Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-25
CHILD LABOR IN DISTRICT
GALLINGER BILL REPORTED BY
SENATOR DoLLIVER.
Report Unanimously Recommends
Its Passage Without Any
Amendment.

Senator Dolliver of Iowa. chairman of
the committee on education and labor.
this afternoon submitted the committee
report unanimously recommending the
passage without amendment of the Gal
linger bill to regulate the employment of
child labor in the District of Columbia
The report starts out by saying that the
District has no child labor law. and in
this respect is unlike most of the states
and territories under the jurisdiction OF
the United States
Those who have given attention to the
subject continues the report. TESTIFY
THAT large number of children WITHIN
the school age are now employed IN the
District. many of them in occupations
which are damaging to their character
and all of them under such conditions as
deprive them OF the right to he prepared
in the schools for the business of life, ana
for the duties of citizenship.
THE bill under consideration Is not al
extreme measure 1t aims at a practical
and moderate regulation of the employ
ment of children. There is no feature pro-
posed in this bill that is not now In sue
cessful operation in various states or the
Union. and the efficiency of the proposed
regulations has been demonstrated by
experience.
1t is stated that in placing the age limit
years the measure follows the provisions
of the laws of IA large number of states.
and that the same is true with reference
to the provisions concerning the schooling
certificates. 1t is further stated In the re-
port:
THE bill restricts the employment OF
children under sixteen years of age to
eight hours in any onh day and forty
eight hours in any one week. This Inn
itation is in force in all occupations In
Illinois i'm manufactures in New YORK
and Wisconsin. while i'm Colorado SIM
liar provision restricts child labor to eight
hours In any one day
The measure has application only to
the District of Columbia, and is drawn
with special reference to conditions here
1t involves no new questions, but brings
to the attention of the Senate single
question in respect to which Congress
has undoubted jurisdiction. The District
of Columbia is purely dependent upon
Congress for the legislation which is APP
plicable to its local needs. That fact
places upon Congress a special duty to
guard carefully the interests of the peo-
pie here Besides that it appears to
your committee that there should be In
force in the District of Columbia the
most modern and efficient code of laws
applicable to its local affairs In view of
the fact that the Capital city OF the
United States should present to the world
q model scheme of government
1T is for this reason to be regretted that
in it's dealing with the problem of child
labor the capital of the United States has
fallen behind other communities and has
left vast multitude of its children sub
ject to the avarice and greed of employers
during that period of their lives which
ought to be devoted to the preparation
necessary for their success.
The statement is made that the bill has
the approval of the United States COM
missioner of labor the president o. the
American Federation of Labor. the ma
tional child labor committee and many
of the churches and organizations for
civic reform in the District. The citizens
child labor committee of the District. 1t
is stated, has given the most careful and
thorough examination of the child-iabor
problem here, and this bill is drawn In
harmony with the judgment of that COM
mfttee.
Provisions of the Bill.
The following are the provisions of the
Gallinger bill:
Section 1. That no child under four
teen years, of age shall be employed. per-
mitted. or suffered to work in the District
Of Columbia in any factory, Workshop
mercantile establishment. store. business
office, telegraph Office, restaurant. hotel.
apartment house, theater bowling alley. or
in the distribution or transmission of
merchandise or messages. No such child
shall be employed in any work performed
for wages or other cOmpensa ton. TO
whomsoever payable. during the hours
when the public schools of the District
of Columbia are in session. nor before the
hour of o'clock in the morning or after
the hour of 7 o'clock in the evening.
sec. .. That no child under kixteen
years of age shall be employed, permit
ted or suffered to work in the District
of Columbia in any of the establish
ments named in section i. unless the
person or corporation employing him
procures and keeps on file and accessl-
tn he authorized
act and the truant officers of the Dis
trict of Columbia an age and schooling
certificate. and keeps two complete lists
of all such children employed therein.
one on file and one conspicuOusly post
ed near the principal entrance of the
building In which such children are
employed
certificate shall be approved only by the
Superintendent of public schools. or by
a person authorized by him III writing.
who shall have authority to administer
the oath provided for therein, but no lee
shall be charged therefor.
Section 4. That an age and schooling
certificate shall not be approved unless
satisfactory evidence is furnished by duly
attested transcript of the certificate of
birth or baptism OF such child, or other
religious record. or the register of birth
or the affidavit OF the parent or guardian
or custodian of child. which affidavit
shall be required. however. only in case
such aforementioned transcript of the GER
tifcate of birth be not proc ured and filed.
showing the place and date of birth of
such child, which affidavit must be taken
before the officer issuing the employment:
certificate. who is hereby authorized and
required to administer such oath. and
who shall no. demand or receive fea
therefor"
Then follows an age and schooling GER
tificate of a child under sixteen years OF
age.
And statement that a dus,licate OF
each age and schooling certificate shall
be filled out and kept on file by the SUI
perintendent of public schools Any ex-
planatory- matter may he printed with
such certificate. in the discretion of said
superintendent
Inspectors Authorized.
Sec. provides that inspectors au-
thorized by this act and the truant of
fcer of the District of Columbia may
visit the establishments named in sec
ton one and ascertain whether longer
time in any day than that so stated
shall be deemed violation of this sec
ton.
Sec. 10. That the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia are hereby
thorized to appoint two inspectors TO
tba Of