The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-03-09
Child Labor Cleaninqs.

Through the united efforts Of organ
lied labor and the many good men and
women who say the inhumanity Of
grinding the flesh and bones of inno-
cent little children into dividends I'M
der cruel industrial system laws
have been enacted in many states
which when enforced tend to greatly
lessen the deplorable effects of the
crime of child labor. The child labor
societies, national and state, have done
and are doing great good work in
this direction.
But 1t has seemed impossible until
within the past few months to arouse
a public sentiment upon the subject.
1.-THE most careful, unselfish and i'm
partial investigation has been made of
scores Of the largest factories in the
South, and the proof is overwhelming
that children 8 or 9 years Of age work
twelve to fourteen hours a day, that
children of II years and even less work
all night and that they are pale, SAL
low, stoop shouldered and hollow
chested and manifestly physically and
permanently injured.
1T has been said that those child
toilers are the children of poor parents
and that it is absolutely necessary
that they work in order to aid in sup
port Of the family, and, besides, they
form a small part of the number of
Southern children.
Proposition Not True.
1.-THE first of these propositions is
not true. The cotton mills Of the South
or at least most of them, have made
enormous profits, and they can afford
to pay fathers and mothers wages
enough to support their families and
yet make fair returns on their capital.
Litigation between stockholders In
Virginia cotton mill recently revealed
10 per cent semi annual dividends, and
many have made twice as much.
1.-THE second proposition is manifest
ly unsound because no section or ma
ton can afford to have needlessly
ground up the bodies and souls of tens
order that manufacturing industries
may pay large dividends.
From that laboring class which fur
nishes human grist for the remorseless
mills of sordid commercialism come
the very bone and sinew and civic
worth and virtue of the nation, and
the seed corn Of the future is being
daily used up.
Texas, first in the procession of the
states in area, in resources and in
prospect for q great future. should be
first to raise the standard of value of
lives and characters Of children and
should enact such laws as will not per-
NIT the sacrifice of her children of
tender years for the sake of gain, but
make 1t impossible for avarice to add
to its horde Of i'll gotten gains more
wealth bought with ruined bodies and
blighted lives Of the children of the
poor"
An All Important Subject.
The subject of child labor is one
the Importance Of which cannot be
overestimated.
1T Is a fact that cannot be disputed.
and most lamentable fact, that tens.
perhaps hundreds of thousands Of chill
dren in the South are being worked in
factories at such age and in such hours
as to have the effect Of arrestinr their
growth, prevent moral training and cd
ucation and leave them at maturity
lacking in intellectual, moral and ply
steal v1gor necessary to make them
useful citizens"
Evade Child Labor Law.
To show you how the glass manufac-
turers disobey the law I will state that
I have secured $500 convictions in six
years OF my office. One large factory
covering $40 acres in Alton, ILL.,. has
two gates for inspectors to get in and
lots Of holes for kids to get out-Edear
T. Davies, chief factory inspector Of
Illinois.
A Crime Against FREQ Institutions.
The purpose of this republic is to
produce a better type of manhood and
womanhood land that he or she shall
develop such manhood or womanhood
is the absolute right of ever boy and
girl beneath the flag land any indus
trial system that robs the American