employment agent shall not be subject to the provisions of the civil service law, unless his appointment shall so state.

SEC. 2060. Attorney.-There shall be in the bureau of labor an attorney to be known as the attorney of the bureau of labor. It shall be his duty to assist the director or assistant director of labor in all legal questions by them submitted to him, and to bring suit gratuitously in the proper courts, for indigent laborers or servants when he shall deem this proper after the failure of the endeavors to bring about a friendly settlement made by the director or assistant director of labor in the performance of the duties imposed and the exercise of the powers conferred upon them by subsection (d) of the next preceding section hereof.

SEC. 2061. Oaths.--The director of labor and the assistant director of labor shall have power to administer oaths in matters connected with the administration of the bureau of labor and to take testimony in any investigation conducted in pursuance of the provisions of this chapter.

The attorney of the bureau of labor shall have power to administer oaths as aforesaid and may, when thereunto specially deputed by the director of labor, exercise the authority to take evidence which is herein-above vested in said director.

PROVINCIAL EMPLOYEES-PAYMENT OF WAGES

SECTION 2118. Payment in kind.-Money expendable for provincial improvements of any character may, when duly authorized by the provincial board, be used for purchasing rice or other necessaries to be sold or paid in kind, without profit, to laborers actually engaged upon such improvements.

PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES AS VOTERS

SECTION 2656 (as amended 1922, No. 3030). Threatening discharge, etc.-Any person who influences or attempts to influence a voter in connection with the forthcoming election by threatening to discharge such voter from his employment or to reduce his wages, or by promising to give him employment or higher wages, and any person who discharges any voter from his employment or reduces his wages, in connection with the forthcoming election, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one month nor more than five years, and by a fine of not less than one hundred pesos nor more than two thousand pesos, and by deprivation of the right of suffrage and disqualification from public office for a period of not more than five years.

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ACTS OF 1923

ACT No. 3071.-Employment of women and children

SECTION 1. Mines, etc.-It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to employ females or males below the age of fourteen years as laborers in the mines or in places of labor where explosives are used or manufactured. SEC. 2. Seats; time for meals.-Any person, firm, or corporation owning a factory, shop, or industrial, or mercantile establishment, shall be obliged to provide and place in its establishment, for the use of its laborers, seats proper for women and children and permit them to use said seats during the hours when they are free of work and during working hours, provided they can perform their duties in this position without detriment to efficiency. Laborers shall be allowed not less than sixty minutes for their noon meal.

SEC. 3. Work time.-[No person under 16 may be employed in any shop, factory, or commercial, or industrial establishment more than 7 hours per day or 42 hours per week. A schedule of hours must be posted in work rooms.] SEC. 4. Illiterates; certificates.-[No child under 14 who does not know how to read and write may be employed on school days. A birth certificate is required for all employed children under 18.]

SEC. 5. Bars,-[No female under 18 or male under 16 may be employed at a licensed bar.]

SEC. 6. Standing.-[Women may not be employed in factories, shops, and the like, where constant standing is required.]

SEC. 7. Poisonous substances.-[No child under 16 may be employed in connection with the preparation of any poisonous, noxious, explosive, or infectious substance.]

SEC. 8. Hazardous work.-[No person under 18 may be employed in work involving serious danger to life.]

SEC. 9. Toilets, etc.-[Separate and suitable closets and lavatories must be provided for males and females, and at least one dressing room for women and children; but the director of the bureau of labor may exempt small shops, financially unable to comply herewith.]

SECS. 10, 11. Employments forbidden.—[No person under 16 may be employed to operate elevators, as motorman or fireman, to clean machinery, to work underground or do similar work; nor in billiard rooms, cockpits, or other places where games are played for stakes, nor in dance halls, stadiums, or race courses as bailarinas, boxers, or jockeys.]

SEC. 12. Night work.-[No child under 16 may be employed between 6 p. m. and 6 a. m.]

SEC. 13. Child-bearing women.-[Thirty days' vacation before and 30 days after confinement must be allowed employed women; nor may they be discharged without just cause, under penalty of two months' wages.]

SEC. 14. Sale of drugs.-[No person under 16 may be employed in the sale of medicines and drugs in a pharmacy, or for any work that may affect the health of the public.]

