St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-29
WILL STOP CHILD LABOR.
LABOR COMMISSIONER POWERS WILL
ENFORCE THE LAW.
BOYS WORK TWELVE HOURS.
Powers VIII Proceed First A gainst
the District Messenger Com.
pany. Which Is Alleged TO En-
pioy Young Boys Twelve Hours
a bay, and Twelve Hours at
Night.

pioy Young Boys Twelve Hours
Day, and Twelve Hours at
Night.
Labor Commissioner Powers was in
terviewed yesterday by "a GLOBE re-
porter concerning the enforcement Of
the child labor law. He said that when
his office is through with its work in
connection with the street ear matter he
should take up the question of the en-
ployment OF child labor, and begin first
on the A. d. T.. Messenger company.
1t was his understanding that this COM
pany has two crews of messengers who
are required to work twelve hours each,
many Of them quite young in years. The
SALARY of the messengers is stated to be
S12 per month for the day enployes.and
S12 80 for the night, though as to that he
had nothing to do. The night messen-
gers are largely employed in connection
with the sporting interests. and are sent
to many places where children of their
years ought not to go; and one of the
objects Of the prosecutions, which it is
proposed to inaugurate, is to remedy to
some extent this evil. The original law
passed on this subject by the legislature
of 1858 was at that time The most pro-
gressive law known in this or any other
country. Indeed, Minnesota led the
world in this reform. Later 1t was
amended in accordance with a New
York law, suggested by Anthony Com
stock, under which an attempt was
made to prevent children from being
sent to immoral places with kilograms
or messages, but the prosecutions
failed because the law could not he held
to apply to occupations of that class.
1t applied to their employment as rope
walkers, dancers, gYmnastS. contortiOn-
lists, in begging or receiving aims, in
any mendicant occupation, In any in
decent or immoral exhibition or prac-
tice, or in any practice or exhibition
dangerous or injurious to life, limb,
health or morals of the child. 1t was
under the danger to morals clause that
prosecutions in New York failed when
it was attempted to apply to messenger
boys, and so the law was amended last
winter by adding the following:
'Or at any labor of any kind outside
of the family of sucn child's residence,
before O'Clock in the morning or after
o'clock in the evening""
The crime is miSdemeanor. Parents
permitting the employment of their
children contrary to the provisions of
the law are also guilty of a misde-
meanor. The restriction as to age is
apparently or actually under the age
of sixteen" Prior to last winter per-
sons who compelled child under six
teen to labor more than ten hours were
guilty of msdemeanor. The law was
amended to apply to those who permit,
as well as to those who compel. The
hours apply to factories, workshops or
any mercantile OF manufacturing pur-
suits. The penalty for each otfense is
fine of not less $40 nor more than
$l00.
Prosecutions. Mr.. Powers stated,
would commence on the A. d. I. cases
first, if prosecutions should be neces-
sary to correct the evils, and then on
the telegraph messengers. following up
the work OH other occupations as might
be necessary.