Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-04-09
CHILD LABOR
HOUSE COMMITTEE is CONSIDER
ING MEASURE OF VAST I'M
PORTANcE TO COUNTRY.
PUTS BURDEN ON PRODUCER
Palmer Bill Would Make 1t Unlawful
to Ship in Interstate Commerce
Any Product of Child
Labor.
BY GEORGE CLINTON,

GGbSfs
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-For the last sevea
years there have been introduced into
congress from time to time bills in
tended to prevent child labor in the
United States. The bills have been
various in form and none of them
ever has gone any great distance on
the way to passage. AS long as the
workers in behalf of the cause OF
the children continue their campaign
there is no danger, however, that con-
gress will be allowed to sidetrack for
all time measures looking to the relief
of the children workers in the indus
tries of the United States.
The original attempts to prevent
child labor were made by Republic
ans. Then when the Progressives sue
ceeded in electing some members to
congress they took hold of the mat
ter. Now the Democrats have given
the subject their attention, and Rep
resentative A Mitchell Palmer, Demo
crat Of Pennsylvania, has introduced
bill which he seems determined shall
have hearing in the house. 1t is a
measure intended to put an end to
child labor in the mills, mines and
factories of the country.
Representative Palmer's measure is
now before the committee on labor
Of the house of representatives which
is investigating child labor conditions.
Day by day witnesses in the commit
tee room are telling of the evils of
child labor and the injury it is doing
American citizenship
Question of Lawyers.
1t is a matter for constitutional law
yers and other kinds of lawyers to de-
termine whether or not the bill which
has been presented by Mr.. Palmer
to end child labor will be as efficient
if enacted into law as the Beverage
bill would have been if congress and
the president should have taken to it
kindly.
In explaining his measure the Penn
sylvania representative said:
In word, the proposition is to
provide that it shall be unlawful for
any person to ship or deliver for ship
ment in interstate commerce the prod
ucts of any mill, mine, quarry, or
manufacturing establishment where
the labor of children below a certain
standard is employed Now this meas
ure differs from the Beveridge BILL or,
properly the Beveridge amendment,
which was pressed in 1907, and upon
which Senator Beveridge made his
great argument in support Of child
labor legislation. 1t differs also from
the Kenyon bill which in effect is the
Beverage bill proposition, in that
both these bills put the burden upon
the carrier and made it unlawful for
any common carrier to receive or ship
goods manufactured under conditions
of the sort fixed by the law"
It will be seen that Mr.. Palmer's
bill makes it a misdemeanor for the
producer, that is the man who is re-
sponsible for the employment of child
labor, to put into interstate commerce
the articles which are produced un-
der these conditions. Mr.. Palmer real
ICES that good many of the states
have child labor legislation On the
statute books. He knows that it is
hard for a manufacturer in a state
which cannot employ children to COM
pete in the markets with the manu-
facturers of states where children are
10 M hot 10
government has Jurisdiction and that
it's action will put all manufacturers
upon an equality, that child life will
be saved and that the Constitution of
the United States will not be smashed
into bits by the operation.
There is an apparent awakening to
the child labor question among the
members of the majority in the house
and senate. A few years ago they
did not seem to care very much
about. the thing one way or the other.
Public pressure has been strong with
in the last few years and the constant
biting references to the killing of chill
dren in some of the states made some
of the senators and representatives
from those states at first resentful,
and afterward apologize. From this
change of feeling in congress springs
the strongest chance of the success
of the measure Of Mr. Palmer, or,
if it shall fail, of the success of some
other measure of like kind which
shall be drawn on lines more nearly
parallel to the views of certain of
the states rights advocates.
Start Campaign Early.
Democrats, Republicans and Pro-
gressives are making preparations for
the coming congressional campaign
and incidentally, of course, for the
greater campaign which is to follow
two years later The Democrats
seemingly will be content to stand
on the record of the present admins
tration. The Republicans are urging
that the tariff law is working injury
to the country, that prosperity is not
at a high pitch and that a change is
necessary. The Progressives will urge
the inadequacy Of the. trust legislation
Of the Democrats and will charge an
indisposition on the part of both old
parties to pass genuine progressive
legislation.
It is said by some Of the politicians
in Washington that the Republicans
may have trouble in maintaining con-