The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-03-28
REPORT ON CHILD LABOR
Over a Million Children
Breadwinners in 1000.
LEGAL RESTRICTIONS.
or the Total 1,O54 ,448 We're Em-
ployed on the Farm--in 20, Asa
Families 35,S Per Cent. of the
Breadwinncrs Under tJ-Fami,ies
Dependent ON Child l. ,bor.

Hc"uWihucfs SuueT to-F UTILITIES
Dependent on Child Labor.
A recent Bulletin published by the
Census Bureau in regard to child la
Dor says that according to the census
of 1900 there were 1,750,17S chill
dren 10 tolls years OF age empl Dyed
In various occupations la the Uuited
States. OF the total, 1.054,4 ,446 were
employed on the farm, and most of
these children were members of the
farmers families.
Next In Importance to agricultural
laborers comes domestic service, or
the occupations of servants and
walters or mattresses in which 1885,
065 children were employed, most
of them being girls. The children
returned as laborers, the kind Of
labor not being so specified as to ad-
NIT of any more exact Classification,
make up the next largest group. the
number of these children being 1885,
617, of whom all but 1909 were
boys. Most of them are children
hNiuB III Citieo VI SupulDdu COiL-
munities.
The extent of the evils of child
labor, the bulletin says, depends
partly upon the age Of the child and
partly upon the character of the oc-
cupation in which the child is en-
ployed. About one-third of the chill
dreL employed in gaiuful occupa-
tions were Is years of age, and more
thar one-half were IA or 15 years.
The number under IA was T90.623,
or ASP per cent. of the ;otal.
or the total number of child
breadwinners 10 to Is years of age
1872 per cent were boys and 27.S per
cent. girls.
In most States the employment of
young children is more or less re-
stricted by laws limiting or prohibit
Ing child labor and requiring school
attendance. But there are few legal
restrictions applicable TO children
who are over IA years Of age. BY
the time the children reach the age
of 15 years SOC per cent. or one-half
of the boys and ala per cent. or
more than one-fifth Of the girls have
become workers.
The percentage of breadwiuners
among negro children In compari-
son covering the entire Uaited States
is much higher than that for any
class of white children. But the
percentage Of negro children en-
ployed in pursuits not connected
with agriculture Is comparatively
small.
The cotton mills furnish employ
ment to children to a greater eNtent
than any other manufacturing or
mechanical industry. In 1900 the
number of cotton mill operatives 10
to 15 years of age was 44.427. and
they formed Is per cent, of the total
number of persons more than 10
years of age in that occupation.
OF the 1882 messengers and
errand and Office boys In the United
States in 1900, 62 per cent. we're
district and telegraph messengers
and errand boys. 2S.Sper cent. were
Office boys. and 14.7 per cent were
bundle and cash boys or girls. Nine
tenths Of the children employed in
such service are boys. Children of
foreign birth or parentage make up
the bulk of the messengers AMI er-
rand and Office boys.
The total number Of families with
children employed in gainful occu-
pations for which statistics we're
specially compiled was 20,452. This
number is less than the total number
of child breadwinners, because of the
cases in which two or more of these
child breadwinners were living In the
same family. The total number Of
persons, or total population, living
in these20. .452 families was 13S.908.
At the other extreme there were
264 families with no dependents. all
the older members, as well as the
children being breadwinners OF
these families rs had only l older
breadwinner, while 81 had 2. and
the others had or more, 20 having
not less than 8 each. In such fami-
lies child labor would appear to be
entirely unnecessary.
In the families with child bread
winners schooling rarely extends be-
yond the age of 13. or the children
IA years of age -9T.4 per cent were
employed and only 1.6 per cent. were
at school. The percentage of school
children is little higher in the lext
older years. 1t is evident that
ron siderable numher nf tha fa m jliao
that had children 10 to IA years of
age at work had older children at
tending school.
Costly Extarmfuatnr