SEC. 15. Violations.-[Violations entail fines, 50 to 250 pesos ($25 to $125), or imprisonment ten days to six months, or both.]

PORTO RICO

ACTS OF UNITED STATES CONGRESS-1916-17

CHAPTER 145.-Employment of labor-Department of agriculture and labor— Civil government act

SECTION 2. Limit of power; eight hours per day.-No law shall be enacted in Porto Rico which shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, or deny to any person therein the equal protection of the laws.

Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to limit the power of the legislature to enact laws for the protection of the lives, health, or safety of employees.

Eight hours shall constitute a day's work in all cases of employment of laborers and mechanics by and on behalf of the government of the island on public works, except in cases of emergency.

The employment of children under the age of fourteen years in any occupation injurious to health or morals or hazardous to life or limb is hereby prohibited.

SEC. 13. Departments.-The following executive departments are hereby created: 申 * a department of agriculture and labor, the head of which shall be designated as the commissioner of agriculture and labor;

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SEC. 18. Duties of commissioner.-The commissioner of agriculture and labor shall have general charge of such bureaus and branches of government as have been or shall be legally constituted for the study, advancement, and benefit of agricultural and other industries, the chief purpose of this department being to foster, promote, and develop the agricultural interests and the welfare of the wage earners of Porto Rico, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment, and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

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SEC. 38. Laws not to apply.—*

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The [railroad] safety appliance acts and the several amendments made or to be made thereto shall not apply to Porto Rico.

SEC. 52. Offices abolished.-*

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The offices of secretary of Porto Rico and director [of] labor, charities, and correction are hereby abolished. *

REVISED STATUTES AND CODES-1911

Liability of employers for injuries to employees

SECTION 916. Liability declared.-Where, after the passage of this act, personal injury is caused to an employee who is himself in the exercise of due care and diligence at the time:

1. By reason of any defect in the condition of the ways, works, or machinery, connected with or used in the business of the employer, which arose from or had not been discovered or remedied owing to the negligence of the employer or of any person in the service of the employer and intrusted by him with the duty of seeing that the ways, works, or machinery, were in proper condition; or

2. By reason of the negligence of any person in the service of the employer intrusted with the exercising of superintendence whose sole or principal duty is that of superintendence; or

SEC. 7. Poisonous substances.-[No child under 16 may be employe nection with the preparation of any poisonous, noxious, explos fectious substance.]

SEC. 8. Hazardous work.-[No person under 18 may be employ. involving serious danger to life.]

SEC. 9. Toilets, etc.-[Separate and suitable closets and lavato provided for males and females, and at least one dressing room and children; but the director of the bureau of labor may exempt financially unable to comply herewith.]

SECS. 10, 11. Employments forbidden.-[No person under 16 ployed to operate elevators, as motorman or fireman, to clean » work underground or do similar work; nor in billiard rooms, coo places where games are played for stakes, nor in dance halls, sta courses as bailarinas, boxers, or jockeys.]

SEC. 12. Night work.-[No child under 16 may be employed i and 6 a. m.]

SEC. 13. Child-bearing women.-[Thirty days' vacation befor after confinement must be allowed employed women; nor ha charged without just cause, under penalty of two months' wa z SEC. 14. Sale of drugs.-[No person under 16 may be employ medicines and drugs in a pharmacy, or for any work that health of the public.]

SEC. 15. Violations.-[Violations entail fines, 50 to 250 pe or imprisonment ten days to six months, or both.]

8

ever an employee [employer] enters with an independent contractor to • never such contractor enters into a any part of the work comprised in oyer, such contract or subcontract er for injuries to the employees of on of any defect in the condition of hey are the property of the employer, arose or had not been discovered or employer or of some person intrusted they were in proper condition.

No employee, or his widow or children, To be no such widow or children, shall 25] to any right of compensation or case where such employee knew of the injury, and failed within a reasonable ormation thereof to the employer, or to

service of the employer who had indece.

fund. Any employer who shall have ed and maintained for the mutual purpersonal injuries for which compensaIsees, 916-925], or who has insured the ny against the accidents of labor, shall sum which he shall have to pay as comIs act, the amount that shall have been his widow, or children, or both of them, widow and children, from the aforesaid by reason of the same accident.

not apply to injuries caused to domestic employees.