Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-30

compels the children of the poor to
work in a factory after they are four-
teen years of age. What he did say
was that the school law compels the
child to attend school a certain num-
Der of weeks a year until the age Of
fifteen and that the factory law gives
them the right to work in a factory
after they are fourteen years OF age.
The factory law prohibits any child
from working in mills or factories
until they are fourteen years Of age,
after this the law will not apply.
The child labor law has nothing to
do with children after fourteen.
1t would be just as reasonable to say
that q boy could stay away from school
to go fishing or cunning because the
child labor law does not prohibit him
from doing this or. to use Mr.. Morri-
sons language, allows him to do IT.
We adm it that the child labor law has
nothing to say as to whether or not he
shall commit any of these acts, work.
ing in a factory included, after he is
fourteen, but the school law Is In eff
feet in all of these cases and i hope
and trust will be enforced.
Now, in regard to the proposition of
changing the school law to the same
age as the factory law, If Mr.. Morrison
and the mill owners succeed in con-
vincing the school officers that there
is no school law since the child labor
law has been enacted and that children
must not be taken from the mills and
sent to schools, because it bOthers the
mill owners sometimes to find men and
women to fill their places and they al
ways have to Jay them more wages,
when this all happens or any part of it,
the state Federation of Labor has a
plan it bcgs to submit very early at the
next session of the Legislature. We
will introduce a bill asking to have the
Child labor law changed so that it
will read fifteen instead OF fourteen
years as the school law now reads ff-
teen years. There would then be no
divergence and that would bring about
just what the mill owner and Mr.. Nor
rison appear to wish. with the single
one year older. However, after they
once went into the mill they never
again would have to leave on account OF
school and this seems to be the feature
that bothers Mr.. Morrison and the
mill owners now. l have no doubt but
that this ChaIs in the child labor law
could easily ~ made as the sentiment
IS very strong in this State, and for
that matter all over the United States;
TO keep the children out Of the fac
tory and in the schools.
1t is not my opinion for one minute
that State of Maine Legislature will
=vcr make the school age lower and if
by any accident they should the |
Referendum will soon be in force and |
then all the people can register in re-
gard to this matter OF any other. Then |
1t is to be hoped there will be some |
different laws and in some instances |
different men to enforce them. Mr.. |
hat 4 quarter part as many children
ire working in the mill now as ever in
The past. When the inspector of fac
tories is going about from place to
place in the State arguing for the nom
of the school law at a /
line when the child labor law is Just |
coming into use, and it seems. should
receive his whole attention, and adj
nits that the law he Is under oath to
enforce is being broken q quarter part
If the time, the people faye a right to
assume that it is more flAn a quarter
md it is fair to presume, taking his
ak for a guide, that there is not much
change. Perhaps Mr. Morrison would
say that as the child labor law con-
licts with the school law the latter
..Hnot be enforced. The same rule
viii apply that because the child labor
aw conflicts with the school law the
'orner cannot be enforced.
ROSCOE 4. EDDY.