The age-herald., 1901-05-12

various periods during the preceding year. One had only tried the experiment for six weeks when stopped peremtorily by the superintendent
 For these long hours the children stand or run with trucks or wearily ply a broom bigger than themselves. No won- der their faces lose the childish look, their little limbs all vitality and spring"
 In an interview with Miss Ashby on the campus grounds during the federation she canvassed the situation and the outlook in Alabama and in her official report to the American Federation she has also presented the work.
 "The victory" said Miss Ashby, lis going to be won by keeping the opposi- ton to child labor a public and not la bor question. As I have pointed out, since my coming to the State it took on quite new aspect
 "The very opponents of the bill in the House and Senate believe it will pass the next legislature. Taken the right, a Southerner Is not hard to convince on a question of justice. and many of those who have opposed 1t in the past are quite ready to be convinced. I have the virtual promise of the brilliant lobbyist and law yer. under whose able generalship it was defeated, to fight it no more. There are those interested in it as humanitarian question who will make 1t a voting issue next election. During the fight, received letters from three or four mill supeHn- tendents and managers saying that their company would not oppose the measure.
 "No conflict of interest on other points should prevent the workers from co-oper- ating with these other forces. Nothing they can win can be of more importance to them.
 T do not think that, as whole the laboring element fully appreciate this The cotton operatives themselves do not; the mine workers only partially. AL though a clause was introduced into the last mining bill, raising the age limit of employment of children in mines from 12, as 1t Is at present, to 14. it was not vigor- ously pushed: and constant watch has to be kept on the miners themselves to prevent them from trying to bring their little sons into the mines. I fancy they regard the child labor bill as somewhat philanthropic-a measeure to which they give their support as matter of course, but not of the first moment-as fact 1t is worthy every effort of which they are capable If during the next five years nothing more were gained for labor In the South than the introduction of com pulsory education and abolition of child labor, these would be among the greatest triumphs ever obtained. They cannot, however, obtain them alone. In Alabama
 
 Jefferson county, Lee county and to a lesser degree in Mobile, and the public at large has to be educated up to organized labor Ca stupendous task itself). Not only the question of wages, but hours of labor are concerned in this matter. The limitations of the work of minors under Is to sixty hours per week would affect in some mills half the labor and help to bring about the introduction of a ten Tn nrth a ffVac are awakening to the importance and ad- vantage of this and will I hope, gain 1t for themselves by organization, but 1t will be many long day I fear before those ignorant, helpless workers in Alabama will be In position to gain much for themselves. Among them industry is in It's first generation and they are as fear full as the stockholders of threats to shut down the cotton mills, upon which they are now dependent for their very ex- istence, especially where. as in some cases, the mills have bought up the little farms from which they used to gain sub sfstence.
 "The fight must be consolidated In the South arrangements made to introduce the same bill before each legislature, thus equaliZing the law throughout the South ern trade. and means taken to prevent the introduction of bills drawn up by ire sponsible. ignorant or designing persons, which might retard the movement for years, as it did in Massachusetts and other States The campaign must be con- ducted on political lines by men of in- fluence and the management of the bill conf1ded to those who can influence or meet the ruling ring. Above all. no con- fidence must be placed in the so-called agreement of manufacturers with regard to child labor. Many of the mills visit ed purposed to have the 12-year rule. one of them at least making a practice of sending home the younger children when stockholders were about to visit tha