New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-28
PROTECTION OF LITTLE FOLK.
What Child Labor Committee Hopes to Ac-
complish
q coal mines OF Pennsylvania

The coal mines OF Pennsylvania
The cotton mills OF Georgia
These are the three nearest danger points IN the
eyes Of the new National Child Labor Committee.
and 20 the investigation OF thess plague centres,
where the child labor evil rise acute conditions,
St will proceed at once. The Investigators Will
start out neat week ana Will endeavor 10 find out
exactly how many children ale employed In the
sections mentioned, and under what conditions
they work Then the committee VIII understand
better how 10 remedy the conditions, and the
American people Will perhaps be aroused 10 the
dangers threatening the children OF this country.
The first work Of the committee must be inves-
tgation," says s. II. Lindsay. professor OF socI-
ology IN the University OF Pennsylvania aud SEQ
rotary CT tho committed THE public mUst be put
IN possession the Of The case, gathered by
responsible parties, tabulated and presented plain
ly and indisputably We propose to ind out how
many children are employed in the United States.
where. and IN what Industries. and at what ages:
whether these Industries perilous TO life. limb.
health, growth or education; how much these chill
dren earn; the effect which their work has the
wages OF adults. ard the extent 10 which parents
are living on the wages Of children We shall put
paid investigators In the field when necessary and
they Will get information from any reliable source
from the employers and ths employed from the
parents, and from children IN the factories ana In
their homes.
Another class Of investigation VIII be taken up
when the committee gets to II, that Will prove
tests. Groups OF boys and girls VINO have been
put 10 work at early age will be examined after
they have been employed q few years They viii
be tested as TO height weight. strength. muscular
power, lung expansion and general condition OF
health. The tests VIII be applied to groups
OF boys and girls OF corresponding station IN life
who have been kept IN school up the age OF six
teen so. II juvenile employment is checking
growth. health and strength. We want a set Of
statistics that viii show how. and how much.
Elaborate sets OF such statistics have been gath
cred in England. with some startling results
statistics as TO the effects OF child labor upon
Hteracy would come within the range OF the com
nittee's activities Did you know that in 1900
there were nine million persons over ten years
old IN the United States who could not read or
write? And Of these only 10000 were foreign
born. Only Is per cent OF the immigrants are IL
hteTate. The percentage Of nIiteracy is consdera-
ply higher in the United States than IN Germany
or Switzerland. II would be interesting to know
Just how much child labor has 10 do with that"
The plain truth OF the matter is" says another
member OF the committee. that the factory system
ior children and the common school system do not
flourish together. II are going 10 stand by
one, We shall have 10 suppress the other.
People il general do not realize what children
IN factories have 10 endure. Children In many
textile factories must walk twenty miles day.
IN The thread mills children walk from sixteen TO
twenty miles day. tending their machines. Near
spun by children. In button mills children syelet
twenty gross OF buttons a day. IN the great
feather buster factories children viii stand for
zen hours day, even in hot weather, steaming
feathers over pipes through which volumes OF
not vapor constantly escaping Postmen and
policemen work eight hours day in the open air
THESE children work ten hours a day in this
Wtated atmosphere
In the coal mines you VIII lind a little fellow
% twelve working fan 10 supply fresh air to
me miners below. 1t works by means OF a crank.
winch must be kept ia constant motion. the
men below Will not have air TO breathe Imagine
eH ch4ld turning THAI crank all day.
S S OF the coal with their backs bent over al
49, az 'ong n winter they get out OF the mine
Str ne weeks end 20 another.
esf, - enacted b. the kings most excellent maj
en- SAD recent act, that child shall not be
atd in the morning. A child shah not be em
ttssyeq IN any occupation likely 20 be injurious
richer than Enciand' with so MANY more omar 9,1t
tuniiies protect its children at least as well?
IN ShC!L society Is beginning to realize that
VIII rights be protected. A man is not allowed
Should "a morse Evil, with cruelty even II ne owns IL
ol :H ~ life OF his child because ii is his?
40 matter how helpless adults for the pro-
e'oh 81 their own rights and interests, children
is1 seli more helpless Exploited by Industrial
10. society 10 step IN and protect them II it can
H. ILL., animals birds and forests, it can protect
bo The National Child Labor Committee will NOT
ilohFer 20 into any section until 1t is invited by
.oeeI workers. II believes in home rule II will
nalt Tor the friends OF the children in each State
- - ASK rs help But such invitations will not he
e,s n coming for ON its roster members from
-. section CT the country. II Will Cooperate
S-.ih al sorts and kinds OF examinations: local
~, hia labor committees. like that OF NewYork city;
ne s consumers leagues OF various States and cities
nHnfne societies that have taken I'D The matter az
nlln PROJECTION: committees OF WoIner's clubs ami
~ effed individuals. II VIII clearing
F. thn.. various Inaffillated bodies. fl,r-
MORN atom. giving new organiZa lions the
nl : If .fflr -f-s7
p"ssfhle r ~ '''y way
- nfH child labor committee VIII stand In re-
'snon TO the children Of the United States exactly