The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-05

Senate Committee on Manufactures and
Labor will give consideration to bills
forbiddng the employment of children in
factories where they work indoors. Sever
al such bills are pending, showing the
deep interest and the demand for such
legislation. Some of the owners of factories
are strongly in favor of some conserva-
tive legislation that will prevent this
grave injustice to the children of the
State. II is to be regretted that a sin
gle mill owner or manager stands against
such legislation. The State gives-and
should give-ample protection to every
manufacturing concern and to every dol
lar of invested capital in North Carolina
Must it protect with safe laws the dollar
and not safeguard the future citizens
Of the Commonwealth? The child is above
the dollar
There has been but one argument urged
against conservative child legislation, or
rather but one suggestion, for it cannot
be called an argument. 1t is that, II a
child labor law is passed,-if any legisla-
ton is enacted at all along that line
it will open the door for hurtful legis-
lation that will follow. Some excellent
men actually urge that as reason
against protecting the child life of the
State 1t is equivalent to saying; Do
not do a wise thing that is needed now
for fear some future Legislature maydo an
unwise thing. There is no valid argument
in that position. 1t impugns the future
good sense of North Carolinians. They
are not going to do any injustice to its
great and growing factory interests, but
they must not ask the State to refuse
to save it's tender children from be-
the factories. That is putting the dollar
above the child. Many of the cotton
mill owners say-and say truly-that
they do not wish to employ young chill
dren, but have been forced to do
so by Xeir parents in order to
retain the labor of their par
ents. This shows the need of the
law to protect the mills that do not de-
sire child labor from those which will
employ children and to protect the chill
dren from fathers who would dwarf their
young lives by putting them in the mills.
al Mill 10 w 20
this becomes a law it will drive capital
from the State, prevent the location Of
other mills here. and stunt our growing
manufacturing interests. We think that
gentlemen who make such gloomy pre-
dictions take counsel of their fears; We
believe they are mistaken. We do not
believe a dollar will be lost to the State
by protecting the young childhood Of the
State and preventing the dwarfing pre-
cess which is sure to follow when young
children are put to work in the mills
and denied a chance to live in the sun
shine. But-and men and brethren hear
us for the children-if we must stunt
our children or stunt the growth of
factories, in the name of God and hu-
manity. let us have fewer spin
dies and more strong limbed clear-head-
ed, healthy boys and girls in this noble
old Commonwealth.
The child labor law should be wisely
and conservatively drawn, but it should
be one that will end the employment OF
Young children in every factory in the
State. IN his message to the General AS
,sembly. Governor Aycock treated this
question in a sensible way. The Legisla-
ture could not do better than to enact
law embodying his wise suggestions
We quote:
CHILD LABOR IN FACTORIES.
81 call the attention of your honorable
body to the recommendations contained
in the report of the Commissioner OIL
Labor and Printing and commend them
to your careful consideration. The tlme
appears to be ripe in this State Tor some
LEGISLATION in behalf of the children VIC
are working in textile and furniture
factories. Most of the States of the
Union and many foreign countries nave
long since passed laws prohibiting the
working of children under certain ages
in factories of the character named. -
has heretofore been deemed inadvisablc
to legislate upon this subject here. The
State owes duty to her children. The
controversy, if there be any, between
canital and labor has nothing to do with
this question. In high sense the State
is a guardian to the children A child
in this State can be taken by the courts
from the care of a parent who is mani
testify and grossly unfit to have charge
of it. The right of the State to do this
is founded on the duty of the State 20
perpetuate itself by the care of those
Wiz are hereafter to constitute her citi-
zenship. This right being conceded it
becomes the duty of the State to protect
small children against labor which tends
to dwarf them physically, mentally CT
morally. IT cannot be denied, l think,
that work in the factories named by
young children is, to say the least or It,,
dangerous to their health and calculated
to make of them weak men and women.
l, therefore, earnestly recommend 20
your honorable body the passage of q
law absolutely prohibiting the employ