The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-07
CHILD LABOR A LOSS
The Subject Is Handled Without
Gloves at Iowa's Federated
Club Meeting.
Enough Of a Contest for the Offices
to Give Spice to the Con-
vention.
| Special 10 ME Journal.

special to The journal. 5i4
Des Moines, Iowa, May 1.-THE club
women at the biennial convention OF the
Iowa Federation Of Wo1nens clubs were
aroused to entense enthusiasm this morn
Ing by a demonstration in music teaching
by Mrs. Margaret Weber, supervisor Of
music in the West Des Moines schools.
Mrs. Weber took a class of beginners,
children from Z to 10 years, and tho she
had trained them for the demonstration
only since Tuesday of this week, made a
most remarkable showing that delighted
the vast audience.
The morning program was devoted to
| a discussion of educational topics. One
! of the papers was on Social Waste of
Child Labor by Miss Margaret A. Schaff-
ner Of the department of sociology Of the
state university. She declared child labor
nothing but serfdon; empha sized the men
| tai and physical deterioration that it en-
tailed and showed from statistics it's
alarming increase, even in agricultural
states like Iowa and Wisconsin,. She
made it plain there was no economic gain
IN child labor except a temporary advan-
tage to the employer. 1t was a drain tx
the nation and made worse the problem
of nom employment.
Superintendent r. G. Barrett OF the de.
partment of public instruction pointed Out
numerous ways in which women's clubs
could aid in enforcing the compulsory ed,
ucation law.
Three Candidates for President.
The afternoon was devoted to the pres.
session and several social features. The
attendance to-day is the largest thus far
The politics of the convention is seethins
and there is contest on for the presi
dency between Mrs. Walter L. Smith O
Council Bluffs, Mrs. III. E. Deemer Of Rel
Oak and Mrs. w. II. Bailey Of Des Moines
who seeks re-electiOn
The opponents of Mrs. Bailey have airet
the fact that she is on record as oppos
ing second terms. The reports Of the Of
ficers show that Iowa Is second in mum
Der Of clubs, with 284, and fifth in clul
membership.
Brigham on Child Labor.
A feature Of the meeting yesterday wa
an address by State Labor Commissions
Brigham on the subject Of S"Child Labor.
Mr.. Brigham called attention to the wild
prevalence Of child labor in Iowa. Il
1900. when the report Of the bureau O
labor statistics showed 1888 children un
der 16 employed In the manufacturing
and mechanical establishments Of tn
state, the stae labor commissioner gave
4 as his opinion this was far below tn
actual number employed. = Yet, Mr.. Brig
ham says, this number represented an In
crease in the last decade Of II per cent
not including the boys and girls employee
by department stores, telegraph and tele
: phone companies.
Many of the children were as young a
10 years and often were employed at har
/ and laborious work for the same numbe
of hours men, and physically were i
; serious condition. Mr.. Brigham say
what was true in 1900 Is true to-day an
the information he has secured in recen
, months in factory inspection has show
that the employment Of children Is in
creasing and in some. localities the suppl
i | IS not equal to the demand.
81 Investigation of the facts on the part
r / the federation was urged by Brigham
He asked the women to cooperate wit
: the trade unionists and said their cor
a bined influence before the next.legislatul
a would mean an effective anti-caild labe
: law. Coming to the practical method
, securing the enactment of such a law, M
: Brigham said a committee from the fec
GRAFTON should be selected, to unite wit
;. a committee chosen at the convention
: the State Federation of Labor next wee]
and that the two should secure a thir
I committe from the Iowa State Teacher
association.