The Jersey City news., 1902-10-31

heard from Miss Fannie S. Gunde on
Education, Miss Ellen Mecum on Lii
braries and Miss Mary u. Kinsley, of
the Woman's Club of Arlington, on Re
ciprocity. As the tellers had not yet
returned with the opening Of the after
noon session. the addresses of that ses-
sion were begun, to ecenomize ON time.
Mrs. e. E. Williamson, ex-President of
] the Federation, made the address of the
afternoon. 1t was on "Child Labor in
New Jersey" In it she said:
EVILS OF CHILD LABOR.
"Child labor is agitating the whole
United States, from Maine to Califor-
MIA it is the burning question. The
South has had the solution of the prob
lem forced upon her by the noble
of children in factories.
AT a recent Democratic convention in
South Carolina a resolution was passed
calling upon the General Assembly to
prohibit the employment of children un-
der twelve. Let us hope that they will
raise the limit to fourteen.
Lowest in the scale among all
the Northern and Middle States stands
New Jersey, whose child labor laws
permits boys to work at twelve and
exempts all children, on grounds of pow
erty, at direction of the factory inspec-
tors.
"The report of the factory inspector
shows 1,543 factories and bake-shops
not visited at all. and 1891 report
ed favorably upon, but not visited.
The report shows that the inspec-
tors found 5.96S children under six
teen years of age in COLA establishments
which they reported-an average of about
one child to each establishment. Of
these they ordered only fifty-nine children
discharged during the year. The New
Jersey laws prohibit the employment of
boys under twelve and girls under four
tteten in any factory, workshop, mines
or establishment where the manufacture
of any goods whatever is carried on.
Children between the ages of twelve
and fifteen must have attended school for
twelve consecutive weeks within the
twelve months Immediately preceding
their employment. Children under fifteen
must procure certificates from their
teachers.
s'The report of the factory inspector
does not indicate how many of the 5,96S
children under 16tare over the age of 10,
but of the total number 1,343 were re-
quired to produce school certificates 1t
SENS hardly. possible that 1925 of the
children employed were over 10 years Of
age. Chief Inspector Ward at recent
hearing before Governor Murphy pleaded
that there We're many difficulties in the
way of enforcing the laws. For instance,
the sworn affidavits of parents that
their children were over the minimum
age of twelve years, while the children
are taught with threats never to admit
that they are under twelve. But the test
of physical fitness gives the factory in
spector the whip hand over both parent
and employer. Why is it not employed?
Mr.. Hoffman, the celebrated statician of
the Prudential Insurance Company, in a
recent letter affirms his belief in an es-
tablished measure of height, weight and
general physical proportion in examina-
ton of children employed in factories"
In conclusion Mrs. Williamson begged
for general cooperation to bring about
three things by act of the legislature
First, absolute prohibition under GER
tain age; second, compulsory education
throughout the year to a certain age, and
third an educational text for children
about to begin work
An address was also made on ''The
Great Need Of Christian Socialism oh the
East Side" by Mrs. Sarah J. Bird, of
New York.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
During the afternoon session of yester-
day two resolutions were passed, one re-
GREETING the death of the famous club
woman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and the
other resolving that the Federation act
in cooperation with the movement for a
woman's reformatory in New Jersey.
The address of the afternoon was made
by Mr.. William r. George, who told all
about the George Junior Republic, of
which he is head.
EVENING SESSION.
The old historic church parlors had
been transformed into palace of pink
draperies, smiiax and soft lights for the
evening reception. The entertainment
was held in the body of the church Miss
Mary e. Lease, who has figured in Kan
sas politics, was the speaker of the even
ing, and her subject was, New
Thought" in which she said anger had
been proved by scientists to be a poison.
IF we hold an angry thought" said
she, "a desire of evil to others that