The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21
Delegation to Call on
 Governor. MEETING TO BE HELD
 IN THIS CITY MONDAY Will Petition Sending of Delegates
 to Convention. Louisiana Factory Inspector Writes to City Federation of women's Clubs Relative to stand
 Taken By Gov. Conner.

governor Conner has written that Alabama has the best child labor law, with possibly the exception of Massa- chusetts, of any State. That is either wilful ignorance or nonsense, I don't | know which,"
 This statement from Miss Jean M Gordon of New Orleans, State Inspec- tor of Factories of Louisiana, is a pithy paragraph in letter to the or ganiZed club women of Montgomery urging them to call upon Governor Conner, ands force him to send dele gates to a child labor conference, call ed to meet in New Orleans. March 29- 31, inclusive.
 Acting upon the suggestion contain ed in the letter, the directors of all the clubs composing the City Fedora ton will meet in the Carnegie Library on Monday, and will call upon Gov ernor Conner in a body to urge upon him the necessity of appointing dele gates to the conference to represent Alabama.
 The club women will endeavor to show the Governor that he is wrong in stating as a fact that Alabama has child labor laws, considered better than those of other States, with the possible exception of those of Massa chusetts. That, as contrary propo- sition. Alabama has laws that are en- tirely inadequte to meet the situation, and that the factory children of tie State deserve the utmost considera- tion.
 According to the plans of the con- ference in New Orleans, SIS delegates have been appointed by the Governors of the States of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and North Carolina. Gov ernors of other States have signified their intention of appointing delegates to the conference, and the first rebuff which the committee on the confer ence, headed by Governor Sanders; re- ceived, was that from Governor Co., mer.
 Governor Conner Is manufacturer of cotton goods, having large mills at Avondale and his reply to Governor Sanders's invitation informed that of- ficial that the State of Alabama would consider no reforms in the child labor question until the recent laws of the State had been thoroughly tested.
 Condemn the Laws.
 The City Federation of club women are unanimous in condemning the pres ent laws, and the letters received by the various officers in the City Feder- ation, from Miss Gordon are severe in condemning the action of Governor Conner In not appointing delegates to a conference from which it Is expected far reaching results will be oftained
 Miss Gordon, State Inspector of Fac tories in Louisiana, Is a woman of con siderable prominence. both in the so- cial world of the Crescent City and also as an authority on child labor laws of the various States of the Union. Her denunciaton therefore of Governor Co., mer's attitude regarding the sending of delegates to the big conference is received with the knowledge that the statement Is an thoritative one.
 At the time of the adoption of the present child labor laws of the State, 1t was urged upon the Legislature to pass a law whereby the age of the children working~in factories of the State should be 14 years at least, and that these children should be required to attend school for at least three months during the year.
 When the bill was referred to the committee. 1t Is understood that Gov ernor Conner stated that he would veto any child labor bill that did <not meet his approval, and that any bill which required children to be over 12 years of age and required more than eight weeks schooling for these children, would not meet with his approval.
 The bill was therefore reported by the committee, It IS Sald, according to the views of Governor Conner. The Legislature passed such a bill and it was signed by the chief executive.
 It is this condition that the club wo- men of Montgomery and the State wish to have amended. It Is the object of the conference to be held in New Or leans to formulate plans whereby such conditions may be amended by the Legislatures of the various States sending delegates.
 Realizing that they have but few days In which to get Governor Conner to appoint delegates to the conference. the officers of the City Federation of Womens Clubs will call In a body upon Governor Conner Monday morning and urge upon him the great necessity of Alabama having representatives in New Orleans to discuss improving the con- ditlon of the factory children.