3. INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT BOARD.

38. Duties and powers. - The board may make rules not inconsistent with this act for carrying out the provisions of the act. Process and procedure under this act shall be as simple and summary as reasonably may be. The board or any member thereof shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and to examine such parts of the books and records of the parties to a proceeding as relate to questions in dispute. Upon the written request of the board or of any member thereof, together with interrogatories and cross-interrogatories, if any there be, filed with the clerk of the superior court for any county of this commonwealth, commissions to take deposi tions of persons or witnesses residing without the commonwealth, or in foreign countries, or letters rogatory to any court in any other of the United States or to any court in any foreign country, shall forthwith issue from the said superior court, as in cases pending in said superior court, and upon the return of the said depositions or answers to letters rogatory the same shall be opened by the clerk of the court which issued the commissions or letters, and the said clerk shall endorse thereon the date upon which any deposition or answer to letters rogatory was received and the same shall forthwith be delivered to the board. No entry fee shall be charged in such cases. [Acts, 1911, c. 751, Pt. III,

§ 3, as am. by Acts, 1912, c. 571, § 8, and by Gen. Acts, 1915, cc. 123, 275.]

4. MINIMUM WAGE COMMISSION.

(See also under Wages, and Women and Children.)

115A. Posting of information in places of employment. The minimum wage commission may require employers to post in conspicuous positions in their places of employment such notices as the said commission may issue for the information of employees. [Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 65.]

5. HOMESTEAD COMMISSION.

(See also under Housing.)

128. Organization of commission. A commission is hereby established, to be known as the homestead commission, and to consist of the following persons: the director of the bureau of statistics, the bank commissioner, the president of the Massachusetts agricultural college, one member of the state department of health, to be selected by the department, and three other persons to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council. The three members of the commission last named shall be appointed in the first place for terms of one, two and three years, respectively, and thereafter their successors shall be appointed for terms of three years. Of the persons so appointed by the governor, one shall be a woman, and one at least shall represent the laboring class. The commission shall report to the next general court, not later than January 10, 1912, a bill or bills embodying a plan and the method of carrying it out whereby, with the assistance of the commonwealth, homesteads or small houses and plots of ground may be acquired by mechanics, factory employees, laborers and others in the suburbs of cities and towns. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be allowed such sums for their expenses as may be approved by the governor and council. [Acts, 1911, c. 607, § 1, as am. by Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 129.]

6. OTHER BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, ETC.

(NOTE. The following state boards, commissions or officials are also concerned in the administration of the labor laws in Massachusetts: Governor and council, secretary of the commonwealth, treasurer and receiver general, attorney general, public service commission, state department of health, fire prevention commissioner, supervisor of loan agencies, highway commission, insurance commissioner, board of education, commissioner of corporations, board of prison commissioners, state board of charity, gas and electric light commissioners, bank commissioner, board of commissioners of the Massachusetts nautical school, state board of agriculture, sergeantat-arms, metropolitan park commission, state actuary, commissioner of weights and measures, the library commissioners and state examiners of electricians. For the respective duties of these boards, etc., in this connection see index.)

B. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. EMPLOYMENT, SECURING OF.

EMPLOYMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.

183A. School committee of the city of Boston to conduct courses for the improvement of teachers. The school committee of the city of Boston may conduct courses for the improvement of teachers or others in its service, or for the training and qualification of persons who are or may become candidates for positions as teachers in special schools or subjects. The committee may employ such persons as it deems expedient in connection with the said courses, and may fix their compensation. [Sp. Acts, 1915, c. 189.]

196A. Metropolitan Park Commission to provide immediate work on parks, etc. The metropolitan park commission, for the purpose of providing immediate work on, and continuing the construction, improvement and development of the parks and reservations under its care and control, and to carry out the provisions of Acts, 1893, c. 407, is hereby authorized to expend the sum of $50,000 as an addition to the Metropolitan Parks Loan.

To meet expenditures made under authority of this act the treasurer and receiver general, with the approval of the governor and council, shall issue scrip or certificates of indebtedness, bearing interest at a rate not exceeding four per cent per annum, to the amount of $50,000 as an addition to the Metropolitan Parks Loan, and shall add to the existing sinking fund to provide for the payment of the same. Such scrip or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued and additions to said sinking fund shall be assessed and collected in accordance with the provisions of Acts, 1899, c. 419, and acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto.

