(a) The commissioner shall have the power upon his own initiative, and it shall be his duty upon receipt of a petition of fifty or more residents of this State, to make an investigation of any industry which employs home workers, in order to determine: (1) Whether the wages and conditions of employment are injurious to the health and welfare of home workers in such industry; and (2) Whether the wages and conditions of employment of home workers prevailing in such industry have the effect of rendering unduly difficult the maintenance of existing labor standards in or the observance and enforcement of labor standards established by law or regulation for factory workers in such industry.

(b) If, on the basis of information in his possession, with or without an investigation, and after a public hearing as provided for by section five of this act, the commissioner shall find that industrial home work cannot be continued within any industry without: (1) injuring the health and welfare of the home workers within that industry, or (2) rendering unduly difficult the maintenance of existing labor standards of factory workers in that industry or the observance and enforcement of labor standards established by law or regulation for factory workers in that industry, the commissioner shall by order prohibit industrial home work in such industry, except as may be otherwise provided in such order pursuant to the provisions of section six of this act, and no permit issued under this act shall be deemed thereafter to authorize the furnishing of articles or materials for industrial home work prohibited by such order.

L.1941, c. 308, p. 830, s. 4.