Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-17
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emit of schools stating age and school rec
ord. There are several important require.
completion of certain amount of school
work before child under 16 may secure an
several provisions guarding against mis-
statements and false oaths by parents and
others regarding the age of a child. A
child of Ia who has not completed the pre-
scribed school work may secure a certih-
cate by showing regular attendance at
night school No child under 16 may be em-
ploved moro than eight hours in one day,
nor more than forty-eght hours i'm one
week, nor before z o'clock in the morning
nor after o'clock in the evening. No
child under 10 may be employed in any oc-
cupation dangerous to health or morals. The
enforcement of the law is left primarily to
the deputy labor commissioner and truant
officers, assisted by a state board of in
spectors, serving without pay, to be APP
pointed by the governor.
The amendments to the compulsory edu-
cation law were introduced in the senate
by Thomas of Douglas and are known
as follows:
When not legally and regularly employed.
compulsory attendance is required to l6 in
stead of 10 years of age. Attendance is re-
quired for1the full period each year, instead
Of two-thirds OF, that period. child of
IA may be legally employed for his own
support, or those dependent upon him. pro-
Viding he attends a night school, or its
equivalent, six hours week for school
year OF not less than twenty weeks.
TWO years ago, through the influence
| OF club women, Nebraska placed on its
statute books the best juvenile court law
| In the United States. This year let us see
/ to it that Nebraska enacts an equally
strong compulsory educational law. that it
may maintain its proud position of the low
! losing
The proposed child labor law is copied
! from the Illinois, Massachusetts, New
/ York, Colorado and Oregon statutes. ILL
| nois leads with not only the best law, but
the best means of enforcement, while Ne
braska ranks about the twenty-ffth in
efficiency. Shall we, as enlightened citi-
zens, permit this stigma? Nebraska is a
| rapidly growing state and is daily solicit
| ing factories. All Industries will be very
welcome, but they must not come with the
expectation Of feeding on the lives of our
children. We now have this evil in our
! larger cities to a greater extent than is
| generally realized EI.s
| In this connection 1 call your attention
| to the efforts In the last two sessions of
the legislature made by parties whose in
ish the Office of labor commissioner. This
office is Nebraskas only means of en-
| forcement. Is not that significant? There
| VIII be active opposition to these bills,
hand legislators must be convinced that a
majority, or at ieastS the better element
of their constituents, desire their enact
+ As TO the method eBHloyed for accomplish
/ ing this result. each club must decide for
itself. In addition however, to your own
| representatives, / would suggest circulat-
ing the following petition and securing as
possible:
believing that the child labor law af-
fords insufficient protection to children and
that Nebraska should adopt measures sim
liar to those enforced in Illinois and other
states, which have recently considered this
question, we, the undersigned hereby en-
dorse House Roll No o.; and,
ALSO believing that one of the most eff
fective means of preventing child labor is
a strong compulsory educational law.
we hereby endorse Senate File No. 80, and
earnestly request your support OF these
two measure"
Again reminding you of what may be
accomplished by united, persistent eff
fort, and that working for the betterment
of the condition Of children, as Mrs
Decker so truly says lis not politics, but
religion" Very truly yours,
MRS. DRAPER SMITH,
Chairman,