The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-30
CHILD LABOR CONDITIONS
IN VERMONT REPORTED
Harry L. Piper, Who Has Been Making
Study Of Conditions, Did Not
Find Situation Very
Serious.

Rutland, Oct. 30.--IIarry L. Piper oi
Westminster, who has been making a
study of conditions throughout Vermont
under the direction of the national child
labor committee, made public his report
here yesterday. He gives brief state
ment of the number of children found in
various employments in about 20 towns
in the state. On the whole. the report
speaks well for conditions in Vermont,
ony small amount of the youthful la
Dor reported being Of an intentional ma
ture. Fully 90 per cent. of the children
found employed in violation of the law
were working in ignorance of the law on
their own part or on the part of their
employers, or through misrepresentation
Of their ages.
Boys were found in violation of the
law as bellboys in hotels, in nearly all
the large towns. The chief objection to
this form of employment is the late
hours. The same objection applies TO
the boys found working Illegally in
bowling alleys and as telegram mes
sengers. Comment was madF on the
fact that mems clubs and Y NJ. C. AS
violated the law as regards pin boys in
bowling alleys just as freely as do the
public bowling alleys
In regard to child labor, which Ia
legal under the present laws, Mr.. Piper
spoke OF children working in stores as
needing protection. In many
cases boys who go to school are working
an average of six hours day outside
of their hours in schools and from l2
to Is hours on Saturdays. Another le-
gal form Of child labor which he CON
demned strongly was the employment of
boys from II TO is years old as ushers
in the moving picture theatres. As a
rule. these boys were not doing good
work in school and their eyesight was
being spoiled.
A large part of the investigation was |
given to conditions in the small rural |
Ii was shown that in a /
han 80 per cent. of the boys remained |
n school until they were 10 years old I
n until they had received the education
equired by statute. Most of these boys /
we're Al work on the farms Many who
re enrolled in school attend so irregu-
arly that their progress is much slower
han it should be, and they reach the
ge when they can legally leave school
without having reached more than
ixth grade standing They work at
ome on the farms when there is any
hing to do and go to school when there
J not. This applies to boys down to |
ears old.
OF the $4,000 children in the state be-
ween the ages Of eight and lG, nearly
0.000 are in the rural communities.
his indicates the magnitude of the ru.
al problem and the necessity Of more
dequate mode OF meeting il.
In conducting the Investigation, il
as found that nearly all the mill own
r. and superintendents were ignorant of
Ne exact provisions OF the present law,
rough all thought they knew some
hing about it. In general the enforce
ent of the child labor law. as well as {
he compulsory education law. is left in c
le hands of the school department. The G
srmit system of allowing children to 7
, to work is used in very lax man =
sr. A uniform system of giving and d
cording permits to work il one of the Y
eat needs, especially in the smaller |
aces.