The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-16
The Child Labor Evil.


humane people has been directed to the
evil of child labor In the southern cot
ton mills. The agitation against this
abuse Of humanity began in Alabama, and
its promoters have at last reached VIC
tory there through the acceptance by the
legislature Of a. bill designed to protect
the children. The abuse OF child labor in
the south enlisted the opposition Of pro-
gressive people In every part of the coun-
try, and to some extent caused sectional
friction, some Of the southern papers al
leging that northerners were interfering in
matters that were none Of their affair."
But a study Of child labor conditions in
the south has caused examination to be
made of such conditions all over the
country. zf-
The results have been startling.
Whereas it was supposed that the north
had long ago got rid of this evil it is
found that in some states and localities
the conditions are about as bad as in the
new manufacturing centers Of the south,
in building up which cheap child labor
was supposed to be indispensable.
Investigations in New York city revealed
conditions which Superintendent Maxwell
Of the public schools declared to be more
nearly akin to child slavery than those
which exist in the southern cotton mills
1t was found that there are school chill
dren who deliver milk from 4 o'clock in
the morning until school time. There are
others who deliver wares from to in
the morning and from $3.50 till at night.
Some Of the Children says The Outlook
''are completely exhausted and dulled for
their school work by the long hours of
toll during playtime and sleeptime.
Many Of these children are but u years
old less, and their employment is en-
tirely legal, for the present child labor
laws only cover work done inside of fac
tories and stores" One delivery COM
pany was found to employ all day chill
dren Of II, IL and 10. They work from
Z in the morning until 9 or 10 at night.
Friday and Saturday nights they work un-
til midnight. Similar evils have been ex-
posed among newsboys, bootHlacks, mes
senger boys and peddlers. Moreover,
through false statements of age, hundreds
of children under IA are employed steadily
in factories. , In most cases the earnings
Of the children are SO petty as to be Of
little consequence in family support. The
committee recommends that direct pub
lie aid to the parents is better than that
the children should suffer-
In the anthracite coal mining regions
a horrible state of affairs exists. On ac-
count of the notorious poverty of that
region certain factories have located there
expressly to utilize the cheap labor of the
miners children. Boys and girls Of $
years work in these mills. The work of
asserting coal at the coal breakers is
chiefly done by small boys, who work long
hours at dulling and distorting work for
insignificant pay, and that, too, under the
eyes Of a patrol who from time to time
raps on the head or back with long
stick the boys who do not keep up to the
pace. $500. g .-..~s.'-.
Doubtless there are many other places
in the. country where conditions are as bad
as in the anthracite region and New York
1t is a disgrace to our civilization that
in a nation of such great wealth as ours
we permit to exist conditions that make ii
ruin their future usefulness to themselves
and society by excessive and unhealthfu
toll. 1t is the first business Of nation
in protecting itself to protect it's children
These injured children will be part of the
men and women of the coming generation
and they will not be citizens of whom the
nation can be proud, or upon whom il
can rely. But aside from the states claim
on the child, there is the child's claim
on himself. AS writer in the Outlook
says:
1.-The parents right to the child is les:
fundamental than the childs right to him.
self, and the child on reaching manhood
has a right to himself not dul1ed ant
sapped of strength, but in the full vigol
Of body and mind"
How nice Canada must feel to know tina