Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1914-04-10
HoueE COMMITTEE is CONSIDER.
ING MEASURE OF VAST I'M.
PoRTANcE TO COUNTRY.
PUTS BURDEN ON PRODUCER
Palmer Bill Would Make 1t Unlawful
70 snip in Interstate Commerce
Any Product of Child
Labor.
BY GEORGE CLINTON


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 mas gone any great distance on
Inc 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 VIII 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
CHIC 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
Dill which he seems determined shall
have a 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 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 a word, the proposition is to
provide that 1t 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
the labor of children below a certain
standard is employed. Now this meas
ure differs from the Beverage bill, or,
properly the Beverage amendment
which was pressed in 1907, and upon
which Senator Beveridge made ris
great argument In support of child
labor legislation. 1t differs also from
~ oh IN Of &c hn
Beveridge 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
1t will be seen that Mr.. Palmers
bill makes it 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 I'M
der these conditions. Mr.. Palmer real
ICES that a good many Of the states
have child labor legislation on the
statute books. He knows that 1t is
hard for a manufacturer in state
which cannot employ children to COM
pete in the markets with the manu-
facturers of states where children are
employed He thinks that the federal
government has jurisdiction and that
its action will put all manufacturers
upon an equality, that child life will
be saved and that the Constitution =
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
hitting 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,
sf II shall fail. of the success OF some
other measure of like kind which
shall be drawn on lines more nearly
narallel TO the views of certain Ok
the states rights advocates.
Start Campaign Early.
Democrats. Republicans and Pro
s,ressives are making preparations for
the coming congressional campaign
and incidentally. of course, for the
greater campaign which is to follow
two wears later The Democrats
seemingly win be content to stand
ON the record of che present ADMINS
tration. The Republicans are urging
that the tariff law is working injury
20 the country. that prosperity Is NOT
at 4 high pitch and that change is
necessary. The Progressives VIII urge
.ha inadeouacy of the trust iegislauoh
- the Democrats and will charge an
,naisposition on the part OF ooth oid
narties to pass genuine progressive
legislation. ol,t,eis,s