Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1912-11-30
0MErtND Chill
'la IN INDUSTRY
BY Prof. Award al
Methodist Episcopal Church,
Last Week.

y assure YOU that appreciate the
honor OF being asked to discuss the
question Of Women and Children In
Adustry," but feel very much my
ability to handle such subject.
'ssss question has become problem
serious consideration Of the
Z public.
n GndeavOr to speak of that
D 4bncerning the children first.
are In the United States over
800 child workers, Of whom so
sent work on farms, and As OF
w are reported as assisting their
4 tQts. The question is to what ex-
lrnt Is such labor injurious to the
childf II VIII not hurt the average
child between the age Of ten and
fourteen years to do reasonable
amount Of work hut many country
boys are oyer-strained according to
those in a position to know. II
has been said that all work and no
play makes Jack dull boy. It is ju
as true that all play and no work
makes Jack mere toy. But my time
Is too limited to enter into a fur
ther discussion Of the country child.
His condition Is far better than that
Of the child OF our great industrial
centers.
II is here that wish to call your
attention for few moments, for It is
here that reform is most needed
Many OF our northern states have
passed child labor laws for the pro-
lection OF children under the age Of
fourteen years. But there is much
to be done yet.
According to the reports of the
National Child Labor Committee 1t
is the Southern child that is most
in need today. Especially is this
true of the oyster packing and fruit
canning districts A line Ct these
factories stretches from the gulf
coast of Florida to louisiana Ii
February of 1911, Mr.. Louis Hine,
staff photographer for the National
Child Labor Committee visited this
district and reports that he counted
125 children between the ages Of
three and eleven years Of age work
ing in these factories. It is not only
an injustice to the child, but dis
grace to a civilized community to
allow a child OF three to be put in
a factory and expected to work all
day. It Is not an uncommon thing
to find four and five year old chill
dren struggling with the rough oys-
ter shell all day earning only about
cents. Then for recreation they
can mind the baby while mother
works. You see little ones from four
years up working .until physical
strain and monotony become unen-
durable, and then for relief 60 over
in the corner and rock the baby or
tote it around until they feel like
working again.
II you were to visit one Of these
long, dingy shucking sheds at three
o'clock in the morning YOU would
find several hundred women and
Z children lined up on both sides OF
the low cars of oysters which have
been steamed SO they may be more
easily opened.
The shucking is a simple process,
deadening in Its monotonous simple
ity, and as the bodies Of the work
ers sway back and forth with rythm,
concentrated on their work one is
reminded Of the sweat shops OF some
OF our larger cities. The hard Jag
ged oyster shells which they handle
and on which they stand, do not
minister to their comfort. From three
or four In the morning until about
four in the evening with short lunch
hours, and in many places snatch
Ing their lunch as best they can, the
work goes on.
During the shrimp season 1t is not
an uncommon thing to see children
with swollen and bleeding hands
keeping bravely on, and In the even
ing hardening their fingers with alum
for the next day.
IL / had time | should be glad to
take up the condition in some OF
the cotton mills and other factories,
where the conditions are just as
bad. But there is one other condi-
tion that l want to mention, and
that IL the home finished garment
Industry. Of which New York is the
center.
Here garments are taken home and
finished in dark, dingy and many
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