The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-08
few remarks IN criticism Of the pro-

planation Being offered that the sub-
stitute does not propose to throw
out OF employment any children now
at work" Il tho age limit ~ good
ono now9 II seeing to mo that :, th {,
We throw out OF worls some children
now at work Under the age Of FOUR
be offered. ali children in Virginia
after March /, 1910, and. especially
give them some chance Of an cduca..
them hitherto through the demand for
quite q deep sympathy for the chill,
dren under fourteen now at work, and
to make such a distinction between
them, and their more fortunate fellows,
who happen to be little younger
now.
test : against Ns the a''V exception made BY
against, tho children Of twelve years
OF age WHO are orphans or whose
pae e qls pen s1n or the Is
pad thing for any child under four
teen to be employed In a factory or
n.n,iann man establishments and The
to DO true, after 1910, it is 9 bad thing
dependent parents. Those who have
s snm this question at al know that tIat
w Whole law. and no matter how care,
,,!,,y It may be guarded against. It
VIII MAKE an age limitaof twelve in-
stead or fourteen. Thu experiment has
staes at been vc sy saa up BY VIII I'll ths
exception Of South Carolina, Georgia
and Arkansas. Moreover. it is the
rarest thing that the support OF the
family can be made to depend on the
Of twelve and fourteen. In the effort
TO find out and help such children, the
New York Child Labor Committee
found only ninety-five cases in fifteen
in New York CITY, where, Of course,
there are extremes OF poverty such
MS we do not have in Virginia. There
Is plenty left for children to do
law without putting then, to work
at the early age of twelve years for
a ten;hour day in a factory. and II
tnere Is no other method Of relief. GER
tainly the State should see that the
, pc put upon tho Gender shoulders Of
immature children. That only per.
petuates poverty for another genera
ton. = 81
!, The substitute also lowers the age
limit for night work from sixteen 10
fourteen. should like to ask whether.
me u ed. directors OF the Chamber Of Com
Of their own would like to have them
Mork ten-hour night before they are
sixteen sixteen years of age, especially II
e engse children should happen to be
+ S = = ssou and are thus exposed to moral
ION ION mere is physical reason In
INC constitution Of both sexes for the
s sftapdee n, age limit, which is the
OF tal thn age limit Of the country and
yen employment in reasonable hours
does not interfere with the growth OF
me boy. while employment at twelve
.,roS = 9 eheck and retard his physical
CROWN. Moreover between the ages
VI Twelve and fourteen in our climate
occurs that change In the life of a
giri which is. known to be the critical
p Lan, !, OF her existence. and employ
!n mel, IN factory at such time is
ihulnous often. not only to the child
herself. but to the next generation.
! am PROFOUNDLY Interested in having
a good child labor law for Virginia,
.nls reform in the Southern States, but
because am a Virginian myself.
brought up In Charlotte county. AMI
retalning. as l shall ever retain, my
ent achievements of the Old Dominion.
l bring to your attention the fact tina
me age limit OF fourteen Is the stand
bsa age seol limit Of this country: having
cut, Illinois. Washington. Wisconsin,
Massachusetts,. Michigan. Minnesota,
Nebraska, New York. Ohio, Oregon.
P Z IN van Rhode Island. West Vr.
Kentucky. Maine, Missouri. New Jer.
sey, Tennessee, Montana North Dakota.
south Dakota. Vermont and Iowa. ana
louisiana louisiana for girls. I do not see why
her daughters to the West. Kentucky
and Tennessee. In fixing a fourteen.
year age limit without exceptions. or
WY ,sSs ,, for that matter. she should be
nave mentioned belonging to the arts
ttccracy OF the original thirteen, name
~, Massachusetts and New York, both
OF which nave a large foreign popm-
ginia. have mainly our own flesh and
blood. and of as good stock as the
world holds.
moreover. cannot see any objection.
except e,, from the point of view Of those
VINO would wish a lax administration
or the law. why the burden of proving
a child's age should not be put upoii
NOS w who would exploit his labor. or
my I'M a ane employment Of children under
made made prima facie evidence of guilt.
mat would stop the abuse, and moth,
ing else but an expensive system Of
sIt.ofy inspection would do so. The
children. 't'1
trust that these considerations
VII commend themselves to the mem
.ers OF the Legislature, ana that tho
Missile Missile bill, and not its weaker sub
stitute, shall be enacted into law.
Let me give one instance OF the
enid at work in violation OF the pres
en- ehhor law = which is typical OF many
.fG niif !, Eddie A.. 4 give only the
.aiiiltIial. but the name Is good Vir-
slhia nancy was bern In PittsylvanIa
eclinty in July, 1896. so that lie Is now
sieYen years old. He went to work
Two Years ago in one OF the Riverside
colton mills: that Is, he went to work
~ nine For the inst few weeks no
mas "a, been at work In another OF the
riverside cotton mills. at night, ana
tEe hours are from $3.50 In the evening
&c e, 900 In the morning. His father
died last June. SO that he is now tho
enid OF widowed mother. The mother
SPENDS her time bnSking OH the porci,
Wien she Is not visiting her neigh
Ecrs She has several male relatives
az work in the neighborhood. and has
Two daughters. one OF fourteen WHO
makes SO cents per day. and one Of
elEhteen who can. made from $l.25
70 $lTJ at night work. But since
Eddie can made SO cents a night. the
Oldest girl does not live at home, but
IT a boarding house. She works ir-
regularly and hates mill work. since
she doubtless also went to work too
soon. 1t Is clear that the mother and
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