The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-03-15
A BURNING SHAME.
Employment of Children in Kenosha
Should be investigated by the
State Factory inspectors.
PROSECUTIONS SHOULD FOLLOW

Many Children Reported to be Employed
Who Have Not Reached the Legal Age
Parents Make Afidavtts to Fa1sehoods in
order TO Secure the Mere P1ttance Which
May be Earned by the Child-Men Kept
From Work by Employment of Children
With all the prosperity of Kenosha
the city hides her head in shame on
account of the fact that there are so
many children employed in her many
industries. 1t is certainty time that
the factory inspector was making a
swoop down on the city and making a
few investigations, for the violations
of the rights of the children to proper
schooling are becoming so fragrant
that something should be done to save
them. In several of the factories of
the city girls and boys are at work
who have not attained the legal age of
fourteen years. The little children are
hurried off to work and in many places
they stand toi1ing at a bench which it
is almost impossible for them to reach.
Others work day after day on benches
where it is impossible to permit their
feet to touch the floor.
This morning a reporter of this pa
per called on Justice Slater and had a
talk in regard to the employment of
children in the factories, and the
Judge was loud in the denunciation of
the law which allowed the children to
swear away their liberty. In speaking
of the law, the Judge said that it had
the effect of forcing the mothers and
the fathers of the children to de1iber-
erate1y make oath to a fa1sehood in
order to get the children to work.
Many cases of this kind come up every
week and there is no way of prohibit
ing them. In many cases when the
affidavit is made the child is with the
mother and she is scarcely old enough
to understand the proceedings which
are going on. One case is reported in
which father came to the office of
one of the officials and stated that his
daughter was only thirteen years of
age, but that he was willing to remove
all the liability of the Justice by max
ing an affidavit that she was of the
legal age. The man was promptly
turned down, and then he stated that
he could find a great many cases in
which the children were at work be-
fore they were thirteen years of age.
Of course it is not the fault of the
employer. The law relieves him from
any liability in the case, and if any
pangs of conscience trouble the en-
p1oyer, they are not made known to
the public by the discharge of the
child. In many cases, it is also stated,
that the little children are forced TO go
to work in the factories, while the
father is on the streets, not looking for
work, but seeking a way to spend his
time and the money earned by the
child who should be in school, in a way
that will be of the greatest pleasure to
himself.
The practice has another and worse
side to it. The little girls and boys
working, in many cases for low wages,
are going into the factories and taking
the places which have been hitherto
held by men, men with families to
support, and men who are suffering for
the necessaries of life.
Let the factory inspector come to
Kenosha. Let him take the records of
every child in the Kenosha fatories,
and if they are working under false
affidavits let the parents be prosecuted
and let the employers learn lesson
which will in the future insure the
child it's proper protection.