The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-19
SLOW TO FILE
| CERTIFICATES
Child Labor Laws Are
Not Needed.
STATE MAY HAVE A CONTEST
Intimated That Mills May Make a
Test.
Only z1s school Ccrtiscstes Have been
Returaed, Out or Total Between
1000 and 5000 school Chil-
dren Az Work.

An apparent hardness In obeying the
educational feature OF the child labor
laws OF Alabama Is brought out in q
circular letter which DR.. CT Bush,
inspector, sent out yesterdayN,to the
| owners OF mills. Attention Is called
to the fact that there are startiingly
few school certificates on file with the
Inspector in spite Of the fact that blanks
have been furnished for an estimated
return OF between 1000 and 5000 chill
drsn OF the defined school age.
Though DIR. Bush does not intimate
as much In his letter. 1t Is rumored
that not all the mills are going to
obey the statute, as the administra-
ton Is said to desire that 1t should be
done. This report carries with 1t the
statement that when the time comes
test Of the law will be made and q
big fight will be on the States hands
In the courts OF Alabama
| OF course. there is time yet to verify
this rumor. November IL fixed as the
time limit up to which the mill owners
can start obedience of the law The
provision Is that all employed children
between the ages OF IL ana 18 shall be
required to produce certificates that
they have attended school eight weeks
OF the>year. at least six Of which must
he consecutive. before they can work
In cotton mills. There is a penalty on
mill men who work children of this
class without certificates So It may
be seen that even beginning with Mo-
vember l next, and putting the chill
dren in schools from then to December
81. thus running through the Christ
mas holidays. the parties will be Just
within the law.
II is disclosed in the circular let
ter of DR.. Bush's that up to date only
21o certificates have been received by
him. Yet the year Is rapid yadvanc-
Ing and the public school sessions are
about closing. The only chance that
remains. therefore, is the fall term of
the Scholastic year.
DIR. Bush's Letter.
The letter of DR.. Bush follows:
MAY II, 1909.
"The Child Labor Law requires that
oil children between the ages of IL
and 16. to be eligible for employment
In the mills factories or manufactur-
Ing establishments of Alabama, must
attend school for--atS least eight weeks
In every year of employment.
up to date. May II. 1908. there are
on file In this Office eight thousand at
fidavits. showing that eight thousand
children between the ages OF IL and IS.
have signified their inteition to work in
the mills, etc OF these eight Thousand
children, over seventy per cent. are OF
school age according to the Child La
Dor Law, that Is. they are between IL
and 10 years Of age.
up to date only 2l9 school certifi-
! Gates have been received In this ofice
''The year 'is rapidly advancing, and
am writing to urge you TO see to 1t
that all children underN16 years OF age
are given an opportunity to attend
school eight weeks. in order that they
may not have to be removed from the
mills.
nished by this department upon appli-
cation: kindly let me know how many
you need. Yours truly.
&C. r. Bush.
Inspector"
1t is said that one effect of the
school feature of the child labor laws
will be, or has been in a small degree.
to do away with children for opera
tives. Gradually. in the smaller mills.
adults are displacing the younger ones.
Some attribute It to the school phase of
the statute. while others. among them
the owners. say that better net re-
suits are obtained from mems labor
though. OF course, higher wages are
involved. In many instances. 1t is
known, the min men do their duty by