The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
BETTER CHILD LABOR LAWS.
MATTER TO BE URGED on THE
LEGISLATURE THIS WINTER.
Statement Of the Defects In the Present
Statutes-Their Provisions Easily
Evaded-Really Compulsory Education
the Only Enectual Remedy.

School Superintendent William II. Max
well, Mrs. Florence Kelley and George
W. Ager. acting as a committee OF the
University Settlement Society. have pre-
pared a statement in regard TO proposed
notifications in the Child Labor laws.
1t is being circulated for Endorsement
among persons of influence with a view
to bringing the subject to the attention Of
the Legislature In January. The state
ment follows:
We. the undersigned believe that grave de-
fects exist ~ the present enid Labor and
Compulsory Education law, to the great
injury OF the rising generation and of society
at large, We therefore respectfully request
your consideration OF the following statement
OF these defects with q view to the rcCom-
mendation OF remedial legislation to the COM
New York ranks with Massa chusrtts.
Connecticut q. 10, lndilua. Illinois, Mic igun,
Minnesota and Wisconsin as on" %, tie States
len have for several years forbidden the
employment of ildrcn uud"r IA wears Of n ge
In factories aud mercantile" '-t oils incnts.
In I. l. STATE re. howey,r. bv reason OF
defects In the + ,ctory and NJ rc1utio law.
large numbers oil {. ildren AZ work In factories
and stores under t at age. IN spite OF iaitntul
work of the inspectors and win 10 Violation
OF the law on the part OF O.. employers.
In lis latest report the r Ctory INSPECTOR
states that the provisions Tor enforcing the
r ,ctory law are totally inadequate. and makes
an important recommend ion FOR an i'm
proyement In the Law, that Z" I1ugo be made
In til" system by which certificates of On
poyment are issued To children. II" uoiuts
out that there IL a lurG" number Of A." iidten
at work under the lrg!l axe of H. owing
10 the imUossitillty Of enforcing the law
under tie present system
other defects nrs due to the loose phrase
olOgy of the law.
Fir-t-A provision prohibits the direct erI-
poymcnt of children under the age of II.
vet allows them 20 work for an employer
il they are accompanied hv q parent or older
hrOt her sister Who i mid tho ,lllN's
work the chids name not appearing on
the payroll,
q child shall have attended a school at vi ich
certain subjects ar" taught. but fails to re-
9uir" that the child shall have been taught
Third--The Ten Hour law for children
over "a years of age i made difficult and
which allows any day to be- lanrthened on
condition that "a shorter day Is made OF Satur-
dav.
Fourth-A provision allows vacation work for
| fcultv can children who work during vaca-
ton be- taken out Of H." many factories and
stores In which they are widely distributed
and returned to school Vacation work j.
not permitted ia the aboye-ramcd state
,,MasSachusI,is Conmycugn', ONO I,,inois'
sotal In those States Nh" vacation il Sc
cured for the children for the purpos" for
which II is established by the education
fifthNThe statutory definition Of those
OcCuUatIOu which constitute" factory or mcr-
Captil. work has several times he, d amended
but IS stu incomplete. O'.c,' bows. r"s-
epnger, delivery and "NprcSS bows. Sc. who
have been protected hv slwIur laws IN other
States do not rcr''v" that protection ma We"
York. If, N addition To- a better definition
in the mercantile ard factory laws the statutes
were extended So as 20 deal with street
work all children working for wages vould
bn protected by the law This i most DE- =
ia hlr ~ \ reinforcement OF u" COMPULSORY
Education law. A measure for regulating
street trades Vna PROPOSED and powerfully
supported un ie- TN" last admin l~trgtioH.
The Compulsory Educrtton law requires
| Of children ~ Years Of ug" merely mat
they should attend school eighty DAYS. h"
| child labor laws say that ~" cHlldr"n shall
not work until they are IL years old
This lack Of agr"cWrut b"tWern H." two laws
Is perhaps tn" most serious Ob-tHc" TO TIE
proper enforcement of either The !r-r", tors
of this and other ~tpt"- nr' greed TINT 'hs
ena Ctment AMI ufoTer enforcement II such
a COMPULSORY Education liW - mat now
beng urged hv the ASSOCIATION of ~uIrrInte'l
dents Of EdlClt.on Is 40 the sam" tim" the
most IMPORTANT mousrr" for the restriction
of child labor
| fecttvc IN that u does uv compel any ,hlld
70 attend school until h" i wears Of ago
| IN that II makes no PROVISION for t." issue BY
! edVCa tional authorizes Of cert l"pato OF
ability 10 re0d aud writ" h'for" r'.ld zoe.
20 work aud IN TINT trVnr's committed -
| truant schools or other ''st.tu' EgTS must b.
| discharged without REGARD 10 their improve.
| nent NJ the clrs" of tI"Ir school year.