New-York tribune., 1906-12-03
PEOPLES FORUM OPEN.
Child Labor an South and the Coun-
try's Opportunities Discussed.

The Peoples Forum at New Rochelle was
opened for the winter season this afternoon with
addresses by Mrs Frederick Nathan. president
OF the Consumers League, and J. G Monaghan
editor Of the United States consular reports.
The meeting was held in the New Rochelle The-
atre. and Professor II. c. Bumpus Of the Mu-
scum of Natural History. introduced the speak
ers.
Mrs. Nathan. taking as her subject Bible
Ethics IS. Business Ethics" described the abuses
Of child labor. particularly they exist in the
South There are fifty thousand children. most
Is little girls, she said, working in the Southern
textile mills Continuing, she said:
These little factory slaves are not as well fed
and cared for as the Negro slaves were. These
chiids work where the dust cnokes them
and gives them tuberculosis, and many of them
die of consumption.
Just think of it. that fifty thousand of these
little tors at The time they should he nesting
IN their beds with their dollies their sides
are aroused by the shrill factory whistle and
compelled 10 go TO work. work that sometimes
lasts far into tho night Others are employed
all night at the looms and bobbins, and when
morning comes they can be found lying around
on the factory benches TOO tired and weary TO
go home 10 their breakfasts When we stop to
consider that these little girls are 10 be the
mothers Of future generations are we not short
sighted TO permit such conditions to exist?
The people Of the Northern States. who were
so shocked two generations ago by African
slavery, are more responsible for these child
labor outrages than the Southerners, because
the stocks of most OF the large Southern cotton
and textile mills are held in the North l don't
want 10 say that all rnanufsc fscturers are brutal
but they are the victims Of this cut1hroat COM
petition which has behind It the constant fear
that II they don't produce certain high dtvi-
oends the people won't put any more money in
their stocks.
At the close Of Mrs. Nathan's address she
offered a resolution calling on Health Commits
sioner Darlington 10 enforce the Child Labor
law, which was unanimously adopted.
Ny Monaghan took as his subject America
q Land Of Unlimited Opportunities" He said
that America was ahead Of all the world for its
wealth Of raw material but it was behind
European countries IN the method of instruct
ing the young men of the country how to use it
He added:
The trouble with this country is that we sell
our raw material abroad and then let the for
eig0ers send il back TO in the form of finished
goods ana charge for the manufacture of il,
When we could just as well do the work at
nome II We had me almost perfect system OF
trade schools that exist the Continent The
wealth Of the United States amounts TO about
one hundred and ten billions a sum large
that no mathematician could measure ii except
by comparing II 10 the leaves Of the trees or
the stars Of the heavens. Great Britain has only
flfCy-fIvs billions; France only fifty billions
Germany, fOrty-five billions; Russia, thirty-f1ve
billionsi Italy eighteen billions. and Spain, only
twelve billions
When you come TO figure II out you will find
that the United States now clothes the world,
feeds II ana heats it
We have only 70 learn how to raw
materials, and then there VIII be no further
complaint about the OverCrowding Of
American cities or the scarcity of work The
young men who come 70 Us from the Old World
are ready 10 seize opportunities when they pre-
sent themselves because Of their careful tech
nical education. Every mine and forest and
stream in this country teems with opportunities
for The young men Let Us establish our schools
1narck has said of us-.eWe nave the raw ma
terial, but We need schools