Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-04-24

is exceedingly dangerous even to the
health Of adults; children so employ
ed face the dangers of disease that
has long baffled medical authorities
This disease has been recogniz-
ed since the COS, when the English
parliament first made an investiga-
ton.
Assemblyman S. c. Goff, chairman
of the committee on education and
public welfare, last week requested
the Industrial commission to furnish
his commi with information re-
garding the attitude of the Diamond
Match company toward the child La
Dor Laws. III answer to this inquiry,
the commission has given Mr.. Goff
a detailed history Of the match trust
violations and its final payment of a
$4,000 penalty, resulting from the
states prosecution last fall. The
letter says in part:
In July, 1912, complaints began to
come in of violations of the hours of
labor law by the. Match company. We
ordered an investigation. The com
pany evidently was able to mislead
our deputies into believing that there
We're no violations. A large number
of children were interviewed, but as
was found later, they had evidently
been educated to lie about their hour
of labor. Complaints continued to
come in, and in October we placed
the matter in the hands of a train
ed woman investigator, Miss Lund-
berg. She found wholesale violations
of long standing.
When finally confronted with the
profit of violations, Mr.. Gates, the
superintendent of the company, ad-
mitted the facts and said it was sim
ply a question of putting the trade
against the law. We thereupon re
quested the governor to direct the
attorney general to commence prose
cution, which he did. A prosecution
was begun against the company CHI
ing nearly 500 separate violations of
law, covering a period of two weeks
time. The company, through its at
tOrneys from Oshkosh and MilWau-
kee sought to have this prosecution
dismissed on its promise to reform
This was refused by the case was
submitted to the circuit court with
recommendation on the part Of the
attorney general that upon the com
pany submitting to penalty Of $4,000
the balance of the counts might be
To this recommendation
the governor and the Industrial com
mission consented. The company
thereupon admitted liability in the
sum of $4,000 and paid thai amount
i2to the court.
The dipping, dyeing and packing
of phosphorus matches is known to
be very dangerous to the health of
the employees. 1t is particularly dan
gerous to boys and girls At the
present time it is our understanding
ClleIC ClIC NhcItCIl COdIlpc Is Sl1M uSiIS
in the manufacture of
its matches. 1t is claimed that after
July LIST they will no longer use phos
phorus, but We have no knowledge |
as to what ingredients will be used
or as to whether or not such ingre-
dents will be poisonous In view,
of the attitude of this company in
the past, We do not think that the |
bars should be let down until the J
has shown, by indisputable |
proof, that the new processes are |
not dangerous to children, and that |
they can safely engage in the work
of dipping, dyeing and packing match
es."
Present indications are that the
match trust will make a determined
effort to secure its amendm ent to tn
law. Mr.. Hurlburt's amendment was
defeated in the assembly last week
but a motion for reconsideration is
now pending.