Middletown transcript., 1915-02-13
sIDDLEEowN. DEL.. TE1. IS, l0l5
HEROD'S ADVOCATES

90 hound Miss Bissell out of the Child
Labor Commission. The Morning News
Las Joined the subsidized newspaper
clique seeking the same end. In its
columns Of editorial assault upon the
Child Labor Law and its foremost
champion, Miss Bissell, it lacks the
courage to do so openly and squarely,
but chooses the ignObler way of innuen-
does and slurs
Hear the Pecksniffian cant with which
II prefaces its cowardly task: 1.-THE
News has felt certain degree of hesi-
fancy in discussing this matter" etc
ssWe trust we may venture to remark"
etc! Faugh it nauseates one. 1t
were q deal more manly to avow its
flat hostility to the law and its enthu-
elastic promoter, Miss Bissell, than try
BY ungenerous gibes and sneers to re-
fleet upon that useful and public-spirit-
ed woman whose sole offence is that
rhe has dared to uphold and enforce
the Child Labor Law which that time
serving placeman, Gibbons, was treason
ably doing his best to render dead let
ter.
Anv fool can see that the purpose OF
these editorial mouthpieces OF Big
business is to break the present Com
mission. and thus in the end to defeat
the law by securing the appointment
Of three male politicians VINO, they
hope, will yet more effectively arrest
its enforcement than did Gibbons him
self. They especially want to get rid
of the two women, on the Commission.
Here are some of the unmanly gibes
the News vents upon Miss Bissell: III
the report of the Legislature Com
mittee carries with it condemnation
of Miss Bissell" etc.-"If there is a
rebuke Of Miss Bisselr' etc. " Mr.. Men
dinhall and Miss Bissell or perhaps we
should say, Miss Bissell and Mr.. Men
dinhall etcl''
But in all it's long TRADES against the
Commission and Miss Bissell, not line,
never a word, in favor of this noble
Child Labor Law wherein, though late,
Delaware takes its station among the
AS other states seeking to redeem
helpless Childhood from out the clutch
es of soulless money grubbers! o no
all its interest and sympathy are ex-
pended upon that recreant employe
Gibbons who served his masters so
well in doing his best to make the Child
Labor Law a sham
After launching several mean slurs
at Miss Bissell, the News Indignantly
asks: "And where does Gibbons come
IN? The Investigation has directly af-
fected him more than any of the mem
bers of the Child Labor Commission?"
OF course in its eyes, it is of small
consequence what becomes of the law
itself, of the Commission, or of Miss
Bissell, so long as this incompetent
feeder at the public crib holds the job
whose duties he is dishonorably refus-
ing to perform!
why could not the Commissioners
have given MIR. Gibbons such hearing
as he asked''?- Their method of dis
missing Mr.. GibbOons" l-''Their man
ner of dealing with a public official'
(sicD and lot more "Mr. GibbOns"l
Now let US look for an instant at the
character of the services of this Glib
bOns about whose merited discharge,
the News is SO solicitous.
The records show that Gibbons act
ing by his clerk. issued from his Office
in IL months 632 employment certif-
Gates, of which ass were invalid Dur
those II months he was reporting
weekly an average of 20 hours of Office
work on those very certificates, as he
told the Commissions Executive Com
mittee at the time, and the weekly re-
ports, signed by him (still in their pos
SESSION. prove the above statement
yet in face of all that, Gibbons has
the audacity to pretend he 'knew moth
ing about" those 6S2 employment Ger
tihcates ass, or 72 per cent, of which
were invalid
Gibbons, as Inspector during his term
of office issued sos street trade permits.
Investigation shows that 100 were
wrongly cIassed and 325 were invalid.
He has issued s. special permits, of
which 80, were incorrect and not in
compliance with the law.
He refused to do necessary field work
because be was too busy in his Office is
bning those invalid and illegal certif-