St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-30
IN RE CHILD LABOR.
Commissioner Lamb Com
pletes His Tour Of Official
Inquiry.
State of Affairs as Shown by
Advance Sheets Of His
Report.
Showing Of Child Labor Made
by the Different St. Paul
Employers.
Cogent Reasons Why the Ex-
act Facts Are Difficult
to Obtain.

"My forthcoming report will pretty
cOnclusively demonstrate the fallacy OF
a popular idea," said State Statlstlclan
Lamb at the capitol yesterday. ut has
been pretty generally believed" he re-
sumed, picking up Massachusetts, re-
port, "that the larger the capital en-
ployed in manufacturing industry the
greater percentage of returns or net
profits. Actual statistics disprove this
condition. however. Here, for illustra-
ton. is the Massachusetts, industrial
statistical report. 1t shows that the
bigger results, pro rata, are OBJ
tanned by the smaller institutions,
the manufactures owned and conducted
bv private individuals or firms, upon
comparatively small capital or money
invested in the business. rather than by
the larger, by an important multiple,
concerns owned and conducted Dy
wealthy corporations. Hence 1T Will De
seen that a concentration of capital is
not absolutely necessary to successfully
conduct manufacturing institution.
Small factories, it is therefore reason
able to infer. economically and wisely
managed, are the more prohtaDle III
results.
80 much for the great manufactur..
ing center of this country" the man of
facts and figures" resumed, after pick
ing up few tabulated sheets from his
desk. s'But these reports will verify
the correctness OF this position. LII is
no longer a question of speculation nor
matter of theory. These tables dem
cnstrate that as in Massachusetts, so it is
here in Minnesota. When my reports
began to come in, and [ commenced
the work of collecting and compiling,
was astounded because the totals as to
actual results effected. in proportion to
money invested, were in contradiStlnc-
ton to the accepted theories of econo-
mists. But as | progressed in the work
| saw there could be no mistake, and
now l am glad to see that other states
find like condition"
A GLOBE reporter asked Mr.. Lamb ii
he had collected sufficient data to give
the public fair idea OF the status OF
child labor in the state.
II am now engaged in that very
branch of the work." he returned. "Of
course nv figures are not complete. and
| fear they cannot be made complete.
Some of the boys must escape. Again,
| find all eXaSperating tendency on the
part of these industrious youngsters,
I suspect, of prevaricating as to
their age. For instance, a
boy that does not appear to be over fiji
teen will declare that he is eigeteen.
There is small army of these little
scamps in the city who had rather work
than go to school. and they consequently
resort to that sort of strategy to accom-
plish their desire. However, l think we
have located the larger per cent of the
boys, and you may copy this sheet for
the information of the GLOBES readers
if you wlsh," and he handed
the reporter big table, from
which the report below is taken.
There are not nearly as many boys
employed in our factories as many peo-
pie fancy" explained Mr.. Lamb, as the
figures were being copied. Employers,
under the pressure, possibly. of adverse
sentiment or prejudice against child
labor, are perhaps striving to secure
large per cent of adult labor. thus re-
ducing chiid-labor to minimum. We
all hope this is true, if it is not. 1t IS
the only sane solution of the educational
problem" and so Mr.. Lamb kept up a
constant fire of philosophical talk until
the reporter had completed his work
and took his departure.
Mr.. Lambs report will show boys en-
ployed in st. Paul as follows