Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-10-12
CHILD LABOR IS
ALREADY PROBLEM
IN NEW MEXICO
Statistics Show Alarming
Condition Which Must Be
Faced by People Of State in
the Near Future,

ESPECIAL eoaarerosptnet TO uospins JOURNAL
Santa Re oct ll.-That child Ia
hor * as much of problem in New
Mexico as in the congcsted centcrs of
the country is the assertion made by
those who have studied tho most re-
cent census figures and also the
school statistics of New Mexico.
The census bureau finds that I'm
New Mexico there are 2.302 boys be-
tween he ages of 10 to -, or 1863
per cent Of the total number who are
engaged IN gainful pursuits From ~
Ia ] = there are 2,6l0 boys thus en-
gagged and from lG to 20. there are
l2.l4l or al per cent OF the total
Five thousand boys under Is, there
fore are ont earning their living. not
counting those who help their parents
on the farm or around the home. or
girls there are $50 between the ages
of 10 10 10 earning their own living,
414 between the ages of II and Z
and 2.52i between the ages Of l6 and
20. These official Statistics are re-
mafkable when It is remembered
that the compulsory schol law re-
Quires an persons between the ages
of and 4 to attend school, and that
The school census includes all per-
SONS between the ages ~ p ana ~ q
Warming Condition.
But the statistics grow still more
alarming when viewed in light Of
the school statistics. Only one out ~
every 100 Spanish American children
gets beyond the nth grade IN school.
mostly on account of the plea that
the parents are toe poor and that the
children must learn to help make a.
living II New Mexico Is to take a
cleditahle place in industry, progress.
wealth. culture, it is mp TO the legis-
lature to find way. especially for
spanish American children to secure
the same educational advantages as
are accorded the children OF English
speaking parents or children in other
states
when one considers that New Mex
leo has only CT .OS3 men between tho
ages of II and "A in gainful occupa-
tons and 2S,2f9 men over - years,
or STAB women between the ages of
u and a and 3,54S women over fD
! years IN gainful occupations. then the
proportion of children at work earn
I ing their living or helping their Pa
rents at home to such an extent as
! to be deprived Of schooling becomes
greater than in the congested dis
tricts of the sweatshop districts OF
the big cities or the cotton mills OF
/ the south.
Very Few Droncs.
The same statistics. however, also
show the gratifying condition that
| New Mexico has few dfones. or the
men between II and "a years of age
96.3 per cent are engaged in gainful
occupations and Of the men oyer 40
there are 906 per cent. Woman's la
Dor outside Of the home IL also fac
/ tor, for 5.S per cent Of the women
between the ages Of 2 / and "A work
( for "A salary or commission, ana
1G.5 Of the women above a. years
In agriculture, 66.SS7 males and
3,233 females are occupied. in min
( ing 6,120 males in manufacturne
1868 males and 3,233 females, in
transportation 9,413 in commerce
G.g57: in public service ,2fS. in the
professions 1915 males and l.Si0 fe-
males I'm domestic service S,45s
males and 5,3Oi females. in clerical
work 2,041 males and 521 females
The female professional workers arc
mostly school teachers. ii is also an
! eye-opencr to learn that more men
+ than women are employed in domes-
/ tic work IN New Mexico.
As about one half the workers are
voters, it is easy to estimate from
these figures the vote that any par
tioular class controls. The railroad
vote, according to these figures does
not amount to more than 1000, as OF
the Sab persons in transportation
! work, there are many freighters
hack drivers. etc. and Of the rail-
readers more than one-half are track
and section men who are not held
together by class feeling as much as
the few hundred engineers. conduc.
tors, brakemen and firemen
Onc-third nj Work.
One-thrd Of New Mexic0s popua-
ton, or 10 be exact, f21.497 are en-
ployed IN gainful occupations. Therf
are In the state outside of the tenn
porary occupation along the south
ern border by regulars. 361 soldiers
sailors and marines. most Of them Al
Fort stanton and Fort Bayard SAM.
tarlums. There are 1903 females In
gafnful occupations, 1903 foreign
4 ers. 7.770 Of mixed parentage 62i
negroes and 5.794 Indians. with few
4 japanese and Chinese included in tho
latter number
But IN the meanwhile, the greatest
problem In New Mexico Is: How car
1 each child be kept in school until j
has had "A high sehOod education 0I