The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-01-05
SEEK STRONGER LAW !.
AGAINST CH|Lb: LABOR
Wisconsin Labor Organizations
Sociological Clubs Work
for New Law.
Expected that Badger State Legis-
lature Will Guido Itself
This Year..

Nv. go
Juvenile labor conditions is being act
lively planned by the Wisconsin child
labor committee. Within a few days
a legislative bill will have been DRAFT
ted ready for presentation at Madison
early in January. This bill, if passed
will amend the present child labor
law in several respects, none of which,
however, will be along radical lines. =
The committee for some time back
has been in communication with Off
Gals and others interested in child la
Dor reform in many states. All such
persons have ben asked what the
conditions are in their state, what laws
have worked beneficial effect, what
is lacking now, and such other ques-
tons as would tend to assist the COM
mittee in forming necessary amend
ments to the Wisconsin statute. The
aim Of the committee has been to as
certain from every possible source
whether or not reforms they propose
have been tried in other states, and if
so what the result has been.
The Wisconsin child labor commit
tee believes that on the whole the
present child labor law is an excellent
statute and has accomplished many
beneficial results. Almost unanimous
state have obeyed the law in letter
and spirit, The cases of violation have
bene mainly where children under the
IA years of age limit have been en-
ployed. And in nearby every such
instance it has been ascertained that
the employer was either careless or
ignorant Of the law. Had he been re-
minded that he had not compelled the
child to present a permit to work the
cimmittee believes he would, without
doubt, have obeyed the law at once.
The effect of the present Wisconsin
child labor law has been to interest
lions, and 1t is generally conceded by
manufacturers that it does not pay to
employ a child under the lawful age
because of the lack of interest by the
child in the work and the liability to
get into trouble through curiosity and
meddlesomeness. It is likely, then,
that part Of the amendments will be
along the line of bringing the provis-
ions of the child labor law more effec-
lively to the notice of employers and
others who may unwittingly violate
it.
The Wisconsin child labor commit
tee has been visiting factories and
other places where children are en-
ployed in Wisconsin and other states.
They have studied conditions care
fully, SO that no amendment will be
proposed that does not as an outcome
of every day working conditions mani
fest it's necessity by something more
than the mere suggestion that it is a
greatly desired reform. The commit
tee has memoranda Of several reforms
that seem all right in the abstract, but
they desire to put the proposition to
the working test here and in other
states and ascertain how they have
resulted.
The committee has been greatly in
terested in the suggestions made to it
that an educational requirement be
| included in the laws governing child
labor, such as is the case in New York
and Massachusetts,, where no child may
be employed until after he has received
schooling covering from five to seven
grades. Perhaps this educattons pro-
position will be included in the pro-
posed amendments.
In some instances, in this state and
elsewhere, parents in conformity with
an old idea, maintain there is no alb
solute necessity for education after
confirmation by the church. The cler-
gy have tried hard to point out the
mistake to parents, but the idea is
deeply rooted. This has a tendency
to convince partnest that the child
loses nothing by placing him in fac
tory at a tender age. This condition,
with respect, to the education child
labor requirement might also be
touched upon In some way in the
amendments planned. Possibly night
school condition might be included in
all child labor permits.
It is also thought that the granting
Of vacation permits should be re-
stricted in some way and provision
may be made for this.