Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-24
NEW BILL DRAWN
To END CHILD
LABOR EVIL
Hooper Alexander Will Work for
Law to Supersede Present
Confusing Statutes,

Promise of much needed reform in
the child labor situation in Georgia
is given in a bill Hooper Alexander
has drafted and which Tuesday he
predicted would be enacted into law.
Technicalities and frills have been cut
out of the measure, and its sponsor
asserts 1t will cure many of the glar-
ing evils in the Industrial system to-
day.
Both the National Child Labor
Committee and the Cotton Manufac-
turers' Association have Endorsed the
measure. Mr.. Alexander. therefore,
believes 1t win be enacted into law
unless certain Atlanta merchants
muster more opposition than he
thinks they can. 1t is practically the
same bill that he introduced a year
ago when still a member of the Leg
islature. 1t failed to pass because
certain merchants succeeded in ex-
empting mercantile establishments
from its operation
Mr.. Alexander is member Of the
Atlanta committee of the National
Child Labor Committee Ii was at
the request of the local and national
committees, also of the cotton manu-
facturers, that he drew his bill.
Age Limit IL Years.
Instead of writing a blanket prohi-
bition forbidding all child labor and
then lacking on a myriad of excep-
tions which might void the whole law
from constitutional standpoint, Mr..
Alexander listed certain lines of en-
ployment in which children under
certain ages should not be permitted
to work under any circumstances or
conditions. The inhibition applies to
mills, factories, workshops, laundries,
public service and mercantile estab-
lishments. Section 1 provides that
after this year no child under -
years Of age shall work in any of
these places; after 1914 no child un-
der 13; after 1915 no child under IA
shall be so employed or permitted to
work.
The full effect Of the law, which will
be attained after 1915, is to prevent
the working of children in any of
these lines under IA years of age.
Section 2 provides for the education
of children until they pass the age Of
16. 1t repeats Section 3146 of the
Code of 1910, which provided for the
education of children between IA and
Is years, but which was so vague and
verbose as to practically nullify it
self. 1t provides that no child be-
tween the ages of IA and 16 shall be
employed unless he can read ordinary
English and write simple English
sentences. In case of doubt the State
Commissioner of Labor is to make the
educational test, and his decision
shall be final
Present Law Confusing.
Georgia has child labor law al
ready-several of them--but the pro-
visions and conditions attached there
to and made part thereof so befud .
die the main issue, Mr.. Alexander as
serts. that the whole collection is con-
fusing, and no Roadway has been
made In enforcement. Mr.. Alexander
has sought to avoid confusion by put
ting into one bill of less than two
typewriter pages all the restrictions
on child labor necessary, and writing
them in such simple language as TO
render judicial Interpretation unnec-
essary
Among the child labor laws now
on the statute books of Georgia is a
provision permitting children 10 years
old to work when they have parents
who are disabled or dependent upon
them for support Mr.. AleXander's
bill stops l0-year-old children from
working after this year.
In short. the minimum age for child
laborers in Mr.. Alexander's bill even
tually is raised from 10 to Ia years
The maximum age at which children
remain under protection Of the laws
Is reduced from IS to Is
Mills Want Restriction.
The bill is not revolutionary; it is
rational and right" said Mr.. Alexan-
der. THE present law contains so
many exceptions, and the evidence
about them is so vaguely provided
for, that little Roadway has been
made toward enforcement.
THE cotton mills want to enforce
the child labor laws The leaders
among them are humane and just.
They think il is right and they are
behind this bill. The National Child
Labor Committee also is behind It.
1.-THE law is perfectly plain. 1t
wipes out all complications and ex
ceptions and conditions and comes
out fat footed. For that reason, 1t
will be easily enforceable"
Mr. Alexander said he wanted to
warn friends of child labor legislation
against accepting any amendments to
his measure. The minute amendments
are tackled on, he said, the bill be-
comes confusing. and II too many
amendments we're accepted II would
become as useless as the present stat
utes on the same subject.