The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-06
FACTORY INSPECTION
FOR CHILD LABOR
COTTON MILLS, OYSTER AND
SHRIMP cANNERIEs SUBJECTS
OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATION.
Special to The Neios.

eRSStot W 4 NC NCWS.
jackson, Miss, Aug. Estate Fac
tory Inspector David Mcdowell, who
was elected to that position by the
state board of health when the new
child labor law became effective. is
about to start out on his second, and in
some instances third, trip to the cot
ton mills, printing plants, oyster and
shrimp canneries and other manufac-
turing plants where women and chill
dren are employed.
Mr.. Mcdowell states that his work
so far has been largely in the nature
OF warning mills where Irregularities
OF a minor kind were in practice. to
discontinue them. To allow no DOS
sibility of the pleading of ignorance OF
the terms of the statutes as an ex-
-cuse, Mr.. Mcdowell has personally ex-
planned to the managers of the indus
tries the law requirements, and in ad-
'dition has sent printed copies of the
child labor and facory inspection bills
to all places he will visit.
Il intend to be fair and just to every
one" said Mr. Mcdowell, but | also
intend to enforce all of the REQUIRE.
ments of the two laws | am glad to
say, however, that | have not found
anyone who seems to be disposed to
break the child labor law, but quite
the contrary is true, for the managers
of many mills have told me frankly
. they thought the law was a good one.
Nov that l have been to all the fac.
tories on an initial inspection trip, dis.
cussed the law with the managers, and
sent printed copies of the statutes to
them, there can be no possible excuse
for any infringement of the statutes.
However, if any factory does not live
up to the child labor law prosecutions
will follow. l am going to make an
other round very soon"
Investigation Of Age Necessary.
1t is estimated that there are about
fifty concerns that come under the
provisions of the child labor law. All
of them have been visited by the fac
tory inspector. Included in the num-
Der are eighteen cotton mills, four of
which are idle, mills at McComb City,
Wesson, Moorehead and Natchez be-
ing closed down. There is one large
factory at Corinth that manufactures
pants, and about seventeen oyster and
shrimp factories on the coast. The re-
naming concerns are candy factories
and printing establishments.
In some instances on his first trip
Mr.. Mcdowell enforced the law where
its provisions were being violated. Sew
eral cotton mills, it seems, were en-
ploying children under the age limit,
but had certificates from their parents
saying they were of the proper age.
Upon investigation the Inspector ascer-
tanned this was not true, and he saw
that the children left the mills.
Under the child labor law no girl
under IA or boy under IL years of
age can work in any factory. None
can work longer than eight hours a
day. 1t is unlawful for any women to
be compelled to work longer than ten
hours day. Parents or guardians of
children of both sexes, in cases where
they are under sixteen years of age,
must furnish the factories with GER
tifficates, giving the ages of the chill
dren. These are kept on file for the
inspection of the factory inspector. who