Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-10-17
CHILDREN ON BLOCK
HIoHEST BIDDER GETS THEM IN
A BAvARIAN MARKET.
Farmers Lease Offspring Of Poor Peas-
ants for Hard Work on Farm
During the Summer
Months.

Berlin.-The annual child market"
In Friederichshaven. in Bavaria. has
just been held. Boys and girls-litue
white slaves they are-were leased
out for the summer. The scenes
around the market place resembled .
page from Uncle Toms Cabin"
III give $50 marks for him!"
Il bid 1851"
900 bid!"
"210 bid!"
"225 bidl"
The competition was keen. for thu
boy was sturdy-looking lad. Despite
his poverty-stricken appearance. he
seemed to be stronger and healthier
than many Of the other children.
Around him swarmed a score Of peas
ant farmers scanning the child ~
they would the points Of q horse.
There was little sentiment in their de-
.meanor. It was business" They
were buying him. to be exact, Teas
Ing the boy. They expected to make
a profit" on their investment, hence
they did not want boy who possibly
would be Ill and could not work hard.
He was Knocked down" at 240 marks,
or $50. The next boy was younger;
he lacked the robustness Of the 9TH
"er lad: he was pale. thin and did not
look as II he ever had a full meal.
He went at $50.
The Austrian steamer Maria The
aresa had brought 125 boys and thirty
girls. ranging in ages from eleven to
sixteen years. across the Boden sea.
They were CHARTERED at the Golden
Wheel hotel. an appropriate place for
this children's lottery. Orphans, half
orphans and children OF poor peasants
In the Austrian Tyrol region, who
thereby profit little, are turned over
to the Tyrolean Children's society.
which In turn leases them out for the
summer months.
More than 500 peasant farmers
from Wurtemburg. Baden, Hohenxol-
Tern and the Bavarian region along
the Boden sea. were on hand to Ibid"
for these youthful wage slaves. Com
petition was keen. The demand this
year was greater than the supply, and
prices considerably higher than last
spring were offered for the labor Of
the children for the summer. The
children had nothing to say about
their fate. whether they liked the
looks of the lessee" or not. Tho
market" was held under the auspices
of Rev. Mr.. Balm Of the ryrolean
Children's society, who had charge Of
them for the society.
From daylight to dark and after the
children labor. which in South Ger
many means about II or 10 hours
daily. It IL only natural that the
'lessses' chief interest IL to get ~
much out Of them a. possible. What
the fate Of some OF the children 10, n
indicated by the Tyrolean 0rsns-
boten. . paper which has started an
agitation against this child market"
1t says:
''Ths children return to their
parents and homes October 20, II they
do not fall . victim to the heavy Ia.
Dor. long hours, intense longing for
father. mother and brothers and sis
ters In the summer. and are buried
in the regions where they were
leased
I'VE ask. In what land or country
would the authorities permit such q
slave trade to exist? That many Of
these children have = hard time Of It
under the strangers to whom they
have been leased Is evident from the
fact that the Children's society has a
number Of farmers on its blacklist to
whom they refuse to lease children
again. But what good does that do
the little ones whom they have ruined
physically and morally?
The Morgenpost of Berlin also mar
wells that the authorities Of Bavaria,
Wurtemburg and Baden would toler-
ate dealing In little slaves"
llanHN NllenVN HNn ~