Children not to be employed under certain age. 223. No child under thirteen years of age shall be employed in any factory, manufacturing or mercantile industry, laundry, workshop, renovating works or printing office within this state.30 Employers' register and contents. 224. It shall be the duty of every person so employing children to keep a register in which shall be recorded the name, birthplace, age and residence, name of parent or guardian, and date when employment ceases, of every person so employed under the age of sixteen years.31 Affidavit by parent or guardian. 225. And it shall be unlawful for factory, manufacturing or mercantile industry, laundry, workshop, renovating works or printing office, to hire or employ any child under the age of sixteen years, without there is first provided and placed on file an affidavit made by the parent or guardian, stating the age, date and place of birth of said child.32 When affidavit by child. 226. If said child have no parent or guardian, then such affidavit shall be made by the child, which affidavit shall be kept on file by the employer and shall be returned to the child when employment ceases.33 Cost of affidavit. 227. And in no case shall there be a charge to exceed twenty-five cents for administering the oath for the issuing of the above certificate. Qualifications of minors under sixteen. Exceptions. 228. And after the first day of January, 1898, it shall be unlawful for any manufacturing establishment, mercantile industry, laundry, renovating works, printing office, mechanical or other industrial establishment to employ any minor under the age of sixteen years who cannot read and write in the English language, unless he presents a certificate of having attended during the preceeding year, an evening or day school for a period of sixteen weeks.34 Teacher's certificate. 229. The certificate shall be signed by the teacher or teachers of the school or schools which said minor attended, and said register, affidavit and certificates shall be produced for inspection on demand by the inspector or any of the deputies appointed under this act.35 34. Act June 14, 1897, Sec. 2, P. L. 149. 35 Act June 14, 1897, Sec. 2, P. L. 149. 230. JOINT SCHOOLS. Establishment of joint schools of adjoining townships.... 231. Building joint school house....... PAGE 86 86 87 87 232. Establishment of joint schools of parts of adjoining counties or townships.......... 233. Joint meeting of boards of directors....... 234. School directors may provide transportation for children......... 87 When schools are closed by reason of small attendance........ 235. 236. Application of the act.. 237. Cost of transportation........... 238. Expenses and tuition, how paid.......... 239. 240. 241. 243. Directors shall not be party to any contract. Contract for transportation of children under act 1897.. 242. Attending school in adjoining districts................ 244. 245. 246. Payment of tuition by non-resident pupils............................... Establishment of joint schools of adjoining townships. 87 87 88 88 88 88 89 89 89 91 91 91 230. School directors shall have power, with the directors and controllers of adjoining districts, to establish joint schools, and the expense shall be paid as may be agreed upon by the directors and controllers of said district.' Building joint school house. 231. If a house is to be built for a joint school it should belong to and its management be vested in, the board on whose territory it stands, and the board of the district should pay a fair compensation for the privilege of sending to it, with the proper proportion for the teachers' salary and expenses. All agreements for the establishment of joint schools should be made for a stipulated length of time, and either of the parties to such an agreement can withdraw from it at the expiration of that time. Directors have no authority to make an agreement for a joint school that will be perpetually binding upon their successors. 2 Establishment of joint schools of parts of adjoining counties or townships. 232. It shall be lawful for the boards of school directors of school districts of different counties or townships, adjoining each other, to establish joint schools on or near the county or township line for parts of said districts, upon petition of not less than twenty taxables of said adjoining districts, whenever by reason of natural difficulties and distance from the schools of said district it becomes desirable and proper to so establish the same.3 Joint meeting of boards of directors. 233. The said boards of directors for the purpose aforesaid shall meet jointly, and are hereby empowered to exercise the same authority as in case of the establishment of joint schools for districts of the same county; all proceedings in relation thereto to be spread at large upon the minutes of the respective boards." School directors may provide transportation for children. 234. The school directors of any district, by the affirmative votes of a majority of the board duly recorded on the minutes, may provide transportation for the children, at the expense of their respective districts, to and from any school in the district in which the children have their residence, or of neighboring districts.5 When schools are closed by reason of small attendance. 235. The provisions of this act shall apply only to the pupils of schools, which, in the discretion of the board of school directors, have been closed by reason of small attendance." Application of the act. 236. And provided further, that it shall only apply to pupils that have a greater distance to travel or are placed at greater inconvenience than before such schools were closed. 7 Cost of transportation. 237. The cost of transportation per pupil shall not exceed the cost of maintaining per pupil the schools thus closed.8 Expenses and tuition, how paid. 238. The expense incurred providing for transportation of school children under this act, and the tuition for education when admitted to the schools of other districts, shall be paid by the treasurer of the district in which the children have place of residence, upon the order of the school board of directors.9 Directors shall not be party to any contract. 239. No member of the board or other offical of the township, borough or school district, shall be a party to any contract or agreement with the board, or receive any renumeration for services rendered to the district in conveying children to or from any school.10 Purpose of act. 240. Judge Linsay says:-"That act (act June 22, 1897) only applies to schools that have 'closed by reason of small attendance.' "The act was passed for the purpose of authorizing the the directors in their discretion to close a school where changes in the neighborhood had reduced it in number until it became burdensome to keep up the school. In such cases where the school is closed, the directors are authorized to furnish transportation to scholars to other schools where the distance is too great for them to travel. Again, the law does not authorize the schools directors to pay the board of pupils. It only authorizes them to pay transportation to other schools."1 |