Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-03-16
CHILD LABOR IN
THE SOUTHERN STATES
Competent Speakers at Ma.
tiOnaI Conference

boro, n. c., ad Rev. DR.. c. E. Weltney
of Columbia, S. c., made up sympos-
ium of speakers this morning on~the
topic Survey of tn Child Labor Sit
uation in the South" at the National
Child Labor Committee Conference,
which is being held in this city
DR.. Mccullough reviewed the pres
ent child labor law of South Carolina,
and said of the situation in the pres.
ent legislature:
"A bill is now pending in the state
| Legislature to raise the age limit to
thirteen from and after the first day
of July, 1913, and fourteen after the
first day of July, 1914. The bill was
received an unfavorable report at the
hands of the senate judiciary commit
tee. 1t was deemed advisable not 20
make a fight at this session for It's
Ell actment, in view of the fight which
was being made for the enactment O.
compulsory education bill, and H.
view of the promise made to the child
labor committee by the representa-
tives of the South Carolina Cotton
Manufacturers Association, that if the
compulsory educational bill was en-
acted, they would unite with us in Sc
curing the passage of a bill raising the
age limit in South Carolina"
Mrs. Bailey told of the enactment of
the present law that gives Mississippi
the distinction of being the only South
ern cotton state with an eight-hour
DAY for all under 16 years. She then
said:
ITO the best of the knowledge AMI
belief of the child labor committee
the child labor law has been strictly
enforced, as regards cotton mills AMI
factories.
But Mississippi's most difficult
child labor problem at present is that
of the little oyster shuckers on the
gulf coast These children are nomads,
coming on oyster luggers from the
North Atlantic coast to the Southern
coast for the winter oyster packing
season, and returning to the Chesa-
peake Bay canneries for the summer.
The children are with their parents =
parents without mental ability or NOR
al standards, with no conception Of
right living and no interest beyond
their daily food supply. Whether the
case is for law or the gospel, local
charities or national philanthropies,
confess, l cannot determine. Perhaps
a measure of responsibility rests or
each"
Mr. Swift said:
Time and time again during the
past year, l have been made to feel
that what we need in North Carolina
is a larger membership in the national
child labor committee. So far as I can
see, we must depend upon this organ
ization to aid us in doing many of the
things which must be done.
Back of all attempts to secure
proper legislation and proper inspec-
lion lies a greater work, namely, that
Of making the people themselves feel
such a need for improvement that
hey actually demand that it be made.
If the community only knew the worth
Of children and could only place the
proper estimate upon child life, chill
dren would come into their own 1T
once. What we need in North Carolina
and in the whole South is somebody
who will shake up this factory popula.
ton as our farmers have been shaken
up. The trouble with us is that our
people do not consider"
Rev DIR, Weltner, of st. Luke's
Lutheran Mission among cotton mill
operatives at Olympia, Columbia, S.
s. said:
Welfare work among cotton i'll
operatives is perplexing problem be-
cause of the illiteracy and the tran