Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-04
PROTECTING CHILDREN.
A Subject Whose Importance Is Not Fully
Appreciated.

n SUBJECT whose importance Is MOI Fully
Appreciated.
School officers i'm this country have q
great deal of trouble in enforcing the
laws which were designed to protect
growing children in their right to grow.
A boy or a girl who works in cotton
or wooden factory, or in any other
place where the air is vitiated, or the
posture constrained or sedentary, can
seldom attain the proper development
of human being. Such child is
cheated of large part of his chance
of a happy life. and it is the business of
a Government to prevent cheating.
All the civilized nations have laws
against this great wrong. Italy per-
mits children of nine to work for wages,
but requires, as preliminary condi-
ton, the certificate Of II physician at
testing that the child is able to perform
the proposed work without injury.
Perhaps even this inadequate measure
is little better than none. 1t may
serve to remind people that children
have rights which Governments are
bound to protect
Spain goes much farther. In that
country the limit is fixed at ten years,
but with this most important addition:
boys under thirteen and girls under
fourteen must not be kept ut work
more than five hours day. In Sweden
tho days work for children is limited
to six hours, and night work is abso-
lutely prohibited.
Denmark permits children to labor
six hours and half, but also requires
two hours attendance mt school. In
Hungary no child under twelve may
work in factory, except with special
license, and the days work for minors
is limited by law to eight hours.
Every child who labors must go to
school part of every day.
In the German Empire, no child can
lawfully labor in factory until he is
twelve years old, and the days work
is fixed at six hours, with three hours
schooling daily. Nine hours close con-
finement is too much for any growing
creature.
France is sadly ncglcctful of the duty
she owes her little children. The law
fixes twelve years rs the age of the
youngest workers, but there are so
many exceptions that tho limit prac-
ticaliy is ten years. In manufactures
of paper, sugar and glass, boys of
twelve are permitted to work at night
and all night.
Three countries in Europe, and only
three. have decrced that child must
be fourteen years of age before it may
work in shop or factory, and these
have also prohibited all night work to
children. Tho three countries are Aus
tria, England and Switzerland.
In the United States there are almost
as many laws on this subject as there
are States; but is there one State in
which young workers are adequately
protectcdP We fear not. Needy pa
rents, ambitious boys, restless girls,
employers wanting help, all work
against the enforcement of such laws
as we have.
Factories running extra hours do not
pause to dismiss the young workers,
and there are some that have boys on the
force which carries OH the work during
the night. Think of boy twelve or
thirteen going to work at seven in the
evening, and coming off at six in the
morning, with half an hours rest at
midnight!
There are few subjects so important
rs this, because an injury done to q
growing creature is irreparable, and
every such injury lessons the victorious
force Of the community. Instead of
violating or cvading tho law, 1t should
be the effort of every right-thinking
person to sec that it is most rigidly en-
forced. - Youths Communion.