The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-05-30
Legislature Advances Bill to Put
Safeguards About the En-
pIoyment Of Children
MANY IN KENOSHA AFFECTED
Children Must Re Able to Read and
Write Simple Sentences Before a
Permit for Them to Work in
Factories May Be Given

The vexing question of how far the
state should go in restricting the en-
ployment of children occupied the
attention of the state assembly Friday
and led to another lively debate.
Every day recently has brought about
its heated discussions and parlia-
mentary tournaments which have
made the session interesting and In
structive.
The fight for more drastic child
labor bill was led by the Social Dem
ocrats and although the principle was
approved by most all the members,
there was spirited opposition to some
of the provisions of the bill on the
part of champions of interests which
might suffer by it's enforcement.
These objections found expression
in numerous amendments some of
which prevailed and some we're killed
and then the bill which is of greatest
interest in Kenosha was advanced by
almost an unanimous vote.
The bill reduces the number of
hours which children can be employed
from ten to nine, prohibits night work
in many occupations, adds long list
of dangerous and injurious occupa-
tions from which children are ex-
cluded, and adds an educational test
to determine who shall be allowed to
be employed.
Mr. Campbell introduced an amend
ment permitting employment of
children ia offices and cutting
out the phrase, "any gainful oc-
cupation" from the bill He did
not want to run around and get
a factory inspectors permit every
time he wanted a boy to run an errand
or shovel off his walk. Mr.. Thompson
said Mr.. Cambel1 saw a boyle and
that the law did not apply to such
cases. Mr.. Turner offered an amend
meut to make the law apply to cities
of the first and second class.
Mr.. Norcross favored the Turner
amendment. Let Milwaukee have
such laws, he said, but the rest Of the
state did not need it, The idea that
boys should not be allowed to work
was a great humbug, more boys have
been saved by work than by Sunday
schools, he said. He had no patience
with the law.
Mr.. Weber said Milwaukee did not
need the law as badly as some Of the
other smaller cities. Conditions were
better in Milwaukee than ia Racine or
Kenosha for instance he declared.
Chairman Ingram explained the bill
in the light of the Judiciary commit
tee ana Mr.. Estabrook urged the AS
sembly to stand by the bill. Mr..
Durley also spoke for the bill,
The Campbell amendment was
finally adopted. The Turner amend
ment to apply the law only to cities
of the first and second class then
came up. Mr.. Ingram said such a
law would be virtually useless, and
that any law which attempted to
regulate hours of service in one only
and not in another would be clearly
unconstitutional.
Mr.. Turner was fearful of the laws
bearing on canning factories. Mr..
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and for all that the law did not apply
to outdoor or farm work. The Turner
amendment was voted down.
Then came up the Thompson
amendment requiring ability to read
and write simple sentences before
permits shall be granted children.
This takes the place of the educational
test cut OUT by the committee. This
amendment was carried.
To meet objections of Mr.. Turner,
Schauer and others, Mr.. Ingram pre-
scented ain amendment exenpting cam
ming and picking factories. Mr.. Nor
cross believed this unconstitutional,
but the amendment was adopted. The
bill then came up for engrossment and
was advanced by vote of 90 to S,
Messrs. Kubasta, Mueller, Norcross.
Perry and Fred Smith one voting
no.
The bill as it now stands wilt make
it impossible for fully half the chill
dren holding permits in Kenosha to
secure a renewal of these permits.