The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-08-22
Hod. w. H. Williams, state Labor
Commissioner for Minnesota,
Orator of the Day.
MANUAL TRAINING AND
TRADE SCHOOLS LAUDED
Good Work Being Done BY Or
, ganized Labor ia Eradicating
Child Labor Evil.

The following address on! Child
Labor and Manual Training" was de-
livered by Hon. w. H. Williams, labor
commissioner Of Minnesota. at a mass
meeting recently held in Fargo, N. D.
The address was reported In full by
Z special correspondent of the Labor
Review, Minneapolis, to which paper
we are indebted for the full text Of
tho address.
Mr.. Williasns' Address.
The humane work inaugurated and
conducted by the organized labor
movement to eradicate child labor
from the Industrial and commercial
affairs of our country has borne good
fruit and Is destined to bring about
still better results. In the arly his
tory Of organized labor's efforts to
free the child from the grasp Of COM
mercialism, we were met on all sides
by g. bitter and relentless opposition.
efforts ridiculed; just as other de-
mands which are now being made by
the labor people of thisS country for
the benefit Of humanity are: being
frowned upon and dieapproved Of. But
today there Is not an institution In
our country, political, commercial, A.
nanclal or leligious that has not come
to our way Of thinking about the
abolition of child labor~in our mines,
workshops. factories and stores. They
are beginning to realize that the chill
dren Of this country will: be the fu-
ture men and women who will be
called upon ere long to administer
the laws and advance the prosperity
Of this great republic.
Shown by Census.
The census of the Depa rtment Of
Commerce and Labor Of the United
States for the year 1900, gives the
number Of children under Is years Of
age employed in. gainful occupations
as 1,750,17S, and that the number Of
illiterate children = in the United
States under IA yearz-pf: age reached.
the nornous 1t1E1are4 0f. "a 4 57g,S4z.A. Widen
you stop and consider that this Is
a trifle over third of the: children
employed in 1900 in the United States
who could neither read nor write, do
you not think it Is about time for
the people to rise up In solid phalanx
and insist that the child be given
the opportunity that God intended it
should have-its childhood, its school
days and its play days I am proud
to be able to state, however, that Of
this vast army of illiterate children,
there are few in the Northwest, the
eastern and southern states being al
lowed to carry off the first prize in
this disgraceful business.
Conditions in Northwest.
That the great Northwest has not
been able to compete with the east
and south in the employment of child
labor Is something we should con-
gratulate ourselves upon at this time,
but we should continue our good
work. Let the people see to it that
they have the proper laws passed by
the legislature in the different states
o3 the northwest, that will prevent
them from ever letting this scourse
to humanity, child labor, get the hold
upon them that 1t has on the east
and south.
North Dakota Laws.
The North Dakota laws for the pro-
lection OF the child are very made
quate they ought to be revised and
more thorough and better legislation
passed for the benefit of the child.
The law as it now stands in North
Dakota In regard to child labor is a
blot on the, fair escutcheon of the
statutes Of the young. progressive and
growing state. I quote from your
statutes the law in regard to child
labor:
Age limit for children in mines.
factories, r. years. No. factory
inspection. Children under IA
years required to attend school IL
weeks per year. Hours Of labor
Tor children under IA years, 10
hours per day. sz,%z g.
What does law like that amount
10: Nothing; better not have any
1eslSlat1on for the protection Of the
cn1l4' than mere subterfuge in the
shape OF a law. But the citizens are
some{nlng like those of Minnesota,
ana nave no doubt they will see
tne necessity Of such legislation and
VIII az as their sister state has done
In the Past few years and pass Laws
Tor the\ creation of labor denart-
ment and other legislation for that
department which will keep it in the
front rank as one of the most nro-
gressive states in the northwest
eettr Laws Suggested.
would Suggest legislation along
these lines Hor a child labor law. as
follows: -
First-Age \limit for the employ
ment Of child dren. second-Hours Of
labor for children. Third-Age limit
for night woAk. Fourth h-Ase limit
for illiterate chAl dien.> Fffth-Physical
ability Of children Aemployed. sixth
Certificate Of employment. Seventh
Certificate Of birth \of child.
Consider, If you viii, how the mod
& / ern e. sG' system OF child labor cuts across
1ne line ofedevelopmApt and progress.
gnlld .'nll laoor y. begins stts Instructive ten-
dency by disintsFratiig the farnilv
and ends with the des{uction of the
tcon'ttinusd tin on pags 5.5 ~