The age-herald., 1902-03-02
Mrs. Ashby>MacFadyen
 To Leave fer South Africa

Mrs. Irene Ashby Macfadyen will leave in d few days upon her journey to South Africa, where she will join her husband who is secretary to the Prime Minister. She has been in the South Since last autumn, dividing her time between Alabama and Georgia Two weeks ago she went to Chicago and Louisville, Ky, where she addressed large audiences on the child labor problem. In Kentucky Mrs. MacFadyen addressed the legisla- ture.
 Mrs. Macfadyen returned to Alabama last autumn upon the invitation Of the Alabama Child Labor Committee. Her work in the interest of child labor leg islatiori has made the problem regarded now as one in which the entire world Is interested. The present system in Ala bama, or that existing in Georgia, or Kentucky, while calling for individual legislative action, in no way confines the problem in the narrow bounds of one state.
 What Mrs. Macfadyen has accomplish ed in bringing the public to a proper real zation of it's responsibility in this great evil is believed to have been a gigantic step towards solving the problem. Not only has she shown the social and econ omic wrong of child labor-its detriment to the child and the cheaping of adult labor-but she has awakened the South from a legathy that permitted the pres ent system to continue without protest.
 Even the opposing forces are bound to admit that in the face of prejudice, and opposition, that Mrs. Macfadyen's mag nificent work for child labor legislation has been effective. It cannot be denied that through her efforts the people of Alabama are fast awakening to the con- ditions to which she called their atten- ton 0 few months ago, and that her com mission resulted in the forming of the central committee that Is now continu- ing the campaign.
 Mrs. Macfadyen came a stranger to the Southern states. She will leave the South an international figure, and she will leave countless friends in Alabama who will wish her "bon voyage" on her long jour ney to South Africa.
 To those interested in Mrs. MacFadyen's s recent visit to Kentucky, her views upon the child labor situation in that state will Der cad with interest She is at pres ent in Montgomery and in an interview there she is quoted as follows in the Montgomery Advertiser:
 Mrs. Macfadyen says of the child labor question in Kentucky:
 It cUliQ ldDOT VIII pToDdDlN COT1c up shortly for its third reading. to be put upon its final passage through the legislature of Kentucky It is not a very effective bill providing simply that chill dren under IA shall not be allowed to work In factories and requiring sworn state ment of age to be made by the parent and filed by the employer. The effective ness has been further imperilled by an amendment permitting children to work by the permission of the county judge up- on the simple application of the parent provided that no com plaint is made from other quarters about such employment Only very strong political influence on the part of the promoters of the bill in it's administration, or public opinion could prevent this law being a dead letter.
 Tt Is, happily, probable that public op- inion will support this measure and make for it's betterment at the next legisla- ture. During the last few days the ques- ton has been brought to the notice of influential people in Kentucky and 1t is probable that a central committee will be formed in that state similar to the nonpartisan committee in Alabama with which all classes and sets of people in- terested in this important act of Justice toward the children of their common