The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
CHILD LABOR IN MINES.

In the miners convention on Friday last
John Mitchell spoke earnestly and eloquent
" against child labor In mines and the con-
vention adopted by an overwhelming ma
jority his recommendation for legislation
prohibiting the employment in mines of
boys under sixteen years of age.
Mr.. Mitchell has a right to feel strongly
on this subject and can speak from ex-
perience, as he began work in a mine at the
age OF ten years. He said he did not want
any human being to have the experience
that ne had. I'VE know what miners
life is" ne said. I'VE know that the only
joy in ii is the JOY of boyhood.'' The joy of
boyhood must be unQuenchable indeed, If it
can survive the confinement day after day
in the dark galleries of mine. cut of
from all the beauties Of nature and all the
pleasures that belong to boyhood. breathing
q foul air and only dreaming, IL he has
time TO dream. of what other boys are doing
In the light above ground Their plays,
their games. their hunting. fishing. coast
ing. swimming nuttins excursions all their
sports and pastimes and their serious &C.
imprisonment in stone walls. daily con-
tact with men who work from sense of
duty that he does not understand nor ap-
preciate any more than they do his sense
of isolation and his yearning for a taste of
the real joy OF boyhood. Mr.. Mitchell. be-
coming a mine worker NJ the age OF ten
years, might we'll say he did not want any
human being to have the experience that he
had. He outiived the experience and has
grown into higher atmosphere. but the
lives and characters Of the boys subjected to
that experience at that age would be
dwarfed and brutalized beyond recovery.
Child labor In factories in bad enough, but
child labor in mines is shocking.
Many OF the States have laws on the SUBJ
ject but they are not always strictly en-
forced. Thirty-five States and all the Terri
tories have imposed some restrictions on
child labor. OF these, twenty-six apply to
factory work and ten to the employment
OF children in mines. Twelve States put the
age limit at fourteen years for boys, two
at thirteen. seven at twelve and four States
permit the employment OF children of ten
years old. The law of Indiana prohibits
the employment OF any child under four
teen years OF age in any factory, mine.
quarry. laundry. bakery or printing office
Il also requires every person employing
young persons under the age OF sixteen
years 10 keep a record OF the name. age
and birthplace OF each person and to place
on file an affidavit OF the parent or guar
dian covering the facts. The Indiana law
is very stringent and is strictly enforced.
Mr.. Mitchell would raise the age limit for
all child labor and make il sixteen years
for work in mines. Certainly. that is young
enough to cut a boy OF from the natural
pleasures and occupations OF his age and
to deprive him of school privileges.
To make laws against child labor ef
fective IL should be put out OF the power of
heartless parents TO set boys to work under
the prescribed age. Mr.. Mitchell admitted
that there were many such when he said
that while most miners are good men
there il a minority OF heartess and re-
CARELESS men who would rather see the
boys at work when they ought to be I'm
school IL might be worth while TO prohibit
operators from employing any boy in the
mines who could not present a certificate
OF age and also certificate from the school