Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-08-21
CHILD LABOR WILL
RECEIVE EATTENT|ON
|. FROM LAWMAKERS
Senator Kenyon and Others Will
Force Issue at the
Coming Winter
Term.
FACTORY MEN TO OPPOSE
Bills Being Prepared Would
Raise Age Limits From 12
to 13 Years and Final
ly to is Years.
FACTORY MEN TO OPPOSE
RY JOHN shuRE.

Washington. Aug. 21.-The child la
bor question will be forced to the front
next winter In congress. So will the
question of legislation to give women
and girls in industry an eight-hour day
The question of an eight-hour day for
women In the District of Columbia Is
pending now in the House. But gem
eral laws on child labor and the labor
of women and girls is to be sought
vigorously In the regular session
Kenyon to Front.
Senator Kenyon intends to work for
the enactment next winter of laws
against child labor and shortening the
hours Of labor of women and girls.
Jects. Many letters and communica-
tions are being received by him and
others In congress in favor of the pro-
posed legislation. On the other hand.
there are signs of powerful opposition.
1t is certain neither measure can be
passed without the hardest kind of Il
contest and 1T Is by no means assured
either can pass even after a struggle.
Senator Bever!dge, when at the
height of his career in the Senate.
made a memorable speech in favor of
child labor legislation. 1t servel to
arouse public sentiment, but 1t did not
bulge the Senate. Many of the Senate
idW y u = IlcItl llG pan was VI
constitutionality or else that 1t was
.unquestionably Invalid. Similarly,
many of the senators now take the
same position. The theory of the child
labor Legislation proposed by Beveridge
was to shut out Of interstate com
merce articles which We're produced
by child labor. The idea of the Ken
yon bill Is similar. Also, this idea is
employed in seeking TO legislate for
the eight-hour day for women In the
District Of Columbia, the eight hour
day can be brought about directly but
no general legislation can be employed
except by the indirect method of say
ing what shall 20 into commerce and
what shall not.
Mill Men Opposed.
Down at the bottom. the real opposi-
ton to child LABOR legislation comes
from the great mill and factory regions.
The mill centers Of the south are a
great source OF, opposition. An illumln-
will be no. child labor legislation at the
present session of the Georgia legis-
lature. President Anderson OF the Sem
ate introduced bill to better. child
labor conditions but such strong OPP
positAn developed that the measure
was shelved. The Anderson bill pro-
posed to raise the age limit for work
ing children from IL to 13 years for
the coming year and to IA years in
1915. 1t was further provided that oil
children before being employed should
give proof of their ability to. read and
write. The manufacturers, it was at
first thought, would not seriously OPP
pose this. but they did oppose it and
with such vigor that it was finally
abandoned.
Opposition of the same sort from
similar sources. will be manifested to
any attempt to get child labor legisla-
ton at the hands of congress. How
ever, it is hoped that the agitation in
congress will at least serve to stir up
varlous legislatures to action and to
arouse public sentiment.