The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-03
Defence OF the Child Labor Bill.
Raleigh, n. c.. Jan IS.


Raleigh. n. c.. Jan. IS
Editor OF The Messenger:
Having cen away from this city ]
Gid not see your editorial of last SUM-
day, OF I should have attempted to re-
Ply to it sooner. / beg a brief space
in your columns.
Mr.. Robert Hunter, from whose
great book you quote, is chairman of
the New York State Committee On
Child Labor and a member IF the Ma
tional Committee. He has done more
than any n IN New York state to
fring about the enforcement of the
New York law which makes The age
limit fourteen for children that can
3 and write and sixteen for those
who cannot. Mr.. Hunter attributes
much OF the pauperism of our day to
child labor. the child taking away h
mans work by being forced to work
himself Certainly there would be
fewer people out of work today II the
demand for child labor should lie stop
ped altogether. / am unable to see
Why North Carolina should rot have.
finaiiy, as humane a law for the pro-
lection OF its children, a. New York
or any other state. But just row we
are only trying ID save the girls who
have to go into the mills a. twelve
years of age. and at hat most deEcate
and critical period of a young girls
life stand UP FOR twelve hours a day
or night. at work in the mill. And tie
~forbidding boys II enter the mill under
fnJ1rfaan ,,r1ncr f.1v
write, will send those under that az,
to. school, as has f.een the experience
of twenty states in the union, three
states among them. This is
no new thing. 1t was recommended
by Superintendent Joyner two years
ago and by Governor Aycock, and by
Commissioner of Labor Lacy. some
years before.
III present law is ineffective. There
are hundreds of ten n eleven year
Old children in the mills contrary 10
law. because their parents say they are
twelve and the mill superintendent
take their word for it. IF all the mill
men have said about the vampire
parent is true. he is not the most
trustworthy individual. Experience
has again demonstrated that the only
| way to lave the law enforced is to
connect it with the educational system
and have the teacher give the certif-
cate.
superintendent Joyner has showed
| UP the illiteracy of the mill districts in
spite Of all hat has beer cl1imed
about the generosity of the mill men
in building schools. i should he the
last to question that generosity aud
yet if the mill districts were encour-
aged to vote a special tax of thirty
cents on the hundred dollars, IS nun
dreds Of schooLdistricts have done in
North Ca DINA, there would be a
larger school fund in every instance.
It is perhaps true m some instances
that the family is better off at the mil
| than on the farm. I nave UGH a fond
! ness for the farm myself that I have
| found it hard to believe it. But GER
tainly the child Of twelve years who
| is put to work for eleven hours and
| fifty minutes every day With a half
holiday on Saturday, is not the gamer
| by the change. We are '~'crediting the
| good fortune Of the family to the mis-
fortune of the child" And there is a
demand for labor in North Carolina
and the employment OF children makes
the competition unfair between the
mill and the farm. and North Carolina
| farms are suffering from hat COM
petition today.
The cause of the children is bound
| to win. And we suspect that ten years
from now The Messenger will be
ashamed that any editorial against
| that cause was written for its files.
Respectfully.
A. ]. McKELWAY.