Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-10

special lIllpOEluIISG IL ASO JSN'S eoN
when 1t was observed that the cotton
mills of New England were moving
to the south. The newly erected cotton
mills Of the south were running, and
am sorry have to add are still rum
ming in great part, with supervision
and control. and many OF those evils
have arisen which were the occasion
of the first factory acts In Great Brit
ain, the country, as l have before ex-
planned, from which the modern code
Of factory laws halls. An active effort
has been made and some Legislative be-
ginnings have been reached in bringing
the southern states likewise In line Tor
the prevention of unregulated child la
Dor and for the maintenance of SAM
tary and wholesome conditions for all
laborers.
II. THE ESSENTIALS OF A GOOD
CHILD LABOR LAW.
These may be roughly enumerated
as providing for a normal labor day,
a minimum age of employment, SANTA
ton, unambjguous exemptions az any
are pernitted), efficien. enforcement,
and an educational test
THE NORMAL. LABOR DAY!
This should be fixed by specifying
the hours OF labor and definite intervals
OF rest The hours may range from
eight to nine day with not to exceed
forty EIGHT or fifty-four week. In
tervals of rest means proper provision
for the noon hour and no night work.
THE MINIMUM AGE.
A minimum age below which chill
dren should not be permitted to en-
gage in specified employments. The
doctrine that only specified employs
ments shall be included In the opera
ton OF the law must be clearly enun-
ciated lest there be those who think
we should not have our children assist
In the work OF the home or farm. The
minimum age has beer fixed at polats
ranging from nine years to sixteen;
but for the present fourteen seems to
commend itself most widely as the
suitable age below which children
shall be excluded from certain en-
pigments, even II such exclusion
means that the community must 9th
erwise support or give relief to child
or to child and to child's parents. TO
insure exemption up to fourteen 1T is
usual to make two provisions: CD
that an understood child shall not be
employed until the age of say sixteen
and (2) to provide in all cases for the
compulsory furnishing Of certificates
by employer for all children in his
employ up to the age of sixteen. These
certificates must be carefully drawn
and guarded or they soon prove worth
less.
SANITATION.
foo n NO 40
cure a reasonable amount of fresh air,
sunlight where at all possible. clean
liness, and wholesome moral surround
ings. Fortunately these provisions are
often part of the general statutes reg
ulative OF the conditions of even adult
labor
EXEMPTIONS.
There should be no exemptions
from the provisions Of the law except
in such employments as are still re-
garded as private. In some states pro-
vision Is made for etxempting, for ex-
ample, children whose parents are In
need Of their labor to help exc out
the support Of the family. Experienced
philanthropists concerned with the en-
forcement of child labor laws maintain
frankly better call upon the community
to support at once and outright needy
family, mother with dependent chill
dren, rather than run the risk OF pau
perizing the children when they reach
adult life by reason Of stunted child
hood. When exemptions are permitted
they are too readily granted by judges
LOT local courts and other designated
officials as the readiest way of being
rid OF importunate and usually short
sighted and too often indolent parents.
The Wisconsin law as 1t stood until
Hast year worked badly in this regard.
It must Of course be borne In mind
| that good child labor law does not
prescribe all forms Of child labor. 1t
pertains to those occupations and CALI
ings which would be specifically men
toned in the law.
ENFORCEMENT.
"The first need of a good child labor
law is an efficient staff Of inspectors
charged with the duty Of enforcing
the law. To this end the law should be
perfectly explicit in all its provisions.
| Certificates of age, and OF schooling
where there is an educational test,
should be demanded not OF parents only
but of local residents, preferably OF
nhysician or school man. In this bill
which passed the senate In the last
assembly Of Iowa but which failed In
the house, earnest objections We're rails
] ed against the elaborate provisions for
certifying age and school attendance.
The answer to be made to the obiec-
tions is that experience points to the
need of the double certificate plan. Too