The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-13
important Bill introduced
in House Yesterday.
AGAINST CHILD LABOR
Provides That No Male Child Under
Twelve Years and No Female
Child Under Fourteen Years
Shall Be Employed in Any
Factory in This State.

One of the most important bills in
troduced at this session of the Legis-
lature to date, and the one that has
caused more comment than any other,
is that of Representative John S. Gun
ingham of Person. which had it's first
reading III the House yesterday
The title of the bill is "To Amend
Chapter 403 OF the Public Laws of
1908, and to prescribe certain educa-
tional qualifications and other reguIa-
tions for children working in manu-
featuring establishments"
II the law is enacted, no male child
under twelve years of age, and no fe-
male child under fourteen years of age
after September 1St, 1905, shall be
employed or work in any factory or
manufacturing establishment. and no
child under sixteen years of age shah
be employed or work in mines in this
State.
The bill also provides that no male
child under fourteen. years of age
shall be employed, or permitted to
work in any factory or manufacturing
establishment unless he can read and
write, and unless the person or cor
poration employing him procures and
keeps on file and accessible to the
Commissioner of Labor and Printing
and to the county superintendent OF
schools, an approved age and schooling
certificate and keeps two lists of all
such children employed one on file
and one conspicuously posted near the
principal entrance of the building in
which the children are employed and
furnishes q third list to the county SUI
perintendent of schools.
The age and schooling certificate
required may be approved only by the
superintendent of schools of the coun-
| ty wherein the factory or nianufactur-
| ing esta blishment in which the child
| is to be employed is situated, or by
| the principal of some school in the
| county appointed for this purpose by
| it's superintendent: and the superin-
! tendent of schools Cor his appointee).
will have the authority to administer
! the oath necessary for the certificate.
but no fee shall be charged for it.
No age and schooling certificate Will
be approved unless satisfactory evil
dence is furnished by the last school,
| census, the duly attested transcript oi
| the certificate of birth or baptism or
| the child, or other religious record. or
| by such other specific facts as the
county superintendent or his appoln~
| tee in his discretion may require as
proof that the child named in the GER
tificate is Of the age stated by the GER
| tificate. And upon the approval or
/ everv certificate, the superintendent
| (Or mis- appOintee) approving shah
| take duplicate thereof. and the dur
licate shall be fled in the office of the
superintendent of schools.
| The age and schooling certificate
! furnishes the names of the parents or
the child, the date and locality OF ms
birth, and q complete description Oh
| the child, giving MS normal heaith'
land lastly, stating that he or she can
| write legibly in the English language
any section of the Constitution or
/ North Carolina or of the Constitution
of the United States.
The bill is subdivded into nine sec
tions. and section provides chat mot
! exceeding sixty-six hours shall con-
stitute a weeks work in all factories
and manufacturing establishments of
the State, and no person under eigh-
teen wears of age shall be required to
work in such factories or establish
mentS a longer period than siNty-slN
hours in one week; and no person UNI
der fourteen years of age shall be
allowed to work in such factories or
establishments between the hours OF
seven .. M. and five a. M. Provided.
that this section shall not apply TO
engineers, firemen, machinists, super
intendents, oVerSeers. section and YARD
hands, office men. watchmen or re-
pairers of breakdowns.
ANY parent or person SCanu-
ing in the relation Of parent to
any child or children that may be en-
ployed by any factory or manufactur-
| ing establishment. who shall wilfully
mistake the age of such child or chill
dren in the age and schooling certl1-
cate will be guilty of misdemeanor,
and upon conviction will be punished
at the discretion Of the court Any
mill owner superintendent or other
| person acting in behalf of d factory
| or manufacturing establishment who
shall knowingly or wilfully violate the
! provisions of this act will be guilty of
| a misdemeanor and upon conviction
will be punished at the discretion or
| the court; and the employing in the
| factory or manufacturing establish
ment of any male child under the age
| of twelve or any female child under
| the age of fourteen, or the employing
| in mines of any child under the age
| of sixteen, will be Drima facie evi-
dence Of guilt under this act
The Commissioner of Labor
and Printing will have the pow
| er. and it will be his duty, to make
| periodical inspection, either person.
ally or by his duly authorized agent
Of the factories and manufacturing es,
| Establishments within this State with q
view to ascertaining the age of the
employees to be found in them, and
will make a biennia! report of the fac
tories inspected, and. if in any case
he should reasonably believe that
there has been a violation of this act,
Continued on Page Four.)