The age-herald., 1901-01-16
Child Labor and Compulsory Ed- cation Bills Being Agitated PUBLIC MEETING ID BE HELD Miss Irene M. Ashby of London, Eng land, is Rrousing Interest-en-
 dorsement of Prominent Peo-
 pie Aroused-The Bills

 ment looking to the adoption by the Gen. of which will prevent the employment of children under a certain age in mills or factories and the other compel children between certain ages to attend school d specified number of weeks in each year Miss Ashby has visited twenty-three of the cotton mills of Alabama for the pur- pose of studying the labor conditions at such places, and as result she has un- dertaken to arouse interest in a movement to prevent boys and girls being forced to work when they should be in school She has asked the cooperation of all persons, societies and organizations in ympathy with the movement and to that end a pub lie meeting will be held within the next week or two She has already enlisted the support of a number of prominent persons in Birmingham and is meeting with con- siderable encouragement in her efforts. She has been in consultation with Repre- sentative James H. Leath and State Sena- tor Hugh Morrow, Superintendent J. H. Phillips of the city schools and others who have taken great interest in the matter. It will be recalled that MT. Leath intro duced a bill in the Legislature before the holidays to regulate the employment of children in mills and factories, and that the bill was killed in committee. Since then MT Leath has been working another bill which he hopes to get before the House, aad which he hopes will meet with favoca- ble consideration.
 Miss Ashby requested a number of men and women to meet her in the Womans Club rooms in the Commercial building at 730 o'clock last night, and at that time a half dozen or more were present She out lined her plan of work and read the bills that she purposed placing before the Leg islature, after which she called upon those present ito discuss same, and also to state if they would cooperate with her. Some Endorsements. pr. Phillips gave his endorsement to the bills, or to similar bills, and said that he had no hesitency in raising his voice in favor of law regulating child labor. He said it was a duty the people owed to the State, to the children and to the manufac- turers themselves, to force children to at tend school at least portion of the year, and to regulate their employment in mills and factories. He said that no practice that was detrimental to humanity, could but be detrimental to the country. He said if one state would take the lead in these matters other states would follow He did not believe that the enactment of such laws as proposed by Miss Ashby would prove hurtful to the manufacturing inter- ests of the State.
 Dr. Phillips said he was glad to see the women take the lead in the movement, and that if the bills did not become laws their agitation would result in good. He said that Alabama had not been able to enforce compulsory education in the past because of the lack of educational funds, but he believed that with the recent appropria- tions, made through the generous hberality of the Legislators, compulsory education for certain number of months in each year would be practicable. He said he be- lieved the sentiment of the teachers of the State was favorable to compulsory ed ucation. The adoption of such law, he said, would not abridge the rights of the people in any respect
 ] President Fred Williams of the Birming- ham Trades Council stated that the coun- ! cil would do all in its power to aid in the adoption of such laws as suggested by Miss Ashby, and Secretary Herbert of the | Clerks Union made the same statement with reference to his organization. The following organizations have agreed I to send representatives to meeting to be | held in the Woman's Club rooms tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 o'clock The Woman's Club, the Board of Trade, the Board of Education. the Birmingham Trades Coun- ell, the Clerks Union. the Medical Society the Literary Club. and the Woman's Press Club of Alabama
 Child Labor Bill.
 The bill to regulate child labor is as fol- lows:
 A bill to be enacted entitled an act to regulate the employment of children in fac- tories and manufacturing establishments and to provide for the enforcement of the same.
 Section 1.-BeB 1t enacted by the Generally Assembly of Alabama that no child under the age of twelve Q2) )years shall be em- ployed at labor in or about any factory or manufacturing establishment or printing office within this State unless widowed mother or totally disabled father is de- pendent on sh-&- feN~r and has no other means of support. No child under | age of ten QUJ ears snail be so employed under any circumstances
 Sec 2-Be it further enacted that it shall l be unlawful for any factory or manufac- | turing esta ablishment to hire employ any | child unless there is first provided and | placed on file in the office of such employees | an affidavit signed by the parent or guar | dian or persons standing in parental re- I lation thereto certifying the age, date and | birth of said child. Any person knowingly furnishing false certificate of the age of l a child shall be deemed guilty of a misde- meanor and shall be brought before mag istrate or justice of the peace for trial and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than five or nor more than one hundred dollars or be sentenced to hard labor for term not exceeding three months.
 Sec. 3- Be it further enacted that no child under the age of sixteen Q0 years . shall be employed at labor or detained in