Evening journal., 1915-01-25
WORKING TO SAVE
child LABOR Law
Committee OF Forty Organ
lied to Keep Legislation
on the Books
MISS SHEARMAN
DEFENDS MEASURE

Labor Commission Act and the Ten
Hour Law, the Labor Legislative
Committee of forty has been or
ganized here. Measures for taking
the first two laws off the statute
books have been introduced by Sen
ator Furniss, while Representative
Hall has presented a bill for the re-
peal of the Ten Hour Law.
1t is expected that the Legislature
viii take up the Child Labor Commits
sion repeater as soon as the joint
committee, which on Saturday began
its investigation of the commission,
presents its report 1t is generally
believed that some change in the
Child Labor Commission law will be
recommended.
Fear is expressed that the agita-
ton which has been aroused over the
Child Labor Commission matter will
result in those who are opposed TO
the law taking advantage of the op-
I portunity to work for its repeal. The
4 Consumers League, the various or
! ganizations Of women in the State and
! the Central Labor Union will all join
I to prevent the repeal of the law. They
hold that the law is a good one, and
/ the only defect is that the duties of
| the commission as TO supervision of
I the child labor inspector are not so
/ clearly defined as they should be. The
/ Central Labor Union will ask that
} the personnel of the commission be
changed, but will oppose the repeal OF
the law.
Membership of the general commit
tee is as follows: Charles Warner.
the Rev. T. p. Holloway, Mrs. A. d.
Warner, William Topkis, John p
Nields, William P. White, Mrs. Will
liam S. Bergland, James O'Kane
, Richard Monck, John H. Hickey, Dr.
Julian Adair, Mrs. Albert Robin,
Mrs William B. Butler, Miss Jennie
NJ. Weaver, Miss Sarah Pyle. Miss
Mary S. Malone, Miss Edith Spru-
ance, Edgar Rhoades, Mrs. William
Staniar. Mrs. William S. Prickett
Miss NJ. H. A. Mather. Miss Alice
Smythe. Miss Margaret H. Shearman
Miss Anna w. Bird, c. E. Burchenal,
Timothy j. Mooney Thomas NJ. Mon
aghan, Henry b. Thompson, Miss c.
p. Kinsman, Miss Edith Hilles, Mrs
George A. RhOades. Miss Jeanette
l.. Eckman, Miss Eugenia Jackson
Mrs. Charles Warner and the Rev
Charles L. Candee.
Miss Shearman Defends Laws.
With Miss Margaret II. Shearman as
the speaker, meeting was held yester'
day afternoon in the gymnasium of the
Young Women's Christian Association
building, No 00S King street. Th
meeting was in the interests of thu
present Child Labor Law and following
devotional exercises conducted by Mis-
Mabel Fowler, general secretary, Mis-
Shearman spoke.
Miss Shearman did not base her tall
on statistical phases but instead, spok
from the standpoint of the principle
involved, and her address yesterday al
ternoon was an earnest appeal TO tn
Christians of Wilmington TO stand II
and do their duty in this matter tina
is now agtating the State.
"You have all felt the stirring hero
ism of the women of the European
war" said Miss Shearman, well
there is now warfare going on righ
here in Delaware; warfare between
Righteousness and unrighteOusness
between greed and goodness. The
Federation Of the Church Of Chris
of America and the Young Woman'l
Christian Association have takeI
their stand against Child Labor an'
so must all true disciples of Christ
The Young WOman's Christian AS
sociatiOn also went on record as en-
dorsing the Ten Hour Law. Mis-!
Shearman said: Last Saturday
January %, was a black day for Del
aware A law on trial; the law ap
pointing the child labor commission
was brought into disrepute on a mer
technicality. This law has beel
hidden and misunderstood and tn
public has never been given a chanc
to understand it and so if any mis-
takes have been made they have bee,
. committed by persons appointed b
e the judges and not by the commits
sion"
, In conclusion, Miss Shearma
l said: "If these two laws are to b
saved we must all work. If thes
S 90 there will not be one law ON th
e statute books of Delaware to proteC
. the women and children of thi
S State"
- At the conclusion of Miss Shear
:, mans address, Mrs. j. Frank Ball rea
r the following resolution which wa
n unanimously adopted by those presen
s BE it resolved, by this meeting {
= women assembled this twenty-fourt
S day of January. 1915. at the Youn
i Womans Christian Association,
/. Wilmington, which represents a men
+ bership of 1.50O women and girls, TIL
j. we earnestly protest against the pr
It posed repeal of the Child Labor La'
Y the Child Labor Commission Law an
+ the Ten Hour Law. and that We furtl
e er endorse them in their present forI
S. Miss Mabel Fowler, general seer
e tary, read a poem from a current ma
azine, entitled, "The Factory Child
by Mary Washburn Child, and speci
music was contributed by Miss Ma
* guerite Coke, Misses Sarah Parde
g. Mary Lynch and Marguerite Baug
" Miss Anna Cloward was accompanies
= Following the meeting tea W
ne served The hostesses were: Mrs.
re c. GrommOn. Mrs. l.. G. ThompsC
IN Mrs. Isaac Phillips. Misses Hell
ne Oakley, Edna Parkin. Elizabe
ed Murphy and Ethel Bonham.