The Washington herald., 1906-11-29
BARRING CHILDLABOR
Senator Lodge VIII Intro
duce Bill Next Week.
PRESIDENT WILL URGE ACTION
Plan Is to Exclude from Interstate
Commerce Products of Establish
ments Employing Children-Bever-
idge VIII Probably Have Bill, Too.
The Philippine Tariff Policy.

Vigorous efforts in behalf of legislation
prohibiting interstate commerce in goods
manufactured by establishments which
employ child labor are to be made dur
ing the forthcoming session of Congress
It is expected that the subject Will be
referred to in the Presidents message
and Senators and Representatives who
are close to Mr.. Roosevelt will exert
themselves to see that whatever recon-
mendations he makes are acted on
A bill which will follow the lines of the
Massachusetts law in a general way will
be introduced next week by Senator
Lodge. It is assumed that this bill will
embody the Presidents ideas in the prem
ises, and that it will be regarded as an
administration measure. It will not be
as sweeping as the law in Senator
Lodges State, but. in his opinion, will
cover the situation and bring about the
desired reforms.
The bill certainly should be passed
without delay" said the Senator yester-
day 1T is beyond the power of the ma
tionai government to enact laws regulat-
ing labor in the various States, Of course,
although such laws should be uniform
throughout the country. Congress can
get at the matter by excluding from IN
terstate commerce all manufactures on
which child labor has been employed, Just
as il struck a blow at manufacturers OF
impure food products by prohibiting the
carriage of such goods as interstate com
merce.
"The protection Of the children ot the
country from the disease and suffering
and ignorance which always go with child
labor is Of even greater Importance than
the protection OF the general public
against impure foods. and Congress
should not hesitate to act The enact
ment Of a Federal law viii not only
prevent all the evil results Of child labor
50 far as the children themselves are con-
cerned. but will save the States which
already have similar laws on their statute
books from unjust competition from fac
tories Of various kinds in States which
have not vet acted. There should be no
opposition to a measure so obviously and
directly calculated to prohibit the gross
abuses which are all too frequent at the
present time.
Senator Beyeridge has also interested
himself in the subject Of child labor. and
il is expected that he will introduce u
separate bill. unless he and Senator
Lodge get together and agree on a meas
urA combining the best Of the ideas Of
both. While comparatively little interest
has been manifested in the subject Of a
ha1g Z
now that Congress can be induced 10 act
before the end Of the short session
Senator Lodge is hopeful of the passage
of the ship subsidy bill at the coming
session. Secretary Roots speeches in the
West, and his demonstration of the absO-
lutte necessity Of additional steamship
lines II we wish to develop the possibil-
tiles Of trade with South America TO the
fullest extent have had marked effect on
Western opinion" said the Senator. The
President will recommend the passage Of
q bill with great eaTneStneSS in his mes
sage, and the friends of the proposed leg
islatiOn VIII exert themselves in its behalf
from the very beginning Of Congress-
Philippine Tariff Policy.
The Philippine tariff bill is another mat
ter in which Senator Lodge is deeply in
terested, and he viii do everything possi-
bic TO get the measure before the Senate
during the coming session. Adjournment
last summer left it pending before the
Committee on Philippines of which he is
chairman, a majority of the committee,
composed of both Democrats and Repub-
licans having been opposed to the sub
mission OF a favorable report. Il have
reason 10 hope that we may be more for
tunate this session than last" said the
Senator yesterday
The administration is extremely anx-
ious to bring about further reductions in
the tariff charges on Philippine goods
coming into this country. The bill sim
ply does justice to the FilipinOs and Ger
tainly should pass in its present form.
If it cannot be passed, however, we
may find it possible TO arrive at a com
promise which will put everything on the
free list except sugar, tobacco. and rice
which products will be admitted at a low
er rate than at present. This would be
great Improvement on the present situa-
tion. I regard the opposition which has
been made 10 the bill as utterly ground
less. for / do not believe the admission Of
Philippine products would have the
slightest effect upon the American pro-
duction of sugar rice, and tobacco.
AT the same time, the proposed law
would not only be a benefit TO the islands,
but would encourage the people there.
even If the direct increase of commerce