New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-05
METHOD|STS PROTEST
AGAINST CHILD LABOR
Conference DenounceS Employ
ment OF Little Ones in
Factories and Mills.
MINISTERS TO START WAR
Proposal of Age Limit and Re
tirement for Bishops Among
Topics Likely to
Cause Debate.

Minneapolis, May 4-Employment Of chill
dren under sixteen years old in the fac
! tories and textile mills OF the United States
was denounced in the Quadrennial General
| Conference of tile Methodist Episcopal
Church to-day
To investigate charges that I'm the tex
tile mills alone one hundred baby hands
are yearly lost as a sacrifice to the greed
for wealth and to formulate an appeal TO
all churches to fight for national legtsla-
ton against child labor. Q commission OF
fifteen ministers was ordered appointed,
whose duty 1t will be to go thoroughly into
| the subject. 1t was announced that the
nineteen thousand ministers of the Church
would institute d vigorous warfare against
what was asserted to be one OF the great
est of modern evils.
Bringing the matter before the conference
in the form of resolution. Henry ]. Cocker.
Of Denver, asked for adoption Of the fol-
lowing:
That we, representatives from the whole
| earth. declare our utter condemnation and
most determined hostility to this shameful
spectfully urge cur churches, officials IN
state and nation. both executive. judicial
and legislative, to do their utmost TO sbol-
ISh This great evil our ndtlOndl 10
main and the whole earth.
In their greed for gain employers have
in this country put about 100000 children
| under sixteen years of age in mills, mines,
factories and messenger service" Mr.. Coker
declared "Of the 5000 children In the
| textile mills. we are Informed that 1000
are under twelve years OF age, and in those
mills yearly about one hundred baby han1s
are cut off by machinery. In the glass
factories there are 1900 children; in saw-
, mills 5000. and In cigar factories 1900
children handle cigars at the rate OF cents
thousand.
This is an appalling commentary on
modern civilization. Who is 1t We hear cry
ing on the street corners. Suffer the little
children to come unto me?' Is It Jesus
Christ. or the greed for gain? 1t is about
time we realize the suffering and calamity
which modern civilization is imposing upon
the children"
Edgar G. Richardson. Of Bristol, Conn,
thought the mere adopting OF resolutions
was not sufficient His call for the appoint
. ment Of a commission to suggest that all
ministers in the Church pledge themselves
TO fight child labor was passed with LOUD
applause.
Henry Wade Rogers. OF New Haven, had
referred to committee resolution "n1ch
provides an age limit for bishops and FOR
their retirement from active service "neh
they have reached the age of seventy-nve
years. The resolution also provides that the
bishops may be relieved from travel"
when they reach the age OF seventy years
If the board of bishops so desires. In either
case they are permitted TO choose their own
places of residence after retirement
Dean Rogers declared that the system Of
retirement by tho conference was wrong.
and that an age limit should be established
as in the United States army.
An emphatic demand that the Church
abandon its Embarrassment rules was
made in this resolution, offered by Benja-
min f. Edssll, Of Newark. y. j.:
That Section 80 Of the Discipline be
amended by striking therefrom the words
Dancing, playing at games OF chance at
tending theatres, horse races clrcuses,
dancing parties or patronizing dancing
as are obviously of misleading or question
able moral tendency"
To show that the Church would not stand
In the position OF favorlng these forms OF
amusement, the resolution reiterated from
tho thufcn b SptCldl duN4N'S Ni' i"h'"
ing:
We lift up a solemn note OF warning and
entreaty particularly against theatre going.
dancing and such games OF chance as are
frequently associated with gambling, all OF
which have been found TO be antagonistic
TO vital piety, promotive of vorldlness ana
especially perncious TO youth.
The resolution. which was referred to
committee declared compulsory good be-
havior was not the essence OF religion" and
the present rule was ineffective
Marvin Campbell. Of South Bend, Ind,
offered a resolution asking that the twenty
nine editors and publishers OF Church pub
locations be investigated by special com
mittee as to their qualifications before their
selection and that their election be not
left TO vote of the conference, 80 per
cent OF whose members were ignorant as 10
whether the candidates were qualified