Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1904-12-17
Kentucky Statute Is Being En-
forced by Inspector Scally,
of Louisville.
In the United States There Are
100000 Children in Fac
tories and Mines.
THEY SHOULD BIZ IN SCHOOLS

There is a compulsory education law
in Kentucky, but it is not enforced in
Louisville or elsewhere in this Common
wealth. While there may be objections
raised to compulsory education, it is con-
coded by all that efforts along the line of
prohibiting child labor are wholesome
and good for the child as we'll as the
parent. Cardinal Gibbons, former Presi-
dent Cleveland and President Eliot, of
Harvard are on a committee organized to
fight against child labor. When men
like these are united there is reason to
hope that the reform sought will be
brought about in short order.
According to statistics recently COL
lected there are more than 10000
children between the ages of ten and
fifteen years at work in mines, fields,
factories or domestic service. In other
words, about one-fifth of all the children
in the land between those ages are work.
ing for wages. Stunted mentally, NOR
ally and physically, with little oppor-
tunity for play and less for education,
these unhappy little ones drag out a
wretched existence in the coal fields of
Pennsylvania, the factories of the East,
the cotton mills of the South and in
sweatshops of large cities all over the
land. The child laborers of the United
States represent 6 per cent. of the entire
working population.
- -. IL T. IL
and its provisions are being enforced by
Thomas Scally, of Louisville, who has
charge of this bureau. Several States
seek to minimize this evil by legislation.
Few succeed in preventing it altogether.
In many States the laws on the subject.
adequate if enforced, are dead letters.
The committee referred to will seek to
arouse the public conscience and point
out the danger which the existing condi-
ton presents. 1t proposes that labor
practically be prohibited to all children
under fourteen who can not read and
write the English language; that night
work be prohibited for all girls under
sixteen or eighteen, and that all children
under the age of sixteen, except under
special conditions, be allowed to do only
limited amount of night work, and to
see that legislation along these lines is
adequately enforced" Such is the pro-
gramme as explained by DIR. Lindsey, of
the University of Pennsylvania. Further
tn, plan is to cooperate with State and
local committees, school authorities and
ali other agencies that work for the bet
ternent of children In securing the en-
for.ement of satisfactory existing laws
ami working for new laws when neces-
say.
The question of child labor agitates
the country periodically, generally as the
result of the exposure of such conditions
as exist in the anthracite fields, the
Southern cotton mills or the sweatshops
of great cities. Probably lasting and
general reform can be secured only
through the agency of some such body as
that now moving in the matter. Only
persistent agitation will avail. Though
the evil Is so VIGOROUSLY and so uni
versally deplored, it will be no easy task
to do more than mitigate it, and largely
because of opposition on the part of
parents of children whom it 10 hoped to
rescue. Most of these parents assert
that their own poverty makes 1t necessary
for their children to be bread-winners,
and though there is some force in the
and though doubtless the
reform would work hardship in
many cases, the welfare of the State in
such matters is paramount and the real
Or fancied necessities of parents can not |
be permitted to prevail against 1t.
1t follows that in enforcing the child |
labor law children taken from factories
must be sent to school. They must either
20 to parochial school or to the public
schools. The law should be enforced
strictly and Inspector Scally's efforts in
his direction are to be commended.