The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-09
Invoke THE LAWS
ON CHILD LABOR
UEy. W. a. COOPER breaches
STRONG SERMON ON soCIoLoG-
ICAL CONDITION,
CARE FOR CHILDREN
AVERAGE WAGES $3.50 IN NORTH
CAROLINA AND x-.5oIN MAssA-
CHUsETTS, SAYS
SPEAKER.
CARE FOR CHILDREN

Rev w A Cooper last night at
Central Methodist Church preached
TO a large congregation on the sub
ject of Child Labor in Virginia"
After setting forth the teaching Of
Christia nifty concerning the value and
sanctitN Of childhood and showing
that Jesus was the greatest friend If
little children, pronouncing his course
upon those who shall cause one Of
these little ones to stumble" he asked
how is it that a Christian State could
permit system to grow that would
cause the little children of the Com
monwealth to stumble along with
weakened bodies, darkened minds and
dwarfed souls?
1t is "A sad commentary added the
preacher, on Christian society that
the moral teachings Of Jesus does not
curb mems greed OF gold.
On conditions in general. Mr.. Coop
'cr said that there are in the United
States an army Of 2.250,00o children
in gainful occupations under fifteen
years of age. and 10000 boys and
girls in the cotton mills Of the South
alone. Some If these enter the mills
as early as seven years Of age.
As 10 conditions in Virginia. how
ever. he said great progress has neen
made in the last ten years, Some few
mill owners and operators are now
cooperating with the department. of
labor in lettering the condition Of
labor and enforcing the child labor
laws OF the Stale. Others are still
hostile to all efforts Of the State to
humanize Ia hoT and resent the actiy-
ity of the department. But this de-
partment Of our state government
he -
hearty cooperation of all Christian
men. Ckholders and laborers alike.
because of its manifest desire to pro-
tect the lawahidng corporation from
the unfair and lawbreakiuE tactics
of a competitor.
This department has instituted he
tween 500 and 500 prosecutions for
violations of the labor laws. and has
convicted ninety-fve per cent Of those
charged.
Where Children Work.
Ono investigation In the state show
ea children. some apparently under
fourteen years of age, at work in
thirteen cotton mills. ten knitting
mills, three wooden mills. five silk
mills. FIVE glass factories. two shoe
factories, twelve cigar, cigarette and
tobacco factories and twenty-five mis-
cellaneous factories. There are very
few children in the coal mines. nut
some are at work in the breweries.
and a large number arc engaged in
street trades and the night messenger
service. In the glass factories. where
the fires never 20 out. and the blow
ers are dependent for their earnings
on the awiftness of the boys. they are
kept on a trot for solid eight hours.
One glass factory, after being con-
victed for working children under
age, has partly substituted negro girls
over fifteen years of age. because they
can get them cheap.
Think of il, said Mr.. Cooper, white
boys and negro girls working sac by
side. a. night. in Virginia, in a glass
factory controlled by brewery. These
breweries and liquor houses profess
TO be the friends Of labor, vet III
Roanoke a brewing company was
convicted and fined SOS in the Po-
lice court for working boys under
fourteen bottinE beer, and for which
they were paid fiftyfive cents a day
three DAYS in the week. The boys
testified they could get all the beer
they wanted to drink. Another liquor
house was convicted and fined SIS
in the Police court Of Newport News
for the same offense. while another
was fined $40 in the Police court of