In cities of first and second classes (L. 1904, ch. 482), §§ 1, 2. or to any relief society or benefit fund created under the laws of this state, may prove in mitigation of damages recoverable by an employe under this act such proportion of the pecuniary benefit which has been received by such employe from such fund or society on account of such contribution of employer, as the contribution of such employer to such fund or society bears to the whole contribution thereto. § 5. Existing rights of action. Every existing right of action for negligence or to recover damages for injuries resulting in death is continued and nothing in this act contained shall be construed as limiting any such right of action, nor shall the failure to give the notice provided for in section two of this act be a bar to the maintenance of a suit upon any such existing right of action. § 6. Time of taking effect. This act shall take effect July first, nineteen hundred and two. EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES. L. 1904, ch. 432. An act to regulate the keeping of employment agencies in cities of the first and second class where fees are charged for procuring employment or situations. [In effect May 1, 1904.] § 1. Definitions. The term person when used in this act, means and includes any individual, company, association, or corporation, or their agents, and the term employment agency means and includes the business of keeping an intelligence office, employment bureau, or other agency or office for procuring work or employment for persons seeking employment where a fee or privilege is exacted, charged or received directly or indirectly for procuring or assisting to procure employment, work, or a situation of any kind, or for procuring or providing help for any person, whether such fee is collected from the applicant for employment or the applicant for help, excepting agencies for procuring employment for school teachers exclusively. The term fee as used in this act means money or a written promise to pay money. § 2. License. No person shall open, keep or carry on any such employment agency in the cities of the first and second class, unless every such person shall procure a license therefor from the mayor of the city in which such person intends to conduct In cities of first and second classes (L. 1904, ch. 482), § 3. such agency. Any person who shall open or conduct such an employment agency without first procuring said license shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars, or, on failure to pay such fine, by imprisonment not exceeding thirty days. Such license shall be granted upon the payment to said mayor of a fee of twenty-five dollars annually for such employment agencies in cities of the first and second class. Every license shall contain the name of the person licensed, a designation of the city, street and number of the house in which the person licensed is authorized to carry on the said employment agency, and the number and date of such license. Such license shall not be valid to protect any other than the person to whom it is issued or any place other than that designated in the license unless consent is obtained from the mayor. No such agency shall be located in rooms used for living purposes, where boarders or lodgers are kept, or on premises where intoxicating liquors are sold, excepting cafes and restaurants in office buildings. If said licensed person shall conduct a lodging house for the unemployed, separate and apart from such agency, it shall be so designated in the license. The application for such license shall be filed not less than one month prior to the granting of said license and shall be accompanied by the affidavits of two persons who have known the applicant or the chief officers thereof, if a corporation for five years, stating that the said applicant is a person of good moral character. The license shall run to the first Tuesday of May next ensuing the date thereof and no longer unless sooner revoked by the mayor. § 3. Bond. The mayor of said city shall require such person to file with his application for a license a bond in due form to the people of the said city in the penal sum of one thousand dollars in cities of the first and second class, with two or more sufficient sureties, and conditioned that the obligor will not violate any of the duties, terms, conditions, provisions or requirements of this act. If any person shall be aggrieved by the misconduct of any such licensed person, and shall recover judgment against him therefor, such person may, after the return unsatisfied, either in whole or in part, of any execution issued upon said judgment, maintain an action in his own name upon the bond of said employment agent in any court having jurisdiction of the amount claimed provided such court shall, upon application made for the purpose, grant such leave to prosecute. In cities of first and second classes (L. 1904, ch. 482), §§ 4, 5. § 4. Register; references. It shall be the duty of every such licensed person to keep a register, approved by the mayor, in which shall be entered, in the English language, the date of every application for employment; the name and address of the applicant; the amount of the fee received, and whenever possible, the names and addresses of former employers or persons to whom such applicant is known. Such licensed person shall also enter in a separate register approved by the mayor in the English language, the name and address of every applicant for help, the date of such application, the kind of help requested, the names of the persons sent, with the designation of the one employed, the amount of the fee received and the rate of wages agreed upon. The aforesaid registers of applicants for employment and for help shall be open during office hours to inspection by the mayor. No such licensed person, his agent or employes, shall make any false entry in such registers. It shall be the duty of every licensed person, whenever possible, to communicate orally or in writing with at least one of the persons mentioned as references for every applicant for work in private families, or employed in a fiduciary capacity, and the result of such investigation shall be kept on file in such agency. § 