The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-11
Child Labor Bill Introduced.
State Associations Measure Presented by
Ey. Assistant Attorney Salus Of Philadelphia.

Affects factories, StOlcS, uicSSSii-
ger service, soft coal mines and
breakers.
| HARRISBURG, FEB. l. The child
labor bill, upon which the state
Child Labor Association has been
working for several mouths, was
introduced in the House of Repre-
sentatives last night, (Monday) by
Samuel w, Salus, Representative
from the Third Philadelphia Dis
trict.
The bill regulates child labor in
all forms of employment except on
the farm and in domestic service,
and is regarded Jas a very moderate
measure. Aside from soft coal
mines, where twelveyea old child
laborers are now legal, the Salus
| Bill does not change the present
age for childrens work fourteen
years. 1t merely requires parents
to prove that their children have
reached that age by producing
some record of birth or baptism
where this is possible. This proof
of age is to be presented to the
school officials in each city or town
and they issue the certificates. The
provisions of the bill in regard to
certificates and their method OF IS.
suance are taken verbatim from the
Educational Commission bill.
with which the Salus Bill is III
perfect accord.
The child Labor Association has
another bill, to be introduced in a
few days, relating to the length OF
the fourteen year old child's work
ing day, and prohibiting employ
ment at night. Arno P. Mowitz,
counsel and legislative representa-
tive of the Association, made the
following statement yesterday in
, regard to the Salus Bill.
A COMPREHENSIVE BILL.
, "This bill" Mr.. Mowitz said
| "is the result of months of study
: both as to what has proved practi-
cable in other states aud what may
be reasonably expected to pass. II
is the first comprehensive chile
Labor bill ever presented in Penn
sylvania, so far as we are aware
Other child labor bills have beer
. limited 10 factories, stores ETC., OF
d have been solely mining child la
: Dor bills. The chief aim of the Sal
n us Bill is to stop the great abuse:
!. that are possible under the presen
i laws because of the false oath
which parents make as to thei
= children's ages. The members o
= our association believe that the re
9 sponsibility for child labor here i
mainly and usually on the short
sighted father and mother of tn
= child laborer himself. Manufac
" turers and coal operators are re
II sponsible only to a NEST llmite'
5. extent. There are $4,000 chlldrei
T. at work in our state whose parent
= have sworn that they are fourtee
70 years old. We estimate that fror
;, s, 900 to 10, ,ooo of the affidavits o.
which these children secured worl
ID are false, and that the children ar
S. really ten, eleven, twelve and thii
70 teen years old. Nineteen states, IL
n Guiding every one OF the othe
great industrial states of the cour
IT try, have set affidavits aside a
10 10 proof of age and require parents
~ where it is possible, to produc
- birth records, baptismal records G
,e some other reliable records a
proofs of their childrens' ages.
ID The Pennsylvania Educations
er Commission has recognized thi
e. evil and has put into its bill no.
er pending, a requirement that pal
a ents must bring proof of age of tn
sort before their children may leav
o. school to work.
IS, AGREES WITH EDUcATIoNA
COMMISSION BILL.
s. "The Salus Bill follows verbati
~ the provisions of the Education;
~ Bill on this point and is also idei
VS. tical with that bill in its provisic
IL that school authorities shall issu
to the certificates which are proof
,d employers that the children are re
ally fourteen. This is what Il
great mass of our employers wan
something which they can rely u
~ on as to a child's age.
10 10 "School officials are the on
IN who issue the child labor certificat