Evening journal., 1915-01-26
TuAT LEGIsLATIvr INyEsTIGATION.

r the legislative inquiry into the trouble that has
existed between majority of the members Of
the Delaware State Child Labor Commission and its
deposed inspector William j. Gibbons shows anything
at all it is that the LEGISLATURE should refuse to strike
at the commission. or the vital social and economic
principles that underly its activities for the sake OF
gratifying the revengeful spirit of the Hazel-Coady-
Gibbons clique that TO be disposed to destroy
the commission and TO impair destroy the beneficial
effectiveness of the Child Labor law under which that
commission operates
Whef the Child Labor Commission was created
there was an explicit understanding that it should be
non-partsan and engage in non-partisan work The
Gibbons parsans have sought TO make appear that
the creator of all the trouble in the commission Miss
Emily p Bissell, Of this city who is admittedly the
mother OF Child Labor legislation in this State The
truth of the matter that the whole trouble had its
origin in the short-slghed Democratic shrewdness of
Commissioner Benjamin A. Hazel He foisted upon
what supposed to be a non-partisan Child Labor
Commission, Democratic politician of pronounced
practical type to be its inspector and executive right
arm. His onense against the purpose underlying the
law aggravated by the further fact that the said
inspector was, and still is pensoner of a manufac-
turing company that was and still is opposed Child
Labor legislation. In fact, It is looked upon as the
head and front of the opposition legislation for the
protection of the childhood of our State against
mercial and industrial exploitation In addition il
may be said that Commissioner Hazel had for his
active assistant in the work of putting this Demo-
cratic politician and industrial pensioner into the
inspectors Office, Commissioner Coady, foreman for
the manufacturing company above referred to and a
man Who in the natural course of events also Will be-
come, in due time, pensoner Of that company.
IL will be therefore that the layout in the Glib
bons end of this supposedly non-partsan Child Labor
Commission as follows:
Benjamin A. Hazel Democratic lieutenant for
United States Senator Willard Salisbury in Duck
Creek hundred, commissioner
jeremiah Coady, Democratic friend of Senator
Salisbury and foreman for a manufacturing company
openly and bitterly hostile to Child Labor legislation
William j. Gibbons, chairman of the Salisbury Demo-
cratic City Committee and life pensoner Of the
featuring company that is openly and bitterly hostile
to such legislation.
II would be interesting TO know what there is about
such a layout that to set a Republican senate and
Republican House of Representatives by the ears
when it to a showdown and a majority Of the
members Of the commission fit to themselves
for the protection Of the commission and the childhood
OF State?
Efforts have been made TO show that Miss Emily p
/ Bissell, of the members Of the commission
objected to the appointment Gibbons and never be-
came reconciled TO it. Who blame her, in the
face of such layout the cited above? She
know, as all rght-thinking men and now know
| that it was contemplated by those who con-
ceived framed worked for and passed the law that
the active executive officer the commission should
be man lifted out Of the partisan cce Of chairman
Of the salisbury Democratic City Committee; the pen
sioner Of company intensely hostile to Child Labor
legislation and person relative to the efficiency of
whom a question existed.
AS a majority Of the commission had permitted it.
self be beguiled by the persuasive tongue of the
salisbury leader in old Duck Creek Miss Bissen sub
mitted with the best possible the principle
Of majority rule. and Gibbons went into office
The next question that was whether he was
competent MI the place That was one that