New-York tribune., 1908-08-13
Washington's Little Workers Filed
Labor La1U Requirements.
rFronn The rrihune Burean- ]

Washington Aug 12-Afrer an examination "a
more than four thousand girls and boys. under SIR
teen years Of age for the purpose Of granting tnsa
permits to work under the provisions Of the new
child labor law r. o. Wilmarth, who conducted
the Investigations has expressed the conviction
that the children of Washington are abovs tbs
average both mentally and physically. Assisting
him in his examinations were number Of tuveuis
court officials from other cities, and they also
agree with his estimate OF the younger generation
of Washnstonians-
In the main the chief results OF his examinations
can be summed up in the following facts; Hs
found no boy whose heart or lungs showed ths
effect of cigarette smoking few children wers
found who could neither read nor write. and oE
the illiterate children not one negro; most
were anxious to work; nearly all were in normally
healthy condition and. Mr. WiInarth observed
three hundred boys were easier to handle than
half n dozen parents Mr. Wilmarrh gives hs
conclusions as follows:
The medical inspectors found that of ths
BOYS has smoked too many cigarettes, used enough
drunk appreciab-e amount Of intoxicating A9loE
laws enforced in the District against the selling Of
cigarettes and liquor to minors Some boys we're
refused permits on account OF anemia- due 70 ex-
posure lack of nourishment neglect AT home.
we found children who had become uessens--
weather not long after they had reached the walk
ing age. Others had been sent 10 work without
breakfast or put 70 bed without supper; oessass
of the poverty of the parents II was also rouns
that in cases the boys We're Trali because OF
the kind work they were doing or because OF tns
unsanitary conditions under which they worked
As regards the mental development OF the enl-
dren we found them a rule normal Negro
children were found TO be generally below the nor
NAL development Of the white children In manJ
cases IL was discovered that children did not al
tend school until the compulsory education law
went into effect several years ago, and for this rea-
son some of the ifteen-year-old children wsrs ID
the elementary grades Some were found Sao
could neither read nor wri-e- They were all Ehita
There was not a negro applicant who could nos
read and write little Where children refs
noticeably backward in their studies we tsslea
permits which revocable unless the holders
attend night school regularly, and. when possi0s'
day school.
The anxiety of the children to go to WORK was
of the most surprising features OF the exa1ina
ton Many OF the children cried when they wers
told that permits could not be granted them, Wnae
others, who not permitted 10 continue insiao
work secured positions that necessitared tner
working in the open. and given permission 70
do The anxiety Of many OF the parents 20
have their children work the one unpleasant
impression gathered from the investigation SONS
strapping fathers insisted that they were incapac-
tated and needed the earnings Of the boy. Indee1
the majority of the permits refused came from las
fact that the parents were ShiftleSS and aloNso
the children to support them on the wnoie tas
children showed themselves to be hne types s-la
Washington has right to feel proud OF US a.
cational facilities and its enforcement OF laws To
garding the youngsters