Summarizing opinions on all of the quoted provisions it would appear that, while the requirements are indefinite upon many points, they are sufficiently thorough to enable the inspecting department to insist upon the correction of all seriously bad conditions.

The State factory inspection department is charged with the enforcement of all the legal provisions regarding sanitation and ventilation.

CONDITIONS FOUND.

CLEANLINESS OF WORKROOMS.

The conditions as regards general cleanliness of the workrooms of the 50 establishments visited are shown in the following table:

CLEANLINESS OF WORKROOMS-PENNSYLVANIA.

SPITTING ON THE FLOOR AND THE PROVISION OF CUSPIDORS.

Spitting on the floor was reported as being habitually done by employees in 22 of the 50 establishments. Such spitting was prohibited in 37, and in 21 cuspidors were furnished.

The following table shows the relation between spitting on the floor and the provision of cuspidors and the existence of factory rules against spitting.

CONDITIONS AS TO SPITTING ON THE FLOOR-PENNSYLVANIA,

GENERAL VENTILATION AND THE REMOVAL OF DUST AND FUMES.

The two following tables show briefly the conditions found in the several establishments visited as regards the general subject of ventilation and the special topic of dust and fumes.

CONDITIONS AS TO VENTILATION-PENNSYLVANIA.

1 Including 1 establishment not reported as to ventilating apparatus.

CONDITION AS TO DUST OR FUMES IN WORKROOMS-PENNSYLVANIA.

The legislation of Ohio in regard to matters of ventilation and sanitation consists (1) of a general authorization given factory inspectors to correct such conditions of "heating, lighting, ventilation or sanitary arrangement" as seem to them "injurious to health," and (2) a specific requirement that dust-removing appliances be provided with certain grinding machines."

The legal provisions referred to above are in full as follows:

(a) It shall be their duty [i. e., of the chief inspector and district inspectors] to visit all shops and factories in their respective dis

1 The law here referred to is as in force at the beginning of 1909. The text of the laws in force Jan. 1, 1912, is given in the appendixes at the end of this volume.

2 For special legislation regarding sweatshops see Bates' Ann. Stat., 3d ed., Part II, Civil, secs. 4364-80 and 4364-81 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 1012, 1013). Special legislation also exists for bakeries, but not for confectioneries and other foodproducing establishments. Idem, secs. 4364–71 to 4364–79 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, p. 1011). Also note that tenement houses are included in the law as "shops and factories." See footnote below.

The term "shops and factories" shall be held to include the following: Manufacturing, mechanical, electrical, mercantile, art and laundering establishments,

tricts as often as possible, to see that all the provisions and requirements of this act are strictly observed and carried out; they shall carefully inspect the sanitary condition of the same, and it shall be their duty to examine the system of sewerage in connection with said shops and factories, the situation and conditions of water-closets or urinals in and about such shops and factories and also the system of heating, lighting and ventilating all rooms in such shops and factories where persons are employed at daily labor.

Said inspectors, if they find upon such inspection that the heating, lighting, ventilation, or sanitary arrangement of any shop or factory is such as to be injurious to the health of persons employed or residing therein * * * shall notify the owners, proprietors, or agents of such shops or factories. to make the alterations or additions necessary without delay. [Chief inspector may allow 15 to 30 days for compliance.]

* ** *

Penalty.-$50 to $500, and $10 per day for each day after conviction and until changes ordered are made.1

(b) All persons, companies, or corporations operating any factory or workshop, where emery wheels or emery belts of any description are used, either solid emery, leather, leather covered, felt, canvas, linen, paper, cotton, or wheels or belts rolled or coated with emery or corundum, or cotton wheels used as buffs, shall provide the same with blowers, or similar apparatus, which shall be placed over, beside, or under such wheels or belts in such a manner as to protect the person or persons using the same from the particles of the dust produced and caused thereby, and to carry away the dust arising from or thrown off by such wheels or belts while in operation, directly to the outside of the building, or to some receptacle placed so as to receive and confine such dust: Provided, That grinding machines upon which water is used * * * and small emery wheels that are used temporarily for tool grinding and small shops employing not more than one man at such work and do not create dust enough in the opinion of the inspector to be injurious to the operator, shall be exempt from the provisions of this act.

