The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08
CHILD LABOR LAWS IGNORED.
STATE DEPARTMENT CHARGED
WITH GROSS INEFFICTENCY,

| Commissi oncr AIcMaclfin, brooklyn Women
Are Told. Has His Inspectors IIustlng
20 Secure His disappointment and Lets
thcLaws Go-Tellins Array OF Figures.
The women members of the Brooklyn
Consumers League met in the Assembly
! In Pierrepont street Brooklyn, vest erday,
and were told that the child labor laws of
the State were not being enforced. Mrs.
! Lillian w. Belts, president OF the league,
charged tho State Labor Department with
inefllciency, and Robert Hunter chairman
of the Child Labor Committee. backed
up tho charges with statistics. John
MoMachn is the State Commissioner Of
Labor.
"Out OF 5000 cases Of violation Of the
child labor laws in the past year. said
Mr. Hunter, there have been only thirteen
prosecutions. Out of these so Ooo cases the
inspectors returned to only 1900 OF them
TO see that the law had been enforced.
An inspector is to enforce the law or prose-
cute. And the law should be enforced
under his eyes. But we can never get
an enforcement Of the laws with Mr.
McMackin at tho head.
Il have proof that the thlrty-eight in
spectors who are now supposed to be out
looking for violations Of the law are getting
signatures 10 a petition requesting the re-
appointment Of Mr. McAiackin TO Office.
one of these inspectors approached your
own president for her signature, and she
refused"
Mr.. Hunter told how little children, rang
ing from TO years old, were employed
in the canning factories upstate, and that
Mr. McAlacltin, though he had been re-
peatedly informed of this deplorabie con-
dition, had refused TO inforce the laws,
saying that the children were only playing
in the fields and went 10 the factories with
their mothers. who would be deprived of
their weekly stipend If they could not take
their little ones with them.
Mr. Hunter declared that the little chill
dren were at labor under sheds, with in
spectors standing over them 20 sec that
they did not loiter at their work.
AT Rome and several other places he
said. when We inspected the factories we
found that hundreds OF children under IA
years of age we're employed all the year
round
Though Illinois had but eleven inspectors
we had thirty eight-out Of 525 viola
tons there were the same number Of
prosecutions, while here out Of so, 600 vio-
lations we had but thirteen prosecutions.
And after eighteen years the violations Of
child labor laws were increa sing.
Mrs Belts said that she wished 20 cor
rect what Mr. Hunter had said about an
inspector approaching her with request
for her signature 10 q petition TO keep
McMaokin in Office, She added This in
spector asked me if were so approached
without Mr.. McMackin's knowledge, what
would | say and | said, On the administra
tion of the New York Office. / would have
to say that / do not believe Mr.. McMackin
should be reappointed'
The Office OF the Department Of Labor
is a shame and disgrace TO the city of
New York. It's vile and dirty. from the
front door right through, and | know OF
no place 80 quiet, except Greenwood early
IN the morning. There Is nothing done
in that office and if had nervous prostra-
ton | should ask for no more peaceful
place than that 10 SO for rest
According 20 law, both the Board Of
Health and the Tenement House Depart
ment are supposed TO cooperate with the
Department OF Labor. and | wish TO give
you a little illustration OF how well they
work together
Several weeks ago was passing tene-
ment house and noticed a measles sign
hanging 80 the door, with Or. Lederle's
name. instead Of DR.. Darlingtons That
hlIuth LlF Us lStluk u bAAif iltBHluI anu
entered the house and asked TO see the
sick person. II was baby, and saw that
it was dying. There were at least fifteen
women in the room with the sick child
and they all had half finished garments
on their arms that sooner or later YOU or
| or some Of our friends will wear ilnme-
diately telephoned 10 the Board OF Health,
and u quiet cultured voice told me that
such a ease was not under the jurisdiction
of the Board Of Health that the Department
OF Labor took charge OF such cases | called
MP he Department on Labor and told them
OF the conditions in the tenement house
@The next day the baby died It's body
uncoffined. lag in the room. where these
women sowed on garments, for a day and
half Then the body was put in a coffin
twenty minutes before tho funeral Three
hours later the infant was buried. The
Department Of Labor sent me letter,
SAYING that thS case Of measles ! referred
10 them three days before vas a case for the
Board OF Health
aThe other Int / watched the en-
ployees como out Of the Chelsea jute mills
and counte9 eighteen children under eight
years OF age, twenty-five under ten and
eghty-two under fourteen. and the Chelsea
iute mills are no worse than many other
factories. The inspectors got evidence and
do not act upon il.
Ladies this idiotic law, that went into
effect on the LIST of last October We must
act upon. II is for licensing the teneu ent
house and not the individual apartn ent
for the Manufacture or finishing Of ger
monts. &c. Out of 5000 applications sent
into the Department of Labor for these
licenses, only two have been granted. And
do you think that the people have stopped
working because they haven't licenses?
Not a bit OF IT, They are working just the
same and crowding more into the tene-
ments every day When | went TO Mr..
John Williams, First Deputy Commissioner
OF the Department Of Labor, and asked him
how he was going TO enforce this law with
only thirty-eight Inspector. he replied:
We are going 10 go easy And since the
1T OF October OUT OF 5000 applications for
licenses only two have been granted.
For this nefhciency l blame Gov. Odell.
either for the lack Of funds or for the ap
poiutment 81 incompetent men. Before the
next appointment We must work, not with
bias. but TO get the right man in Office