Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-01
STRIVES FOR FINAL ACTION
After Congress to Do Its Duty Toward.
the Children.
TOO FEW INSPECTORS FOR WORK
president Says That He Prefers for
the States to Regulate
the Matter.

NEW YORK, February 1.-The ouestion
OF child labor was the principal tonic ar
the sixteenth annual meeting of the Con-
sumers League of the City of New York
which was held yesterday at the Hudson
Theater. 1919 West 44th street Senator Bey
erioge was to be there to speak on his ma
tional child labor bill, but sent word that
he could not attend
Mrs. Frederick Nathan president of the.
league. in her annual report described a
number of cases in which children were
employed from Z a. M to 10 or II nm. Dur
ing the Christmas holidays children were
employed who were under the legal age In
factories and stores and the district mes
senger boys were employed early and late
In one case she found messenger boy of
fourteen years of age who was working
until II o'clock at night
The force of factory inspectors. she said
was far too small and In the few cases
brought before the magistrates against
employers the magistrates were so lenient
as to discourage the factory inspectors It
was hard, she said. to reach the worst
cases of child labor. In the ready made
clothing industry, which, next to the steel
Industry, was the largest In the United
States great deal OF the work was taken
home and done by the family. She instanced
the case Of little one OF seven whose FAM
lily brought home clothing to be finished
and who had worked since she was three
years old pulling the basting threads out
of garments.
She then made a strong plea for the Bev.
eridge bill.
Letter From President.
When she concluded her report she read
letters from President Roosevelt and others
expressing sympathy with the movement
against child labor. The letter from Presi-
dent Roosevelt was as follows:
My Dear Mrs Nathan: Permit me through
you to express my earnest hope for the
success of the Consumers League You are
doing work that should appeal peculiarly
to every good citizen, for. those you befriend
are greatly In need of friends and are not
powerful enough to stand up for themselves.
/ am particularly Interested in your efforts
to improve the conditions under which the
working girls do their work in the great
shops, and l have. of course, an especial in
terest In your effort to combat the evils Of
child labor. There is much outcry. chiefly,
1 think, from the benefciaries of the abuses.
against Interference by the national govern
ment with work which should be done by
the state governments. | would always
rather have the local authorities themselves
attend to any evil. and therefore l would
rather have the state authorities work out
such reforms when possible, but II the state
authorities do not do as they should in mat
tiers of such vital Importance to the whole
nation this of child labor, then there will
be no choice but for the national govern
final action or else full and close investiga-
ton of the matter by the authority of Con-
gress at the present time. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Letter From Eighteen Ministers.
Applause followed the reading of this
letter, rs did also the reading of telegram
from Gov Hughes, in which he wished
success to the Consumers League.
letter was read, signed by eighteen
clergymen, in which they promised to CO.
operate with the Consumers League by
circulating its literature and in every other
way possible. Among the sgners were
Bishop Potter Morgan Dix. DR.. Parkhurst.
William r. Huntington, Ii. Pereira Mendez
and John p. Peters. In the absence OF
Archbishop Farley, who was to have
spoken, Mgr Lavelle addressed the meeting.
explaining that he was the representative
of Archbishop Farley.
Mrs. Florence Kelly. former state factory
inspector Of Illinois. spoke of the necessity
for a national child labor law. Few people
know how remiss some of the states were
as to the inspection of factories. There
was only one factory inspector for all the
southern states. She was followed by Mrs.
Rose Pastor Stokes, who said there was
good deal of misconception as to the extent
of the child labor evil. People who posed
as philanthropists were sngularly indiffer-
emit to the cases of children they employed.
The official board of Mount Pleasant
Methodist Protestant Church of Crisfed
has decided to purchase a pipe organ for
the church, the young people of the congre-