Evening journal., 1914-06-18
Clash OVER BOYS
At CHAUTAUQUA
Inspector Gibbons Says
There Was Violation OF
Child Labor Law
MISS BISSELL SAYS
THEY VOLUNTEERED

A special committee Of the Della.
ware Child Labor Commission, CON
sisting of John NJ. Mendlnhall, OF
Newport, chairman Of the commission,
and Miss Emily P. Bissell and Jere-
miah Fl. Coady, of Wilmington. met in
the office Of Charles w. Bush, secre-
tary of the commission, in the Ford
Building, yesterday afternoon. to in
vestigate articles that recently APP
peared in the local papers to the ef-
feet that the child labor law had been
violated at the Chautauqua by the
employment of three small boys dur.
ing Chautauqua week to serve pro-
grams.
The articles in the newspapers had
referred to the incidents as a joke
upon Miss Bissell, as she was mem
Der both of the Child Labor Commits
sion and of the Chautauqua Commit
tee. Miss Bissell claims there was no
violation OF the Child Labor laws, and
the special meeting was called by her
to determine first if the articles We're
untrue, and. if so, who was re-
sponsible for them
The first person called upon
to testify was George r. Maxwell, a
reporter for THE EVENING JOUR-
NAL, who had talked with State Child
Labor Inspector William ]. Gibbons,
and had written the article that ap-
peared in this paper. Mr.. Maxwell
stated that his city editor had men
toned to him last Wednesday morn
ng that complaint had been made
that boys under the legal age were
engaged at the Chautauqua serving
programs, and told him to ascertain
from the Child Labor Inspector if this
we're true. Later that morning, the
'eporter said. he Went to Mr. Glib
1ons' Office and met the inspector
Iust as ne was leaving the Office Mr..
Iibbons then gave him story rela-
tive to a violation Of the law by Of
ticials Of a theatre, which the inspec-
tor had stopped. Maxwell said he
asked about the Chautauqua incident
and Mr. Gibbons informed him that
it was true, and that he had gone to
the Chautauqua tent ON the preced-
ing night tTuesday) and had seen the
bows distributing programs. Mr..
Gibbons told the reporter he spoke
to the Chautauqua officials about it,
and the latter offered to dispense
with the boys services if the inspec-
tor desired 1t. Mr.. Gibbons stated
that he had said this was not aeces-
sary, as he had the right to give
them permission to work there and
had done SO, inasmueh as he did not
believe the Chautauqua would harm
them. The inspector mentioned to
the reporter, the latter said, that to
dismiss the children at that late date
would be like locking the stable
door after the horse was stolen" as
there was only one more day Of the
Chautauqua Maxwell said that Mr.
Gibbons remarked that it was a good
Joke on Miss Bissell. as she was ac-
lively connected with the Child Labor
and Chautauqua organizations, but
he requested the reporter to 90 very
light on the story, as he did not de-
sire to offend Miss Bissell in any way.
AS Mr.. Gibbons was just leaving
the Office, he requested Maxwell to
give the two stories 10 the Every
Evening reporter, who was just com
ing to see the inspector, Maxwell said,
and he did SO.
Mr.. Gibbons was next to testify. He
stated that he was positive there had
been violation of the law, until he
had made it legal by giving his con-
sent for the boys to work there. His
statement confirmed the newspaper
stories, and he said that on the fol-
lowing Saturday, when the question
as to the yeracity of the articles in
the paper had been raised by Miss