Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-17
PROBLEMS OF CHILD LABOR
Owen R. Lsv'iOy Delivers Address At
Creighton Law Jollsse.
comA[SOs THE JUVENILE COURT LAW
In Afternoon Has Conference with
Members Of the LeEisIature on New
Laws which Are Needed in
Nebraska.

/ The assembly room OF Creighton Law col
lege, on Eighteenth street. was fairly well
| nlled Thursday evening with representative
men and women. including many ministers
and members of the legal profession, TO
hear owen r. Lovejoy, field secretary OF
the national child saving committee, on the
subject OF Child Labor and It's Evils 4"
The meeting was presided over by Judge
Howard Kennedy. Those occupying seats
on the platform were Judge Kennedy, Judge
Sutton Of the Juvenile courts, Mayor
James c. Dahlman and Father McGovern
| Of ST. Philomena's school and Mr.. Love-
Joy. Judge Kennedy welcomed the visitors
on behalf OF the Social Service club Of
Omaha, which is an organization, he said
without a constitution. without funds, Is
OF small membership, but to which organi-
cation all citizens are eligible who wish to
assist IN the solution Of social problems"
Judge Sutton was tho first ppoaIter and
gave a brief history Of the work of the
Juvenile court during the past eight months,
what It had accomplished and what 1t OK
peoted to accomplish.
COmmends Nebraska Laws.
Mr.. LoveJoy began his address with a
high commentator OF the work OF the
Juvenile laws and courts of Nebraska, as
being closely connected with the special
work OF child labor evils In which he was
so vitality Interested. He said, in part:
The census Of 1900 awakened the Ameri-
can people to the realization of the fact
that the United States was maintaining the
any country in the world, and that 100000
Il was true that the larger per cent tot of them them
were employed in agriculture, there was far
too great per cent employed in the min
ing, mechanical and manufacturing indus.
TO 1910 the increase Of boys In the child
labor emPloyments had increased 100 per
cent, while with girls 1t had increased 100
per cent and this during the periods of our
greatest national prosperity
He told Of the physical deterioration of
children and adults In the mining regions
OF Pennsylvania, and said that no less an
authority than, General a w Greedy. who
Commercial club Thursday noon, said
so great has become the physical dete-
Ttoraion at Pittsburg that the government
there because of the inferiOrity Of the eye
sight of the recruits who had worked IN
glass factories
Legislation Hard 10 Get.
Mr.. Lovejoy told of the inability to Sc
cure needed legislation from congress be-
cause of the lack Of interest in the question
among senator's and representatives, who
attributed the agitation to sentiment as
wanting of sincerity. There are more
forces at work for the moral advancement
of children in New York City, with all it's
accredited .wickedness, than any other place
in the countrSs-except Omaha said the
speaker. He told Of the 10000 sweatshops
in that city, and that many of the worst OF
them we're in localities surrounded by
churches and child-saving institutions, but
that the children were kept under such
strict surveillance by their taskmasters that
II took a newspaper reporter 70 show up the
deplorable condition. He urged the passage
OF laws in Nebraska requiring proof OF age
in the employment of children before some
great industry had established itself in
Omaha or elsewhere and so entrenched
itself as to influence legislation against
child labor and to do this now before it
was too late.
Leaves school at Eleven.
The average American child leaves school
at the age of IL years because Of the laxity
Of our child labor laws and the Indifference
toward the enforcement Of those that do ex.
list. While machinery has fifted the burden
OF labor from the shoulders of the heads
Of families the lawful breadwinners II has
ahorded a field for child labor 10 do work
that belongs TO adults, and thus divides the
neither the child not the father Is enabled
70 make comfortable living. Take the
children from the shops and educate them
and let the breadwnning fall to those to
whom II belongs, and instead OF bringing
forth race Of physical degenerates bring
forth strong manly. starwart men and
women. Tho question of race suicide so
ably discussed by President Roosevelt is
not question Of quantity of children but
derstand and practice this great economic
question IN the rearing OF cattle and horses,
and why not In our own species. There is
great waste of our educated wealth by
this very means. II is also a most vital
question Of economies of the American
home, and is yet the greater question OF
intellectual. educational and industrial eff