The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-12-17
Child Labor in Factories.

After an Inspection of the Factories.
AUGUSTA, Me-, DEFENDERS. Miss Eva.
L. Shorey of Bridgton, the first woman
in this State to be engaged in the work,
submitted today to the Maine labor bu-
reau her findings as result Of trip
among the factories of the State. She
says in part:
sIn conversing with people who have
watched the effect of the recently enact.
ed child labor law upon the number OF
small children employed in the mills, the
general opinion expressed is that while
conditions are better than before the law
of 1907 was passed, children under the
legal age become employees unless almost
daily attention is given to the matter.
The mill agents express themselves as
DESTROYS of complying with the child
labor law and state that their overseers
have instructions not to hire boys and
girls under the legal age. The labor Or
CARNATIONS particularly are prominent IN
calling the attention of the authorities to
violations of the law.
MANY CHILDREN AT WORK.
"From observation it is evident that
there are a large number OF boys and
girls employed in the mills, and some OF
the children seen at work, particularly IN
the spinning rooms of most of the cotton
mills, who appear to be under IA. Their
slight frames and pale faces show that
they are too young to be at work, what
ever their certificates say. When the
mills are running on short time and there
is plenty of help not as many children
are employed.
''Many difficulties are encountered IN
getting the correct age of the children.
Not few of them have been told to say
they are more than ID; quite often by
their parents. When a stranger goes
through the mill and looks inquiringly at
small boys or girls some of them will
hasten to get behind boxes or scatter IN
all directions. Another difficulty in find
ing the correct ago of a child is that many
of the parents actually do not know the
ages of their offspring. j,
"Just before the close of the school
year the teachers in number OF the
cities say that some of the boys and girls
under IA leave the grades to work at
doffing, quilting, sweeping and other
light tasks in the mill. One little girl OF
Is earned $50 during her summer vaca-
ton, which amount was quite help TO
the family, as the father expressed 1t.
There were six in the family and the
father was the only wage Garner, making
SIS a week, which during the partial
shutdown was cut exactly in half.
AID FOR DESERVING PARENTS.
'In trying to discover the reason why
some children go into the mill when they
are so young, we find that many blame
the parents for allowing, encouraging,
and sometimes even forcing the children
to work, while others blame the children
themselves for wishing to escape the re-
straint of school and become independent
with little money in their pockets, like
their older brothers and sisters. Others
suggest, in many instances, if the wages
paid were higher, the parents would not
feel the necessity for the older children
to earn money. 1t is said that American
parents work for their children, but the
foreigner makes his children work for
him.
'In the families where it is absolutely
necessary for the older children to work,
it seems only justice for future genera
lions that, together with the law pro-
ilibiting child labor, there should be made
provision of some kind, which is not char
ity, to assist the man or woman whose
wages are not sufficient, and who IS
straining every nerve to bring about an
apparent impossibility, that the children
may complete some practical education.
No one can go among the many families
where there are from six to ten children,
and the father and mother hard working
people, and not realize that the law, eX-
cellent as it is, is not always practical
in its workings, unless some provision IS
made for worthy cases.
EVILS OF TRUSTEE LAW.
cit is impossible to spend any time
among workers in the mills without hear
ing two questions prominently discussed,
the injustice of the trustee law in its
workings and the proposed 58-hour law
for women and minors. Both matters
will undoubtedly be brought before the
next legislature.
"As far as the matter came under my
notice, mill officials whose opinion was
asked, and all operatives, agree on the in
justices Of the trustee law in many IN
stances. Cases were cited where bill
which was small in the beginning, became
so increased by fees that the original
amount was quite submerged, and the
entire earnings of man or woman were
absorbed, leaving nothing for them on
which to live from week to week.
THE 59-hour law is advocated by many
who believe that the machinery of the
mills is now at such high speed that it
would not be possible to exact more labor
in shorter time, while others hold that
shortening the hours of labor will only
mean harder working day for the en-
ployes. -.
Amy measure which, in it's effect, will
make an easier day for the thousands OF
hard working women and the many chill
dren now employed in our mills, should
have the support of our lawmakers.
Eat all the good food you like. Quit dieting.
You don't have to diet to cure dyspepsia. In
fact you can not cure dyspepsia or indigestion
that way, but rather you must add strength to
the weak stomach by taking something that
will digest the food which the stomach can
not digest. Kodol is the only thing known to-
day that will do this, for Kodol is made of
natural digestive juices found in healthy
stomach, and it digests all food completely.
Kodol is pleasant to take, and is guaranteed to
give relief in any case of stomach trouble
Sold by R. H. Moody.
HE GAVE HIMSELF UP.