The Nevada County picayune., 1914-08-28
To Be Voted On in September Re ceived 22,oo0 Signatures on
 Initiative Petition.
FIRST ATTEMPT TO INITIATE
 CHILD LABOR LAW
dr. Herschel H. Jones of the Nationa Child Labor Committee Diseussls Weaknesses or the Present Law
 and Provisions of New Law.

dtion, and which received 1000 nor, signatures than the law requires. vii. come before the citizens of the stat, for vote next month The laTg, number of extra signatures which the l petition received over and above the l required number indicates that tha measure is a popular one, and every effort is being made to bring the bill 1 before the attention of the entire state 90 that there will be no doubt that il 1 will become a law.
 Initiating a child labor law is a new 1 process; no other state has ever tried 1 1t, and people throughout the United 1 States who are interested in child la l DOT legislation are watching Arkansas experiment with interest. They feel that the large number of signatures which the bill received indicates that the majority of people are opposed to l child labor when the subject is 1 brought directly to their attention by the initiative petition method A l child labor bill handled by a legisla- ture rarely receives much notice un- fl after 1t has passed and then il seldom satisfies anybody.
 Active Campaign for Signatures
 The campaign to initiate the now dhild labor law was carried on by the Arkansas State Federation of Labor md the National Child Labor Com nittee through its special agent. Mir. l Herschel H. Jones. They received he enthusiastic cooperation of the | Trades Union. the Farmers Union, the State Federation of Women's Clubs. religious organizations. news papers. etc. and the result was da- cided expression of public sentiment l in favor of the bill.
 State Below Standard at Present.
 The people ought to stand solidy for this bill at the elections" says l Mr Jones, who worked hard for the bill in the campaign last spring. TOT years Arkansas has Jagged behind other states in restricting child labor. 1 The fact that there have been few factories and mills compared with | Georgia, Alabama and the CaroliEaS has made the people of this state in l different to the fact that her law was equally disgraceful The time for l Arkansas to come up to the standard of the progressive states is right now, before her child labor problem be comes so serious that it will be as l difficult to handle as 1t Is in the other manufacturing states of the South to- day. And it will become serious un, less law to prevent it is passed now. for Arkansas factories are growing rapidly In fact they have doubled in the last ten years.
 Existing Law Weak.
 There is psoo,.,,aiy Lo law at all now because it is so weakened by eX- emptions. Children under 14 may not l work in factories unless they or their families have no other means of sup port Naturally, many lazy or greedy parents soon discover that the easiest way to make a living is to assert that they have no other means of sup. port than their yCaas children. They go to the office of the county clerk. state that they are dependent. and re ceive a permit for their young. chil- dren, age not specified, to work in a factory in order to support them.
 New Law Based on Uniform Child
 Labor Law
 'The new law was prepared by the Arkansas State Federation of Labor fin cooperation with the National Child Labor Committee. It is based 1 on ihe Uniform Child Labor Law which was drafted by the United | States commissioners on uniform leg islation and which has received the endorsement of the American Bar As socSatlon. The principal provisions of this uniform law have been already adopted in the majority of states, in cuding the neiShboring states of Taa. nessee, Missouri, Kansas and Oklaho rs During the last ten years there has been a great movement through out the country toward higher sand ards and uniformity in child labor legislation. in which the National Child Labor Committee has been the leading force. and the effort to secure a better law for Arkansas is only part of this great nationwide move ment to give children strong bodies and . chance for an education.
 The New Bill Provides:
 1. A l4-year aga limit for all re ! muneratiye occupations. (Exemptiou for children under i4 employed dur ng school vacations by their parents 1 in occupations owned or controlled by themO
 ?. A 16-year limit for occupations dangerous to health or morals, includ ns mines. dangerous machinery. ga oons and thsaters.
 2 An s-hour day. 4S-hour week for children under Is Night work pro hbited D. m.-6 a m.
 l. A l0-hour day. 54-hour week so
 ,hldren under IS. Night work pro libitsd 10 ?. ms a. m.
 s, Employment certificates rsquir
 Nt