The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-07-14
CHILD LABOR PROBLEM
ST|Rs UP ROOSEVELT
President Sends Labor Appeal "a
I Department of Justice tor
: Reference.
It Should 90 to the Department OF
Commerce and Labor for
Action.

ing him to recommend to congress the
advisability of amending the contract
law Of the federal government. Mr..
Knaus was very much disappointed
that the matter should be referred to
the attorney general He believes
reference to the labor department
would have done some good.
The following are copies Of the cor
respondence passing between Mr..
Knaus and the attorney general. 1t
will be noted that Mr.. Knaus gets
very pointed in his final letter:
June 13, 1906.
His Excellency Theodore Roosevelt,
President of the United States.
Dear Sir: That child labor. permit
ting immature children to work long
hours at hard labor is crying evil,
menace alike to the value or adults
cheapening them as industrial factors
and paralyzing them as consumers
and to the nation as whole by stunt
ing the mental, moral and physical de-
velopment Of a growing generation IS
a proposition so plain that 1t Is taken
for granted.
Under the advertising system OF let
ting out government work, by which
the lowest bidder gets the Job irrespec-
tive OF any other consideration than
the fact that he is the lowest bidder,
this government is placed by indirec-
ton at least in the dlscreditable posi-
ton of activity supporting child labor.
AS a citizen I protest, as a garment
worker call your attention to the fact
50 that should you see fit you may rec
ommend to congress such an amend
ment of the law that the government
of the United States would not be COM
PEELED to be the patron Of sweat shops.
At the Badger Manufacturing Com
pany S shop at Racine, Wis, where
. army suits for the United States gov
eminent are made, hundreds Of little
girls mere mites of humanity, who
ought to be in kindergarten If they
are not old enough to go to school. are
employed, making uniforms for our
army. State factory inspectors and
State laws cannot be depended on to
check this evil.
An enlightened public sentiment
must eventually stamp 1t out. We can
ask decent citizens, self-respectihg and
sufficiently patriotic to heed appeals
Of this sort, to discourage these evils
by insisting on having the union label
on their garments, which Is the only
guarantee that the goods are not sweat
shop made; but we understand that
the exigencies Of government will not
permit of having the union label on
army clothing. But what I demand,
as citizen, is that the government
shall be sufficiently decent in these
business transactions to abstain from
being a patron of the sweat shop.
The cheapness of these clothes or
indeed they are cheaper to the gov
eminent than goods made under fair
conditions) can be no justification war
ranting the government in counten-
ancing and supporting child labor. For
when in the name and under the guise
of economy in the administration Of
public affairs, the highest interests Of
the nation are Slaughtered; when, In
other words, economy becomes access
sorry before the fact to the crime Of
child labor, then 1t clearly ceases to be
a virtue. Yours respectfully.
HENRY KNAUS,
Business Agent, L. U. No. 81, U. g. w.
Of A., Chicago, ILL.,
Department Of Justice,
Washington, June 20, 1906.
c. H. R., S3404.
Mr.. Henry Knaus, Room 20, 206 La
Sale street, Chicago, Ill.
Sir: Your letter addressed to the
President complaining Of the present
system Of letting government con-
tracts to the lowest bidder because, in
your view, such a practice encouraged
the employment of child labor, has
been referred to this department for
reply.
Under the law the government has
practically no discretion, as the statute
imposes LION the agents of the gov
eminent ,he duty of awarding con-
tracts to the lowest responsible bid
der. Respectfully. H. M. HOYT
Acting Attorney General
Chicago. June rs, 1905.
The Attorney General, Washington.
D. c.
Sir: Under date of June 10, 1905,
called the Presidents attention to the
following among other facts:
First-To the admitted evils of child
labor.
Second-To the fact that, under the
present law, 1.-The lowest bidder gets
the 1OD, irrespective OF any other con-
sideration than the fact that he is the
lowest bidder" etc.
1t was set down in the letter to the
President that these facts were called
to his attention so that he might. II he
saw fit, commend to congress such an
amendment Of the law that the gov
eminent Of the United States would
not be compelled to be the patron Of
sweat shops"
Yours Of the Goth inst. &C. H. r.
83404. after the preliminary statement
that the matter was referred to YOU
for reply. I will quote in full so as to
avoid the possibility Of misunder-
standing: Under the law the govern.
ment has practically no discretion. "a
the statute imposes upon the agent Of
the government the duty of AWARDING
contracts to the lowest responsible
bidder
When 1t Is remembered that thi.
condition of the law was specifically
pointed out in my letter to the Presi-
dent as the very reason vvhv tha GOV,