Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04
AGAINST CHILD LABOR
Senator Beveridge's Prohibitive
Bill introduced.
INTERSTATE JURISDICTION
A Stiff Fight Expected From Large
Employers.
POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THE LAW
Believed That State Legislation Will
Be Forced If This Measure is
Passed by Congress.
INTERSTATE JURISDICTION
OSSIBLE EFFECTS OF THE LAW


| bition upon child labor. Much has been
| said and printed about this measure in an
ticipation of its formal presentation to
| Congress, and the subject is likely to be-
| come one of the most important items of
| the session. 1t is expected that the lines
of advocacy and opposition will be tightly
drawn, the bill receiving the Endorsement
| of the most notable social reform workers
| in the United States and mourning the &C
| tive hostility of the great corporations and
! industrial interests which now enjoy the
benefits of cheap Juvenile labor.
Senator Beveridges bill, in full, is as fol-
| lows:
BE it enacted by the Senate and House
| of Representatives of the United States in
| Congress assembled, That six months from
| and after the passage of this act no car
| rler OF interstate commerce shall transport
| or accept for transportation the products
| of any factory or mine in which children
under fourteen years of age are employed
or permitted to work. which products are
| offered to said interstate carrier by the
| firm, person corporation owning or oper-
ating said factory or mine, or any officer
| or agent or servant thereof. for Transport
| tation into any other state or territory
| than the one in which said factory Is
| located
Section 2. That no carrier Of interstate
| commerce shall transport or accept for
or mine offered 1t for transportation by
any person, firm corporation which
owns or operates such factory or mine, or
any officer, agent servant of such per-
son, firm or corporation until the presi-
dent or secretary or general manager of
such corporation or a member Of such firm
or the corporation owning or operating
such factory or mine has complied with the
provisions of this act
Section g. That the form of said afi-
davit shall be prescribed by the Secretary
of the Department of Commerce and Labor.
After the first affidavit is filed a like aff1-
davit shall be filed with the interstate
rier to which such factory or mine offers
its products for transportation every six
months; and after the first affidavit. subse-
quent aff1davits shall also state that no
children under fourteen years of age are
employed or permitted to work in said fac
tory mine or have been employed or per-
mitted to work in said factory mine at
any time during the preceding six months.
Section 4. That any officer or agent of
a carrier Of interstate commerce who Is
a party to any violation of this act who
knowingly violates any Of the provisions
of this act shall be punished for each Of
Tense by fine of not more than $4,000 nor
less than $1,000, or by imprisonment for
not more than six months nor less than
one month, or by both said fine and i'm
prisonment In the discretion of the court.
Any person by this act required to file the
affidavit herein provided for who fails or
refuses to file such affidavit, who shall
shall be punished by a fine not exceeding
$4,000 nor less than 5000, or by impris-
onment not exceeding one year nor less
than three months, or by both said fine and
Imprisonment in the discretion of the
court
Widespread Interest.
Recently in an address before the Y. M.
c. A. of eastern Indiana and western Ohio
at Richmond. Ind. Senator Beverage for
bic to inf
a bill prohibiting the employment of chill
dren under fourteen years Of age in all
mines and manufacturing establishments
shipping their products directly over inter-
state lines of railroad, giving the outline
of the proposed bill This formal an
nouncement was published in all the daily
newspapers throughout the country and has
aroused widespread interest and evoked a
sharp debate on the subject.
During the last campaign Senator Bev-
eridge referred to this evil in every speech
he delivered all over the country. He
found the response of every audience in
slant and earnest. AS the campaign pro-
crossed the interest of the people in this
subject constantly grew. and evidences
were plain that they were convinced that
the remedy of the practice cannot be left
to the states. 1t is now regarded as nee
essary to make this subject of federal
legislation. because where the evil is worst
the interests that profit by 1t are so pow
erful that they control the state legislature
what is worse, pass mutilated and dishon-
est legislation. Where good law is got
ten on the statute books these interests
are so powerful with the executive
branches of these state governments that
| the law is not enforced. Furthermore, If
one state passes a good law and enforces
| 1t and another state does not. the enter
| prise in the latter state has a great bust
| ness advantage over those in the state
| which has passed and enforced the good
| law.
Question of Constitutionality.
| Senator Beveridge had at first considered
| the drafting of bill upon the same theory
| as his meat inspection bill of last year, di-
rectly forbidding any factory, NINE shop.
ETC. from employing labor of children I'M
| der fourteen years of age. providing for in
spection. etc. But he abandoned this idea,
| temporarily at least. for the following tao
| teal reasons: First, plausible though
! not valid constitutional objection could be
| urged to this. Just as such an objection
| can be and was urged to the meat inspec-
| ton bill Indeed. under the decision of
the federal district court in the Kansas
| City case (Moyer agt. United States, Fed
| eral Reporter. No. SD. both the meat and
pure food bills might be held to be uncon-
! stitutional. Second. he was satisfied that
| this direct bill would be most fercely re-
| sisted by the great mining concerns and
manufacturing establishments and the rail-
roads which carry their products, and that
|
packing interests and not only defeat this
| BILL but probably attack the meat inspec-
| ton and pure food bills in the courts and
possibly overthrow them.
| So he devised the plan set out in the Dill
| introduced today. To this, it Is believed.
| there can be no constitutional objection
| whatever OF more than two hundred edi-
torials in the press throughout the country
| since the announcement of his purpose to
| introduce this bill, those which either OPP
| posed or questioned this measure all ad-
| mitted it's constitutionality. Their objec-
| tons were, in word, that it was ques-
| tionable policy to go far into the extern
| sion of federal authority.
! The bill, it is believed by its author. will
| take the heart out of the evil. 1t is not
| expected that it will reach every phase.
For example, it will not affect goods offer
| ed to interstate carriers by jobbers II
! will not reach local sweat shops. But it is
believed that it will reach every manufac-
turing establishment and every mine that
directly ships its products over the lines of
interstate carriers. This means that. If
enacted and enforced, it will wipe out
child labor in the mines of Pennsylvania
| in the cotton mills of Georgia, in the
| manufacturing establishments of New Jer-
sey, Rhode Island and Maine-the five spots
| where the child-abor disease is most xiru-
lent.
| State Laws Nav Follow