The labor world., 1908-06-20

CAN BE ADJUSTED RIGHT ):
= BY REFERENDUM ACTION
Labor Does Not Har1nonize With
the Extreme Views Of Either
Party. -. -

The Hon. W. H: Williams, state Ia:
bor commissioner, read the followins
very able paper on the subject Of child
labor, before the Winona convention.
and. we take much pleasure in pub
fishing it in full for the benefit Of our,
readers: .'>| h..
= =: Child Labor:
Some one has aptly said that youth
is the nations savings bank in which
is deposited the .country's most VAL
liable, asset. Woe betide the, nation
which squanders. that deposit. and
wantonly depreciates the stock Of that
institution. The public press. Of the
country has given columns of space
lately, to, the effect that the, peoplt
were squandering the material re-
sources Of the country after the fash
ion of a young spendthrift who, has
been left a. fortune, and like the SPEND
thrift the country. will be called to an.
accounting when bankruptcy stares it
In the face. -.
-. A Serious Question. 49,. :,
Perhaps they are right; we may be
sauanaering our material, resources,
but, after all. how much more serious
q matter is It when we mortgage the
future manhood and womanhood of the
nation? :. .-.t --r'@ :. .. <sz..;.., <z.;.s
When the frost blighteds the peach
blossoms in Delaware the country sun--
derstands that the future crop is
ruined. In horticulture 1t Is admitted
that, a. blighted bud predicates a poor,
spotted crop. When the tender human
plant is considered, we figure differ
emily: Boys and girls are exposed to
all kinds of -atmospheres and un,-
wholesome conditions. They are hid
den away in the dark Of. coal mines
chained day in and day out to: factory
machines sealed UP In tenement sweat
! shops, confined in Offices, turned loose
IN the street, and from the product Of
these conditions we grow men ara wo- st :
nlsn-- future citikensF. p United
States. ~ :. :... i
What the Census Shows. j.. =.
:: According to the census Of 1900, 49,
900 children between the. ages OF 10
and Is years are engaged In gainful
occupations. In the United States. In
that year 2e.1 per cent Of all the boys
and 1o.2, per cent Of all the girls re-
turned, between the ages mentioned,
| were at work Over one-quarter of the
boys and more than 10 per cent of the
gils. The great state Of Pennsylvania
shows $3.50 boys and 22,722 girls en-
ployed; New York comes with 5000
boys and 31,7O1 girls; old Virginia
works 42,914 boys and 1860 girls;
North Carolina 1922 boys and 27,S52
girls; South Carolina, 48,777 boys and
$4,000 girls. while Georgia occupies the
| pinacle of this monument Of, infamy
with 7s,s1s boys and 3s,1o4 girls:
J., Conditions in tho South.
A few years ago the cotton, manu-
facturers. Of New. England decided to
build factories in the cotton states,
thus doing away with freight on tho
raw. product. These : factories have
been located in the four states, North
and South Carolina, Georgia and Ala
bama. These are northern enterprises
financed by northern capital and
under northern management; and az
statistical: result, the percentage Of
child labor increased in those states in
q, decade, from 30.S5 per, cent for boys
and 1885 per cent for girls to s53.65 per
cent and 1882 per cent respectively.
i. This is a. striking: example Of the
benefits derived from the introduction
into these communities of modern
manufacturing institutions. #*>.l ~
In the west the child labor evil has
AZ
east and south, and Minnesota COM
pares most favorabIy with neighborfng
states in this regard. The 1909 census
shows that Of the total nufuber Of
boys, 14.7 per cent are employed, as are
5.4 per cent Of the girls. Very few
states in. the Union make a. better
showing. "a: '# =. ~
>'5 -: Minnesota Factory Reports =.
The factory. inspection report for, thu
entire state for: the year / 1906 shows
sss children, ora712 boys and 291 girl,
employed in IS cities and towns, and In
a industries. trades and OCCUPATIONS.
The summary report for the falls period
OF 1907 for the entire state shows 81 a
total OF s4s children under is years OF
age. or, 42s boyg and 220 girls. They.
were scattered over ~ / cities .sand
towns and inf industries trades and
occupations. .s5s & sss4estssssiys s4sssss sy
Cold sloodsd Example.
East fall an old man in Minneapolis
made application to. the Minneapol
Boardiot Charities for assist gtance.' stat.
Ing thlt he had two grown SONS, feath1
holding good posi- ttons, and neither OF