The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-25
FIKOT " UKAO
OratOrfcaI PyrOtechnics Breaks
Out in the Senate.
A Child Labor Bill Starts the
Excitement.
SMITH 1T.
Says StockYards Lobby Defeated
Measure Before.
Senator w. s. Fitzpatrick At
tacks Its Provisions.

The first oratorical display in the
senate came at the session Tuesday
afternoon in the discussion of Senator
F. Dumont Smiths child labor bill.
Child labor bills have beer to the SEN
ate what Banquo's ghost was to Mae
beth. A session of the senate would
hardly be a legal session, so it might
seem, If there was not 4 child labor law
to be discussed. Sue bills have been
up before and Senator Fitzpatrick, from
C-hautauqua county, has successfully
fought him. He has always made the
same speech and twice that speech has
been successful. This time the speech
did not suit the bill, for enator Fitz-
patrick would give the children a chance
to work when necessary for them to
labor and he thought the bill was like
The former bills he has fought and
would not allow children to do any
work, not wen chores.
Senator Smiths bill provided that
NC child under II years of 8 shall
tory or workshop irrs or about n
mine. No child under Il years7of age
shall be employed in any mercantile
establishment except during the vaca-
ton of the public schools in the school
district where such child is employed
No person under 16 of g shall
be employed at any occupation nor at
any place dangerous or injurious TO
4LlAAOn AAEG4LAA ia III GAA0F III CT
any labor of any lind outside of the
family of such persons residence be-
fore s o'clock in the morning nor after
Z O'Clock in the evening, nor more
than ten hours in any one day, nor
more than sixty hours in any one
week, except in accordance in h fol-
lowing expressed permission or con-
dition. to wit: Children not less than
II years OF age may be employed in
mercantile establishments on Satur-
days. and for ten days each year be-
fore Christmas until 10 o'clock in the
evening; provided, however, that his
as to permit such children to toll more
thar ten hours in any one day nor
over sixty hours in any one week
ANY person, firm or corporation
employing any person or child in VIC
latiOn of any provisions of this act, or
permitting or conniving at such VIOLA
ton. shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanOr, and upon conviction there
of shall be 1ned in a sum not less than
twenty-five dollars nor more than one
hundred dollars. and by imprisonment
in the county jail not less than thirty
days nor more than ninety days"
The bill provides that for ten days
before Christmas, when h shops are
open at night, that children may work
later than 6 o'clock and that the pro-
bate judge may issue permits to allow
children to work when it is shown to
h satisfaction of the probate judge
that it is necessary for the child un-
NJ RI 4512 ZkLAAAAGA IL - u AAAEI
support of self or parents.
The state labor society is urging the
passage of the child labor bill.
is the third time Senator Smith has
introduced a child labor bill. He in
troduced the first at the session in
1901 and h second during the ses-
sion of 1903 and both were defeated
by close votes.
Il think that if senator's here had
been circumseribed by such a law
when they were boys they would not
be here" said Senator Fitzpatrick. IF
I was c boy again and my widowed
mother was feeble, as she was, and
this bill prohibited me from working
over time I would regret it. This bill
operates for no legitimate purpose un-
less you say it is legitimate to stife
the efforts of children in the interests
of grown up men. 1 say there is moth
ing more humiliating to a boy than
poverty n nothing SO repulsive as
TO ask aid. Many a bow has been
kept from crime by working. / know
there are hundreds, aye, thousands of
boys not supported who if given an
opportunity would work and gather an
education and grow up to become
such an opportunity then they must
go before some charitable board
which more pride in making a
snow thar doing good. It is good men
we need. We have smart men enough.
We need more ambitious men willing
TO do things and we must start with
tne DOy- L am Llred or the lObbieS
which come to the legislature with
bills to hamper the boy from making
q dime or a dollar"
II would suggest" said Senator Du-
mont Smith, that the senator read
the bill before he goes to fighting
windmills. He talks of a certain bill
but such a bill is not before the SEN
ate. I would be against such a bill.
The senator is fighting the bill which
was before the senate two years ago
and which was obnoxious. The lob
best of the Kansas City stock yards
sat in that chair in the rear of the
senate two years ago and defeated the
child labor bill. n agitation to pro-
tect children began 100 years ago in