The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-07-07
FACTORY CHILD LABOR.


q 8 III 81
what Has bees Done Ina5the Restasla--
s Il: SS ! t.on$of II In New York.
Before the enactment 81 the frst
factory act in 1886 child labor in the
factories of New York were practically
unregulated. The employment Il of
young children throughout. the state
was general and widespread. IN the
up state mill towns It was admitted
by every one that many children under
the age Of fourteen years were en-
ployed. The few r11ani1f acturers who
endeavored to enforce a fourteen year
limit were rare exceptions. Hundreds
of children between the ages Of eight
and fourteen years might be seen ev-
cry morning and night going to and
from the factories.
A dozen Of the younger children
were stopped, says Fred Rogers Fair
child in one Of the publications Of the
American Economic association en-
titled THE Factory Legislation Of the
State Of New York." and questioned
as to their ages. The Oldest was thir-
teen. Others were ten. eleven and
twelve years Of age. One Of them, a
child Of eleven years, had been at work
for nve years. The employment of
children from eight years old UP was
general In all kinds Of occupations.
In the cruller bakeries Of New York
city little children from nine to thir-
teen years OF age worked all night,
getting what little sleep they could in
the shops during the daytime.
Agents Of the childrens' Aid Society
~ S(s %
employed in factories. The factory in
spector said 1t was not uncommon for
children seven and eight years old to
be seen trudging before daylight 70
the factory and after twelve shours Of
steady work and confinement trudging
back to their homes after dark. The
statement was made by a man active
in securing the flrst child labor Law
that before the passage of that law
1t was not uncommon to find children
six years Of age working stxty-six
hours q week:
The result of this extensive employ
ment was evident in the physical con-
dition and lack Of education Of the
children. A great deal of testimony
from physicians and others demon
strates the injurious effects Of factory
labor upon the young children employ
ed. and from all sources comes evil
dence of the ignorance and lack Of
intelligence shown by the little factory
workers, many Of them never having
attended school. AS early as 1887 the
state factory inspector reported Of the
factory act that "the resulting bene-
Ats are apparent in every manufacture
ing city and villige In the common
wealth. Thousands of children who
have been driven or. thrown into the
hard daily grind of mill life were set
free to enjoy a. little sunshine and
obtain the rudiments at least Of an
education, manufacturers were re-
quired to employ an older class Of help
and pay them a higher rate Of wages,
and worthless fathers were forced to
Work and maintain their children in
*~ead Of obtaining support from their
offspring"
Immediately after the amendment Of
1889 requiring an educational test for
children vnder sixteen the Inspector
rerorted that there was lack OF
-sct1oul roona In every, notwithstanding
center, and q demand for more schools
went up all over the State. Accordine
to the United S.atese census report,
the factories Of the state of New York
decreased nearly 60 per cent between
1880 and 1890.