The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-08-04
THE CHILD WORKERS
What Has Been Done In Their
Behalf the Past Year.
MANY LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
National Secretary Owen R. Lovsioy
Sums Up the Progress Made In the
Various States to Tighten the Tasks
Of Youthful TeiIers.
BY OWEN LovEJoY

various States to Tighten the Tasks
Of Youthful Toilers.
BY OWEN R. LovEJoY.
4 Secretary national child labor committee.
A years work In dealing with chill
dren who work for livelihood has
Just been rounded out by the spring
meeting Of the trustees of the national
child labor committee.
1t has been n year Of legislative
/ changes. with Pennsylvania. as usual.
one OF the centers OF combat. Yesr
after year. against Indifference Of the
citizens. hostility OF the factory in
spection department and opposition OF
powerful interests. the friends OF the
children have sought to secure laws to
exclude them from mines and fac
tories.
For several years these efforts have
met with failure. or when laws have
been enacted they have proved so de-
fectlve in certain technical features
as to meet their death at the hands OF
the courts. This year the general
child labor law and the mining law
were radically changed. the most i'm
portant gain being provision requir-
Ing adequate proof of age OF children
seeking employment and the issuance
OF certificates by the school authori-
ties.
A vIoorous afso-+ VOC ,,,odo 90 ILL.,.
mate night work among children. but
this was again defeated through the
influence Of the glass manufacturers.
who defeated bills to the same effect
in Indiana. West Virginia and New
Jersey.
In New York 1t was hoped thai the
revelations made two years ago Of con.
ditIons in many canning factories and
sheds would result In legislation pro-
tecting little children from such ex-
ploltation. 1t was found impossible.
however. to combat successfully the
powerful influence Of the Gamers. and
for another year children Of very ten
der years will continue under the in
sanitary and excessively exacting con-
ditions prevailing In many of these es-
tabliShments.
But in New York two important
laws were enacted, one incorporating
specified list Of dangerous occupa-
tons forbidden to children under six
teen years OF age. the other strength
enlng the hands OF the commissioner
OF labor in prosecuting violators Of the
mercantile employers law.
To the list Of states forbiddins en-
ployment At night OF children under
sixteen years Of age the new laws add
Delaware. Kansas. North Dakota and
Oklahoma.
Michigan extends protection against
night work to girls under eighteen
years Of age and limits the hours Of
work 10 fifty-four In week for all wo-
men and for males under eighteen, re-
quIres more rigid proof of age Of chill
dren seeking employment and ability
to read and write English.
Experience is teaching that insisting
natcbinr nm weot rows 10 n,a,,n .San,
enforcoohIa ,s o,,ta =. I.,-~-. 80
securing higher age limits and stricter
effort 70 CORRECT Eo.,i So +sS aP' ~ 'ne
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~ oo-;S,,.,,-a e" ~ ne commissioner
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