Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-22
AGAINST CHILD LABOR
CONFERENCE OF THE PUBLIC
EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
Passage of the Powers-Lodge Bill
Strongly Favored by the
Members.

A conference of members and friends OF
the Public Education Association was held
yesterday afternoon and evening at the
office of the association. POI street north
east, for the purpose of considering meth
DDS for securing the passage of child Ia
Dor law for the District of Columbia. The
first meeting began at 4:45 o'clock, and
the second at 8 o'clock.
The chief speaker was Samuel McCune
Lindsay, secretary of the national child
labor committee, who has come here from
New York especially to lend aid to the
movement. There were other speakers in
Guiding Dr. Alexander Graham Bell and Fl.
X. Fuller, representative of the Brother-
hood of Railway Trainmen and other labor
bodies.
This association is determined to make
strong fight for the passage of District
child labor law. based on the standard law
of the states on this subject.
I'VE don't want Washington to be a Tree
dumping ground for child laborers, sald
Mrs John NJ Gitterman, president OF the
Washington Socity, to reporter NJ 10
Gtterman called attention to the fact that
every state in the Union but two mas idWs
restricting child labor. 1t is deploraDie' IN
her opinion, that Washington should be
so backward in this respect, when II is
looked to as the model city OF the country
in many other ways
The association has memorialized Con-
gress on the subject and will endeavor 10
have the Powers-Lodge bill, now on the cal
endar passed This bill embodies the IDEAS
of the members of the association IN re-
gard to child labor in the District.
If 1t becomes law, it is asserted. 1t VIII
not conflict at all with a compulsory eou-
cational law, should one be passed.
That the bureau of immigration Is coh-
formulating a plan for sending foreign I'M
migrants of the lower classes to the SOUTH
ern states. instead of letting them congre-
gate in big cities like New York, is regard
ed as an additional reason Tor an carry
passage of a child labor law here In WASH
ington. for these foreigners are said TO pc
eager to put their children to work as early
as possible.
Mrs. Gitterman's Explanation.
Mrs. Gitterman opened the conference in
the afternoon with an explanation OF the
bill and a statement of the object OF the
gathering. She has long been interested III
the child labor question and is very en-
Enthusiastically in favor of the passage OF
a bill for the District that will embody the
best features of every other law In the
country on the subject.
Mr. Lindsay was then introduced ana
made an extended address on the various
features of these laws in general ana tne
conditions that make them necessary. He
also spoke briefly in favor of the measure
now before Congress. Washington, he
said did not need this legislation quite as
badly as some other places, but 1t was
nevertheless crying for it and justly, so.
The portion of the Powers-Lodge bill. which
makes it necessary for children between
the ages of fourteen and sixteen to pass
some test before they permitted to
work, would be an advanced step, he said,
If it were passed. He also pointed out the
necessity there would doubtless be to Sc
cure some good proof of the actual age of
a child Parents, according to his expert
ence, are only too willing TO violate the law
in this respect, if they can.
Mr.. Fuller promised the hearty support of
the various labor organizations which he
represents in the work for the passage OF
the present bill. He said the interest of or
ganzed labor in child labor laws was some
what selfish. but he saw a perfectly disin-
terested and public-spirited movement in
the work of the association, whose men,
bers he was addressing. Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor, unable to be present at the
meeting on account of a severe cold, and
Mr.. Fuller's words were taken as coming
from the entire labor element of the coun-
try. it being known that Mr.. Gompers ia
vors the position of the association in this
matter.
Those in Conference.
Others who participated in the conference
were DR.. Bell, j. j. Elwell, B. F. johnson,
Mrs. Rainey. Mr.. Douglas and Mr.. Harris
of the Department of Commerce and Labor
In the open conference at the close of the
speeches 1t was suggested by Mr.. Lindsay
that national committee, composed of
men of influence, be organized for the pur-
pose of keeping before the members of Con-
gress the arguments in favor of the pas
sage of the PowersLodge bill. The objec-
ton of Commissioner Mcfarland, that the
carrying out of the provisions of the bill
should not be placed in the hands of the
sanitary officer, was answered by a propo-
sition to provide voluntary officers for this
work.
The aIo
the effect that this conference Endorses
the Powers-Lodge bill, now before Congress-
and the secretary is hereby directed to for
ward copy Of this resolution to the Com
missioners of the District of Columbia and
TO the clerks of the Senate District Com
mittee and House District committee that
1t Is the sense of this conference that a bill
TO regulate child labor in the District of
Columbia is to the best interests of this
community; that the national child labor
committee be invited to organize a body of
representative citizens I'm the District of
columbia to further the passage of the
PoWers-Lodge bill, now before Congress"