Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-26
LAWS The WOMEN WILL ASK
Outline Of Measures that VIII Have the
FsdsratiOn's Support
SYSTEMATIC EFFORT TO SECURE PASSAGE
Compulsory Education, ChiId Labor
and Pure Food Bills In state
Legislature and kindred
Measures I'm Congress.

and pure rood bills In state
legislature and Kindred
Measures I'm Congress.
one OF the most serious considerations
that came before the meeting Of the eXecu-
tive board OF the Nebraska Federation OF
Womens clubs at Lincoln last Tuesday
was the creation Of a legislative committee,
the function Of which should be to watch
such measures coming before the state
! legislature as are OF interest to cluo
women, and keeping the women duty ad-
{ vised; also to represent the federation In
the interest of such measures. Il is a
/ question whether club women generally
/ recognize the Importance of such COM
mittee OF the signiRcance OF it's necessity
! for it has become necessity. At the state
convention at Searney Iasr October the
state federation pledged i,s support to four
important measures that win come before
3 the Nebraska legislature this winter and
ia petition It's representative in congress
for the passage Of three other measures
now pending. For these federal measures
the women can do lGue but petition ana
create public sentiment that will influence
congress but Tor those matters that per-
tain to Nebraska they can and must work
sire is accomplished It will doubtless be
done through the agencies that will get all
the credit, but women, and especially club
women, learned long ago that the result IS
worth all their effort and that they can
afford 20 sacrifice the credit TO anyone
who will contribute TO The desired end. AS
a matter OF fact II has been the policy
of the club women to keep I'm the back
ground and it has been a wise policy. Prcju-
fNfn f-
womans movement, even among disintcr-
ested men, but where women would advance
project that encounters interested oppo-
sition, experience has taught them that
their arguments spoken by men produce
better results than when presented by them
selves.
WOman's Greatest work.
; Educating public opinion is always a large
part of woman's work, but Interesting such
interesting them to an extent that they
influences as will carry most weight ana
will assume responsibility is her most del
0 icate task. This is the work of the few;
! the rank and file can do the rest, and tho
+ educating of public sentiment is no sman
g responsibility.
After these interested friends have been
: enlisted to present the matters to the leg
/. islature and take care of them there. the
clubs Of the state, must do their part for
no one organization of men can overcome
I the pressure that is brought to bear upon
4 legislators unless it has the support ol
i the constituents of those legislators. This
!; is the work of the clubs. Interested mer
/, who are ready and willing to work have
= already pledged their best efforts but
I they predict that they will encounter op
= position that will necessitate the combined
1 efforts Of all friends of the proposed bills.
/ Compulsory Education Law.
q First and perhaps the most importan
It of all these measures are two amendment
:. to the compulsory education law and tn,
/. child labor law, both of which will affec
Is all employers of children. Repeatedly tn
, women have been assured that Nebra ski
y has no child labor problem, but their agi
h tation of the past four years has resulte,
y i'm several quiet efforts to render inefIectiv,
= such laws as the state now has and Il
forestall any action that might result late
from their awakening TO the real condi
tlons. The effort in the last legislature I,
abolish the ofice of deputy labor commits
sioner, which carries a salary OF S1,5OO
: year and is the only agent the state az
- fords to enforce the present labor law
e was an example Of this. In brief, thes
d two amendments include, regarding com
2 pulsory education, first, that any chill,
e who is not regularly and lawfully en-
g ployed shall attend school the full schoo
year instead OF but twenty weeks IN,
present requirement, and until he is /
years OF age instead Of 10 years, as now.
Second, that a child may be excused
from school to enter regular and Lawful
employment at IA years, instead Of 10 years
the present provision. This will be modi
fed by clause providing that upon enter
ing employment under 16, he must be pro
vided with a certificate from the superin
tendent OF instruction. stating his age .anS
school record. This certificate will be KEEP
by the employer and as soon as the chill,
ceases to be employed the certificate mus
be returned to the superintendent. Thi
will enable the school authorities TO keel
track of all children and prevent truancy
Child Labor Law
The proposed child labor amendment OF
Il may be introduced as a new clause fl
the law, provides that before beginnin,
to work in any manufacturing or CONNER
cial institution a child must have com
pleted the first five grades Of the publ,
schools. instead of attending but twent,
weeks as now required: that under Is year
OF age no child may work after o'clock II
the evening. longer than eight hours day
or forty-eight hours a week, and fourteen
occupations are prohibited that are danger
out TO the life, limbs or morals OF the child
Under the present law women and girl
may not work more than ten hours day
but there Is no restriction whatever place,
upon the hours OF employment OF boys
This is one OF the strong points OF tn,
proposed change, as it limits the hours o
employment Of children under 16 years o
age 10 eight hours a day; forbds thei
working at night and will greatly redue,
their employment on Sunday. az they ma,
not work more than forty-eight hours, o
six days in one week. The strongest proc
that Nebraska needs such a law is fouu,
IN the bitter opposition that its advocac,
has oecasioned. The deputy labor commits
sioner il the only oficer in the state who's
LllaLuoa. N L- IL. LL.L LL.-. !. -