Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1914-01-20
CHILD LABOR LAWS AND
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
Just Government League Discusses
The Welfare Of The Children.
LEGISLATION IMPROVING.
The Present Session Of The General
Assembly Will be Asked for
Further Advance in Humane

The regular meeting of the Just
Government League last night, the
special subject for consideration was
"Child Labor and School Attend
ance." Mrs. Robert Moss pre- sided.
The invited speaker was the Rev
James l.. Smiley, who opened his ad-
dress by giving an illustration of the
rather bitter fight which character
ized the introduction of child labor
laws into the General Assembly eight
years ago, and then he showed the
change of sentiment in the right di-
rection as evidenced by some humane
legislation enacted in 1912.
The last hundred years have shown
a growth, slow but sure, in the in
terest OF child welfare, from the
practice in English cotton mills of
working very little children long
hours for a mere existe nee, to ocr
present law making the minimum
age Ii years. 1t is easy to unde r
stand that the labor laws for children
add the school attendance laws are
mutually he tlpfdl. The enforcement
of the one virtually encourages the
other.
The speaker then reviewed in sub.
stance the present laws. Anne Arun-
del county is one of the six counties
of Maryland exempted from school
attendance legislsti IN. The present
law provides tor all the rest If the
State that the School Commissioners
may appoint attendance officers, {"
male or female, who shall have full
power to arrest any child between the
age Of s and is who is found truant
from schuol, and deliver the child to
the parents, guardian or teachers.
Habitual or ihcorrigible truants
are to be brought before magistrate
and may be committed 90 parental
school" These parental schools may
be founded by any one county, or sew
eral counties, jointly, or one may be
established for the entire State. At.
tendance officers may also visit all in
dustrial plants where minors are EN-
ployed, to see that no children are
working contrary to the provisions OF
the State law. The new law to be-
proposed at this session of the Cen
era Assembly possesses at least
four desirable improvements:
1. Its provisions will be mandatory
instead of discretionary.
2. Five consecutive months OF
schooling will be required for GER
tain stipulated class instead of tour
the aggregate.
8. The law will be made of State
wide application.
4. The parental schools will be
more definitely provided.
These proposals meet the approbs-
tion of the State Bosrd Of Education
and are being urged by the State
| Federation of Women's Clubs auo
other philanthropic agencies. The
child labor laws 'shcw a graduated
scale of minimum wages for employ
ment as follows: Twelve years is
the yougest at which child can work
in canning factory and the like; Ia
years the minimum in mills, fac
| tories, etc; Is years the minimum in
certain specified dangerous occupa
tions, and Is yt ars in blast furnaces.
distilleries, etc. No minor under 12
can be employed in saloons; no female
under Is can work at any employ
ment requiring ince sssnt standing.
The cities Of 20, 900 population or
| over, no boy under II and no girl un-
| der 16 sh all sell ne twspapers on the
street or in public places also no bo,
under Ii or girl under l6 shall be EN-
/ Moved in such places ~ boothlacks
1t is the suggestion of the National
Child Labor Committee that general
raising of the minimum ages in
Maryland be made adding two year
in each instance; aud that the child :
working day be reduced flom the
present 10-hour limit to hours.
An interesting discussion followed
this address, an unanimous sentiment
prevailing in the support of the pro-