The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-11-21

transferring Of the enforcement Of the
mercantile child labor provisions from
the local boards Of health IS the State
labor department, and the provision
for bureau of mercantile inspection.
This amendment was bitterly contest
ed by interested parties and Governor
Hughes sent two special messages to
the legislature concerning the neces-
sity Of this change in the law.
New Jersey and Ohio.
In New Jersey the effort to forbid
night work for children under Is years
of age failed, but a compulsory educa-
ton amendment requires children from
to II to attend school ,exospt that
children Of Is who are regularly en-
ployed are excused from such attend
ance.
1ns Ohio two efforts to weaken the
child labor law failed and an eight.
hour law was passed for boys at work
uned Is and for girls under. Is. This
puts Ohio abreast Of the most advance
ed states In this regard.
West Virginia and kentucky.
In West Virginia compulsory edu-
cation law was passed. providing for
school attendance for. children under
ID years Of age, for six months of. the
year.
In Kentucky the minimum age Of Is
years without any exemptions was
fixed by law by raising the age limit
for employment in factories from IL
to IA. One provision Of the Virginia
law in addition promises a more rigid
enforcement than Is usual, namely,
the making it prima facie evidence OF
guilt on the part Of both parents and
employer to- hire q child under the leg
..-.... In Mississippi. '::...
= Mississippi passed child labor law
for the first tim this. year. Investi-
cations conducted under the auspices
Of the national child labor committee
proved that Is per cent Of the opera
tives Of the cotton mills were under
the age of IA and that so per cent Of
the child workers were illiterate. The
publication OF these facts had an i'm
mediate effect upon public sentiment,
though the opposition of the manufac-
turers forced the minimum age limit
from II down to IL, with 60-hour
week allowed by law.
In Louisiana.
louisiana has for many years had a.
child labor law. with an age limit Of
IA for girls and IL for boys. At the
recent session OF the legislature, under
the advocacy. OF Miss Jean: Gordon, :of
New Orleans, the most advanced child
labor law OF any southern state was
enacted. There was a majority of one
vote In the house and one In the SEN
ate for the new law, but it was passed
and approved. The age limit is raised
to IA for both sexes. and effective pro-
Visions are made, for the issuing OF
employment certificates, for proper
safety appliances and sanitary meas
ures and effective factory inspection.
General Review. !.
During the four years Of the exist
ence o fthe national child labor COM:
mittee it. has contributed more. or less
directl yto successful campaigns in :,
thirty five states, most Of these states
their child labor laws in the
right direction, but several Of them
passing such legislation for the first
time. here remain now but the, two
states of Oklahoma and Nevada with
out child labor law. Only seven
states remain with the -12-year age:
limit Maryland, West Virginia, South
Carolina, Florida, Georgia, mississippi
and Texas, the latter state having an
age limit of Is for mines: North. Caro- J
lima has an age limit Of Is. The stand
ard age limit for: this country and.
Europe is II years. his should be-
raised. to at least s1e for night work,
and b yway Of putting "a premium, on Z
education to 16 for illiterate children.
Two Of the states Georgia and SOUTH
Carolina. allow children under IL years
of age to work in factories, IL the chill
dren of dependent parents. Georgia
fixing the age of such children at 10.
years and South, Carolina making no.
limit at all. Two states Georgia and
North arolina,: still allow the 66-hour
week In factories, which, with the Gus
tom of giving q half-holiday on Satur-
days means a 12-hour day for. the
first Ave working days OF the week..
In a great many Of the states defective
laws allow the employment OF tl1ou-,>
sands OF children who are. really I'M
der the legal age. In ali the cotton
manufacturing sta tesE the longer hours
prevail for children from 1dassa chu-.
sets, with q 68--hour week and Penn
sylvania with its go hour week to.
Georgia and North Carolina With the
CO. hour week. most Of the neneds
Industrial states, proper factory In
spection is the crying need. as the.
child labor lays ars ineffective and
poorl yenforced without this systsin.
Much therefore rS1nainss q 80 dome III
the United stAtes for tho efffsctiv4s
profession of ID ldrsn h.os toll