The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-12
CHILD LABOR IN NEW YORK.

CHILD LABOR IN NEW YORK.
The people of New York through
some disclosures made by a recent in
vestigation Of canneries and tene-
ments. are awakening TO a realization
Of the extent of child labor in the
empire state. The deplorable work
ing and living conditions which greed
has created in the tenements OF New
York City by its exploitation of pow
erty are appalling. They are q stain
upon our civilization and constitute a
menace to public health and morals.
These revelations have a queer In
tcrest 10 the South when they are
considered in connection with the
more or less unconscious and conven-
tonalized public opinion which has
been. during recent years, assiduousiy
and enormously cultivated by muck
rakors and other emotional writer's OF
small perspective, relative to chlid
labor in Southern mills and factories.
as a matter Of fact. children are en-
ployed in smaller proportions and
work under better conditions in the
south than in the North and Middle
West. The conditions which have been
brought to light in New York City are
typical of all other large urban CEN
tres north OF the Ohio and Potomac
Rivers In New York the evil may be
intensified because OF greater density
Of population, hut the situation there
is representative. 1t is, in general.
an outgrowth Of the extraordinary in
dustriaI and commercial expansion of
these sections during the past two de-
cades.
The remarkable development of
manufactures in the North and West
has been attended by a demand for
labor which 1T first was satisfied by
the attraction of wage carriers from
Agricultural districts. but later ii was
found necessary to have recourse to
cheap supply from southern and East
ern Europe. AS a result Of this alien
influx, old centres OF population have
been congested and new communities
have been developed in connection
with mills and factories. With this
concentration OF population in indus
trial centics, certain forms OF com
norcial and Industrial undertake pSs
have becn deliberately established Up
on the possibility Of exploiting W.
men and children. In New YORK CllS
the whole scale of such enterprises
IS to be found. ranging from the
manufacture OF clothing to the strip
ming Of ostrich feathers and the max
,ng OF c garettes OF expensive brands
In the anthracite coal regions of fehn-
svlvania. silk and hosiery and Knit
Goods mills have been promoted for
the purpose Of securing the labor OF
tho wives and children of the miners
In iron and steel manufacturing com
rounities. as excmplifed by Pittsburgh.
cigar ara tobacco factories ana paper
and boz. pickle, candy and c!othin:
manufacturing establishments have
,een esta bli shed to take advantage OF
the necessities Of the families OF the
wage-earners in blast furnaces, mines
and steel mills. Everywhere these un-
d,rtakinEs have found a plentiful
supply Of women and child labor be-
cause of the meagre earnings OF the
husbands and the need for supple
menting the income of the head Of the
household.
The employment OF women and Of
children Of proper working ag, is not
undesirable. The deplorable condi
tons in our industrial ana urban
centres have .csulted from the ruth
lcss exploitation Of the poverty o: the
ignorant an. helpless. The sit'.1-ion
vnuid be greatly relieved 10y imposing
restrictions upon immigration There
should also pc measures taken t In
sure sanitary working conditions and
the employment Of children Of work
.rr age With limitation Of the
present oversupply Of immigrant labor
Of low grade. and the maintenance
- proper age requirements for en-
ploymcnt. existing conditions would
be rerncdied without recourse to mini
urum wage legislation. Otherwise.
radical legislation Of this character
wiz lee necessary.