New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-23

Miss Jane Adams of the Hull House Social
Settlement. and other phiIanthropists who ave
interested in the welfare of the child workers
or chicago, has been taken up by the League
Of Cook County Womens Clubs The revela-
tons made by Miss Adams regarding the
| abuses of the existing Child Labor law by pa
rents and employers has caused distinct shock
| TO the community. The fnefectiveness of the
| present Child Labor and School Attendance laws
| is shown in that the number of children at
work in Illinois has more than doubled in the
last five years The Illinois la " requires that
children between seven and fourteen years Of
age shall attend school sixteen weeks of each
year, of which only twelve need be consecu-
tive. Children under ten years of age rnusr
enter in September but those between ten and
fourteen years need not begin until January
During the remaining thirty-six weeks of the
year parents are under the temptation TO vio-
late the law by putting, children to work who
are out of school. arguing that they are bet
ter at work than on the street" Touching upon
this feature Of the question Miss Adams in a
talk before an assemblage of interested per
sons, few days ago. said: Il would rather see
children allowed to run in the streets than have
them working in factories at a tender age
They would then be stronger physically and
mentally. and 1 don't believe their morals womb
be injured as they are by confinement and toll
in places where they see nothing of the better
side of life"
Referring to night work among the children
Miss Adams said that this was jeopardizing
the health, intelligence and welfare of tut
ure citizens of the State for a mere pittance
In the deperament stores at Christmas time
said Miss Adams. cash girls not only work
all day. but far into the nightmare school
girls. with their hair hanging in braids. II the
schools kept open even a single night in year
there would be CRY of protest from every part
of the country"
Miss Adams asserted that in Chicago hun
dreds of fathers and mothers can be found nov.
who are actually living on the earnings of their
children, which is contrary 10 the laws Of life
and nature and morality Some of these faith
ers think they have done their duty and days
work when they carry their chiIdren's lunch 70
them in the factories at the noon hour.
Miss Adams said it was an old cry in Chi
cago that the widows must be supported by their
children She told OF q min were 8. 500 children
are employed. and only sixty-six Of them are
CO-workers are advoca ling three special amend
ments. to De submitted to the legislature at its
coming session These 70 require an edu-
cational test Of children before allowing them
TO go to work; to make afhdavits as to age ef-
fectlve, thus preventing the employment OF
children under fourteen years old. and to stop
night work
In the early part of December the students
of the University Of Chicago viii have a nrsc-
teal illustration OF the methods EMPLOYED a.
polling places on Election Day under the pro-
visions of the Illinois Election law Professor
Charles f. Merriam, of the Department OF
Political Science has arranged to have a voting
machine brought from New York to demonstrates
to the students the latest methods OF checkinr.
casting and counting ballots. Following Pro
lessor Merriam's plan the university students
VIII vote for a complete State ticket Members
OF the student Republican and Democratic clubs
VIII mold mock conventions and nominate full
sets of candidates and these will be places 6r
the ballots The students will all register Jus.
as voters do for the real regular elections
mere VIII be one important variation from III.
genuine proceeding, in that the restrictions 81
segregation will not be enforced and the sco-
eos viii be allowed to vote for all the ofscers
instead OF merely for university trustees