The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-11
STATES NEED FOR
CHILD LABOR IA
Mrs. Murdoch Writes yid
on Subject
MEANS ILLITERAa
ms ILLITERAi
Alabama Has No Right to Chide q
gia Legislature for Its FaiIuI
to Enact Adequate Laws
on Subject

Declaring that child labor is blot
any state and that the Alabama laws
earding child labor arc about the poor,
in the country. Mrs. W. L. Murdoc
chairman of the Alabama child lab
committee. has issned an appeal for d
passage of a bill by the next legislati
that will SET the age limit at II and GOV
ali kinds of occupations where childr
are employed.
Mrs Murdoch insists that the abolis
ment of child labor would result In Ia
ing AlahRma from the head Of the illtl
ate column, as following close behind
would come compulsory education.
commenting on tile press notices regar
ing the failure of the Georgia leeislatu
Murdoch calls attention to the old ada
of people living i'm glass houses, al
states that tho people of Alabama d
living in a very fragile house, so far
child labor is concerned.
The letter eollows:
Mrs. Murdoch's Letter
I'VE note with a grei !. deal so1I
terest the recent articles in our ri
condemning the Georgia leEislatu
the failure TO pass ebtter Ehild
laws for the state of Georgia
severe and we'll merited conVs"
We are glad that this people til
through the columns of the press co
dcmns the action of our sister sta1
it is a hopeful sign of better thin
for our own state, but we are remln
A., a.. 10 In oil
houses"-we in Alabama are in a We
fragile house when the subject of chi
labor is the one under discussion
I'VE have one of the poorest laws
the country and Il condition of CHI
labor that Is "A shock to any who v
take the trouble TO Investigate it, OF
such children as work in mills =,
tories and manufactures come vii
its jurisdiction, and even there we
low them to begin work a ~ y
In all other forms of occupation
dren in Alabama may be emploge
any age and any hours-so that
not only possible but an actual
that children in this state as yo
as 8 years are working 10 hour
day and violating no law.
Other Industries
"rhe truth is that the cotton N
has been so long regarded as the al
get of attack when the subject Of clhj
labor Is mentioned that even a
makers of this lalSszeuned TO thHl
they We're the only ohdksthat needle
legislation--as a. matter of fact 4
mills of the state are obeying tile
and 1t is not there that the condilx
Of the children Is in such need Of
ter protection. No one wantsN
all children given their right Al
joy and freedom of childhood IT.
education to which every .khs
child has right, more than "
state child labor committee,
know from our inVestigationsG
this state we need "A law a
raise the age to II in all oecuX
and that will cover every line u
in which children engage. In ol
drink stands. our moving pictured
our department stores. our teIN
offices. we have young childrp
work for long continued hours,
of whom have been to school so ~
that we are year by year thus swJ
ing our lists OF iiliterate The hist
of the boys employed in night II
senger service would. we believe, sh
the most Indifferent aud make our
pie realize phat a great eommonwef
cannot be built up by thus neglect
the young and placing them in scho
of vice.
1--WE know today by statistics
accurate to be denied that child
is an evil physically, mentally
morally. The old argument some
still presented by the utterly unif
that 4 worked when / was b5
look at the result Is hard I'd
patience with in the light of
day knowledge. Any farmer KID
cannot prematurely work his sd
have good results later-ch +.
the same, most of the occu L
an unschooled boy of II are a
ley occupations they lead b
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