The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-11-20
NIGHT MESSENGER SERVICE
AND CHILD LABOR QUESTION

city than any other feature Of the
problem. the committee regards the
economic aspects Of the night mes
senger service paramount. 1t is be-
cause this particular kind Of work
ordinarily contributes to destroying
the earning power of the embryo citi-
zen" that We look upon it with dis
favor. II the service from the begin
ming paid an adequate wage, or if it
offered sure road to industrial eff
done its menace to character and
health in view of the economic advan-
tage to be gained. 1t is therefore for
tunate that the thirst of our people
for industrial achievement finds no bull
wark here. There are forms OF labor
in which child may wisely be EN-
ployed at Is or even Il years of age.
under proper regulations. The night
messenger service, to the majority of
boys, is an industrial blind alley. In
stead of being an avenue to higher in
dustrial opportunities, the work leaves
The boy at the end of one or FIVE years
as undeveloped industrially as when
he began. meanwhile his years have
been absorbed. his energy Slapped. his
sensibilities blunted, and his ideals
shattered.
The editor of the Age" next at
tempts to lay upon us the burden of
graduating the so-called social evil,
OF putting an end to all gambling and
disorderly houses: of immoral condi-
lions must exist, asks why should not
the committee work to have them con-
fined to certain designated district
from which young and tender messeng-
ers should be prohibited" Certain
ly a most contract! Again we dis
claim responsibility, as child labor
committee, for Graduating evils that
have baffled the foremost experts in
social reform. We may lay claim.
however. to a serious attempt to place
such restriction about growing youth
that the exigencies of their employ
ment shall not force them into immedi-
otC SOALdCL Win LuCSC tlCCS.
The public cannot be led astray by
the contention that "of the total
amount Of duty which a messenger
boy must do at night, more than 80
per cent is of an advantageous char
acter" nor that the service us health
full outdoor work, far better physically
than indoor confinement" Whenever
the question has been fairly put the
public has not been slow to decide
whether the purchase Of opium for
prostitutes, guiding strangers to the
haunts of vice, catering to gamblers
and drunkards, is of an advantage
GUS character. If the editor of the
Telegraph and Telephone Age has any
statistics to submit controverting this
evidence. he will oblige by submitting
the evidence. We admit that it is out
the Indoor confinement" at night Of
children and growing youth. But we
have no evidence that the kind of out
door work required in this service.
exposing to all sorts OF weather condi-
tons, is better physically than even
indoor confinement.
The editor closes with statement
he regards final. He says. ''rnen will
not work as messengers. Only the
semblance of men will take the job
This is certainly not complimentary to
the business. The answer to the
charge is that since Oct. men are
employed in this city, and. SO far as we
know, with satisfaction to their EN-.
ployers and to the public. OF course
the wages are small, for it has always
passed as a boys job" But we have
thus far discovered no kind of employ.
ment in which real men are unwilling
to engage II the compensation is at
tractive. 1t was acknowledged by one
of the representatives of messenger
company that their wage scale rep
resents $25 per month to messengers
We know of instances in which night
messengers are paid not to exceed
SIS per month and we cheerfully sub
NIT to the citizens of this country that
no industry has right to utilize the
time and strength of our youth with
out rendering financial compensation
sufficient to purchase food and shelter
The industry which fails to do this is
partly parasitic, depending upon pub
lie charity. emergency hospitals, re
lief societies, reformatories and pub
lie poor houses to supply the different
between what they pay and a living
wage. A service which cannot pay its