San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-07
THE CHILDLABOR LAW,

New York has done some creditable
legislation this past session. Her hu
manitarian laws are becoming such as
the country may safely pattern after;
such as q state like her should spread
upon her statute books and enforce If
she expects to keep her lead as a COM
monwealth of broad and humane ideas
and practices, as well as one of large
wealth, ample resources and prime COM
merCial importance. The new Child
Labor law recently passed by her legis-
lature has gone into effect, and the in
spectOrs appointed to see that its letter
and spirit are alike observed will soon
commence their rounds. Mr.. Connolly,
chief inspector, will begin his work
among the great cotton industries of the
Mohawk valley. Many of the employers
here have already taken steps to place
themselves in line with the provisions
OF the new law, and have prepared
printed blanks for the parents, who APP
ply for places for minor children, to fill
up and sign. The blanks will show
name and age of child, how long in
school during the year, how long in
factory, and such other information as is
needed TO give the inspector and the
state authorities charged with the en-
forcement of the law knowledge of the
material facts. This law provides that
no children under certain age shall be
employed in factory at all; pre-
scribes the number of hours in
which children of any age under
eighteen years may be allowed to work;
also, the number Of days such children
must attend school, together with GER
tain sanitary regulations, and such pro-
visions concerning machinery as have in
the wisdom of the humanitarian franz
ers Of the law been deemed necessary.
There are four parties besides the in
spectors directly concerned in this mat
ter-the children, their parents, the fac
tory management, the school authori-
ties. 1t being the duty ofparents to see
that their children are in school for
certain season OF each year, it becomes
imperative with the school authorities
to see that this provision Of the law is
not suffered to become dead letter. If
the law was necessary at all, it was rem
dered so by the poverty or greed of the
parents working in harmony with the in
terests Of the factory owners to secure
child labor, as being materially lower
than adult labor possibly could be. All
such labor. therefore, as children could
perform, has been given to them until
their employment has become so general
as to call for state interference, lest
their education should be entirely neg
lected, their health destroyed and their
little lives ground out before the days of
childhood were fairly passed. The in
tent Of the law is most humane. Its re-
suits, If its provisions are observed and
carried into effect, will be to increase
the intelligence of the poor children OF
the state and compel some knowledge of
the ordinary branches of English eduoa-
ton. 1t will save thousands of little
children from factory drudgery at
an age when they are more
fit for the tender care Of the
nursery and the instructions Of
the infant school than for long days
work in an lily ventilated factory, under
the supervision Of task master whose
one idea is to grind ont of their little
lives all the work he can. The school
authorities Of these factory districts can
very materially aid the inspectors in
carrying out the spirit as will as enforc-
ing the letter of this law. The working
men in the factories will be in good
position to note the manner in which
the law is observed, and can render ma
terial service to the state in quiet way
that will not subject them to notice as