The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-01
representing the Consumers League,
She Spoke Under Auspices of LO-
cal Council of Women.
GUNS AIMED AT SWEAT SHOPS
MRS. KELLY's WORK IN NEW YORK
AND CHICAGO.
She Was Factory Inspector of Illinois
and Accomplished Many Good
Results

the Local Council or Women, Mrs. FLORENCE
Kelly. OF New York. traced In an inter-
esting manner the progress that has been
made toward prevention of employment
of child labor in larger cities of the coun-
try; and the attempts. successful In part,
toward eliminating the sweat shop evil.
Possessed of a rich experience and the
faculty of expressing plain facts in a pleas
Ing fashion. Mrs. Kelly delivered an ad-
dress that was heard with the utmost in
terest and pleasure.
Mrs. Eliza A. Baker, president OF the
Local Council, presided at the meeting and
with her on the stage, among others, were
Mrs. Felix T. McWhirter. Mrs Sewall, Mrs.
Byers and other members Of the Local
Council After a contralto solo by Miss
Josephine Hyde, with Miss Reaume as the
accompanist, Mrs. Blaker introduced Mrs.
Kelly with a few illusions TO her notable
efforts In the cause of betterment of the
condition of working women and children.
Among other things Mrs. Kelly said:
When l commenced TO prepare a thesis
at Cornell University on the subject of
child labor and began TO look up the at
tempts thai had been made 20 l~egislate
against il. L found it had occupied the at
tention OF reformers and thinkers back to
the earliest times. I found among other
things that the statute which seemed to be
the cornerstone Of late legislative effort
was the one introduced in the English
Parliament in 1902. by the elder Peele. L
think il was. That statute provided that
children should not be taken from aims
houses and into factories. Not much atten-
ton was paid TO early attempts however,
and IL was not until about 1880 that a re-
vival of interest ir the subject occurred.
A TAILOR'S APPEAL.
1T was then that a tailor named Francis
Place began to appeal TO public sentiment
On the subject OF child labor. He talked a
good deal and he wrote a number of arti-
cles on the subject. 1 doubt that he would
have been able to do much had it not been
for Lord Shaftesbury, whom he interested
in the cause. Thai nobleman succeeded in
placing upon the British statute book a
number Of laws which brought about great
improvement in the condition Of poor chill
dren. Shaftesbury got most of the credit
and the real worker, Place, occupies in his
tory a position OF obscurity In comparison.
Being a peer has its advantages when 1t
comes to getting fame.
I'm this country the bulk of the work of
securing legislation against child labor and
people who are practically unknown. Much
good has been done. and. although legisla-
ton has been in the nature OF a great
PaACllWVfh n 4 III WV RnNNIC6 oAAhNf a
covers In a general way the question of
protecting young children from the evil"
Mrs. Kelly then spoke particularly of her
own labors in Illinois, where, under the
State factory Inspector. She recalled that
people interested in the movement were
successful in the early nineties In getting
a number of Valuable laws on the statute
book OF the State, but when IL came to en-
forcing these laws there was trouble. She
said that Illinois people seem to maintain
nACutlAr ATTITUDE as regards observing
law. The mere fact that laws are on the
book. she said. does not serve to convince
them hat they should be obeyed- 1t is
only when the laws are called 10 their at
tention again and again and again that
Illinois people come to the conclusion that
obedience is necessary. That was the
course she had to take as State factory in
spector. she said. The merchants and man
ufacturers paid little attention to the whole
subject when the laws were passed and
smiled indulgently when the matter was
preached 10 them. and II was only after
they had been warned, then prosecuted and
fined hat the leaven OF the reform began
Here Mrs. Kelly digressed to comment on
the popular attitude toward State officers
who are engaged In the laborious details
OF a great work. 1T Is contemptible,' she
said. the way people generally. after
electing certain officers In insufficient num-
Der to enforce labor laws. sit back and
listlessly watch futile efforts. Law is
nothing without public interest and senti-
ment behind II. If people would only take
an active interest in these things great
results would follow"
A GREAT PROBLEM.
As factory inspector of Illinois Mrs. Kelly
had a staff of twelve persons, including
herself. She was Immediately confronted
with the question Of how to deal with eight
great firms that employed. every one of
them. more than one hundred children. BY
a strict enforcement of the law the list
- - - 49, - = -
firms. at the time of Mrs. Kelly's retire
ment from the office. that employed more
than one hundred children. But il was only
after sixteen prosecutions that the i'm
provement was brought about.
Turning her attention to Indiana for a
moment. Mrs. Kelly said that the last re-
port of the state factory inspector showed
there were more than three thousand chill
dren employed I'm the factories OF the State.
She said that FOR the most part these chill
dren were employed in the gas belt. When
the question was asked as to what is the
cause OF employing so many children. she
said the answer was the general pros
perity we are experiencing" That does
not seem reasonable when YOU come to
think of it, said Mrs. Kelly. 1T would
seem TO me that If prosperity means any
thing II would mean a cessation of chill
dren's burdens.
tinued. that one manufacturer was fined
only SIC for three separate Ofenses I'm en-
plOying young children. h is ridiculous.
but IL Is the fault or the people. II they
would go into court when these cases are
tried the judges would hesitate 10 assess
such inhnitesimal fines. II the people
would manifest some interest these law
breakers would not get OF so easily"
Reverting to her Illinois experiences. Mrs.
Kelly related with enjoyment how she
was informed that she had been dismissed
as state factory inspector. II would seem
that her energetic action had stirred UP a
storm among powerful influences. and pres
sure had been brought to bear upon the
Governor. One night. she said. she was
called by telephone. and a reporter asked
replaced. as well as her stan. She said
no. that there could be no truth i'm the
rumor. for she had had the assurance that
she would not be removed. We'll. it's a
good thing. said the reporter. that YOU
have the assurance. because you have got
the removal. too" And so IL turned ont "
said Mrs. Kelly.
Taking up next a discussion OF the work
that had been done for children i'm New
York. she said that President Roosevelt
A few years ago endaavored 10 get through
the New York Legislature a law 10 pre-
vent BOYS under twelve from being EN-
ployed on the streets as newsboys. The
Chiidren's Aid Society OF New York came
10 Albany and blocked the effort, because.
as the members OF the society declared.
there were so many young children who
had mothers 70 support. and IL they were
not allowed 10 sell papers mothers and
children would have 10 be taken care OF by
charity. which would tend 10 sap their re-
spect.' Now" said Mrs. Kelly. Il know
the New York newsbcys pretty we'll. ard
never forued the opinion that they
formed a very large percentage OF the self