The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-05
CHILD LABOR IN SOUTH.
ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS DISCUSSED
BY SCIENTISTS.

rrof. Hayes Robbins, Dean of Insti-
tute of Social Economics, Takes
This for His Subject at PhiladeI-
phia Meeting-A Fair Statement of
the situation with n Comparison
of the Laws Regulating Child La
Dor in the Leading Manufacturing
states of the North.
Philadelphia, April 4.-The sixth an
nual meeting of the American Academy
of Political and Social Science began
here TO-DAY and will end tomorrow.
The general topic for discussion is So
cial legislation and social activity. The
principal meeting was held tonight,
when the annual address was delivered
by Martin A. Knapp. chairman Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission,
Washington, D. c. Mr.. Knapp took
for his subject Equality of Opportu-
nifty in the Use of Transportation Fa-
cilities."
Prof. E. R. Johnson, member of
the Isthmian Canal Commission, intro
duced Prof. L. S. Rowe, president Of
lHC dNdQGAAlyg VIII LChlGMCQ lnC WI n
and extension of the organization Tor
the year.
At this afternoons session 1.-The
Child Labor Problem was discussed.
Addresses were made by Henry White,
general secretary of the United Gar
ment Workers of America, on Ma
chinery and Labor" and Hayes Rob-
bins, dean of the Institute of Social
Economics New York, on The New
South's Rare Opportunity"
Mr.. Robbins said in part:
1T is fortunate for social progress
that the point of view of modern eco
nomic thought has drifted so far away
from the old-school doctrine of nom
interference that we can take hold
of problem like child labor to some
practical purpose, without becoming
Intellectually disreputable; because it
is right here that factory legislation
has met its bitterest opposition. The
progress of such legislation neverthe-
less has been extraordinary, the limit
allowed for child labor ranging now
from 9 to Is years throughout the
larger part of Europe.
In the United States there are lin
itauons on child labor in thirty-four
states. and all the territories. To Sc
lect the greatest manufacturing states
10 oliONlllS liOSl CLEARLY the POSSIBILITY
Of prosperity without child labor, the
limit is fourteen years in Massachu-
sets, New York, Connecticut, Illinois
and Indiana; in Rhode Island and
Ohio Ia, except during school vaca-
tons. and no work at all under II; in
New Jersey IL for boys and IA for
girls; in Pennsylvania 10. BY con-
trast, there is no limit whatever in
North and South Carolina and Geor-
gia, and in Alabama only a 12-year
limit on child labor in mines.
In Interest of Manufacturer.
Nobody is urging any step that
threatens to destroy Southern mill
profits, but it must be insisted that
scientific improvements of industrial
methods is the only safe and sure way
to secure profits, not the use of child
labor. Neither need legislation be urged
on the ground that Southern Manufac-
turerS are indiffere nt and inhumane,
but simply because it is the most uni
form and least costly. method the
South could of its own accord adopt
Applying to all manufacturers it would
be no competitive handicap upon any
of them. The manufacturers do not
see that these operatives when brought
Z down from theamountains into the in
dustrial centers become social and po-
litical factors in an altogether new
sense, and, il allowed to degenerate
without educational or other opportu-
mites they will become a social and
civic menace to the community.
For this reason the problem is not
one of the South only, but has a ma
tional significance. In a democracy no
condition is safe which offers a COM
petitive advantage to anything that
leads toward ignorant, inferior citizen
ship. In the South, that citizenship is
now in the making, and now is the time
of times to safeguard it's development 3"
A paper was read by DR.. Edgar
Gardner Murphy of Montgomery, Ala,
on Child Labor With Special Refer
ence to Industrial Conditions in the
South"