The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-10
CHILD LABOR IN FACTORIES.

This afternoon at three o'clock the
Senate Committee on Manufactures and
Labor will give consideration to bills
forbidding 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 f~actoriss
are strongly in favor of some conserva-
| grave Injustice TO the children of the
State. It 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? Tho 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 IN argument. 1t is that, if a
child labor law IS passed, If any leGisla-
ton is enacted at al along that line
it Will open the door for hurtful legfs-
lation that will follow. Some excellent
men actually urge that as a reason
against protecting the child life of the
state. 1t is equivalent to saying: DO
not do n vric0 tAinO Mat 10 nodded NOW
for fear some future Legislature maydo IN
unwisc thing. There is no valid argument
in that position. 1t impugnS the future
good sense of North Carolinians. They
arc not going to do any injustice to its
great and growing factory interests, but
they must not ask the State to refuse
to save its tender children from be-
coming stunted by too early working in
above the child. Many of the cotton
mill owners say-and say truly-tha1
they do not wish to employ young chill
drcn, but have been forced to do
retain the labor of ttoir 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.
But, we are told, if a mild law like
this becomes a law it will drive capitai
from the State, prevent the location Of
other mills here. and stunt our growing
manufacturing interests. We think that
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
cess which is sure to follow when young
children are put to work III the mills
and denied a chance to live in the sun
shine. But-and mon and brethren near
our children or stunt the growth of
factories, in the name of God and hu-
mainly, let us have fewer spin
dies and more strong-limbed, clear-head-
ed, healthy boys and girls in his noble
old Commonwealth.
The child labor law should be wisely
and conservativeIy 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-
a law embodying his wise suggestions.
quote:
"CHILD LABOR IN FACTORIES.
81 call the attention of your honorable
body to the recommendations contained
in the report of the Commissioner Of
Labor and Printing and commend them
to your careful consideration. The Tine
appears to be ripe in this State for scmc
legislation in behalf of the children VIC
working in textile and furniture |
factories. 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 factories of the character named. l.
}t retofore been deemed inadviSablc
to lcSislate upon this subject here. The
state owes a duty to her children. The
controversy, if there be any, between
and labor has nothing to do with
this question. In a high sense the State
is a guardian to the children. A child
in his State can be taken by the courts
from the care of a parent who is mani
testify and grossly unfit to nave charge
of it. The right of the State to do this
is founded on the duty of the State 20
nerpetuate itself by the care of those
NJ c are hereafter to constitute her citi-
zenship. This right being conceded it
the duty of the State to protect
small children against labor which tends
to dwarf them physically, mentally CT
1t cannot be denied, l think,
work in the factories named by
young children is, to say the least of it,
to their health and calculated
IN mako Of tbnm weak men and women.