Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-11
STATE IS FAR
BEHIND IN
REFORMS
Votes of Women Would Bring Ad-
equate Factory Laws, Declares
Leader, Here for Rally

Miss Jane Adams. first vice presi-
dent of the National Suffrage Asso-
citation and the principal speaker at
the great suffrage mass meeting
Wednesday night at the Atlanta The
alter, is particularly interested in the
suffrage movement in Georgia, by
reason of its close relation to the
grea .ly needed child labor legislation
in this State
Miss Adams and her party ar
rived from Birmingham Wednesday
morning and went to the Georgian
| Terrace. With her were Mrs. James
! Lee Laidlaw. of New York; Mrs.
! Stanley Mccormick, OF Chicago; Mrs.
Catherine Ruutz- Rees, of Greenwich,
Conn. and Mary Ware bennett, of
New York. Ts sas-a
There are two things to be consid-
cred in advocating proper child labor
laws and their strict enforcement in
any State not so equipped said Miss
Adams
Georgia Far Behind.
First and foremost, there is the
duty of the State itself to its chill
dren. Next, there is the obvious in
Justice of penalizing, as it were, other
States more advanced in such legisla-
ton by permitting a sister State to
compete with factories employing a
cheaper class of workers.
These are intensely practical
views. Georgia. regret to say, is
among the States farthest behind,
both in child labor laws and in means
of enforcing such as it has; in fact
am informed that Georgia practically
is without provisions for enforcing
child labor legislation.
statistics show, too, that 81 per
cent-say one-third-of the cotton
mill employees are under Is years of
age. That is, indeed. matter for
serious consideration.
Suffrage Remedies Evil
Now, what effect would equal SUI
frage have on this situation?
Il can 1nswe. that best by referring
to the States where suffrage has been
achieved. 1t invariably is the case
that among the first legislation sought
by enfranchsed womtn, the problems
OF child labor and compulsory educa-
ton have held q high place.
Naturally. It is to be assumed that
the same would be true in Georgia.
am sure you viii find that the most
earnest workers for these causes in
the State to-day are the thinking
women And why not? Is it not
natural that the women of a State
the mothers-should haye the wei
fare of it's children nearer their
hearts than any other thing? This is
a matter Of history, but, better than
that, it is matter of nature.
Compulsory Education.
81 understand, too, there is opposi-
ton in this State to compulsory edu-
cation legislation. That is regretta-
bic, because compulsory education
goes hand in hand with child labor
laws The one is positive, the other
is negative. and they are in a large
degree inter-dependent
when a child under IA or Is years
Of age is not permitted to he put to
work, the obvious alternative is to
SEND it to school. The converse is
equally evident. In some States a
large amount Of discretion is af-
forded by the working of both laws.
If the child is not at work, it must
be in school, up to certain age The
discretionary provisions Of such laws
make it possible for children Of more
than a certain age to work, II the
welfare Of the family demands it,"
Guests at Luncheon.
Most Of the morning was taken up
with an executive meeting Of the suf-
fIage board in room No. 225 az the
Georgian Terrace AZ I o'clock Miss
,.t,. ,t-,v.. F,,..,s,