The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-28
Conservation Of Child Life.
 VX--ChiLdren Who Work
By Frederic J. Ha.kin.

There are now engaged in gaipful
 ocupations in this country, according to the most recent figures. slightly
 over 2,012,50O children under fifteen years of age. That many children are
 earning their own living and in the
 majority of cases supporting or help
 ing support someone else. They are
 working on farms. in factories. mines.
 mills. mercantile establishments. the-
 atres households. restaurants, and al-
 most any other place where a child
 can be used It has been stated by
 those interested in restrictive legisla-
 tions that the demand for child labor
 is increasing instead of decreasing.
 While 1t Is sad commentary on
 this progressive nation that its com
 merce must depend so largely on child
 labor, and while child labor of a hurt
 full nature in any civilized community
 is a disgrace to that community, the
 reformers have usually overlooked the
 fact that the greater part of these
 children are engaged In farm work.
 where. while the hours are long, there
 is a continual outdoor life. Of the B.
 0t2500 ohild workers, I221.226 are
 working on farms Two-thirds of
 these young agriculturists are in the
 South. and there are four little negro
 ones. The professional world claims
 over 5000 children in its work; trade
 and transportation demand 141.00o
 more, and manufacturing and like
 mechanical work use 326.450. Of the
 factory workers under fifteen, there
 are. according to these recent figures.
 something over 100000 in the North.
 and over 64.000 in the South.
 It is in the interest of the 326,000 or more young people. employed in manu-
 facturing industries that public sem timent Is exercising ist power so much of late. It has done much to ameliorate bad conditions, and expects to do more. The latest consensus of
 opinion on the matter is to the effect that "only 50.000 are now working
 under unsanitary conditions" Even
 when one considers the enormous strides that have been taken in the betterment of the factory worker within the past ten years. this number Is still too big to be allowed to stand. This number is exactly half as much as the maximum strength allowed the entire United State army and if pro- served to healthy. happy, normal wo. manhood and manhood, these citizens in their intellectual. social and moral development, would offer better sup port to the government and its insti- tutions than could be effected by the fighting force 100000 strong.
 The revolution in the interest of child workers Is not an old one. The | census of 1890 first brought the mat ter to the notice of the people. though | the census of 1880 had show over 8 million children working. and the previous one over 100000. When pub lie sentiment does awaken in the | United States 1t does it with a through | ness and an abruptness possible only | In country where freedom of speech | and freedom of the press are consti- tutional privileges. When the census of 1900 came out. people of altruis- tic nature and social reformers of the better type began dignifed and just At the same time the muck rakers saw their opportunities | and rushed gleefully to the front tc Il publish more transformation and offer Y a greater humber of distorted facts than had ever been offered on any one subject.
 In the North. South, East and West. mill and mine owners were beseiged with tracts. reports and catechisms bv mail, and well-meaning though often misguided catechists ia person. Every body wanted to lend a hand in straightening out the matter, and out of their mingled good will and ignor- ance grew much confusion and much unjust criticism of both the employer of the child labor and the would-be re- former All this interest gradually crystallized In an organized effort on the part of manufacturers. legislators, labor organizers. women's clubs and br road- minded citizens to obtain leg Islation that would control. to some extent. this great evil of child labor.
 Now. in this good year of grace. 1909. we see laws protecting children workers in practically every state and territory in the Union-two or three western divisions having not yet reached the need of such laws. Thir- .y-s seven of these states and territories and the District of Columbia, enacted aws within the seven years following the last census, and last year the leg slatures of twenty odd states either enacted new laws or amended old ones.
 Why are children working? That is what everybody is trying to find out. Over a year ago Congress appropriat- sd $500,00o for a through investiga- ion of the condition of women and ,hild workers throughout the nation, A corps of skilled workers has the natter in charge. and by next fall or winter a comprehensive report will be offered on the subject. A recent pri- rate census on this point was made ,y a southern club woman. She vis- ted twenty representative mills in the South. asking always: Why are o work? Who is forcing them to Iabor?" The answers brought out Iuch facts as these
 The majority of the children in hose mills were working to support themselves, and sometimes the whole amily. They had come from families If poor whites where the father was to support them, or worse till. was too lazy. Many were working because the father refused to contract my members of his family to the mill lnless all were taken. A few had been brought by their working mothers be- ause there was no place to leave hem, and 1t was argued that a child vas safer in the mill under sup ,rviston than on the streets alone. A ew came with the consent of their to earn money to spend as hey pleased.
 Fourteen managers in these twenty hills preferred no children under thir- cen or fourteen. They found them and more of a hindrance at ines than help. Two frankly pre- erred child labor to adult labor. and aid the sooner they. could get the hildren and train them. the better, because their fingers were nimbler The other four hadn't been in the business of those sec ions long enough to have proved ither the efficiency ori wastefulness of hild labor. The majority seemed to ,e at the mercy of avaricious parents vho wanted to put their children in he mills, who wanted to make every ent from their work they possibly ould and who were continually hreatning to move away if all the hildren were not employed. The -arying age limit in the states having l. .NrAe l