New-York tribune., 1901-06-06
4 PLEA FOR THE CHILp.
ALABAMA WOMANS CAMPAIGN TO KEEP
LITTLE ONES OUT OF FACTORIES,
WHERE THEY WORK TWELVE
HOURS A DAY
HOURS A DAY.

The most important movement with whlCh lne
clubwomen of Alabama have been associated
during the last winter is the campaign against
child labor in the factories says Mrs. Zac Smith,
of the Alabama State Federation of Womens
Clubs. "Our State is just beginning its industrlal
career. During the last five years cotton
factories have been started all the State II Is
only recently that have realized what
this means without proper protective legislation
for the children. 1t means that little tots go into
the mills at seven eight OF age and work
there for twelve hours a day and. where the mills
ore trying the old experiment of night work. twelve
hours at night According to statistics recently
collected by Miss Irene NJ Ashby. of England. VINO
spent three months in the South, there al
ready l20O children in Alabama under twelve years
of working in the mills. These little ones
stand before the spinning frame with trucks
seventeen or eighteen miles day. and little mites
can be seen with brooms bigger than themselves
sweeping the dust that grows any less
"AH the advantages of the industry are thus
denied these poor little mill slaves of what use
to them schools. libraries and churches, when
their bodies and minds exhausted by slxty-siN
hours a week of monotonous toll 1t seems in
credible that State should be willing TO go
through the long and bitter lesson of the English
and Northern mills. learning only by experience the
disastrous effect upon people of allowing little
children in the mills. 1t is a question for every
woman in America to take up. The condition In
our own mills to which have been startlingly
awakened has made realize what the fight
means which is being carried on by the cubwomen
of Georgia, Tennessee and the Carollnas. where
this evil has grown appallingly.
I'VE are in hopes that by taking II up at this
stage may be able to prevent its growing 10
those proportions, and we want the help and sym
pathy Of the whole federation OF clubs. The emil
dren in the mills Southern. it is true but 1t Is
a sad and startling revelation that the stock
holders in these mills are largely Northern. We
cannot believe that Northern sisters would Will
ingly allow their money to be gained through the
destruction Of children. nor to acquiesce IN
permitting capitalists whose fellow citizens are
being educated up TO fourteen years of age and are
protected every way by legislation deliberately
induce people to allow their children to work
thus to the detriment Of their health.
"Of the twenty-five mills in Alabama recently
visited ten were run with Northern capital and
these employ twice many children under twelve
the thirteen run by Southern capital or what
the excellent factory laws OF Massachu-
setts, recently ably analyzed by Dr. SOPHIA >
WhIttelsy II the very corporations which they were
designed to muzzle take their money and their
mills to cheaper labor and destroy the future work
"The women's clubs of Alabama backed bill IN
troduced in late legislature. and Mrs Robert
Cunningham. of Birmingham. went to Montgomery
in its behalf and made very effective speech pc
anything at this time that the capitalists would not
fail TO every kind Of political corruption ana
Alabama for should it pass in Alabama, where 1t
would do the least harm TO the industry since only
about per cent Of the operatives under twelve
labor in the South.
ested with US and ARRANGEMENTS have now been
made TO concentrate the efforts Of al! those who
are determined that this niquity shall no longer
remain in our midst a committee has been formed
Murphy is the chairman lie will be glad to answer
inquiries on the subject and 20 receive suggestions
and offers Of help from any clubs anywhere in
America We are also hoping TO make arrange
meDts get into working touch with the agitation
presented before the different legislatures. Not
1niy :, & VIII this save great deal Of cross work. but
II VIII insure that the law, however elementary at
first. shall be efficient, for Dr. Whittelsy points
ShusrltS Eatuaoie years We're wasted by the care
lessness with which yearly child labor laws were
We have political game to play and no fnan-
a clai interests al stake but simply as women we
destroyed by The ineXorable law OF supply and de-
with the daily struggle for existence are apt 20
overlook the human side Of the material called
most Of the game, and also bring to the consid-
Grafton OF these problems mature mind and quick
eXigencies OF getting on II is therefore doubly
not made into mere political and commerciaI dice.
but have at least few years in which to develop
question Of prohibition Of child labor, we Alabama
tion. our people whom we have known have been
so eager for education that any sort of compulsOn
trial development is astonishing by the number
illiteracy, but those poor whites who for long
daies. who are now being gathefed together into
t1e h mn a Go o HnvG no % saTc9on @
and yielding to the temptation make their
little simply the means of gaining 10 20
cents day. Meanwhile. the State provides free
education for three or four months and it seems
only Of justice both TO the taxpayers and 10
the little ones themselves to see that these chill
dren. who the very ones for whom the public
school system Is intended, should have at least
sixty DAYS of that instruction in reading writing
and arithmetic. The Compulsory Education bill
introduced by our friends in the legislature failed
this time. but quite good deal of interest
excited by it, and hoping to it go
through at next legislature
The women Of Alabama have determined to
spare neither time nor energy to secure these two
uea SureS and ask the women Of other Southern
States 10 Cooperate with us and most earnestly
do We hope that club women all over the country
IaF3 n DoSSiblC way