The Cairo bulletin., 1904-01-06
CHILD LABOR AND pAupERIsM.
the individual and OF
society.

What connection CO We find between
Child labor ami paupeTisin? In almost
every case. the men who first lose their
places and are most quickly thrown cut
in an Industrial crisis, VINO are the last
to be taken on IN times Of industrial
prosperity. men who are inefficient and
Got very strong. men who do moi stand
well in the trades ana whom the fore
man is glad 10 get rid of in any way;
are those who have never had sufficient
raining ana who curiously lack
strength and yigor. writes Jane Adams,
In Charities How TAR is child labor
responsible for this class of panpers?
We have a municipal clearinghouse in
Chicago largely filed with tramps. Il
IS surprising to find how many of them
are tired to death OF monotonous labor
and begin to tramp in order to get away
from il, as business man goes to the
woods because he is worn out with The
stress CT business lie. This inordi-
nate desire to get away from work seems
to be connected with the fact that the
men have started TO work very early
before they had the physique to stand
up To 1t. or the mental visor with which
TO overcome its difficulties. or the moral
stamina which makes a .nan stick to his
work whether he likes it or rot
There is no doubt that child labor also
sxAft 10 N 3 bn
have in Chicago a great many European
Immigrants people who have come from
country life in the south of Italy ol
bInemia, hoping that their children will
have a better chance here than at home
In the old country these immigrants
worked on farms which gave very nor,
nal activity for a youns boy or girl.
When they come to Chicago they see
no reason why their children should
not go to work, because they see no diff
terence between the normal activity ot
sheir own youth and the grinding life
20 which they subject their children
= is difficult for man who has srown
w in outdoor life to adapt himself 10 the
factory. So the parents drop ont. and
The children making The adaptation. re-
main. and you get the curious result
NJ the head or the household being more
,r less dependent upon the earnings .!
me child
The pauperism Of society itself, how
ever, Is the most serious charge What
happens when an industry depends upon
the labor of boys and girls? It takes
these boys and girls al the time when
they ought to be at school when, II
they were the children of business men
they would be having their most expen
sive education. The manufactured
gives them no real instruction. and
teaches them nothing beyond the hab-
it's OF promptness and obedience In
almost all factories the work at which
the children are employed tends to no
trade. BY the time they are old enough
to receive adult wages they are often
sick of the whole businss
Tho gravest charge have to bring
az airist child labor is that II pauperiZea
the consumers, all OF those who use
the product into which this labor has
entered. If wear garment which has
been made in sweat-shop or a gar.
ment for which the maker has not been
paid living wage or a wage SO small
that his earnings had to be supple
mented by the earnings OF his wife and
children, then am in debt TO the man
who made my cloak. Lam panper ii
permit myself to accept charity from
he poorest people in the community