The age-herald., 1901-01-26
NEW IMPETUS WAS
 GIVEN MOVEMENT Meeting In Interest of Labor and
 Educational Laws II WAS HELD AT SEALS HALL Regulation of Child Labor and Compul- sorry Education Discussed By Prom nent citizens-The Proposed Measures Endorsed.
IT WAS HELD AT SEALS HALL

meeting was held in Seals Hall last night for the purpose of discussing the laws regulating the employment and edu- cation of children. The attendance was not large, but some able speeches were made in advoccy of the movement
 The meeting was called to order by Dr. J. H. Phillips, superintendent of the city schools, at S:30 o'clock, and he called upon James Bowron, vice president of the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company, to preside over the meeting J. R. Hornady was elected secretary.
 On taking the chair MT. Bowron stated that he had read the proposed bills and that he endorsed their general purpose but suggested that certain sections should be amended. He read a letter from State Sem ator Hugh Morrow in which the latter stated that he was in favor of laws regu- lating the employment of children in mills and, also, of compulsory education.
 Dr. R. M. Cunningham of Pratt City and Rev. John G. Murray, rector of the Church of the Advent, were on the programme to speak but both were unavoidably absent Mrs. C. II. Spencer, an enthusiastic advo- cate of both bills, was sick and for that reason could not be present
 pr. A. B. Curry.
 Dr. A. B. Curry, pastor of the First fresbyterian church, made a short talk in which he advocated the adoption of laws along the lines laid out in the two bills be- lore the meeting. Both bills have been published in the Age-Herald. He said that he had not had time to read the bills care 1ully, but he was in sympathy with the general purport of the bills. He told of visit to the Indian Head cotton mills at Cordova, of seeing small children at work there who had to step upon the frame to reach the spools which they had to oper- ate. On inquiry he said he found that some of the children were forced to work to sup port themselves, but in other instances they were working to support parents who were doing nothing. In the discussion of these questions he said, two interests had been guarded. One was the child forced by circumstances to earn it's own living and the mills themselves.
 Miss Ashby's Talk.
 Dr. J. H. Phillips was on the programme Tor speech, but he called on Miss Irene M Ashby, who has been in the city the past two weeks in the interest of this move ment to speak Il his place.
 Miss Ashby began by saying that it had been charged that she was in the South in the interest of certain mill owners in other sections of the country who hoped to gain trade, advantages bySthe adoption in Ala bama of the compulsory education and anti child labor bills that she advocating She said these charges were absolutely without foundation, that if the mill owners ot other sections had anything to do with the movement in Alabama she knew noth- ing of it. She said she was here because she is woman and that she believes that the women must take the lead in reform movements. She said that this movement she as advocating was not new, that other countries had undergone the same condi- tiT, thnt erning the employment of children.
 Child labor may be cheap in the begin nlng," she said but it is not so in the long run. Long hours in the mills and constant application to work destroys the child the child so employed is not able to grow into skilled laborer it's brain is stunted. Skilled work wants brains back of it."
 Miss Ashby told of the obstacles that were met by advocates of similar movements in other countries, but said they were over come and that the result was not only an improvement to the children of those coun- tries, but to the countries themselves. The men and women when they grew up were better men and women and were better fitted for the duties of citizenship.
 pr. A. N. Ballard.
 pr. A. N. Ballard said he was heartily in favor of the proposed bills and that he could not see where they would interfere with business trade. He said that the persons from whom the opposition was pected favored the anti-child labor bill; that two mill men with whom he had talked sometime ago had said they favored the passage of a bill prohibiting the em- ployment in mills of children under a cer- tain age; that children under that age were not profitable, but that the mill own CTS in some instances had to employ them in order to secure the services of their more experienced fathers and brothers and sisters
 He said the chief obstacle in the way of the passage of the compulsory educational bill was the expense it would incur to the State.
 MT Bowron called Dr. Phillips to the chair and took the floor to advocate the proposed measures. He did not endorse the two bills which had been prepared in full, but suggested that certain changes be made in them before they are adopted by the Legislature. He said there was new in the proposed legislation and that there was nothing in the move- ment to excite or alarm the people; that the same questions had been thrashed out in other countries and a solution obtained He said the advocacy of these questions by the press in a conservative and intelli- gent and broad-minded way would be the greatest power behind the movement and that this power backing up a strong or ganzation would bring about the needed legislation.
 Duty of the State.
 He contrasted the care of the insane now and hundred years ago; of the watchful- ness that is now exercised over them and the inhuman treatment they received at the earlier period. He said 1t was the duty of the State to prepare its men and women for citizenship when they were children and only by educating them could this be done. He said he believed in restricting the employment of children in manual la bor, but that age alone should not be the qualification; that a certain standard of at tainment in simple education should be specified. He said that a business man he had no hesitancy in endorsing the gen. eral purpose of the proposed bills.
 w. H. Stanley made a short talk in line with those who had already spoken, and he was followed by Ed Flynn of Pratt City, president of Alabama District No. 20, Unit ed Mine Workers of America.
 Before adjourning the meeting adopted a motion made by Dr. J. H. Phillips, en- dorsing the movement for compulsory edu-