Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1912-01-11
o or OYSTER
sHUcKERs ON THE SHELL PILE, PHOTO.
GRAPHED FEE. "a, 1911.

The photograph was taken at non in the absence Of ,he supsrinendent.
who had told the photographer that they permitted ne photographs to be taken
Or account Of the child labor agitation.
from Maryland and Delaware. where they are employed in the great truck
gardens and berry fields and the vegetable canneres during the summer
months N account OF the effective laws Of those states, and then are brought
to the gulf coast during the shrimp and oyster season. Thus they get no
chance a all at an education. Mr.. Hines report is as follows:
FEB "a 1911, | asked the manager Of a certain packing house for per
mission to take some photos, and he said very emphatlcaly that they permit
ted no one to take photos around the place while workers were there because
of he fact they might be used by Child labor people On my own responsible
uy, then, ! visited the plant at 3 .. m. Feb %, 1911, before the manager ar
rived and spent some time there They all began work that morning n 4
a m, but 1t is usually 8 a m. on busy days The little ones were there too
and some babies one off in the corner with a mass of quilts piled over it,
From 4 q m. the entire force worked until 4 p m, with only enough time
snatched from work during the day in which to take a few hurried bites The
breakfast, got n Il hurry and in the dark, wa not likely very nourshng.
Sound asleep on the floor rolled up against the steam chest, for it was a cold
morning was little Frank, eight years Old a boy who works some. His sister,
Mamie nine years old and an eager nnbe worker, said: He's lazy. | used
TO go to school, but mother won't let me now because shuck so FAST / found
considerable complaint about sore fingers caused by handling the sbrimps The
fingers OF many of the children are actually bleeding before the end Of the day
They say It is the acid in the head Of the shrimp that causesi it, One man
aer told me that six hours was all that most pickers could stand the work
Then the fingers are Sc sore they have to stop Some soak the fingers in al
alum solution to harden them. Another drawback to the shrimp packing is
the fact that the shrimps have to be kept ice cold all the time to preserve them
It would seem tina. six hours or less of handling lev shrmps would 70 had for
the children especially.
THE mother Of three yearold Mary said she really does help considerably
So does a 1veyearOld sister, but they said the youngest wa. the best worker"
There has recently been issued by the bureau of chemistry Of the United
States department Of agriculture circular Nc. rs, prepared by w D Bigelow
and R. i. Bacon. 1t says:
1T is recognized by packers that shrtmps contain some corrosive substance
which greatly lnterferes with their handling and preservation. It attacks the
worknenS hands. causing the skin to peel and also eats through the leather
of their shoes Tins in which the shfnps are preserved are quickly perforat-
ed Packers have found that this substance seems to disappear when the
shrtmps are preserved with ice"
A uniform child labor law was adopted bv the United St7tas commission,
ers On uniform laws at their rventyhrt annual meeting in Boston, Aug. %
ana 2t 1911 upon the report of their special committee, a distinguished mem
Der Of which was the Hon A. T. Soyall of Mississippi. 1t epbodies the best
provisions of the child labor laws already in existence in several states.
The uniform child labor law may he summarized thus:
The law presTbes a general age limit of fourteen for practically all EN-.
ployHenf except agriculture and domestic service, and for all occupations dur.