The metropolitan park commission in the employment of labor to carry out the purposes of this act shall select the employees either from the state civil service lists or from the lists of the cities and towns in the district: provided, however, that preference in employment shall be given to those on the lists of the cities and towns sit

uated in the immediate locality in which the work is being done. [Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 4, §§ 1, 2 and 3.]

196B. Metropolitan park commission to provide immediate work on parkways, etc. The metropolitan park commission, for the purpose of providing immediate work on, and continuing the construction, improvement and development of the parkways and boulevards under its care and control, and to carry out the provisions of Acts, 1894, c. 288, is hereby authorized to expend the sum of $50,000 as an addition to the Metropolitan Parks Loan, Series Two.

To meet expenditures made under authority of this act the treasurer and receiver general, with the approval of the governor and council, shall issue scrip or certificates of indebtedness, bearing interest at a rate not exceeding four per cent per annum, to the amount of $50,000, as an addition to the Metropolitan Parks Loan, Series Two, and shall add to the existing sinking fund to provide for the payment of the same. Such scrip or certificates of indebtedness shall be issued and additions to said sinking fund shall be assessed and collected in accordance with the provisions of Acts, 1899, c. 419, and acts in amendment thereof and in addition thereto.

The metropolitan park commission in the employment of labor to carry out the purposes of this act shall select the employees either from the state civil service lists or from the lists of the cities and towns in the district: provided, however, that preference in employment shall be given to those on the lists of the cities and towns situated in the immediate locality in which the work is being done. [Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 5, §§ 1, 2 and 3.]

196C. State forester to provide employment for certain needy persons. Resolved, That the state forester be directed to provide employment for needy persons deemed by him to be worthy thereof, preference being given to residents of the commonwealth and to persons who have others dependent upon them for support. The moneys authorized to be spent under the provisions of this resolve shall be spent upon the improvement and protection of forests and in any other public work which may in the opinion of the state forester be proper. There shall be allowed and paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth for this purpose the sum of $25,000, together with any unexpended balances of the amounts appropriated to be used under the provisions of Acts, 1913, c. 759 and Acts, 1914, c. 596. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this resolve, the state forester may appoint his duly accredited agents as special police officers to serve for such period as may be determined by him and subject to removal by him. Such officers shall serve without pay, except their regular compensation as agents or employees of the state forester, and shall receive no fees for services or return of criminal process. They shall have, throughout the commonwealth, the powers of constables and police officers to arrest and detain any person violating the law of the commonwealth, but they shall not have power to serve any process in civil cases. The civil service laws and the rules and regulations made thereunder shall not apply to this resolve or to any action taken hereunder. [Res., 1915, c. 2.]

196D. Appropriation for the employment of certain needy persons by the state forester. A sum not exceeding $25,000 is hereby appropriated, to be paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth from the ordinary revenue, to be expended under the direction of the state forester, in the employment of certain needy persons, as authorized by [Res., 1915, c. 2]; and there is also hereby made available for this

purpose the unexpended balances of the appropriations made under the provisions of Acts, 1913, c. 759 and Acts, 1914, c. 596. [Sp. Acts, 1915, c. 127.]

196E. Additional expenditure for employment of certain needy persons authorized. Resolved, That the sum of $50,000 is hereby authorized to be paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth, from the ordinary revenue, to be expended by the state forester in the employment of needy persons under the provisions of chapter two of the resolves of the current year; this sum to be in addition to the amounts authorized by the said chapter. [Res., 1915, c. 23.]

196F. Additional appropriation for employment of certain needy persons. A sum not exceeding $50,000 is hereby appropriated to be paid out of the treasury of the commonwealth from the ordinary revenue, to be expended under the direction of the state forester in the employment of certain needy persons, as authorized by chapter twenty-three of the resolves of the present year, the same to be in addition to any amount heretofore appropriated for the purpose. [Sp. Acts, 1915, c. 284.]

