St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-04-03
ST. PAUL MANUFACTURERS ARE
ABANDONING TT ON ACCOUNT
OF VHE COST.
LIABILITY r2r0 ACCIDENTS
is NCREAsEDs BY THE EMPLOY
MENT pr CHILDREN AT, AN ~
EARLY AGE.
THE CURSE aoF DRUNKENNESS
One of the COEent Factors in Pro-
4dqcing the EVILS of. Child .sl
Labor.

WY ihopcCtlOu III 81. raul, maze Dy FRANK
Casserly and D. T. Wellington, since last No
yembers were given out by the commissioner
of labor statistics yesterday. They visited all
the factories in the city except twelve, these
being, skipped, as no violations of the child
labor law had ever been found there. The in
spectors found that few of the employers
were familiar with the, law, but as a, rule
they co-operated heartily in its enforcement.
About the time that the inspection was be-
gun, number of the violators of the law
discharged the children employed, so that
those found by the inspectors who were ap-
parently under sixteen, only numbered GA,
4SO being boys. Continuing, the report says:
The number of factories inspected was 161;
81 stores, l6. In SO of these factories were
employed 4SS children. There were 191 other
children found employed in stores and in mes
senger service. 80 - '''' '-s''''-''''' i'i'~
OF the ga, children mentioned, POT were
round to be over sixteen years of age. This
left AT children coming under the provisions
OF the child labor act, of which 286 were boys
There were q under fourteen years of age
90 males and II females. OF these % were
FOUND IN factories and so in stores or in mes
senger service. The children under fourteen
IN factories, IL males and females, were
ordered discharged. OF the children under
fourteen In stores 80 were males and II fe-
mates. ----'s .ni.e,. 3 h ~.s..~..,l-.-s >
OF the All children found under sixteen
years OF age. .3Z6 had both parents living; IA
had but one living parent "a having the
mother and 20 a father only living: ~ chill
dren were found With no living father or
mother. At the time of taking the Names 1873
OF the fathers were working, and I'll were
out OF work Of this latter number 80 were
700 OLD TO work or were sick. This leaves
lS! or nearly one-half the total number of
children under sixteen at work with fathers
willing to work but unable to secure the same
altnough their children could do so, showing
tnat more regular employment on the. part of
the adult male workers of this community
would remove the necessity for nearly one
nall the existing child labor in our midst
me inspector carefully investigated the
statements OF all concerning their ages The
greater portion Eef all were found to have
gwen thelr ages correctly, but % were found
girls. -
OF the AT children under sixteen 11s were
discharged; SO were allowed to continue at
work upon obtaining certificates showing az
tendance upon day schools as required bv
law; Al by securing certificates showing at
tendance upon night schools; 142 were excused
ana 10 cases were pending OF the 113 chill
oren discharged, % were in factories and dis
charged because they were under fourteen
years OF age; the others DISCHARGED failed TO
secure certificates Of school attendance or ex
cuses by reason Of the need of their labor
lor Inc support OF their parents. OF the Jap
excuses, 80 were granted solely by reason of
the need Of the children's parents or them
selves; and 81 were excused or passed by rea-
son OF the fact that the children lacked less
than three months of sixteen years of age at
the time of visitation. The largs, number Of
excuses granted bears a close relation to the
lack OF employment Of the fathers already
referred to- A further fact must however
be taken, into consideration in this connec.
ton. The. visitation Of the inspector began
and was solely confined to the season Of the
year when work Is the most dificIIIt tn nh
tain. With the3dhangB to q buster season and
the return of more prosperous times the reg
uIar enforcement Of the law should see the
Ability to secure work on the part of parents
VIII enable all to permit their children to
attend school at least II weeks each year
as the law contemplates.
, AS result of, the operation, of, the law
there are no children at the present time
WORKING IN factories in st. Paul under four
Teen years OF age. At time before the
enactment OF this law there were approx
mately about forty such children. In those
factories there has also been diminution Of
children between fourteen and sixteen years.
Many employees have decided hereafter to en-
pioy only children over sixteen. By so doing
they avoid the bother of looking after Ger.
tlncates. Another motive beginning to have
lts ln1uence upon some employers Is this:
They have found that young children are
more liable to accidents. and thus to entail
extra suits for employers liability When
this added liability is considered it is as cheap
U 70 employ older LABOR as it is to employ the
In addition to- the need of child labor caused
oy the lack OF employment on the part of the
fathers and death of the father already men
oioHeq. reference SHOULD be made to the effect
unable to hold employment, and their children
are forced intoathe labor market to make up
FOR the failure of the father This class of
parents give rise to Amuch perplexity in en-
forcing child labor laws. With the poverty
caused by misfortune or sickness it is al
ways easy to decide upon the right action.
With that produced by strong drink it is
often difficult t6 choose the right and not in
jure the child! This class Of parents are
the ones who make false statements concern
ing the children's ages and who try to evade
all the just provisions Of the law. They give
Infinitely more, trouble than all the en-
Mr. Casserly calls attention to the fact that
the law makes a distinction between stores
and factories. 1t forbids children under
fourteen years OF age working in factor
les. He recommends, on his judgment that
the law be amended so as to exclude Children
under that age from working in stores as
well as factories. He says the duties of the
cash boy or girl are just as arduous and the
hours just as long as those of the factory
worker. He refers to the claim that is made
mat the store is a good school for the chill
dren, and that they are being trained for
statesmen and saleswomen. To this he re-
pies by saying: These children are usually
dismissed as they grow older and want a
alttie better pay. This Is the very, opposite
from the usage that prevails in factories in
Whlcn children are usually promoted as they
grow up.
At a meeting of the pressfeeders last night
the Volkszeitung contract was approved. Jo-
seph Hofbauer was elected recording secre-
tary, to fill vacancy caused by resignation
p j. Flynn and M. McHugh were elected fra
ternal delegates to the Minneapolis union The
secretary-treasurer made his annual report
Frank Pampusch and J. L. Mcclellan were
elected delegates to the Chicago convention Of
the international printing pressmens union in
june c. A. Rinke and Frank Menshek were
elected alternates.