Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-29
[speoIal to .he Reward s.ar.l

~AC ANNSCAJ A&h LC6aAANAho ~
form of employment Of children In
factories of New Jersey and the COM
pulsory school law, and the assertion
that 1.-The department of labor should
have absolute control over the question
of age and that insofar as the manu-
facturer is concerned a certificate Of
this department should fully protect
him in the employment of minors" and
that the school authorities should pass
on educational qualifications specified
under law. and it would be well to
have their certificate made one of the
requirements of issuing working
papers," are features of the annual re-
port of Labor Commissioner Lewis T.
Bryant, which has been sent to Gov
ernor Fort for transmission by him to
the incoming Legislature.
Colonel Bryant says that in the adj
mi%nistration of the laws regulating the
department has been confronted with
the discrepancy existing between the
factory and compulsory school attend
ance laws. He then goes on to say
that 1.-THE age at which a child is per-
mitted to work in factories is specified
at IA years, while the school law COM
DelS dLtCI1QdlItC at S1iAoC oibA 10y
| of II years is reached, unless the gram
mar or eighth grade has been com
pleted, and in that case the child MAJ
be excused from such attendance, pro-
yided it is regularly and lawfully en-
ployed in some useful occupation or
service, and II Is years Of age.
Further exemption is made when
the child is IA years of age, and the
Board of Education is satisfied that
employment is necessary in some occu-
patton or service. and in this case the
said Board of Education may grant a
certificate exempting it from attend
ance at school so long as the aforesaid
employment continues.
wants One Age Agreed Upon.
'In my judgment the two laws should
be capable of more harmonious en-
forcement and each department should
assist the other in obtaining some we'll
| defined end; and, to begin with. l am
of the opinion that the age at which
minors are permitted to work
in a factory and the age at which they
| are allowed to leave school should be
| made the same Under the present sys-
tenn II one of our representatives is
| satisfied that a child has reached the
age of IA It Is his duty to issue the
necessary working papers without any
inquiry as to an educational qualiica-
| ton and there is no doubt that many
| applications are made for such papers
| without the knowledge or consent of
the educational authorities. Under the
! present law the assistance of this de-
! partment in obtaining a proper COM
pliance with the compulsory school law
Is thus denied. On the other hand.
where a child has reached the of
IA and is working In a factory under
the protection Of papers issued by this
| department. 1t may be compelled under
| the school law to abandon such en-
| ployment and return to school. A con-
tinuance OF this practise could not do
| otherwise than have a tendency TOWARD
| weakening our administration.
I'm order to obtain a more satisfac-
| tory enforcement of both the factory
law regarding the employment OF
minors and the compulsory school law,
1 am of the opinion that the depart
ment Of labor should have absolute con-
| troll over the. question of age and that,
| so far as the manufacturer Is con-
cerned. a certificate of this department
| should fully protect him in the employ
! ment of minors. The school authori-
ties should pass N the educational
| qualifications specified under the law.
| and it would be well to have their GER
| tifcate made one of the requirements
| of issuing working papers. II it may
be deemed advisable TO specify an edu-
| cational test as a requisite for factory
employment the standard should be
such as to permit of a reasonable, uni
form and universal enforcement. This
arrangement, in my judgment, would
lave more satisfactory results than a
law demanding a higher standard, but
indifferently enforced.
1.-THE jurisdiction OF the department
of labor should be extended. I believe.
to include the enforcement Of a law
regulating the age of employment for
minors IN mercantile establishments, at
least during school hours.
I'm drafting a compulsory school at
tendance law and a law requiring some
educational qualifice ton for factory
employment of minors care should be
exercised to avoid making these con-
ditions so severe as to be impossible
of enforcement. without creating too
great a hardship upon manv families
'Ie DtCtS-i't vi SOtf'
financial assistance to excentional cases
would naturally he anticipated
Lauds Child Labor Law.
Commissioner Bryant, commenting
upon the factory conditions in New
Jersey. says that present child-labor
conditions are good and reflect the
benefits of a strict enforcement of the
law applying thereto. During the yeai
the department ordered 259 children dis
charged. He then observes that the
benefit Of the law cannot be judged
from the number of children dis
charged. as the strict enforcement of
the law prevents many children below
the. required a from obtaining en-
ployment. He then tells of the require
ments of the law.
The fine for violation of the. child
labor law is $50 for the manufacturer
and parent. The commissioner saws
that the sum would seem equitable.
but the experience of the department.
has been that Of impracticability of
collecting such a large fine from the