The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-13

. III the GtpOIt u Tic COAIliliSStoiti Il
| Labor and Printing and commend them TO
| your careful consideration The time APP
pears to be ripe in this State for some
legislation in behalf of the children who
are working in textile and furniture fac
tories. Most OF the States OF the Union
and many foreign countries have long
! since passed laws prohibiting the working
of children under certain ages in facto-
ries Of the character named. It has
heretofore been deemed inadvisable 10
legislate upon this subject here. The
State owes a duty to her children. The
controversy, if there be any. between
capital and labor has nothing to do with
this question. In a high sense the State
is a guardian 10 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 to
perpetuate itself by the care of those
who 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 or
morally. t cannot be denied, / think,
that work in the factories named by young
children is, to say the least of it, dan
gerous to their health and calculated to
make of them weak men and women. /,
therefore,, earnestly recommend to your
honorable body the passage of a law alb
solutely prohibiting the employment in
such factories Of any child under the age
of twelve years. This law ought also to
provide that no child under the age Of
fourteen shall work in any such factory
al ,,toht nnI aFto.. 1GnE 80 ohiJ1 yrbo con-
not read and write should be permitted
to work in any such factory under the
age Of fourteen years. | do not think
that any exception should be made in the
law passed. | am aware that many peo-
pie insist that there are dependent wild
oWs and invalid fathers who need the
labor of children under the suggested age
limit, but the community owes something
to such widows and invalid fathers, and
it ought not to suffer any child under
twelve years Of age to be required to
support its parents. There is great ne
cessity for the development of our indus
tries. | am glad to see them increase
in number and grow in prosperity, but
there is no such imperative necessity for
the creation and accumulation Of wealth
as to justify US in the sacrifice of child
life to secure it. Indeed the the State
Will grow TlcleI ny preserving the Health
and developing the minds and hearts of
these children than it can possibly grow
by the creation of any values which their
puny arms can win. For the sake of hui
mainly, therefore, and in the name Of
the children of the State it becomes your
high privilege to secure them against
the ceaseleSS wear of mind and body
necessary in the performance day after
day and week after week indoors, of
labor, which not hard in itself, becomes
painful to children by it's unceasing reg
ularity.
FEWER HOURS OF LABOR.
The regulation of the hours of labor
presents a different question and one
which is worthy of discussion and DELHI
Grafton on your part. Through the edu-
cation which has come to our people by
reason Of the inquiries and answers
gathered for several years past by our
Commissioner of Labor and Printing
there has been a steady l%essening in
most of our manufacturing plants Of the
hours of labor. Some of the cotton fac
tories are now working only ten hours
per day, some few work twelve, while
most of them work for only eleven. Not
all of the manufacturers are opposed to
a ten hour law, and not all of the labor
ing men are in favor of it. Much of the
work done in factories is work for which
the operative is paid by the piece. Many
of these operatives prefer more hours
but probably most of the operatives in
all the factories prefer fewer hours. From
the best information which I can obtain
q reasonable lessening of hours will not
decrease the output for the manufacture
er and will not lessen the wages of the
operative. Certainly if equal results can
be attained by fewer hours of labor every
one ought to be in favor of l%eSSening the
hours, for by doing SO the operatives
have more time for outdoor exercise, for
study, for reflection and for social duty,
all of which are essential to the fullest
development. The right of the State to
regulate the hours of labor was for a
long time questioned. but has at last
been generally recognized. When a coun-
try is new, 'sparsely settled, largely given
/ to agricultural and other outdoor labor
there is little, if any, need for the inter
position of the State between the en-
ployer and the employee, but with the
increase of population and the gathering
of great bodies of men into small COM
munites, seeking labor in manufacturing
plants, it sometimes becomes necessary
b 10 pfOlecL lnell against the OBSTRUCTIVE
tendency of overwork. | believe that the
hour has come in this State when with
out injustice to any one the law may
properly declare that not more than
eleven hours shall constitute a days
work in manufacturing Establishments.
Where night work is performed the hours
should be restricted to ten. This, l think
can be done without the slightest injury
TO industry, but really with benefit to it
and certainly it will be a help to those
who toll. We have in this State today
labor capable of the highest development.
Our operatives are in the main native
stock, with the fine traits and the steady
habits which have ever characterized
North Carolinians. The people Of this
State constitute it's wealth and given a
fair opportunity for development of the
mind. body, and heart, they will become
as efficient workers as can be found any
where
STArTL1 nVCTVp