Chap. 339.—An ACT to regulate the employment of children in factories,
mercantile establishments, workshops and laundries, and as messengers,
or in selling or distributing newspapers or other periodicals in this
Commonwealth on and after July 1, 1914, and to prescribe penalties for
violations of such regulations. (S. B. 115.)

Approved March 27, 1914.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
chapter three hundred and one of the acts of nineteen hundred and
eight, entitled an act to regulate the employment of children in
factories, mercantile establishments, workshops and mines in this
Commonwealth on and after March first, nineteen hundred and
nine, and to prescribe penalties for violations of such regulations.
approved March thirteenth, nineteen hundred and eight, be amended
and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
on and after July first, nineteen hundred and fourteen, no child
under the age of fourteen years shall be employed, permitted or
suffered to work in any factory, workshop, mine, mercantile estab-
lishment, laundry, bakery, brick or lumber yard, or during school
hours or after seven post meridian in the distribution, transmission
or sale of merchandise.

Sec. 2. No child under the age of sixteen years shall be em-
ployed, permitted or suffered to work in, about or in connection
with any establishment or occupation named in section one (1) for
more than six days in any one week; (2) nor more than ten hours
in any one day; (3) nor before the hour of seven o’clock in the
morning nor after the hour of nine o’clock in the evening.

Sec. 3. No child under sixteen years of age shall be employed,
permitted or suffered to work in, about or in connection with any
establishment or occupation named in section one unless the per-
son, firm or corporation employing such child procures and keeps
on file and accessible to any inspector of factories, or other author-
ized inspector or officer charged with the enforcement of this act,
the employment certificate as hereinafter provided, issued to said
child; and keeps two complete lists of the names, together with the
ages of all children under sixteen years of age employed in or for
such establishment or in such occupation, one on file and one con-
spicuously posted near the principal entrance of the place or estab-
lishment in which such children are employed. On termination of
the employment of a child whose employment certificate is on file,
such certificate shall be returned by the employer within two days
to the official who issued the same with a statement of the reasons
for the termination of said employment.

Such employment certificate shall be issued only by a notary
public, in the city, town or village in which the child is to be em-
ployed, upon the application in person of the parent or guardian
or custodian of the child desiring such employment. The person
authorized to issue an employment certificate shall not issue such
certificate until he has received, examined, approved and filed evi-
dence of age showing that the child is fourteen years old or up-
wards, whih-shall consist of one of the following proofs of age,
and shall-he required in the order herein designated as follows:

(a) <A duly attested transcript of the birth certificates filed
according to law with a registrar of vital statistics, or other officer
charged ra) the-duty of recording births, which certificate shall
be prima facie evidence of the age of such child.

(b) A passport or a duly attested transcript of a certificate of
baptism showing the date of birth and place of baptism of such
child.

(c) In case none of the above proofs of age can be produced,
other documentary evidence of age which shall appear to be satis-
factory to the officer issuing the certificate may be accepted in lieu
thereof. In such case a school census or school record, duly at-
tested, may be used as proof of age in the discretion of the officer
issuing the certificate.

(d) In case no documentary proof of age of any kind can be
produced, the officer issuing the certificate may receive and file an
affidavit signed by the parent or guardian or custodian of the child
which shall contain the name, alleged age, place, and date of birth,
und present residence of the child, together with such further facts
as may be of assistance in determining the age of such child, and
shall contain a statement certifying that the parent, guardian or
custodian signing such application is unable to produce any of the
documentary proofs of age specified in the preceding sub-divisions
of this section.

Sec. 4. In cities having a population of five thousand or more,
according to the census of nineteen hundred and ten, no child under
the age of fourteen years shall be employed, permitted or suffered
to work as messenger for a telegraph, telephone or messenger com-
pany, in the distribution, transmission or delivery of goods or
messages, and no child under eighteen years of age shall be so em-
ployed, permitted or suffered to work between the hours of ten
o'clock in the evening and five o’clock in the morning.

Sec. 5. No boy under ten years of age and no girl under sixteen
years of age shall, in any city in this State of five thousand popula-
tion or more, distribute, sell, expose, or offer for sale, newspapers,
magazines, or other periodicals in any street or public place.

Sec. 6. Any owner, superintendent, overseer, foreman or man-
ager, who shall knowingly employ or permit any child to be em-
ployed contrary to the provisions of this act, in any factory, work-
shop, mercantile establishment or laundry, with which he is con-
nected, or any parent or guardian, who allows any such employ-
ment of his child or ward, shall upon conviction of such offense be
fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred
dollars.

But nothing in this act shall prevent a parent from working
his or her child in any factory, workshop, mercantile establishment
or laundry, or other place owned or operated by said parent, nor
apply to persons employed in factories engaged exclusively in pack-
ing fruits and vegetables between July first and November first of
each year.

Any employment contrary to the provisions of this act shall
be prima facie evidence of guilt, both as to the employer and the
parent or guardian of the child so employed; provided, further,
that nothing contained in this act shall apply to mercantile estab-
lishments in towns of less than two thousand inhabitants or in
country districts. Provided, however, that upon petition of the
parent, guardian or other person interested in such child to the cir-
cuit or corporation court the court may for good cause shown entered
of record release any child, between the ages of twelve and fourteen
years, or the parent or guardian of such child from the operation of
this act.

Sec. 7. All acts or parts of acts that are or may be in conflict
with the operation of this act on and after July the first, nineteen
hundred and fourteen, are to that extent hereby repealed, said re-
peal to take effect as of July the first, nineteen hundred and
fourteen.