New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-06
FAVOR CHILD LABOR BILL
Measure Abolishing Aqueduct
Commission Reported.
Try Telegraph to The Tribune


Albany. April 5-The Assembly Commit
tee on Labor and Industries this afternoon
decided To report favorably the bill of As
semblvman Murray prohibiting the employ
ment Of messenger boys under tventy-one
years of age by telegraph companies be-
tween the hours of 10 p. IN. and a. m IL
was tile contention of representatives Of TO
form organizations that boys IN carrying
messages at night to places in Tenderloin
districts were led into temptation. The
Feelev bill. restricting the working hours
Of children and minors. was favorably re-
ported
Startling charges were made to-day
against night messenger service In the
large cities Of the state before the As
sembly Committee on Labor and Industries
al the hearing on the Murray bill Ed
ward VI. Barrows. one Of the investigators
of the National Child Labor Committee.
who has been giving all his time 10 a study
Of conditions under which night messengers
work in the larger cities of this country.
was the main speaker in behalf of the bill
our investigation" Mr.. Barrows said.
has only proved i'm a conclusive manner
what any one who stopped to think could
guess. II employed itself chiefly I'm discOv-
ering Just in what way and to what extent
the "Tenderloin' used the night messenger
service and the effect ON the boys them
selves. We found conditions that amazed
even the most sophisticated of us. No one
who has not been face 10 face with actual
conditions can have any realization Of tho
depth to which these little night messen-
gers are dragged down by their work.
Speaking in favor of the bill also. George
A. Hall secretary Of the New York Child
Labor Committee. said: This measure
was Introduced az the request Of the New
York Child Labor Committee. It Is based
on the findings Of careful. Investigation
covering over year. conducted by the Ma
tiOnal child Labor Committee in eight
states in the country. . In New York State
the inquiry has. been prosecuted in New
York city, Buffalo. Rochester, Syracuse.
Utica. Troy. Albany and Schenectady. In
the larger cities, as might be expected. the
extent Of the evil is greater. but conditions
are fully as bad in the smaller upstate
cities
The bill advocated does not have As its
object the ahOlishing Of night messenger
service entirely We contend that what
ever needfuI service must be furnished by
the messenger companies can readily be
supplied by using adults. The public. We
are confident. If IL realized the Condlucns
would demand this not only 70 save mes
senger boys themselves from the awful
surroundings Of vice and immortality com
mon to such work at night in large cities.
but for the sake Of the community as
well The facts revealed nv this investt-
cation have aroused people 20 the serious
ness Of the question. SO that In Masss
chusatts. Maryland and ohio legislation is
now pending TO place further safeguards
about night messengers.
The bin of Assemblymsn Green abolish
ing tho old Aqueduct Commission Of New
York city and transferring It's duties 10 the
citv's Department Of Water. Gas and EleC-
tricitv was reported this afternoon by the
Assembly Committee on Water. Gas and
Electricity The bill was amended 20 trans
fer the employees Of the commission 70 the
department taking over the commission
duties This bill is Incidental 70 the action
of Mavor Gsynor I'm removing the members
of the old AqUeduct Commission and APP
pointing new commission with the I'M
Outstanding that the terms Of office of the
members should expire when they had
cleared up the commission business.