196G. State forester authorized to accept contributions for continuing relief of certain needy persons. Resolved, That the state forester is hereby authorized to accept, on behalf of the commonwealth, contributions of money from municipalities and individuals, to be used in continuing the employment of certain needy persons, as authorized by chapters two and twenty-three of the resolves of the present year. The money so received shall be paid into the treasury of the commonwealth and may be expended by the state forester in addition to the money appropriated by the commonwealth for the purposes authorized by said chapters two and twentythree: provided, that none of the money so collected shall be expended after December 1, 1915. [Res., 1915, c. 98.]

3. INDUSTRIAL SAFETY.

GENERAL ACTS.

197. Surgical appliances for employees. Every person, firm or corporation operating a factory or shop in which machinery is used for any manufacturing or other purpose except for elevators, or for heating or hoisting apparatus, shall at all times keep and maintain, free of expense to the employees, such medical or surgical chest, or both, as shall be required by the state board of labor and industries, and containing plasters, bandages, absorbent cotton, gauze, and all other necessary medicines, instruments and other appliances for the treatment of persons injured or taken ill upon the premises. Every such person, firm or corporation, employing one hundred or more persons, shall, if so required by the state board of labor and industries, provide accommodations, satisfactory to said board, for the treatment of persons injured or taken ill upon the premises. Every person, firm or corporation carrying on a business in a mercantile establishment in which twenty or more women or minors are employed, shall in the manner aforesaid provide such medical and surgical chest as the state board of labor and industries may require. A person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this [paragraph] shall be punished by a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars for every week during which such violation continues. [Acts, 1909, c. 514, § 104, as am. by Acts, 1914, c. 557 and by Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 216.]

EGRESSES AND PREVENTION OF FIRE.

From and

236A. Laboratory for the use of the detective department. after December 1, 1914, there may be expended annually from the treasury of the commonwealth, under the direction of the chief of the district police, a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars for the maintenance of a laboratory for the use of the detective department of the district police in the enforcement of the laws relative to explosives and inflammable fluids and compounds. [Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 220.]

STEAM BOILERS.

. . . The person in charge of a

279. Daily record of boiler to be kept. stationary steam boiler upon which the safety valve is set to blow off at more than 25 pounds pressure to the square inch, except boilers upon locomotives, motor road vehicles, boilers in private residences, boilers in apartment houses of less than five apartments, boilers under the jurisdiction of the United States, boilers used for agricultural purposes exclusively, and boilers of less than nine horse power, shall keep a daily record of the boiler, its condition when under steam and of all repairs made and work done on it, upon forms to be obtained upon application from the boiler inspection department. These records shall be kept on file and shall be accessible at all times to the members of the boiler inspection department. [Acts, 1911, c. 562, § 7, repealed and reënacted as Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 259, § 10.]

4. INDUSTRIAL SANITATION.

VENTILATION.

329. Prosecution for violating certain laws relative to factories and workshops. Inspectors of the state board of labor and industries, upon receipt of notice in writing, signed by any person having knowledge of the facts, that any factory or workshop as aforesaid is not provided with the apparatus prescribed in [Acts, 1909, c. 514, §§ 86, 87, see Handbook of Labor Laws, 1914, paragraphs 326, 327], shall visit and inspect such factory or workshop, and for that purpose they are authorized to enter any such factory or workshop during working hours; and if they ascertain, in the foregoing or in any other manner, that the owner, proprietor or manager thereof has failed to comply with the provisions of said sections, they shall make complaint to a court or judge having jurisdiction, and cause such owner, proprietor or manager to be prosecuted. [Acts, 1909, c. 514, § 89, as affected by Acts, 1912, c. 726, and as am. by Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 116.]

330. Penalties for violating the laws relative to sanitary devices in factories. Whoever fails to comply with any provision of [Acts, 1909, c. 514] §§ 83 to 89 inc., shall, for the first offence be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five nor more than one hundred dollars, and, for a second offence he shall be punished by the fine aforesaid or by imprisonment in jail for not more than sixty days or by both such fine and imprisonment. [Acts, 1909, c. 514, § 90, as am. by Gen. Acts, 1915, c. 69.]