Ontario)—Mr. Robert Barber spoke very interestingly of the general observance of the laws of their province, and stated that there had been no material change in them.

Mr. Brown of Toronto made a few supplementary remarks relative to their factory inspection laws, and dwelt for some time upon the discussion and contest over their new Sunday law act, which will be reported elsewhere.

QUEBEC-Mr. Mitchell of Montreal stated that there had been no particular changes in their laws and that they were operating very satisfactorily.

No Delegates were present to answer to the call of Connecticut, Rhode Island or Maine.

MICHIGAN-Chief Cox then read the following report from his department relative to amended legislation and matters pertaining to child labor:

Factory inspection is rapidly becoming a most important department in our state affairs.

The necessity of some branch of government that would look out for the protection of life and limb, and regulate age of employees and the sanitary conditions of manufacturing institutions of the state was advocated for many years before it was established in Michigan.

During the session of 1893 a bill was introduced which was originally intended to create an independent bureau for factory inspection." After considerable discussion and amending this bill became a law August 25th, 1893, but provided that factory inspections should come under the control and supervision of the commissioner of labor, who was given broad discretionary powers to conduct factory inspection, and was empowered to appoint deputy inspectors and other persons to assist him in carrying on the work of the new department, which practically became a branch of the bureau of labor and industrial statistics, and which in general terms required " at least an annual inspection of the manufacturing places of the state."

No extra compensation was added to the salary of the commissioner of labor, but an annual appropriation of $4,000 was first made for the payment of deputies' salaries and other expenses.

This department was appreciated by the laboring element of the state, and its growing popularity has resulted in much favorable legislation since its creation.

In 1895 its annual appropriation was increased to $8,000, and the laws regulating factory inspection were materially improved and broadened. At the opening of the legislative session of 1897 Governor Pingree concluded his celebrated message with the following paragraph:

"More stringent laws should be passed to prevent the employment of children in many lines of work. Children and women are too often employed to do the work that ought to be performed by able-bodied men with families out of employment. The people have no hope except in their representatives in legislatures and in congress, and I trust that you will do your whole duty or at least inaugurate a system of reform which will redound to your credit and honor."

Those representing the labor interests in the legislature, in harmony with the efforts of the labor bureau, took up the cue given them by the governor and successfully passed the following amended section 2 of the laws governing factory inspection relating to the age of children employed, which reads as follows:

"No child under fourteen years of age shall be employed in any manufacturing establishment within this state. It shall be the duty of every person employing children to keep a register in which shall be recorded the name, birthplace, age and place of residence of every person employed by him under the age of sixteen years; and it shall be unlawful for any manufacturing establishment to hire or employ any child under the age of sixteen without there is first provided and placed on file a (sworn) statement in writing made by the parent or guardian, stating the age, date and birthplace of said child. If said child have no parent or guardian, then such statement shall be made by the child, which statement shall be kept on file by the employer, and which said register and statement shall be produced for inspection on demand made by any factory inspector appointed under this act."

To the experienced this amended section reads substantially the same as original Section 2, but to the adept and those who have experienced the difficulty of enforcing such laws the full importance of the change of a single word will be appreciated.

Prior to the amendment of 1897 it was only required that the manufacturing establishments, who hire or employ children under the age of sixteen, should require a statement in writing, made by parents, giving the age, date and place of birth of child. This weakened the law so that it was difficult to enforce as there seemed no difficulty in securing these statements.

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By the amendment of 1897 the word sworn was inserted before the words "statement in writing," thus compelling all who make statements to swear and make affidavit as to the age of these young employees.

We find that this has proven very effective, as very few, if any, will willingly and knowingly swear children to be older than they are, and it has enabled the factory inspectors of this state to remove several hundred children who are under fourteen years of age, and who are employed upon representations of being the legal age or over.

This law is also commended very highly by the manufacturers and employers, who we are pleased to state as a general rule are co-operating with the officers in eradicating the evils of child labor in Michigan. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, and those who are obstinate are the ones to prosecute.