Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-03-15
CHILD LABOR
IN THE SOUTH
HAS DISTINCTION OF
BEING ONLY STATE IN SOUTH
WITH EIGHT HOUR LAW FOR
CHILDREN.
JULIA G. LATIIROP DESCRIBES
INVESTIGATIONS in INFANT
MORTALITY-LOSS OF INFANT
LIFE TOO GREAT.
(By Associated PTcsS.)

Greenviilc ;. G., Mrs. Edward l.. Bailey
NJ jackson. Miss. W. III. Swift Of Greens
bor0, y. g.. and Rev. G. L. Welner of
Columbia. :. III. made 4 symposium OF
speakers this morning OH the topic Sur
vcy Of the Child Labor Situation ia the
South. at the national child labor com
mittcc conference which II being held
in this city.
Dr. Mccullough reviewed the present
child labor law of South Carolina and
said cf thy situation i'll the present legis
lature:
"A bill IL now pending i'll the state leg
islaturc 20 raise the age limit to thirteen
from and after the first day Of July.
I9l}. and fourteen after the first dav of
July. 1914 This bill has received IN IN
favorable report at the hands of the sen
ate judiciary committee IN was deemed
advisable not to make fight at this ses-
sion for its enactment. in view Of the
fight which is being made for the enact
ment Of 4 compulsory education bill. and
and in view Of the promises made TO the
child labor committee bv the representa-
tiycS Of the South Carolina cotton manu-
factUrerS' association, that III the com
pulSOry education bill was enacted. they
would unite with a. in securing the
passage Of bill raising the age limit
i'll South Carolina.
Mrs. Bailey told Of the enactment of
the present law that gives Mississippi
the distinction Of being the only South
crn cotton state with IN eight hour day
for all under Is years. She then said:
TO the best Of the knowledge and be-
lief Of the child labor committee. the
child labor law has been strictly en-
forced a. regards cotton mills and fac
tories
But MiSSiSSippi'S most difficult child
labor problem ILL present IL that Of the
little oyster ShuckerS on the gulf coast.
These children are nOmads, coming on
oyster lUggcrS from the North Atlantic
ceaSt to the Southern coast for the win
ler oyster packing season. and returning
ID the Chesapeake Bay canncrics for the
summer. The children are with their
parcnts-parcntS without mental ability
or moral standards. with no conception
Of right living and no interest beyond
their daily food supply Whether the
case il for the law or the gospel. local
charities or national philanthropieS. |
confess. | can not determine Perhaps
4 measure Of responsibility rests on each"
Mr. Swift said:
Time and again during the past year.
have been made t0 feel that what we
need in North Carolina is larger mem
Lcrship in the national child labor com
mittec so far aS | can see. we must de
pend upon this organization tO aid us
in doing many Of the things which must
bc done.
Back Of all attempts TO secure prop
N legislation and proper inspection lies
a greater work, namely. that Of making
the people themselves feel such 4 need
for Improvement that they actually de
mand that ii bc made III the cOmmun-
ity only knew the worth Of children and
could only place the proper estimate
upon child life, the children would come
into their own at once What we need
ia North Carolina and in the whole
South H. somebody who vii shake up
this factory population as our farmers
have been shaken up. The trouble with
Us il that our people do not consider"
Rev. Wcltncr Of st. Luke'S Lutheran
Mission among cotton mill operatives at
Olympia, :. g.. Said
welfare work among mill operatives
H. 4 pcrplcXing problem because Of the
illiteracy and the transient character of
the mill population. Other phases Of
their condition. such rs the absence Of
leadership and organization. the low age
limit set by the child labor law Of South
Carolina. and the prevalence Of early
and ill-adviscd marriages and a weaken
ing Of home life greatly complicatc ef-
forts ut welfare work. The greatest
needs Of the present are statewide
compulsory school attendance law. a Il
year age limit for working children and
birth registration. Also, we need to
have labor union Of cotton mill opera
tivcS whose leaders have brains, hearts
and cOnScienccS
INFANT MORTALITY.
Miss Julia q. LathrOp, chief Of the
Y federal children'S bureau at Washing
ton viewed the progress Of the bureau
during the first six months Of its exist
cncc. which have just ended. She said,
in part:
"Aftcr careful discussion of what
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