The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-12

= 1'a
ncndations and changes OF statute
which I trust you VIII be pleased "a
consider. Y J. ~ s3s9l n
Nj IS incumbent upon the commissions
Ie.gto perform the duties Of Inspection
and to enforce labor lays lsid 5regula.
tons pertaining thereto. While this
has been required Of the comrnlsslonet
under the laws since the establishment,
4 OF the Office, for the first time these du-
ties have been fully performed, and
the recommendations relative to X en1-
ploymentSofs children, contained in the
introduction OF this report arc the re.
suits OF Investigation. 40 better INFORM
himself OF the conditions SURROUNDING
Tage-earners, male and female, the
commissioner spent four months among
the principal Industries z OF the state
and personally inspected FIVE hundred
Embellishments In all parts Of the state
where labor Is employed. The import,
ancc OF this investigation suggested IT.
self from the fact that there rs no law
pertaining and regulating labor outside
OF mining interests In our state. Fac
tory and workshop inspection is rapidly
becoming d very Interesting und I'm
portant feature In state arairs. 1tiit
one Of the practical methods Of iegis.
lation that brings prompt and efficient
results to the MECHANIC and iaborer
brings about results that better the
conditions Of employment OF wage
eurners p Sii5 iss.7it "a y
Aside from general Investigation and
the work of factory inspection, much
has been accomplished along snecinl
lines OF Interest to the working people
ana VIC have succeeded IN having tho
bureau: of labor recognized us a means
,eminentiy useful to the attainment OF
facts and conditions necessary for eiTi-
cient legislation In aii matters pertain.
ing to the relation Of capitui5 and labor
and their interests and the welfare OF
our working people. Il a 81 49,
For the benefit OF those In whose IN
terest this office has been established,
Commissioner Barton has kept in, touch
with NIL departments OF labor In the
United States, and from these sources
! am confident We have been greatly
benefited t}s7 ! !, "a =.
In the work thus far, satisfactory
progress, think. has been made, and
perhaps the best results obtained are
5thata basis has been established, and
the work well begun will now be more
the years to come. III q
&c Twill take up separately the subjects
investigated by the commissioner and
desire to recommend some legislation
In the interests Of those people who
have no hope except in their represents
ntives In legislatures and in! Congress:
and trust you wifi be pleased BY prop
crlegislation to inauguratc a system OF
1cform IN West Virginia that Will be
of advantage to the state and a benefit
to its people also. 8 :l e q $l53.
S The nets of 1887 relative to 1.-THE en-
ptoymcnt Of minors Is inudquate for the
purpose for which 1t was intended,
and a more stringent law should { be
passed to prevent the employment of
children in our factories and workshops.
Children are found employed to do
the work that should be performed by
able-bodled men; not through necessi-
ty, but from the fact that It is cheaper.
ForS this reason strong men are forced
J to enter. the labor market In competi-
ton with this kind Of labor-children
OF twelve years OF age and less. There
are many employers OF labor In our
state who have the services Of .iittie
boys and girls for nc other purpose
than to decrease the cost of production,
which necessarily dIsplaces adult labor.
These little children. Commissioned
Barton informs me. work as many
hours as is required by the strongest
men, and often for less than two dollars
per week. Public sentiment admits
that IL there Is n business that can not
be successfully carried on1Without child
labor 1t certainly needs the attention
OF the state. "a y. Is. Il 4
We have the expressions OF manv no.
ted physicians on this subject, who
denounces the, employment of chlldrel
ESQ tender an ago MS really barbarou5,
and which will entail untold misery to
futurs genera tion5. Wet hav9% also: the
expressions of well Informed manufac-
turers, principals of schools and col
leges and working men who claim the
people, Should raise thelc voices in pro-
test against this cruelty 10 the inno-
cent. The views OF our labor commits
sioner on this question are. In view OF
the higherieducationn rcquirementsSin
every department of life. we Owe TO the
youth OF our slate. such protection as
will protect them against ignorance and
being impaired In life by lnbor while
the baGT and It's functions are In pro-
cess of development. T. believe that we
owe It to ourselves and 10 posterity and
to the working men OF our state, that
the age or labor be raised in order. to
lessen the tendency of bringing the la
Dor OF children into competition with
men and women, and by this the gener-
al labor Of the country wouid be better
paid. Public sentiment. am sure
strongly supports the arguments here
outlined. and my own experience and
observation prove to my entire salts
faction that the agc of twelve years Is
too low 10 accomplish the purpose for
which 1t was intended. Therefore I
recommended that the law be changed
SO as to make II unlawful TO employ
children under fourteen years OF age III
any of the manufacturing industries
and mines Of West Virginia. III
Without any statute regulation rela-
tive to female lntorers, we have some
OF the best equipped factories In West
Virginia looking to The comfort and pri-
racy OF female employees that has been
the pleasure OF the commissioner to
have seen. md while this may not be
In the, strict sense of the term an on
ceptlon to the. RUE. II Is certainly not
general enough to be passed By unno-
tlced. 1t has come under the obserya-
: ton and within the experience of the
commissioners 10 Inspect plants where
females are employed, where no con-
2s!deFatien whatever. has been given
them as regards the difference OF sex:
While 1t Is unpleasant 10 bring to your
attention matters of this kind, Itregard
4 tt my ,nlaiR duty 80 70 TO, and regret.
upon the authority OF the commissioner,
to say that there are employers OF fc-.
males N our state who make no pro-
vision for retirement and privacy Of
females. There could not be a greater
neglect than, this. It Is, 10 say the least,
ineXcusab!e 10 compel females who arc
forced .bH necessity 10 work in factories
and workshops to submit to such intlis-
mites and exposure. There IS another
innhsiilon rs linnnrdnnnhIe and EcriIel