El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-05
MAN BEHIND THE CHILD.

Among the many articles that are
published in denunciation of child labor
and urgently insisting on IeSls-
IatiOn restricting If. one element OF the
problem is strangely neglected. IN the
opinion of George Frederick Stratton,
writing in the Outlook Whlle me
writer's are abundantly sympathetic
with the children, the Stern necessity
of the parents has been entirely over
looked, or, If noticed at all. II mas
usually been in spirit of severe crlti-
cism of those parents for alleged or
assumed greed and selfishness II turn
ing their children into mills and FAC
tories before their legal age OF going
This comment by Mr.. Stratton fol-
lows a statement of his own investl-
cation and talks with fathers en-
plOyed in industry, showing that the
low wages Of many faithful parents
prevents them from giving their child
rem the opportunities for education that
they would like to grant 1T has re
mained for the driest and most unob-
trusive literature, the report OF the
Massachusetts bureau of staticties and
labor" he says. ito do justice to the
man behind the child" and he con-
tinues:
In noting the fact that nearly 5000
children under the age of 10 years-40O
being below the legal working age OF
IA yeaTs-are engaged IN manual work
in the state, the chief says that from
a collection of budgets received from
397 fsmilies he finds that the fathers
do not earn enough to support their
families: that they are forced to de-
pend upon their children for from one
fourth to one-siXth of the total family
earnings. The report states that of
SIS, 1873 wage earners in the state, 3O9,-
O75 earn an average of less than $3.50
a week
In one of the great manufacturing
plants. where 5000 hands are employed,
over 1900 are Unskilled labOrers- These
men are paid flat rate of Il cents an
hour-S7.50 week OF 55 hours This
company has paid six percent dividends
for 10 years past It has twice during
that period declared stock dividends OF
S14 900 600, and $4,000. 600 respectively
In all it has divided up profits in 10
years amounting TO a total of $4,000
600 upon a capitalization Of S24,0OO,OOO-
It pays its Jumpers Il cents an hour!
Among its stockholders are states
men. philanthrOpists and sociologists-
Many of their wives are, undoubtedly,
noble, large-hearted women, intensely
interested in and indignant at the con-
ditions of child labor. The living wage
of the parents they know nothing
about. But-their company pays its
Jumpers II cents an hour
The conditions with the great United
States Steel company in all its sub
sidiary plants is similar in kind, but far
greater in quantity.
The labor commissioner of North
Carolina. in a recent report, states that
of the 10000 employees of the cotton
mills in his state-SO0O of whom are
children-the average daily earnings of
the men and women. reckoning the
total years work. were % cents.
Mr.. StrattOn points out that when
ever men are employed at such wages
as quoted the children must work or
suffer. such men, for their children'S
sakes-to keep their small bodies fed
and clothed-Wiu and do eYade the
law" the writer says. who can blame
those parentS2 Who can say that they
do not love their children. whom they
would see hungry and half naked but
for the few dollars which they earn in
the mills? The sympathy for those lit
tie ones should commence with the
fathers, the logical bread winners"
The duties of the 14-cents-an-hour
man are great. the writer, says, set
ting them out thus:
He is required to furnish periodical
stock melon on Il cents an hour. He
is advised to keep the baby carriage
full on Il cents an hour. He is expected
to carry for Il years-some suggest Is
years-the expense of developing our
future citizens; nourishing their bod
les and surrounding them with intel
lectual and moral influences on II cents
an hour
needs it badly Help for him will be
help for his children. Would il be too
much to suggest throwing Il little lime
light upon his condition and its chance
for Improvement; to turn for n mo-
ment from the misery of the children
in the mills to the misery of the chill
dren IN the homes, to turn from legis-
latiOn for education to legislation for a
living wage; to look into the posi-
bllity or impossibility of a mans rear
ing and presenting to the state. boys
and girls well nourished in mind and
BODY, and uncOntaminated by factory
environment, upon a weekly income of
$3.50 in the north and $3.50 IN the
south?
Would it be improper to inquire why
captains of ndustry-brainy, resource
1uI, indomitable, etc.-are unable so to
regulate production costs and dividend
demands as to afford a grown work
lngman n sufficient pittance to enable
MN to avoid the Charybdis of race
suicide and the Scylla of child LAHORE
ORGANIZE LADIES, AID.
All women relatives Of men who are
IN any way connected with a labor
union are eligible for membership in
the Grand Rapids Ladies' Labor Aid
society, which has been organized for
the purpose of helping needy members
Of