The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-11-30

children not only stunts their growth
but mentally as well. Figures
have been prepared showing the scholar
ship of children In the Buffalo public
schols who work In canning factories
during their summer vacation. / don't
remember the figures now. but the
showing was n bad one--the children's
records were extremely poor beside
those OF children who had spent their
vacations normally, in ~ way they
were intended to be spent.
Il WAS much interested in the way
the Gamers took my testimony. Some
OF them said they remembered me. one
insisted ! still had sixty-one cents
coming to me for work I did in his
place and for which was never paid.
I have talked with many OF them since
! testified. l have discussed conditions
with them. and / think many of them
are anxious to bring about Improvement.
But the best feature was that they
were given every opportunity to cross
examine me or cOntrovert my testimony
but they didn't say a word. They had
no objection to offer to anything
said"
Miss Chamberlain pointed out an in.
teresting difference between the small
town cannery and the larger one, which
probably IL one of a chain or belongs
to pool or alliance. Conditions in
the hrst named. she said, always are
best.
The small cannery generally IA
owned by one man. II started right In
n's own Village ana eyed his neigh
bors who knew him well enough TO cal,
him by his first name. He EMPLOYED
their wives. too. that the women folks
nlight make little pin money. Prob
ably he agreed to pay then 10 cents an
hcur--thats the usual thing. Don't you
know. he would no more think OF re-
uuclng this wage than he would of
jumping In the river. And the women
would die before they would ask for A
raise. Similarly. he Is slow about en-
ployinE their children. He has a per-
senal interest In every child and he will
hesitate at harming the young one, as
no must know continuous work for the
little one will do.
GUT CONDITIONS ARE CHANGED
IN TIME.
But It's different after the factory
sets bigger. after the owner gets to EN-
ploying superintendents. timex epers
and the like. He no longer has the per-
scnal interest. he doesn't know who Ia
need more labor. Perhaps II will he
Italians or Poles or some other nation.
atty which win agree to work for eiyh,
cents AN hour instead Of the 10 he has
been paying the natives OF the village.
1.-THE natives gradually are weedet
out. The foreigners are greatly In neet
of more money: there ID a need on tn.
part OF the cannery for children. ant
the result may be plainly seen. Ever,
child capable Of earning a cent will b,
hustled into the shed to add his shar,
to the family income.
what Is going to be the result OF THU
investigation 1t 10 hard to say. sena
otr Wagner and the gentlemen WORKING
with him will know more about II.
have told them the situation: they an,
the public must draw conclusions.
THE main thing to he done, in m
opinion. 10 to apply the State Factor,
! law to the shed connected with the can
ming factories. That would do ava,
with child labor and establish a sixty
bour-a-week limit for labor. Under tn
Agricultural law there IL no limit at al
and children over ten years may be EN-
ployed.
/ III the Gamers are right In their cor
tention that II Is impossible TO fix a linn
to labor, at least there should be
prohibitive age limit
do you wonder am all the strongs
for woman's suffrage as n result OF m
invostigationsf ! couldn't 20 throua
what l have experienced last Augu
and not believe In giving women Il
right to vote. No man gets ms little {
eight cents an hour. And the woms
wouldn't, either. II they had a right
vote and could compel the enactmel
. 30 lava which would protect and saf