The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-01
CHILD LABOR IN INDIANA.

The local Federation Of Clubs at Muncie
announces that a N Adams. OF Hull
House, will address the Federation next
Labor" Since Muncie has become quite
a manufacturing city, 1t is said that many
children are taken from school as soon as
they are fourteen years old and set to work
in factories. The question has. therefore.
some local interest. though the evil of child
no such proportions in Indiana as it has
In some other States. In fact, there are
two sides to the question. Child labor, pro-
vided it be not cruel and oppressive or in
furious to health, is better than child idle
ness. Perhaps the most dangerous period
of a boys life is between the age of four
teen and manhood, and unless they are in
school during that period or employed I'M
der direct parental supervision, they had
much better be employed In factories than
not at all. Idleness during these formative
years Is a prolific source of crime, and
If boys are not forming habits of industry
the chances are they will be forming habits
of vice. The same is true of girls, though
comparatively few of them go into fac
tories outside of the great manufacturing
centers. 1t Is only within the last twenty
five or thirty years that the subject has
attracted any attention in this country. But
the evil has been decreasing almost from
the time 1T began to attract attention. In
1880, out Of a total OF 2,732,5 $50 wage-earners
In the United States Isl. s21 were under If
teen years Of age. In 1880. out of a total of
4,251. 6l3 wage-earners. 12O.SS5 were under ff-
teen years of age, and in 1900, out of $751;
39 wage-earners, 16S. 5S3 were under sixteen
years of age. In 1850 children constituted
a fraction over 6 per cent. Of all wage
earners. while in 1900 they were only a lit
tie over 3 per. cent. In Indiana, in 1886,
out Of 69.50s wage-earners, 1891 were chill
3,3l5 : were children, and in 1900, out OF
$3.50 wage-earners, 1851 were children.
The percentage of children to the total
number Of wage-earners in this State was
5E per cent. in 1850. 3 per cent. in 1890, and
a little over 2 per cent. in 1906. During the
$3.50 RtAAO tLS aAAAOC VI NOllC wax
earners in Indiana sixteen years of age
or over increased from 3,615 in 1880 to r.
BIS in 1890. and to 1926 in 1900. The figures
do not show that child labor is increasing
in this State In proportion to the total num-
Der of wage-earners, but they show that
the percentage of very young women en-
ployed Is increasing. Our school laws are
framed with reference to rescuing children
from idleness, and If the truancy laws are
properly enforced practically all the chill
dren in the State can be forced to remain
In school, at least until they are old enough
to work. and then they should be given the
choice Of working or suffering the penalty
OF vagrancy. The idea that parents owr
their children, to do as they please with
regardless of the interests of the child OF
of society, is a vicious one. No doubt there
are many cases where the services of a
child are needed to assist in supporting
the family. but lazy or dissolute parents
should not be permitted to take children
out Of school to compel them to work. Or
the other hand, after children have passed
the school age or taken the requisite course
IL their parents do not require them tc
work., the State should take the matter ir
hand on its own account. 1t Is crimina
for society to encourage idleness.