The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-03-14
CHILD LABOR LAW
IN CONFERENCE
REVIEW OF CHILD LABOR PROB
LEM DISCUSSED BY PROMINENT
LEADERS IN SOUTH.

JdChSOuN me- Tid'' Ah"iNh - W
seph A. Mccullough, l.. l.. d., of
IGreenyille S. c., Mrs. Edward IA.
Bailey of Jackson, Miss, w. II. Swift
Iof Greensboro, n. c, and DIR. c. e.
Weltner of Columbia, S. c., made up
a symposium of speakers this morning
on the topic, Survey of the Child
Labor committee conference which IS
being held in this city.
DR.. Mccullough reviewed the pres
ent child labor law of South Caro-
lima. and said of the situation in the
present legislatures:
"a bill is now pending in the state
legislature to raise the age limit to
thirteen from and after the first day
of July, 1913, and fourteen after the
first day of July, 1914. This bill has
received an unfavorable report at the
hands of the senate judiciary com
mittee. 1t was deemed advisable not
Ito make fight at this session for
it's enactment in view of the fight
which was being made for the enact
ment of a compulsory educational
bill, and in view of the promises
made to the child labor committee
by the representatives of the South
Carolina Cotton Manufacturers AS
sociaton, that if the compulsory ed
ucational bill was enacted, they
would unite with us in securing the
passage of bill raising the age
limit in South Carolina"
Mrs. Bailey told of the enactment
of the present law that gives Missis-
sippi the distinction of being the
only southern cotton state with an
eight hour day for all under 16 years.
She then said:
"To the best of the knowledge and
belief of the child labor committee,
the child labor law has been strictly
enforced as regards cotton mills and
factories.
"But Mississipp's most difficult
child labor problem at present is
that of the little oyster shuckers on
the Gulf Coast. These children are
nomads, coming on oyster luggers
from the North Atlantic Coast to the
Southern Coast for the winter oyster
,o ol-iuu -oocOn ond raturninp tO the
Chesapeake Bay canneries for the
summer. The children are with their
parents-parents without mental or
moral Standards with no conception
of right living and no interest beyond
their daily food supply. Whether the
case is for the law or the gospel,
local charities or national philan-
thropies, confess, I cannot deter
mine. Perhaps a measure of re-
sponsibility rests on each"
Mr.. Swift said:
Time and again during the past
year, | have been made to feel that
what We need in North Carolina is a
larger membership in the National
Child Labor Committee. SO far as |
can see We must depend upon this
organization to aid us in doing many
of the things which must be done.
Back of all attempts to secure
proper legislation and proper inspec-
tion lies a greater work, namely that
of making the people themselves feel
such a need for improvement that
they actually demand that it be
made II the community only knew
the worth of children and could only
place the proper estimate upon child
life, children would come into their
own at once. What We need in
North Carolina and in the whole |.
south is somebody who will shape |
up this factory proposition as our
farmers have been shapen up. The |
trouble with us is that our people .
DO not consider"
Rev. DR. Weltner of st. Luke's /
Lutheran Mission among cotton mil /
operatives at Olympia, S. c., said:
"Wclfare work among cotton mill |
operatives is a perpleXing problem
because Of the illiteracy and the .
transient character of the mill pop
ulation. Other phases of their con-
dition, such as the absence of lead
crship and organization, the low age
limit set by the child labor law of /
South Carolina, and the prevalence
of early and iI-advised marriag $
and weakening of home life greatly
complicatas efforts at welfare work. T.
The greatest needs of the present arc !
"a statewide compulsory school at
tendance law, a 1i-year age limit for
working chiIdrpn and 4 birth regis