Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-04-01


Committee in the effort to Sc
cure a better child labor law in West
Virginia. The State Federation OF La
DOR was also in the field with Dill
obtaining, with but two exceptions,
much lower standards than the COM
tnittee bill. At THE outset 1t was
houed that the Gid Labor Comcittees
and the State Federation OF Labor
would work in harlony with each 9TH
er and agree on the terms OF the Dill
they would support. It soon develop
ed. however, that the interests OF the
two organizations were antagonisue
and that the child labor committee
must consider the Federation OF La.
Dor as an enemy in leageu with the
interests opposing any effective cnlld
labor law. As the campaign progress
ed the committee had cause to doubt
the genuineness Of the Federations.
advocacy, of child labor legislation
and came to the conclusion that that
body cared more for the privilege OF
claiming the passage of child labor
law than for the standards such law
might contain. It felt that the Fed
Grafton had no strong convictions on
the subject, but was ready to agree to
almost any compromises in order TO
secure the passage Of BILL, rather
han fight for standards that would
mean real progress. This ia seen most
clearly, perhaps, in the fact that when
the House Committee on Labor by
sweeping change lowered the stan
dards of the Labor bill, even below
the requirements of the existing law
in one important respect. that body
made NO attempt to bring the bill back
to its standard, but meekly submitted
to the alteration Further. the Fed
GRAFTON fought the inclusion OF the
standards the child labor committee
considered most important, and after
the committee succeeded in carrying
an amendment placing the night work
prohibition into the bill over their op-
uosition. they turned against the bill
and endeavored to defeat it, and this
in spite of the promise Of the Presi'
lent of the State Federation of Labor
that II the committee succeeded In Oh
aiming the amendment the Federa
ton would not oppose it. The mn.
iefeat Of the bill, after 1t had passeN
10Th branches Of the Legislature, am
,eeded merely the concurrence Of the
aous in certain Senate amendments
unqustionably due to the opposition
# those who represented the Statt
federation of Labor.
THE campaign opened in Fairmont
! In December, 1914, in canvass
Il the city to form body Of men anc
women interested in the working chill
lren Of the; state and willing to co
operate in an attempt by Legislation
to remove some Of the evils Of child
;abor. The original plan contemplat
id a similar canvass in several othe
cities scattered over the entire state
to create q general knowledge OF the
situation and to have q constituency
that could on demand bring statewide
pressure to bear on the Legislature IN
favor of the passage of the child la
Dor bill. y,
Time did not permit Of carrying out
this plan. Wheeling. Fairmont, Hunt
ington and Charleston were the only
cities visited, the last named during
tina session Of the Legislature. The
West Virginia Child Labor Committee
] made me its Field SECRETARY, and CO
operated in every way possible. tuEn-
ishing especially valuable assistance
in Charleston in sending out circular
letters over the state, in securing the
cooperation Of local clubs and per
sons, and in direct work with various
members of the Legislature.
Much time was given to Wheeling
in order to work up interest in mass
meeting at which prominent citizens
could speak. It was believed that
such . meeting in the leading city OF
the state would have helpful bearing
on the legislative campaign. Such a
meeting took place on January 18th,
at the First Christian church. with an
audience Of about three hundred PEG
pie. Mr.. Walter B. Hilton. chairman
of the West Virginia committee, pre-
sided and opened the meeting with an
eloquent appeal to give the children
of the state q chance to grow into
lnormal-minded and whole-souled men
and women. Other speakers were
Hon. George A. Laughrn, leader of the
Progressive party Of the state; Mr.. A.
w. PAUL., a prominent manufacturer:
Mr.. A. v. Fisher Of the Ohio Valley
Trades and Labor Assembly, and my
self. A tentative plan was formed for
similar meetings In Huntington and
Charleston. The amount Of time ne
cessary to work out the program for