The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-06-05

the Superior courts fyeispk tr<
ors' IN this state1. to look AFTER t1@
servance OF the child labor laws ~ ~
textile mills and other manufac<ofIU/
plants of the various counties.
The allegations recently made
Secretary McKeIway, Of the nat1cG@|
child labor organization. and acc4s1
ated lately by publications IN nt<y4
papers and magazines through nrtte54.
ty to little children by some mills an
North Carolina, has stirred up IN uo1x
feeling In certain quarters.
There Is no gainsaying the fact 4he4
many and probably the great mA30fl.xa
OF textile mills in North Carclinas& AG<
only do not violate the child labor th>r1<
knowingly. but are as much cppcBe4f ~
working small children as are the otM9<z
side. In such pants where an exeeUS3
tional case can probably be found, hek4.
and there, the blame can invariAbIy ~
placed upon the child and the parsnf1$
of the child, who xalsify his age ~
order to secure employment tor him
In some cases the children of this eli
have been found to be the sole euDS
port of Invalid and INDECENT widOWN4f
mothers.
But II is probably equally true the
there are some few mills where tA4}
management practically ignores th9}
law to some extent. 1t is to get ~
these mills and break up such viola
lions that the judges of the COURTS
through their grand juries, are now 3D.
dressing themselves. And in this Hoo43
work they have the approval OF th4x
better class of mill owners as weit -
of all good citizens.
A Great Industry.
There are now more cotton mills ana
other textile manufacturing plants tHS
North Carolina than in any other STATE
of the Union North or South--sonie 3S35
of them. They constitute thee Stafe'4e
greatest manufacturing industry ana III
large percentage of workers are 49,
pendent on their prosperity for iivesl
! lihood II their business were "h4r~3
assed" by outside meddlers' Gas scfn4'
are charged with being disposed TO dols
whose activities would disarrange an4
disrupt their system of labor, their cortSl
tinued operation would soon be threats
ened and thousands of operatives would
suffer, as well as the owners an4
stockholders of the mills.
! As the law now stands, no child unss
der thirteen years can be legally enx-!
ployed; no girl under fourteen ysaFotl
and no girl or woman can be employee
| at night work. The hours for day'1
labor are set and limited to ten hours
and there are other strong prorisiou5
| In the. law safeguarding the rights q
employees. These provisions have most
lily been incorporated within the 49,
two or three sessions of the LeGfpU
| lature.
! But the agitation seems TO 20 ~
with every recurring year. and ancthe(
! fight over a State factory inspection IN
| is sure to come off at the next EeeHtQ1
of the Legislature.
! Violation. or alleged violation. OF tn
existing law is what Is causing ca
trouble at present--and not the lack a
good law designed to protect younG[
children.
The outside critics" or some ~
them. say that the good mills" are pu6
TO the front and made show wind0v263
when an Investigation of mill condix
lions is started. That the mills whie4
violate the law are kept In the barhx
ground aand do not come under ca
should II that were true, the agita<OE~
themselves should see to IL that TN
bad mills are dragged from the bach
ground obsurity complained on ~
be spanked until they become like tn
| good mills"
/ Possibly that lis. in part. what thN
agitators intend and hope to do H0t
the publication of fictitious stories
with child labor cruelties in South4sl
! textile mills as the basis is not scaA&
culated to bring the arrangements IN
alleged bad mills" into line wa4M
them, as a. more laudable effort and h&4&
ter planned effort would accomplish