The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-14
Declares the Vocation
Sc hool Feature is
New to Our Ameri.
can Thought"
HE KEENLY FELT
THE OPPOSITION
DR.. Brumbaugh Expresses Regret That
All Did Not Agree on Certain I'm
portant Provisions, but Asks for
Kindly Reception for Whole Act

Governor Brumbaugh late yesterday
afternoon announced he had approved
the Child Labor Bill. 1t will take eff
feet on January |, 1916, and in the
meantime employers of such labor can
adjust their affairs to suit. The pen
with which the law was signed was
given TO Paul Furman, secretary of the
! PENNSYLVANIA Child Labor Association.
/ In approving the bill Governor Brum-
baugh gave out the following statement
over his signature:
"In approving the Cox bill to pro-
vide for the health, safety and wei
fare of minors, it is well to keep in
mind the fact that the Republican
party in its platform, and its candidate
for Governor in his campaign, gave
positive assurance that an advanced
! law of this kind should be enacted.
The attempts to do this in preceding
sessions of the Legislature failed. The
reasons are matters of history.
"When this session was called it was
evident that the same contending par
ties were at issue upon the provisions
that should be included in any bill
regulating the employment of minors. l
personally felt this-keenly. 1t was my
desire to bring these contending groups
| together in favor of fair and honest
bill. | recognized the point of view
/ held by each and, having for many
years not only studied this problem but
actually had to do with its administra-
! tion under existing law, set about to
frame an act that would be. fair to our
great industries, and also just to our
! great aSset,-the children who toll i'll
! Pennsylvania.
Regrets Failure to Agree
cit is to be regretted that all par
! ties in interest did not agree upon the
measure. 1t was widely and frankly
discussed, and eventually appealed to a
commanding majority of the Assembly
as wise and proper measure.
'It provides many humane and i'm
pOrtant features upon which all were
agreed. Upon the hours per day and per
week it was, | am sorry to record i'm
possible to reach agreement. The hours
of this act are fair, 81 per week, 8
per day, and coupled with this provis-
ion is feature. new in the States, pro
viding that eight hours per week shall
cational school. This school is new to
our American thought. 1t is the most
important feature of the act. Children
between fourteen and sixteen years of
age ought to be in school-at least
part of each week. Unless they are at
work they must be in school under
present and proper laws. Those that
go to work at fourteen ought not to
be barred from further education.
Asks for Hearty Acceptance
elf we believe IL our common de-
mocracv we must believe in the en-
lightenment of its members. This is
fundamental in our American civiliza-
tiOn. This act is intended to advance
the standards of our citizenship and
perpetuate in wiser ways our sacred in
stitutions by giving more enighten-
ment and vision to our people. No true
friend of our civilization, no believer
in the genius of our institutions can
gainsay the wisdom, the necessity for
this provision.
cit is, moreover, conceived in the
interest of our great industries. These
have been,-they are,-the pride of
the Commonwealth, No true Pennsvl.
vanian would in any unfair or unjust
manner do them hard. They need not
only workers, but they need skilled
workers. This vocational training will
in a speedy manner guarantee to in
dustry the type of service which it
needs and which it does not now Sc.
cure.
''From every point of view and, hav-
ing in mind the welfare of the Com.
monwealth, the prosperity of our in.
dustries and the conservation of the
young life of the State, this act should
receive the kindly consideration and
the hearty acceptance its beneficent
provisions warrant