As stated before, the Bureau has undertaken the enforcement of all labor laws upon the statute books of this State, notwithstanding the fact that only in four instances is any provision made for their enforcement.

In order to accomplish all these things and to enforce the laws so that they would be of real benefit to the people, the Bureau was obliged to undertake 173 prosecutions during the past year, in addition to the many thousands of cases where the evils were corrected by warnings.

In turning our attention to the enforcement of labor laws, we have not neglected the gathering and compilation of statistics, or the inspection of factories and stores, as will be shown by a perusal of part two of this report, which is devoted to statistical tables.

The following tables are submitted in order to show at a glance what has been done in the enforcement of laws by this Bureau during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912, the present commissioner having taken office March 1, 1911.

Record of Prosecutions by this Bureau during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912.

"These cases were against newsboys, and this Bureau did not desire to obtain convictions against the boys. The arrests were made more in the nature of a warning.

Record of Complaints filed in Bureau and investigated during fiscal year ending June 30, 1912.

Disposition of Claims filed for non-payment of wages for year ending June 30, 1912.

*This only represents individual claims and does not include groups involving large sums, which would swell the total to over $50,000.

Disposition of Claims against employment agencies for year ending June 30, 1912

*In addition, several hundred new positions were ordered furnished, in cases where there was a slight misunderstanding, and no record was kept of these, as they were settled by telephone.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

The recommendations suggested herewith are the results of over a year's experience in the enforcement of the labor laws of this State. These recommendations are presented only after careful investigation and thought upon the subjects covered; and we urge upon the legislature the enactment of laws adequate to meet the conditions described.

CHILD LABOR.

Statutes of 1911, chapter 688, prohibiting any minor under the age of eighteen years, to vend and sell goods, engage in or conduct any business between ten o'clock in the evening and five o'clock in the morning, should be amended to prohibit any child under the age of twelve years from engaging in any of the above mentioned pursuits at any time, and to prohibit any child under sixteen years of age from engaging in them after eight o'clock in the evening. The penalty should be imposed upon the parent, guardian or person having charge or care of the child. One of the most deplorable sights in our large cities is the child of six or seven years of age selling chewing gum, matches and papers upon the streets, up to ten o'clock at night. These children are mostly of foreign parents and it is absolutely necessary at this time to prevent this evil, in view of the increase of our foreign population after the opening of the canal. Conditions at present are such, that the children take their wares to school with them, so as to lose no time in getting to the business centers to start their work. We have found children selling on the streets within two or three minutes after the schools let out. These children often remain on the streets until eight or nine o'clock before going home to their evening meal.

The child labor law, Statutes of 1905, page 11, as amended, Statutes of 1911, Chapter 456, should be amended by providing for a special certificate permitting children under the age of fifteen years to work, providing they had completed the prescribed grammar-school course or its equivalent. At the present time this Bureau is issuing such a certificate in order to overcome a conflict between the child labor law and the compulsory education law.

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.

The act creating the Bureau, Statutes of 1883, page 27, should be amended with a view to enlarging the powers of the Commissioner to meet the present-day conditions. At present no provision is made for the enforcement of labor laws of this State, except in four instances.

A new section should be added, making it the duty of the Commissioner to enforce all labor laws now or hereafter in effect, and giving the officers of the Bureau the necessary power to enforce them. Provision should be made for the registration of all factories operating in this State, so as to facilitate the work of inspection and to enable the Bureau to keep a record of the growth of the industries of our State. Adequate appropriations should be made to meet the increased work of the Bureau.

WAGE CLAIMS.

The work of handling wage claims by this Bureau has grown to such proportion that it will be practically impossible for us to take up all these claims. Two courts should be established-one in San Francisco and one in Los Angeles-whose duty it shall be to decide claims involving wages. A mode of procedure especially adapted to this class of clains should be provided and no fees should be charged in claims amounting to less than $100. Only one continuance should be granted to either party and a decision should be rendered within ten days from date of filing. In all other cities and towns the justices' courts should try cases involving wages, and a special procedure should be provided for such cases, similar to those to be used in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In the chapter entitled "Payment of Wages" will be found a description of the methods now employed by this Bureau in handling wage claims; also a statement of what has been accomplished in the past year.

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES.

The present laws regulating employment agencies, Statutes of 1903, page 14, and Statutes of 1909, page 191, should be amended with a view to obtaining uniformity in the issuance of receipts and the keeping of registers; also providing for the bonding of agents and the regulation of theatrical booking agencies, all of which are described in the chapter entitled "Employment Agencies."

FACTORY INSPECTION.

California at present has no adequate legislation for the protection of persons working in factories. What has commonly been called our factory inspection law, Statutes of 1889, page 3, is practically of no value. A comprehensive law should be enacted and such law should cover, among other things, the protection of employees operating machinery; the kind and location of stairs, doors and fire escapes; the size, ventilation, sanitation and lighting of work rooms; the number, location and care of wash-rooms and toilets; the inspection and operation of elevators, chutes, and conveyors, and the inspection of boilers. While at the present time we are not confronted with the problem of

tenant-factories, some provision should be made to prevent this undesirable system from ever getting a foothold in this State.

The inspection should extend to mercantile establishments and to all other places where labor is employed; also to theatres, places of amusement, and especially moving picture shows.

Provision should be made for a sufficient number of factory inspectors in order to make the law effective.

INSPECTION OF LABOR CAMPS.

Some of the labor camps maintained by companies and contractors in building railroads, highways and other construction work in this State are kept in an insanitary and unhealthful condition and are a source of disease. A law should be enacted providing for the inspection of these camps, making the company, contractor or person in charge responsible for their cleanliness, and giving the Commissioner of the Bureau the right to condemn a camp, if, after investigation, he is satisfied that it is dangerous to the public health.

MINE INSPECTION.

In mining-one of the largest and most important industries in our State the men employed are practically without any protection. Some laws have been passed, but no provision was ever made for their enforcement. While investigating an accident at the Bunker Hill Mine, where sixty-eight men were entombed from 6.45 a. m. on February 7, 1912, to 12.55 p. m. on February 8, 1912-or a period of thirty hourswe found an utter disregard for the protection of the lives of the miners. In this case, the accident had been caused by the breaking of the steel cable which released the skip and caused a cave-in below the collar of the shaft at a depth of about eighty feet. In this mine no attention had been paid to the law, Statutes of 1871-72, page 413, providing for escape shafts. At one time this mine did have a 1900-foot tunnel leading out at the 200-foot level, but it had been allowed to cave in. It developed upon further investigation that many mines in the same vicinity were also violating the law, and the Bureau secured the services of J. W. Atkins, a mining engineer, to make a special investigation. Mr. Atkins spent a month visiting the principal mines on the Mother Lode, and the results of his investigation are on file in the office of the Bureau. This report shows many flagrant violations of the present laws and practically a total disregard for the safety of the miners. Provision should be made for the appointment, by the Commissioner of this Bureau, of a competent mine inspector, whose compensation should be sufficient to insure the services of a man with the necessary technical and practical training.