The Advocate and news., 1898-10-05
A Spreading Reform.

as organizations among fellow workers
20. saws the Christian Register, for II
has recently held its twelfth annual
session in Boston. Delegates were pres
ent from all our great States Ot the
North. and also from Ontario and Que
bee. While European governments nave
not vet come to the point OF sending Of
fetal representatives, yet the BRUSH
government, from its Office in London
and the German government, by lts
Ambassador In Washington, sent their
acknowledgment of the invitation ana
regrets at not being able to SEND repre-
sentatiyes. Twelve years ago the hrsU
session was attended by only seven OF
eight men, who were foremost IN Tue
work of promoting the sanitary conul-
t,onq of the vast number OF factory Op-
eratIves In this country, and In prevent
inc the employment Of children III tne
vntns The movement to improve the
condition of the operatives Is GROWING
roSorm. and 1t illustrates, as much do
onv nhase of our civilization, the con
stant progress of our government, wnlcn
10 The organ of the body polite, IN super
Intending the occupations OF the people
,rhe regulation OF factories, WORKSHOPS
and mercantile establishments, Is uis-
tinctlv in the line of progress lOr inc
oood of the persons directly concerneu'
~ the employing class, and OF the COM
munity at large, although II ID sOlA0''A'''
condemned as paternailsm' A.
This entire field OF progress Is al ~
lnstration Of the better oversight wnlUn ,.A
the community will exercise over lIs
own defenceless members than VIII even
its more intelligent members, Wnen acU-
ing as individuals or corporations;
Massachusetts has been the leader IN
these laws; and Chief Wade, OF the as
trIct Dollce. said, in his opening ADDRESS
20 the association, that he knew OF no
stricter law than the revision OF the code
which has been passed by Massachusetts
his wear. BY it no child under IA years
of age can be employed for wages Vi
other compensation in any factory,W0rK-
shon or mercantile establishment dur
,ng hours when public schools are III
session. or. in any instance, Delore 0
o'cloclc in the morning or after IN the
ovaninq Between IA and 16 years en-
ployment is under strict regulations
insisting, first Of all, upon the eduCaCon
of the child. This legislation also ln-
cludes ventilation, fire escapes pTeVen-
tion of accidents to operatives ana gen
eral sanitary conditions ~
From Massachusetts the restrictive
laws have spread to other States ana
thev are still spreading. Many employ
gars are apprehensive that the shortened
hours of labor and other legislation Tor
the benefit of their employees will so rar
cnt down the profits OF the stockholders
that the business can no longer be con-
ducted. On account Of the compeCltlon,
some oR the Northern capital has gone
Sonth to engage In the cotton manufac-
ture Labor laws do not exist IN the
South to the extent that they do IN the
North. and it was supposed that capltal
would have easier terms with Its help.
ant the testimony of the inspectors Is
that factory legislation is spreading IN
the South faster than the inflow OF cap
ital. The initiative Is copied from the
Northern States, which are already en-
loving a successful administration OF the
laws which protect the younger ana
weaker classes of operatives and which
guard the bodies and health Of all class
es The situation is far different from
what It would be II the South had to
work out the problem unaided. The
whole community is concerned to see
that its members are not overworked,
that their health is not necessarily i'm
nerilled, and that humanity is put on
a higher plane than mere money or than
the labor of brutes. The public at large,
whose representatives make the laws,
see that these demands are well ground
ed Hence the body Of factory legisla-
ton Is spreading rapidly all over the
country.
More than this, 1t is evidently destined
to spread faster in the near future than
It has in the immediate past. This AS
sociation of Factory Inspectors Is only