[Here follows a detailed description of character of blowers, fans, suction pipes, etc., required.]

* *

It shall be the duty of the chief inspector * to cause his district inspectors to inspect such workshops and factories

*

printing, telegraph, and telephone offices, railroad depots, hotels, memorial buildings, tenement and apartment houses." Bates's Ann. Stat., 3d ed., Part I, Political, sec. 2573d (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, p. 999).

1

1 Idem, secs. 2573a and 2573c, as amended by act, p. 338, Acts of 1902, and act, p. 530, Acts of 1904 (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 997–999).

By an act of 1908, providing for women visitors to investigate, etc., the conditions of labor in establishments employing women and children, such visitors are authorized to examine into the conditions of ventilation and sanitation in factories and workshops. The wording of this later law is quite similar to that used in the older law regarding factory inspectors, as quoted above, with the difference, however, that the women visitors are given no authority to compel compliance. They report to the chief inspector any bad conditions they may discover, and the chief inspector issues the necessary notices. Acts of 1908, p. 30, sec. 4. (Bulletin of the Bureau of Labor, No. 85, p. 703).

having and using such machinery as is named in this act

and the chief inspector shall notify the person or persons, company, or corporation operating such workshop or factory to comply with the provisions of this act within 30 days after date of issuing order * * *.

Penalty. For each offense, $50 to $100, or imprisonment not less than 30 days, or both.1

The second of these provisions regarding the removal of dust due to grinding is quite the same as that contained in the laws of several of the other States covered by this report. It not only requires that dust-removing appliances be provided but describes in detail the kind of appliances which alone will satisfy the law.

The first provision, on the other hand, is very indefinite in its terms. It directs simply that the factory inspectors shall order remedied any conditions of ventilation and sanitation which appear to them injurious to health. No standards or tests are provided by law. The inspectors are given full authority to act according to their best judgment. The extreme difficulty of determining with certainty when certain conditions are positively injurious to health has already been commented upon. It is recognized by the chief factory inspector in the following statement:

It is my sincere belief that provision should be made for the appointment of at least one person connected with the medical profession in order that reliable and scientific investigation might be made. of the sanitation and ventilation of our shops and factories * * * 2

The State factory inspection department is intrusted with the supervision and enforcement of all legal provisions dealing with ventilation or sanitation in factories and workshops.

CONDITIONS FOUND.

CLEANLINESS OF WORKROOMS.

The next table classifies the workrooms of the 60 visited establishments according to the general conditions of cleanliness existing therein.

1 Bates' Ann. Stat., 3d ed., Part II, Civil, secs. 4364-86 to 4364-89a and 4364-89b (22d An. Rept. Com. of Labor, pp. 1013, 1014).

Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Department of Inspection of Workshops, Factories, and Public Buildings, 1907, p. 13.

SPITTING ON THE FLOOR AND THE PROVISION OF CUSPIDORS.

Habitual spitting on the floor by employees was reported as being done in 19 of the 60 establishments visited; in 48 there was a rule against such spitting; and in 30 cuspidors were provided, 1 establishment not being reported for on this last point.

The relation between spitting on the floor and the provision of cuspidors and the existence of rules against spitting is shown in the following table:

CONDITIONS AS TO SPITTING ON THE FLOOR-OHIO.

GENERAL VENTILATION AND THE REMOVAL OF DUST AND FUMES.

The two following tables show briefly the conditions found in the several establishments visited as regards the general subject of ventilation and the special topic of dust and fumes:

CONDITIONS AS TO DUST OR FUMES IN WORKROOMS-OHIO.