5. Fees; receipts. The fees charged applicants for employment as lumbermen, agricultural hands, coachmen, grooms, hostlers, seamstresses, cooks, waiters, waitresses, scrub-women, laundresses, maids, nurses (except professional) and all domestics and servants, unskilled workers and general laborers, shall not in any case exceed ten per centum of the first month's wages, and for all other applicants for employment, shall not exceed the amount of the first week's wages or salary or five per centum of the first year's salary. In case the applicant shall not accept or obtain help or employment, through such agency, then such licensed person shall on demand, repay the full amount of the said fee, allowing five days' time to determine the fact of the applicant's failure to obtain help or employment; except when it appears that the said licensed person has in good faith, attempted to procure help or employment for said applicant, then he shall be entitled to retain of such fee paid, an amount not exceeding fifty cents.. If an employe furnished fails to remain one week in the situation, a new employe shall be furnished or three-fifths of the fee returned, within four days of demand; In cities of first and second classes (L. 1904, ch. 482), § 6. if the employe is discharged within one week without said applicant's fault another position shall be furnished or threefifths of the fee returned. Failure of said applicant for help to notify said licensed person that such help has been obtained through means other than said agency shall entitle said licensed person to retain or collect three-fifths of the said fee. It shall be the duty of such licensed person to give to every applicant for employment from whom a fee shall be received a receipt in which shall be stated, the name of said applicant, the date and amount of the fee, and the purpose for which it is paid, and to every applicant for help a receipt stating the name and address of said applicant, the date and amount of the fee, and the kind of help to be provided. Every such receipt shall have printed on the back thereof a copy of this section in the English language and in languages which persons commonly doing business with such office can understand. No such licensed person shall receive or accept any valuable thing or gift as a fee or in lieu thereof and no fee shall be accepted by such licensed person for any other purpose except as herein provided. No such licensed person shall divide fees with contractors or other employers to whom applicants for employment are sent. Every such licensed person shall give to each applicant for employment a card containing the name and address of such employment agency and the written name and address of the person to whom the applicant is sent for employment. Every such licensed person shall post in a conspicuous place in each room of such agency a plain and legible copy of this act, which shall be printed in languages, which persons commonly doing business with such office can understand. § 6. Employment contract.- No such person shall induce or attempt to induce any employe to leave his employment with a view to obtaining other employment through such agency. Whenever such licensed person or any other acting for him, agrees to send one or more persons to work as contract laborers in any one place outside the city in which such agency is located, the said licensed person shall file with the mayor within five days after the contract is made, a statement containing the following items: name and address of the employer, name and address of the employe; nature of the work to be performed, hours of labor; wages offered, designation of the persons employed, and terms of transportation. A duplicate copy of this statement shall be given In cities of first and second classes (L. 1904, ch. 482), §§ 7, 8. to the applicant for employment in a language which he is able to understand. - § 7. Character of employer; fraud. No such licensed person shall send or cause to be sent any female help as servants or inmates to any questionable place, or place of bad repute, house of illfame, or assignation house, or to any house or place of amusement kept for immoral purposes, the character of which such licensed person could have ascertained upon reasonable inquiry. No such licensed person shall knowingly permit questionable character or procurers to frequent such agency. No such licensed person shall publish or cause to be published any false or fraudulent notice or advertisement; all advertisements of such employment agency by means of cards, circulars, or signs and in newspapers and other publications, and all letterheads, receipts, and blanks shall contain the name and address of such employment agency and no such licensed person shall give any false information, or make any false promise concerning employment to any applicant who shall register for employment or help. § 8. Enforcement. In cities of the first class the enforcement of this act shall be entrusted to a commissioner to be known as a commissioner of licenses, who shall be appointed by the mayor, and whose salary together with those of inspectors to be appointed by him shall be fixed by the board of estimate and apportionment. He shall appoint inspectors who shall make at least bimonthly visits to every such agency excepting agencies exclusively for procuring executive, clerical, and technical positions for men only, which shall be inspected on complaint made to said commissioner. Such inspectors shall see that all the provisions of this act are complied with, and shall have no other duties. Complaints against any such licensed person shall be made orally or in writing to the commissioner and notice of such complaints shall be made orally or otherwise as the commissioner may direct to said licensed person and upon such complaint a hearing shall be had before him within three days. Said commissioner shall keep a record of all such complaints and hearings. The said commissioner shall revoke any license for any good cause shown, but reasonable opportunity shall be given said licensed person to defend himself. Whenever for any cause such license is revoked, said commissioner shall not issue another license to said licensed |