The Ketchikan miner., 1909-02-20
AGAINST CHILD LABOR
The Battle Is Still Being BraveIy
 Fought.
LAST YEARS WORK REVIEWED
Although an Off Year For Legislatures, Progress Was Made In Several States-The Cause Materially Ad- vanced-Age Limit Too Low.

VdnCoO-A9e Limit % LOW.
 The year 1908 was an off year in state legislative sessions, as the legis- latures of thirtyeight states meet in 1909. The na ational child labor com- mittee reports progress in nine states, in addition to the passage of the Dis trict of Columbia child labor bill, which had been agitated for several years.
 An important amendment to the New York child labor law was the trans ferring of the enforcement of the mer cantie child labor provisions from the local boards of health to the state la- Dor department and the provision for q bureau of mercantile inspection. This amendment was bitterly contested by interested parties, and Governor Hughes sent two special messages to the legislature concerning the neces- slty for this change in the law.
 In New Jersey the effort to forbid night work for children under sixteen years of age failed, but compulsory education amendment requires chil- dren from seven to seventeen to at- tend school, except that children of fifteen who are regularly employed are excused from such attendance.
 In Ohio two efforts to weaken the child labor law failed, and an eight under sixteen and for girls under eighteen. This puts Ohio abreast of the most advanced states in this re- gard.
 In West Virginia compulsory edu cation law was passed, providing for school attendance for children under fifteen years of age for six months of the year.
 In Kentucky the minimum age of fourteen years without any exemp- tions was fixed by law, and children under sixteen are required to secure school certificates as condition of en- trance into the mines and factories.
 Virginia amended the child labor law by raising the age limit for employment in factories from twelve to fourteen.
 Mississippi passed child labor law for the first time last year. Investiga- tionS conducted under the auspices of the national child labor committee tives of the cotton mills were under the age of fourteen and that 50 per cent of the child workers were illiter- ate. The publication of these facts had an immediate effect upon public senti- ment, though the opposition of the manufacturers forced the minimum age limit from fourteen down to twelve, with q sixty hour week yet al lowed by law.
 Louisiana has for some years had child labor law with an age limit of fourteen for girls and twelve for boys. At the last session of the legislature, under the advocacy of Miss Jean Cor don of New Orleans, the most adyanc- ed child labor law of any southern state was enacted. There was ma jority of one vote in the house and one in the senate for the new law, and 1t was approved. The age limit is raised to fourteen for both sexes, and effec-
  ing of employment certificates, for proper safety appliances and sanitary measures and effective factory inspec- tion.
 During the four years of the exist ence of the national child labor com mittee 1t has contributed more or less directly to successful campaigns in thirty-five states, most of these states amending their child labor laws in the right direction, but several of them passing such legislation for the first time. There remain now but the two states of Oklahoma and Nevada with out child labor law. Only seven states remain with the twelve year age limit-Maryland, West Virginia. South Carolina. Florida, Georgia. Mis- sissippi and Texas, the latter state having an age limit of sixteen for mines. North Carolina has an age limit of thirteen. The standard age limit for this country and Europe is fourteen years This should be raised to at least sixteen for night work and, by way of putting premium on education, to sixteen for illiterate chil- dren. Two of the states, Georgia and South Carolina, allow children under twelve years of age to work in facto- rcs if the children of dependent par ents, Georgia fixing the age for such children at ten years and South Caro- lima making no limit at all. Two states, Georgia and North Carolina, still allow the sixty-six hour week fin factories. which, with the custom of giving half holiday on Saturday, means twelve hour day for the first five working days of the week. In a great many of the states defective laws allow the employment of thou sands of children who are really under the legal age.
 In Pennsylvania new child labor law prepared by Chief Factory Inspect or John c. Delaney will be presented to the present legislature as depart ment measure and Is expected to pass, since 1t provides remedy for existing evils.
 Briefly summed up, the bill provides that the age limit shall be fourteen, the same as now, for all child labor, except in mines, which are governed by another law, and domestic service, which is not touched. The hours are