The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-04-14
I IVES
OF Children Slapped in
Mines to Create Wealth
for Trusts
Vivid Story Detailed by
Special Counsel for. the
Pennsylvania Bureau
of Mines.

In his report to James E. Roderick
chief of the department of mines, John
X. Jones, special counsel for the bureau
OF mines of Pennsylvania, charges the
coal companies with laxity and negi.
gence In complying with the child labor
laws, with going so far as to insisting
on execution of releases from liability
for damages, as condition precedent to
the employing of boys of IA years of
age around the collieries. The report is
an exhaustive document, which discusses
every phase of child labor at great
| length.
Jones was engaged two years ago by
the state bureau of mines to investigate
| alleged violations of the child labor laws
| around the collieries and in the breakers
or Lackawanna county, and to enforce
the provisions of the act, wherever he
found violations. In his report, Jones
discusses the difficulties experienced in
| the enforcement of the law, even despite
the cooperation of the school authorities,
public sentiment created favoring the en-
forcement of the law, but the poverty of
parents and their greed, and the Iaxity
OF the coal companies and employers of
labor in reporting ages of boys employ
ed and the alleged execution of releases
for damages for injuries to BOYS given
employment.
The report contains general review
OF Legislation before it deals with the
subject of the difficulty experienced in
getting records of the ages of boys en-
ployed. Referring to the preparation of
evidence for the prosecution of alleged
violations OF the law Jones says:
In the preparation of evidence for
prosecutions against alleged violations of
the law under consideration, resort was
necessarily had to the home circle. And
only in this source, excepting baptismal
records, was it possible, if possible at all,
to secure any evidence to warrant con.
victions. For instance, in a prosecution
against father for wilfully and falsely
swearing to the age of his boy, for the
purpose of securing his employment in
the mines or about the colliery, the
mother could not be legally called to tes-
tify against her husband, for such is
against the policy of the law, and she
is, therefore, incompetent
And, of course, it goes without say
ing, that no man charged with a criminal
offense can be compelled to take the
stand and testify against himself. And
rs general rule, his neighbors cannot
be called upon in a court of Justice to
guess under oath at the age of their
nelghbor's s boy. Then the only other re-
sort was the family records, and these
would be conveniently lost, or said never
to have existed at all.
In discussing the part played by the
school authorities, Jones gives full cred
it to County Superintendent J. C. Tay-
lor, Professor NJ. w. Cumimgns, of Oly-
phant, and the superintendents and prin-
cipals of all schools throughout the coun-
ty for their assistance toward an observ-
ance of the act. Under the caption of
Poverty of Some Parents and Greed of
Others,' Jones goes on to say:
"While it is true that the poverty of
support, and who, in order to make ends
meet, thought they were obliged to dis
regard the age limitations and put their
boys to work in and around the mines
and collieries; still, it is also true, I am
compelled to say, that some parents who
even had money to their credit in the
banks, who owned considerable real es-
tate, and who were we'll able to get along
with their boys in school, without put
ting them to work in the mines, vet not
withstandng these facts, forced their
boys to work in defiance of the law.
down in the foul smoke and dampness of
the mine.
1T is but natural that humanity
should sympathize with the direct power
ty and stress of circumstances of the for
mer class which, it was thought, iusti-
fed the father or widow, as the case hap
pened to be (though, of course. no legal
Justihcation) to put their children of
tender years to work in and around the
mines and collieries. instead of sending
them to school. But as to the latter
class, who would deprive their BOYS of
the advantages of education and have
them grow up in ignorance, for the mere
purpose of increasing the parental reve-
nues, and for the pure love of gain-no
I