(a) The Department shall administer and enforce this chapter.

(b) Upon ex parte application of the Department showing reasonable ground to believe that this chapter or any regulation published thereunder has been or is being violated, the Superior Court shall enter an order permitting the Department to:

(1) Enter and inspect, after 1 day’s notice to the employer, the premises or place of business or employment and upon demand examine and copy wholly or partly any or all books, registers, payrolls and other records that in any way relate to or have a bearing upon the question of wages, hours and other conditions of employment of any employee, including those required to be made, kept and preserved under this chapter or any regulation published thereunder;

(2) Question any employer, employee or other person in the premises or place of business or employment;

(3) Require from any employer full and correct statements in writing, including sworn statements, upon forms prescribed or approved by the Department, with respect to the payment of wages, hours, names, addresses and such other information pertaining to employees as the Department may deem necessary or appropriate;

(4) Investigate such facts, conditions or matters as the Department may deem necessary or appropriate to determine whether this chapter or any regulation published thereunder has been or is being violated;

(5) Hold hearings, administer oaths and examine witnesses under oath, issue subpoenas, compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of papers, books, accounts, records, payrolls, documents and testimony and to take depositions and affidavits in any proceeding before it, and, in case of failure of any person to comply with any subpoena lawfully issued or on the refusal of any witness to testify to any matters regarding which the witness may be lawfully interrogated, the Superior Court, on application by the Department, shall compel obedience as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from such Court or a refusal to testify therein.

(c) The Department may institute actions in the Superior Court for penalties for any violation of this chapter or any regulation published thereunder.

(d) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed a limitation on any power or authority of the Department under any other law of this State which may be otherwise applicable to administer or enforce this chapter.

19 Del. C. 1953, § 903; 55 Del. Laws, c. 18, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.