New-York tribune., 1905-01-08
the children home and arresting the proprietor
who prosecuted.

A REFORM ENFORCED.
In Gloucester. during the strike at the fsh fac
tories. it found that sanitary conveniences
had been provided for the women and young girls
in one factory. that the conditions were almost
unspeakable. A visit to the State police with
shape OF district detective and the proprietor Of
the factory was obliged to call In contractor to
build the necessary conveniences. This condi-
ton had existed for years before some finally
reported IL to the State Federation's executive
COUNSEL 1t is charged that the child labor laws
also being violated in Millbury and other places in
the western part of the State where furs
made UP. and this is being investigated.
thorough campaign. covering the entire State
has been planned by the executive council OF the
federation, and every complaint of abuses vio-
lations OF the law will be carefully inquired into.
A series OF camera pictures win be taken and
positive evidence secured These expeditions will
be secret. and made Unexpectedly. so that no one
Will know when and where the Investigations will
strike first Where children working who
manifestly younger than claimed their birth
ords will be verified through the town records
steamship records and even in their native
Try IL of foreign birth. Facts obtained will be
laid before the State police with the demand that
the law be enforced in these and the offend
ing 9ropretors prosecuted.
Since the Federation has taken up the work Of
investigation more children attended the Boston
night schools last year than for four years past,
the reason being that many feared being debarred
from employment because OF illiteracy. The lines
labor men do not intend that in cases where chill
dren are the sole support of their mother or
ployment. The crusade is aimed at greedy fathers
and unscrupulous employers as well as unsanitary.
immoral or other evil conditions.
IN the course OF his Investigations Secretary
mates of consumptives' home in Boston had
worked nearly all their lives in the mills. and
dread white plague had finally seized upon them
aided through this and other charities. three
four drag out their weak, cheerless existence as
best they can The mortality in mill towns is ex-
In Massachusetts child labor in all branches OF
trade, including all minors under twenty-one and
children between the ages of fourteen and sixteen
tory legislation is strengthened by the compulsory
school law. which REQUIRES every child under the the
law puts the issuance of certificates giving age
ana atteneance INTO the hahos Oh the l4fai scnool
officers 10 look after children under fourteen who
standing between the school authorties and fac
tory inspectors. SO that mutual assistance charac-
teriZes their work
FORGED CERTIFICATES
The State factory inspectors have especially had
TO contend with parents of foreign birth who
recent arrivals in this country. and who are for
ever trying TO evade the laws. In Fall River the
superintendent of schools became convinced that
number Of certificates OF birth presented by newly
arrived immigrants had been forged. and the school
authorities there require that certificates OF
births OF children In immigrant families lately ar
rived shall bear the seal and signature OF the
American vice-consul in their former home town.
1t is possible that If this matter were gone into
deeply fraudulent traffic in birth certificates might
be unearthed, as In the recent naturalization
frauds.
coHery s that hundreds of ttIe creek and Italian
boys were being imported into this city through
Shoe towns and Smaller cities at oootblacRing ana
truck farming and fruit Peddling The immigration
who came on the Mediterranean steamers. 1t was
the other side, and had numerous ''uncles''
other ostensble relatives awaiting them when they
leading 10 arrests. but watchfulness and the de-
portatlons have broken up the system for time
been beaten and half starved. while their wages
TO shop There was no happy boyhood school life
play for these lads. From in the morning till 10
tugging heavy fruit boxes. and were cuffed right
and left with hard straw bed to sleep on at night
they discovered the boy is held for some in
case was discovered recently of a little girl in
delicate health who was working in a store while
her mother frequented saloons and spent most of
the childs earnings, while little brother was
eIIe1 % a Ioe s6a cn,d aFts hoT % note 04s
home.
FORCED TO BEG
In speaking OF parents who will lie concerning
the age of their children. Arthur K. Whitcomb Su-
perintendent OF Schools in Lowell who has direct
charge Of child labor matters in far they
affect the schooling Of children, said:
LAS TO the part that parents guardians play
in labor frauds attempted frauds only know
that large number of them entirely willing to
take oath to ages which appear to Us TO be so i'm
probable that decline to credit their state
ments'
Mr.. Whitcomb's statement shows where much OF
the trouble of enforcing the child labor laws of
it has been found that young children out
in the streets 10 beg. sell papers work at boot
black stands or in shops, while the father and
mother lived their earnings in idleness. Where
such found. the children have been
given into the of some institution. Other
Instances have been found where the combined
earnings Of father. mother and children were bare
iy sufficient TO keep the family together. Some of
these cases really pitiful In the North End,
the Italian-Jewish quarter OF the city, there Is
little at best, and in numberless houses peo-
pie are hiVed in closely inspectors of the
Board OF Health will permit
A compilation of figures from Official sources
where hundred more children of the legal
age fourteen to sixteen) employed in factories
mercantile establishments. including Boston.
Figures for 1904 unavailable, but in 1903 there
1889 children employed in the textile indus
tries and l,Os in the shoe industries. Mercantile
establishments employed relatively few. Fall River
has the largest number, 1871 and Lowell the next
rious factories and mercantile establishments OF
above mentioned cities is 146i which practical
ly covers the manufacturing iterests of Massa-
chusetts Additions to these figures for small towns
and minor establishments would bring the grand
total TO probably less than twenty thousand.
TNTET TTGENT WRENC