LABOR, LIVE STOCK SANITARY BOARD, FORESTRY 67 



the minimizing of fire hazards and to promote healthful working con- 

 ditions, is hereby proposed. 



WOMAN'S WORKING LAW CHANGES NECESSARY 



Chapter 135b, Acts of 1912, Carroll's Kentucky Statutes 4866b-l 

 to 4866b-8, is the law commonly iknown as the "Woman's Working 

 Law to Safeguard Their Health," a law for the protection of women 

 employed in industry. This law, we have found from our experience 

 of inspection and enforcement thereof, is conflicting, wordy and 

 cumbersome and should be amended; some of the provisions should 

 be liberalized. Difficulties in interpretation and enforcement be- 

 cause of the vagueness of the law have arisen and we therefore submit 

 for approval some proposed changes that will eliminate these defi- 

 ciencies in the law as appear in its present status. 



The first change proposed pertains to the regulation of the hours 

 of employment of women. The sections now reads: 



"No female under twenty-one years of age shall be employed 

 or suffered or permitted to work at any gainful occupation except 

 domestic service and nursing, more than sixty hours in any one 

 week, nor more than ten hours in any one day." Section 4866b — 1. 



"No female of whatever age shall be employed or suffered or 

 permitted to work in any laundry, bakery, factory, workshop, 

 store or mercantile establishment, manufacturing or mechanical 

 establishment, or hotel, restaurant, telephone exchange or tele- 

 graph office more than sixty hours in any one week nor more than 

 ten hours in any one day." Section 4866b-2. 



These two sections are somewhat conflicting. We recommend 

 that Section 2 be repealed and that Section 1 be amended by striking 

 out the following words: "under twenty-one years of age." 



The second change proposed pertains to provisions for seats, 

 Section 3. This section now reads: 



"Every person, firm or corporation that employes females 

 shall provide seats for their use in the room where they work 

 and shall maintain and keep them there, and shall permit the use 

 of such by them when not necessarily engaged in the active duties 

 for which they are employed. In stores and mercantile establish- 

 ments at least one seat shall be provided for every three females 

 employed. If the duties of the female employees, for the use of 

 whom the seats are furnished, are to be principally performed in 

 front of a counter, table, desk or fixture, such seats shall be 

 placed in front thereof. If such duties are to be principally per- 

 formed behind such counter, table desk or fixture, such seats 

 shall be placed fbehind same. The provision of seats that fold 

 when not in use shall not be deemed a compliance with this sec- 

 tion." Section 4866b-3. 



