The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-02
THE CHILD LABOR LAW.
Fo Truth That Central Labor Unions Will
Prosecute Portland Manufacturing Co.

| Saturday afternoon the report was
circulated about the city that the Port
land Central Labor Union had notified
the Portland Manufacturing company
that the company was violating the law
regulating the employment of children
an that the Central Labor Union in
tended to prosecute the company for vio-
lating the law and would make a test case
of the matter before the courts. This com
pany is engaged in the manufacture of dress
stays. The PRESS investigated this case
and SO far as could be learned the Contra
Labor Union has taken no action in the
matter and intends to take no action
Two officers of the Union, Treasurer AL.
shorn and Corresponding Secretary Wal
ter Lyseth, were interviewed and they
denied all knowledge of the matter. The
manager of the company, Mr.. John L.
Carten, was seen and he said that he had
discharged the children employed by the
company because he thought they might
be too young to work for the concern and
not because of any action taken by the
Central Labor Union OF any other organ
been discharged gave rise to the rumor
quoted above. m
MI. Carten is a Portland man and
about year ago began the manufacture
OF dress stays in Portland. At first the
business did not require the employment
of many hands, but recently it has grown
to such an extent that the company has
been forced to hire much extra help. Dur
ing Mr.. Carten's absence from the city
during the past week, his foreman, Mr..
Debrule, hired about fifteen girls between
the ages of - and Is. The work which
these children We're required to do was
very simple and of such a character that
it required very little skill or previous
experience. 1t consisted simply Of slip
ping wire stays into gauze shield and
any intelligent person could do the work
for which fair price was paid. On Mr..
Carten's return to this city on Friday he
visited the factory and found that some of
the children employed there who had
been hired during his absence from the
town were quite young. Mr.. Carten said
| that he called these girls into his office at
| one O'Clock on Saturday and discharged
those whom he believed to be too young
| Heidi this because he did not wish to
| have in his employ any person who might
be beneath the age limit as provided by
he child labor statute and because he
had found that girls too young were dis
posed to skylark at their work and not
only prevent the older girls from working
but also to interfere with the business.
Mr.. Carten said last night that in some
cases it panied him to be Obliged to dis
charge the girls, none of whom were
under 10 years of age. In one case he
said girl about 13 years and large for
her age, had come to him Saturday after
noon after he had discharged her and
begged to be taken back. She said that
she was one of five children and that her
people were very poor. She had been to
school up to the time of it's closing in
June and she had sought this manner of
| earning a few dollarss to help pay for the
| clothes which she was to wear next fall
and winter. She said that she liked the
work and wanted to be taken back. Mr.
Carten said that he knew nothing about
any action of the Central Labor Union or
any other organization, if there has been
any action taken, but that he did not wish
to violate in any manner the provisions of
the child labor law. He said that he I'M
derstood that child could be employed
in manufacturing business during vaca-
tion time and that it was during this
time of year that he needed extra help in
his business. Mr.. Carten said that he had
been greatly surprised when he was told
of the rumor which was current ON the
streets and denied that he had been noti-
| fed by the Central Labor Union or any
one else to discharge the girls under Is
years. He seemed to be greatly annoyed
because the story had been so widely
spread about the city and did not hesitate
to give an explanation of the matter.
| Mr.. Carten said that in all he employed
about so girls and that only about 10 of
them were under Is years, the others rang
| ing from Is to Is. While the concern gives
employment to many girls all the year
round it prefers to have older girls than
10 if possible, in order that the work may
be done better and with less trouble to
the concern.
The law governing the employment of
children provides in Section g.:
No child under Is years of age shall be
employed in any manufacturing or me-
chanical establishment in this state, ex-
cept during vacations of the public
schools in the city or town in which he
resides, unless during the year next pre-
ceding the time of such employment he
has, for at least 16 weeks, attended some
which shall be continuous; nor shall such
employment continue unless such child
in each and every year attends some
public or private school for at least IL
weeks and mo child shall be SO employed
who does not present certificate made
under or by the direction of the school
committee, superintendent of the public
schools or the teacher for a private school
that such child has SO attended school.
President Hatch of the Central Labor
Union was seen by PRESS reporter
Sunday night and stated that the union