The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-26
Child Labor Lesi.rlation;
Review Of Laws in United States
=.

The CHILD labor question 10 not an issue
between the North and the South. The
North has many sins OF gown and 1t
| has by no means abolished child labor
| within Its own borders. Northern men,
moreover, have been directly involved
| In the effort to prevent the progress OF
legislation at the South.
| And vet, while these facts are true, 1t
| is also true that legislation in the States
outside the South has accomplished some
very definite results. As 1 have already
indicated, the United States census dis
closes the fact that from 1880 to 1900 there
was no relative decrease at the South In
the number of employees under 1e years
| Of age, yet the percentage of such en-
ployes in the cotton factories outside the
South has been reduced by moro than
one-half.
Within our Southern States the children
under 16 Years still number 25 per cent
of all the operatives in the cotton facto-
ries. In Alabama those under 16 make
nearly 30 per cent. of the total number
the percentage Of child operatives thus
being larger in our own State than in
any State of the Union. In the States
outside the South, from 1SS0-190o the per-
centage of operatives under 16 vast re-
duced from 1876 percent to ~ per cent.
lneSe u8uTeS are nut pGESutdl cStiLhatcS.
| They may be verified by reference to Up.
$40 of Bulletin ms of the Twelfth Census
of the United States.
The South's Duty to Herself.
But let us suppose that the record of the
North were doubly dark. Let us ASSUME
what may be assumed with truth, that
| there are evils at the North which are
| just as unworthy OF civilization as any
| evils which may be found within the bor-
| ders of the South-what of it? The duty
of the South would be just as clear.
| For 1t Is obviously true that the prim-
| airy duty of the South 10 not 10 the criti-
cisms or to the standards of another sec
| ton. but to her own children. Are we
| to have no ambition for the South which
looks beyond the iniquities and abuses of
the North? Are we to find our examplar
in 1.-The man who tried to go to heaven
on the other mans failures?' Is the
Southern man to take the measure of his
! civic duty solely from the sins Of an
| other section, and to be content SO long
as he can claim that the South is 'only
as bad as the North?' Such an attitude
will hardly commend itself to the real
| patriotism of Southern life.
A Question for All Sections.
Yet our country Is one country, and the
problem of the child In relation to the
factory is emphatically a national prob
lem. It is interesting. therefore, to COM
pare the child labor laws of our respective
| States in order that we may note the
| general character which legislation Is as
| Stunning. The following list represents a
partial review OF the measures adopted
by the leading manufacturing States Of
| the country:
Child Labor Laws.
In Maine children under IL are not per-
mitted to work in factories, etc, and the
law compes school attendance for at
least sixteen weeks for all children under
fifteen.
In New Hampshire children under Il
are not permitted to work in factories
and no child under IA can be employed
under any circumstances during the ses-
sions of the public schools, and no child
under 16 can be legally employed during
hours when public schools are in ses-
sion unless a statement as to age Is
| presented from parent orsgnardian, sworA
| to before the Superintendent of Schools,
| and unless able to read and write Eng
| fish.
In Vermont (where there are few tex
tile factories) no child under 10 can be
employed in manufacturing establish
ments and the law provides for compul-
sorry school attendance for at least twenty
weeks during the year for all children
under IA. In 1900 there were only 81 chill
dren Under 10 in all the cotton factories
Of the State
In Massachusetts, ali children undei
IA are prohibited from working in fac
tories; no one under q is permitted
to work in manufacturing ESTABLISHING 1ti
unless able to read and write; and schoo
attendance for the full term is compul
sorry for all children under IA. and for al
under 16. unless lawfully employed.
In Connecticut, children under IA arr
prohibited from work in manufacturing
establishments; school attendance is com
soy for full term for all children under
IL and for full term for all under 16 whc
} are not lawfully employed.
J In Rhode Island, children under IL ar,
prohibited from labor in manufacturing
establishments school attendance is com
pulsory for the full term for all children
under 15 who are unemployed and fo
eighty days for all employed up to i
years.
J In New York, children under "A ar,
prohibited from labor in stores and man
ufacturing establishments. and all EN-
ployes UP to the age of 1s must be able
to read and write.
In Pennsylvania, children under IA are
prohibited from laboring in mines, except
DieuHiouSt "heiS tue IIntt Ia Az CnllQrer
under ID are prohibited from labor ir
stores. factories, etc. All up to 16 mus
be able to read and write, and schoo
attendance for 70 per cent. the full
term is compulsory for the unemployed
In New Jersey, little girls under i
and boys under Il are prohibited from
working in factories. etc. School at
tendance for at least twenty weeks Il
compulsory for all children under u.
In Maryland. children under IA are pro
hibited from labor in factories (cannin,