The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-02-12
Child Labor and
North Dakota
DR.. Gillette Of University Discus
aes Important Problem. That
Should Interest All

80 Should Interest ALI
North Dakota has a vital in
terest in the matter of child
labor. DIR. j. M. Gillette of the
Department of Sociology of the
University Of North Dakota, in
addressing a class i'll sociology.
a few days ago, made several in
teresting statements. These state
ments related to the problem Of
child labor in the United States
and in North Dakota.
DR.. Gi''ette is chairman OF the
North Dakota State Child Labor
Committee and is a member Of
the Advisory Committee. on Ma
tiona1 Child Labor. This posi-
tion i'm the practical field as
we'll as his standing in scholar
ship make his views important.
DIR. Gillette said in part:
The subjec Of child labor has
now been before the nation as
a matter COR legislation and regu-
lation during something like ten
years. Like many other OBJ
jects which demand attention by
the state or nation it did not
arise because the victims made, a
clamor. Little children suffered
Inn the mines and factories OF
England until some enlightened
men and women saw their mis-
cry and told the nation about it.
This has been true in the United
States. And it is remarkable how
callous the old world is to- the
su'fferings of childhood, for it is
only during the last decade
that we have seen that multi-
tudes of children are overworked,
kept out of school, and subject
to influences which only adults
could be, supposed to- withstand.
But when the evils Of child Ia
bor were pointed out many en-
heightened states passed laws to
guard the children and to make
much Of their unnecessary labor
impossible. Congress considered
a measure several years ago, and
the Palmer Owen bill has recent
ly been before that body.
Lest someone may say that
there is little or no child labor
let us state the facts. In 1910
there were 1,99O,225 children be-
tween the ages of 10 and 10
who were found at work. This
means l in 6 children Of that age
Almost half Of them were under
IA years old. Out Of the total
number 1,432, $50 children We're
in agricultural pursuits.
Is child labor an evil? Some
are prone to say it is a good
thing for children, it builds up
character. Yes it is when it does
not prevent the child from
developing hispsmind, body. and
;charBcter. tt isv a good thing
to hive children reared in habits
of industry. But much of the
child labor tears down and de-
stroys. That is the kind which,
needs to be prevented.
Investigations show that child
labor increases illiteracy, crianin-
ality, overtaxing of energy and
consequent stunting and disease,
besides depriving childhood of it
rights of childhood. Relative TO-
iNiteracy, It is shown that in
states having the highest per
cent of children at work IL
iteracy is highest. Thus Missi-
ssippi has 47.8 per cent Of its
children from 10 to 13 years old
at work and an illiteracy Of 22.4
per cent; for Alabama the fig
ures are 46.3 and 22.9; for Ken
lucky, 1874 and 12.1; for Vir-
ginia, 1873 aud 1872; for Iowa,
81 and II; for North Dakota,
90 and 90. It also appears that
working children when compar-
ed with nonworking children are
arrested much oftner for crimin-
al offences, commit the more
serious offenses to greater ex.
tent, and become "repeaters, !"
that is, return to crime more Of
ten. Among the workers it is
noteworthy that the unsuper-
vfsed callimgs, such as news boys,
errand boys, and deliver. boys,
are most productive in criminali-
ty. Likewise it is shown that
inwenile street workers are more
subject to fatigue, anemia, heart,
strain, nerve strain, and defor-
mites, than other workers and
othera children, and that the af-
nict;ons increase as hours of
work increase.
II 10 unfortunately true that
many country children are nm