The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-10
CHILD LABOR LAW
The South Carolina LegisIa-
ture has Passed Act.
Afler Long Struggle a Compromise Child
Labor La is Ratified in South
Carolina,

Trades hand doth tighten evermore,
And sigh their monstrous foul air sigh,
For the outside hills of liberty
Where nature spreads her wild blue sky
For art to make into melody.
Thou trade, thou king of the modern days!
Change thy ways,
Change thy ways;
Let the sWeatly laborers file
little while, a little while,
Where art and nature sing and smile.
Trade! is thy heart all dead, all dead?
And hast thou nothing but a head?
SIDNEY LANIER.
One of the arguments urged against the
passage of a child labor law by this
General Assembly is that inasmuch as
other Southern States have no such law.
North Carolina would be in danger of
losing labor. One Senator said last week.
Look at South Carolina, it has no law.
Tt has larger mills, but it has no law"
That remark cannot be made again. Yes
terdav the South Carolina Legislature
passed a child labor law. 1t was a COM
poste measure being the results of the
result of the mutual concessions of the
introducer of several bills. 1t is as fol-
lows:
Sec. l. That from and after the first
day of May. 1908. no child under the age
of 70 years shall be employed in any fac
tory. mine or textile manufacturing es-
Establishment of this State; and that from
and after the first day of May, 1904. no
child under the age of II shall be employ
nvfi Ito ma mn
featuring establishment of this State;
and that from and after the first day of
May. 1905, no child under the age of II
years shall be employed in any factory
mine or textile manufacturing establish
ment of this State, except as hereinafter
provided.
Sec. 2. That from and after Nav 1st,
1903. no child under the age of II years
shall be permitted to work between the
hours of o'clock p. m. and o'clock in
the morning in any factory, mine or
textile mandatory of this State.
Sec. 8. That children of a widowed
mother and that children of totally dis
abled father who are dependent upon
their own labor for their support, and or
phaned children who are dependent upon
their own labor for their support, may be
permitted to work in textile establish
ments of this State for the purpose Of
earning their support: Provided. That
in case of a child or children of a Wild
owed mother, or of a totally disabled
father. the said mother of the said father,
and in case of orphan children, the guar
dian of said children. or person standing
in loco PARENTS of said child or children
shall furnish to any of the said persons
named in section of this act, an afti-
davit duly sworn to by him or her, be-
fore some magistrate or clerk of court
of the county in which he or she resides
stating that he or she is unable to sup
port the said children and that the said
children are dependent upon their own
labor for their support? then, and in that
case, the said child or children of the
said widowed mother and the said dis
abled father and said orphan children
shall not be affected by the prohibitions
in section / of this act, and filing of said
affidavit shall be full justification 1or
their employment Provided, further
that the officer before whom the sald
affidavit shall be subscribed shall en-
dorse upon the back thereof his approval
and his consent to the employment OF SAID
child or children Any person VINO snail
swear falsely to the facts set forth Ill
said act shall be guilty of perjury ana
shall be indictable, as provided by law,
Provided further, That the employment
of said child or children shall be sub
iect to the hours of labor herein limited.
Sec 4. That any owner, Superlntend-
ent. manager or overseer OF any factory
or textile manufacturing establishment
or any other person in charge tn reol' OF
connected Herewith, who snall employ
any child contrary to the provisions or
this act, shall be guilty of misdemeanor,
and for every such offense shall, upon
conviction thereof be fined not less than
SO. nor more than $50, or be impris-.
oned not longer than 80 days, at the dis
erection of the court.
Sec. 5. That any parent. guardian, or
other person having under his or her con-
troll anv child, who consents, suffers or
permits the employment Of his or her
child or ward under the ages as above
nroyided. or who misrepresents the age
of such child or ward to any of the per-
sons named in section of this act, in
order to obtain employment for such child
or ward, shall be deemed guilty or mis-
demeanor, and for every such offense
shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined
not less than $40 nor more than $50 dol
lars, or be imprisoned not longer than 80
DAYS in the discretion of the court
Sec g. That any parent, guardian or
person standing in loco PARENTS, who
shall furnish to the person named in Sec
ton 4 of this act a certificate of school
teacher or school trustee that their child
or ward has attended school for not less
than four months during the current
school year, and that said child or child
rem can read and write, may be permitted
to obtain employment for such child or
children in any of the textile establish
ments of this State during the months of
June. JULY and August and the employ
ment of such child or children during said
months upon the proper certificate that
such child or children have attended
school as aforesaid, shall not be in con-
fiict with the provisions of this act.
Sec T. That in the employment of any
child under the age of II years in any
factory, mine of textile manufacturing
establishment, the owner or superintend-
ent of such factory, mine or textile man
ufacturing eSta bliShment shall require Of