The Detroit times., 1908-08-04
WOULD PAY POOR
CHILDREN WAGES
TO co T0SCH00L
LABOR COMMISSIONER JOHNSON
OF KANSAS, ADVOCATES RAOi.
CAL IDEA-M. J. M'LEoD MAKES
AN INTERESTING ADDRESS.

That children of poor parents should
be paid wages by the state for going
TO school Is the startling suggestion
made by Commissioner w. l.. A. John
son. OF Kansas. In addressing the
meeting of labor commissioners In the
Hotel Cadillac, Tuesday morning.
Il would amend our school laws.
said Mr.. Johnson SO that the chill
dren OF parents found, upon investi-
CATION. unable to spare their services
and give them the proper school PRIV
ileges to which they are inherently
entitled, should receive from the state
q specific per diem wage OF from AZ
to so cents In cash for each days at
tendance at school. between the ages
Of 10 and IA years. In order that they
might have the opportunity OF secur-
Ing an education, thus placing them
upon an equal basis with others that
are more fortunately situated, to the
end that they could be prepared to
take up the battle OF life without be-
ing handicapped with an ignorant and
vicious mind that poverty SO often
entails or a physically stunted body
for which premature child labor is SO
often responsible. This suggestion Is
not new, but is shared In by many In
yestigators OF this subject. Though II
may seem visionary and fanciful.
feel sure that with proper regulation
II could be put into practical opera
tion with great advantage to our CIV
ilization and with q much less cost
than now obtains in caring for that
part Of our delinquent and defective
class that Is fostered by the evils or
child labor. either In charity or the
criminal courts Of our country. SO
long as society In Its capacity OF the
state must foot the cost In the end.
II would seem humane and logical to
expend a little money on the theory
that IAN ounce OF prevention is better
than q pound Of cure"
Says Figures Are indefinite.
Carl Z. Parry. very youthful pro-
lessor OF economics from the Univer-
sity of Michigan. started things going
In a very lively manner by an al
dress. He told the compilers OF Ia
Dor statistics that the figures turned
out now are indefinite and incomplete.
This was the gist OF his remarks. al
though he developed his theme into an
address Of half an hour. Several OF
the speakers who followed took occa-
sion to take IN oppoeits view OF mat
tiers. :,
President Charles p. Neill. federal
commissioner of labor. went into de-
tails In showing how hard 1t Is to give
actual information as to wages ana
conditions In various trades. He In
stanced the railroad men who are
paid as to hours and mileage OF run
and showed that It Is impossible to
make tabulations that Will picture
real conditions.
Neill would only advocate that the
greatest care be taken In compiling
statistics and recommended that,
where conditions make II unlikely that
statistics can give all the information
needed. that note be made as to just
how reliable such figures are
Commissioner McLeod's Report
Malcolm J. Mcleod. state labor
commissioner OF Michigan. read re-
mort as to industrial conditions here
TINT contains many indications OF the
growing Industrial activity OF the
state. Referring to the effects OF the
money panic OF last fall. MCLEOD
states that while 1t caused temper
airy falling OF, there was no accom-
panying general decrease In wages.
Reports now coming In from the heid
men OF the department show that
conditions are improving to normal
all over the state.
The state free employment bureau
has found positions for $4,000 persons
from the Detroit ONCE alone. while
the branches In Saginaw. Grand hap
Ms Kalamazoo and Jackson are also
doing good work.
During 1907 the factories OF the
state increased to $685.. an increase
of 565: average daily wages paid 10
all classes Of labor from foreman 70
factory girls increased from TO 10
cents per day The number OF hours
worked per day averaged SO. In s4s
stores inspected the average wage OF
male employees was $2.26 per day and
of females Sl.25. The average wages
I'm S32 hotels was but 80 cents per
dav There were 374 tenement
house shops. In which 1,434 employees
received an average Of $1.24 per day.
The number Of tenement shops mas
decreased and wages increased.
In the states "a coal mines. 2.sSl
persons were employed at an average
wage of 1924 a day. the coal costing
sl.64 per ton TO mine.
Women factory inspectors have
done much to alleviate conditions 1or
40 900 workers OF their sex. Special
industries canvassed were the beet
sugar, portland cement. furniture,