Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-12
Demand for Creation of Gov
eminent Bureau for Children.
ARGUMENT ON PETERS BILL
House Committee on Labor Urged to
Favorably Report Measure.
IMPROVEMENT OF CHILD LIFE
Conditions in Industrial Centers Dis
cussed by Those Who Have
Investigated Them.

The bill fathered by Representative Pc
tiers Of Massachusetts, proposing the crea-
ton a a children's bureau in the De-
partment Of Commerce and Labor was
the subject of a hearing before the House
committee on labor this morning. Mr..
Peters was accompanied by many Of the
workers among children. including Miles
NJ. Dawson Of the American Bureau of
Labor Legislation Thomas Nelson Page,
the author: Mrs. Florence Kelly. of the
National Consumers League; John W.
Glenn, director of the Russell Sage Foun-
dalton, and Miss Lillian d. Valid, well
known settlement worker.
Representative Peters opened the argu-
ment in favor of the bill. pointing out
that there is not at present In the
eminent body which has to do with the
care and Improvement of child life. He
argued that the federal government
should have on hand statistics which
would aid the various states in formulat
ing laws governing child labor and all
other phases Of child life. Mr.. Peters
also made an argument to show how far
the federal government could go, under
the Constitution, in supervising educa-
tional conditions.
In Dangerous Occupations.
Mr.. Dawson dealt with child labor
legislation. He discussed the danger
Gus occupations in which children are
employed, and declared that the
United States is far behind all the
other countries Of the world in its re-
searches into the conditions under
which children live and work. He
n In 06 that tho nrnnnCo6 hllrnQn
would be of great value in the proper
formation Of efficient workmen's COM
pensation legislation.
Mr.. Page discussed conditions in the
mills of the Piedmont section. describing
the mountaineers of the southern APP
palacfian region as the most illiterate
class in the country" He urged the COM
mittee to report the bill as a means of
giving the entire country an opportunity
of learning the conditions under which
all children live, and thus to furnish an
impetus to all movements for the i'm
provement Of child-life conditions.
nliterates as Operatives.
1.-THE mills recently established in the
SOUTH" he said. ARE rapidly being filled
up with these illiterates from the noun
tains as operatives. Perhaps this is good
for them, for authorities declare that
town environment eliminates tho hook
worm that has afflicted these people. Ac-
cording to reliable estimates, GO per cent
Of the operatives in these mills are under
sixteen years of age, and q good proper
ton are under twelve. Now. down in my
country. if man takes two,year-old
colt and breaks him to work. that horse
will never gain his full strength. You
can't work a child that way, either" i
Mr.. Page recommended an increased
interest on the part Of the federal gov
eminent in the education Of children.
Mrs. Kelly pointed out the difficulties
tons labor at present because of the alb
sence of any central organization to dis
pense information Of general interest
throughout the country.
other Features Presented.
Mr.. Glenn told Of the work Of that or
ganization among children, and outlined
the opportunities which would be opened
for a government bureau.
The labor committee will act On the bill
in the near future. as Representative
Peters declared today he was confident
1t would be reported favorably. The bill
gives the proposed bureau authority to
investigate and report on all matters
pertaining to the welfare Of children and
child life
History Of the Agitation.
Mr. Page delivered q lengthy review
on tho conditions through which the
agitation for childrens bureau has
passed.
I'm the beginning" he said, I'VE
are opposed by the ever-present forces
Of conservatism. 1t seems that when
ever this old world gets moving in a
steady line. tho general tendency is to
prevent any departure from that di-
rection.
The advocates Of this movement have
been told that their efforts led in the
the government. Now. paternalism has
come to have a very invidious meaning.
and has generally been discredited. But
there Is a certain benevolent paternalism
which is absolutely necessary on the
part of governments, or we will revert
to the age Of barbarism. An important
branch Of the responsibilities of the gov
eminent is the governments care for Its
people-the care that has brought us to
our present state Of civilization.
Policy Of Conservation Applied.
about conservation. There are many diff
ferences OF opinion as to the methods to |
be employed. but 1t is generally conceded |
that conservation is q necessary policy. |
What could then be more important than |
the conservation Of our people them |
selves? Now, that conservation must be- |
gin with the children
1T Is impossible to train the people to |
high standards Of life, morality and edu- |
cation after they have become, as men |
OF my age. set in their ways.
Il believe, and l think all reasonable |
people believe. that the time must come |
when the government will take a deeper |
Interest in the daily life Of its people.
and l think this bill is a start in the |
right direction"
DArvEv 70 nrYcv