The Press., 1890-10-30
DEFENDING CONNECTICUT.

A few weeks ago a body describing it. self Bs the "Woman's National Industrial League of America" memorialized the sen- ate at Washington on the subject of the treatment of women and children in American factories. The memorial was signed by Charlotte Smith, as president, and Catherine Bergen, as secretary. Here is part of it:
 Women and children of tender ages are virtually the slaves of powerful corpora tions. In the cotton and woolen mills of Pennsylvania, New York and the New England states women and children work at from 35 to 75 cents a day their days work consists of ten hours, hence at from B to 73 cents per hour.
 According to the census of Massachu- setts of 1885, 23 per cent. of all persons employ ed in the cotton and woolen mills receive only 2.10 to $45O per week, at- tending to from two to three looms each, while in Great Britain they have charge of from one to two looms only. Families in these aforementioned states falsify the entries in their Bibles so as to enable | them to put their children earlier to work than the law permits being unfortunately forced to resort to these means in order to be able to meet current living expenses. On the strength of these and the like representation, MT. Plumb of Kansas offered resolution directing the commit tee on education and labor to investigate the matter, empowering it to send for per. sons and papers, etc., providing for the payment of it's expenses ont of the senate's contingent fund, and instructing it to re- port ''at the earliest practicable momen, in December next" Tuesday afternoon this resolution came up for action, and gave rise to decidedly interesting little debate IT,
 MT. Sherman of Ohio, the first speaker suggested that it would be we'll for the senate to mind it's own business and leave the states to mind theirs. "What righ have we, he asked, 'sto go around by committee to examine into what occurs il workshops, etc. ? Each state has suprem. control of all police regulations, certainly of all matters affecting the morals, cleanli ness, good order and happiness of it's peo pie. MT. Plumb dissented from this viev of the matter. The proposed injury seem ed to him clearly within the scope of tn, } senate's jurisdiction. Mr. Dawes and MT Hoar of Massachusetts pronounced tn, assertions of the memorialists, so far a these related to their commonwealth ab lsurdly untrue, and challenged the mos , searching investigation. MT. Reagan o , Texas agreed with MT. Sherman; MT } Cockrell of Missouri backed up Mr. PIuml ? and the memorialists, rambling off int tirade against the protective tariff an, r the manufacturers. After further remark by MT. Paddock of Nebraska, Mir. Blair 0 , New Hampshire and other senators, tn resolution was referred to the committe : on education and labor.
 : Both of the senators from this state too } part in the discussion, and their brief bu
 incisive speeches are, of course, the spec
 ially interesting feature of it for Connect b cut readers. MT. Platt said:
 This matter has received a great deal C
 attention in Connecticut, and our statute
 upon the subject are very stringent, 8
 much so that no child may be employe
 in any factory in Connecticut under thil
 teen years of age. Between thirteen an
 fourteen years of age children may not b |. employed unless they are sent to schoe
 twelve weeks, or sixty school days, of tn
 year. They may be employed for tn : other portion of the year. From fourtee to sixteen they must not be employed nor
 than ten hours in the day, and severe per
 alties are provided for any manufacturin
 establishment which shall violate this law
 It is provided that agents shall be az
 pointed by the state to investigate and t
 see whether the law is being compile
 with or being violated. One of the mos
 efficient men whom know in the state ( if Connecticut has been appointed as 8
 agent for this purpose. He makes it hi
 business each year to visit all the fact6 ries in the state and see whether there ar
 any violations of these laws, and he make
 an annual report. have, therefore, fel
 that it was my duty to say that this wa
 not subject which had not received tn
 attention of the state I have the honor (
 representing in part. believe that so ia
 as the strictures contained in the memo
 rial are concerned they do not in any re
 spect apply to the state of Connecticut.
 General Hawley said
 should be interested in hearing the re
 port of any commmision appointed by any
 body anywhere in the United States to g to New England and visit our factorie
 and our schools and our churches, an
 everywhere they choose, at proper time . and hours, if they conduct themselves ci, j, lily, and I should be glad to hear whs }, they have to say aftey they get through.
 I do not think we have anything to COT
 ceal or very much to be ashamed of in th