St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-26
IN RE CHILD LABOR.
The Charges Made Against
The Horne & DAM Tin
Factory nda
OF the Employment OF Chill
dy
dren at Hazardous Occu- ID
pationS. "a
A Visit to the Factory Goes
Far Toward Setting the Il
Firm Right. IN.
Accidents Due to Abstraction
MANNED Employees Given r.
Light Work.

The recent charge by the trades and
labor assembly against the Horne 81
Danz Company, tin manufacturers. al
leging that child labor was employed In
the conduct of the establishment. and
that scarcely week passed without
some accident occurring to one or other
of the juvenile operatives of cutting ma
chineS-has created no little comment
on the subject of the employment of
children in so dangerous all occupation.
In response to request by an investi-
eating committee appointed by the as
sembly at a recent meeting. Labor
Commissioner Lamb visited and made
a tour of the premises occupied by
Horne & DAM as a factory, on Fillmore
avenue in West st. Paul. The result
of his investigation was report
to the committee, i'll which he
stated that several hoyS and girls were
found in the building, who reported
their ages as from ten to twelve years.
In the press room. which department
has Invariably been the scene of the ac-
cidents referred to. but one boy was
found who admitted that he was under
fourteen yerS old. In other depart
ments of the factory younger children
are employed in some few cases, though
not in a manner to allow of any posi-
bic injury resulting.
THE FACTORY INSPECTED.
With a view to discovering something
as to the actual situation in the factory,
a GLOBE reporter yesterday visited the
place and inspected the machinery in
use. In the basement of the manufac-
tory, where all the cutting machines are
operated, about fifteen hands are
employed. Only one of these,
as mas been stated. is less than fourteen
years old. the majority ranging fifteen
to twenty. The machines operated by
these lads are of such character that
only as a result of abstraction or care
leSSness can any accident occur. The
dies are of various shapes. but all are
operated on the same principle, namely,
that the knife can in 10 case descend,
except by pressure brought to bear by
the foot or the operator on pedal.
which releases the springs holding it,
and allows it to fall. 1t seems to be
pretty c0nclusiveIy shown that the ma
jority of the accidents which have Oe-'
CURED in this department. have been
due to an attempt on the part of the
operator to hold conversation and
crack jokes with his viS-a-viS, and at
tend at the same time nj Inc which
requires the entire attention of any one
manipulating it. 1t is an easy matter,
after an operator has so learned the
motion of the machine at which he
works that his motions are mechanical,
to abStractedly press the foot gear.
and cause the fall of the knife while
his fingers are within the range it
covers. Whatever cause may be as
signed for the abstraction. it is abSO-
lutely certain that no accident could
occur in the operation of the machines
unless the attention of the operator,
were directed from the point 0n@which
it should necessarily be concentrated.
A TALK WITH MIR. DAM. "a
Mr.. DanZ, of the firm, was found by
ployeS, in getting out orders for ship
ment. In answer to questions by the
GLOBE man he said:
Eyes, have seen the report of the
labor commissioner and have heard
about the efforts of the trades and labor
assembly to prove that children of
illegal age are employed by us. l can
only say that every facility has been
given the commissioner for the prOsecu-
ton of his investigation. and that, as
matter of fact. all statements to the
contrary Notwithstanding, we have no
boy in the building whose age. as repre-
scented to us, was under thirteen years.
There have been few boys seriously
hurt here, three more seriously than the
rest. The worst accident of all
was that occurring to hoy
named Philip Unger, who lost three
fingers in cutting machine last spring.
Unger is still employed here, but in a
different capacity, and will be employed
here as long as he cares To stay with us.
Two other boys lost finger apiece, all
in the same manner, viz: by pressing
the lever while their fingers were under
the die"
"Why do you employ so few men and
so many children?" was asked.
For obvious reasons. Men demand
81 per day. Bows earn from $3.50 To 81
per week. and do. in many cases, more
satisfactory work. Besides that. to he
practical, if we employed men here at
81 per day we should have to close the
front doors within sixty days. Eastern
firms, which manufacture more largely
than we do. would bar us out of the
market. Under our present system of
operation we can
MAKE A FAIR PROFIT
OH our goods. and we pay our help all
we can afford to and leave profit mar
gin. | repeat that if we are compelled
to employ men, at mems wages, we
shall be compelled to close our doors
and 20 out of the business"
Most of the boys in the building give
their ages as between fourteen and fif-
tern, wnIle some forget how old they
really are, or refuse to give satisfactory
replies. Some of these latter can
scarcely, from their appearance. be as
ILL &c fl,ax ,hor,id N RI nbtain pmninU-
ment of any sort outside of the school
house. From their replies. when queS-
toned, however, it is easily gathered
that the money they earn by the labor
of their childish hands is sorely needed
by the, i'm most cases. struggling fami-
lies Of which they are members. The
hours of work in the factory are ten
hours a day. except Saturdays. when
one hour less is demanded. In
reply to a question as to wheth-
er anything had been done for the
boys who have been MANNED in the emf
| plOy of the company, Mr.. Danz said
| that the company had paid all the dog
! tors bills, and retained the injured boys
in their employ if the former cared n
stay. There were several boys now in
| the factory who had been slightly hurt,
| who had been in the employ of the firm
| for year, and these had no complaint
| to make against their employment. AS
regarded the law relating to the employ
| M mt of children, Mr.. DAM said he did
| not know exactly how the law read, but
| believed that the employment of children
| of such ages as those working in the
| factory was legal.
In the Appellate Court.
Yesterdays routine of the supreme