Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-28
BADGES FOR CHILDREN
IN STREET TRADES; NIX
SOME SAY; OTHERS o. X
Gee, We'd Be Regular Guys if
We Had EN-" Says a New
sie-"Trick," Cries a
Bootblack
COUNCILS TO DISCUSS IT

Newsboys, bootblacks and juvenile
vcnders Of chewing gum received with con-
nictlng emotions today the information
that next Thursday an ordinance would be
introduced in Councils, which provides
that children who ply the street trades
must wear badges.
A CLEAN Of interest and pride came into
the eyes of Sam Ronowitz a newsboy of
So Fornon street. when he was told about
the badge. Sam is stationed outside the
Reading Terminal or Market street.
Gee" said sam, as he shuffed his feet
to keep the blood circulating in his
chilled toes 1--WE newses would be regu-
lar guys if we had badges. Those fly cops
UP at the detective bureau wouldn'r have
nothiu' on us.
Every time some cheap stiff got huffy
with me I'd pull back me coat quick and
flash the nickel on him He'd think he
was up against a special and he'd light
out quick. Say, the kids round my neigh
borhood would be some jealous If | get
one of those ere badges"
WHAT WILL IT COST?"
Sam owen. a shrewd newsie, who lives
at eth and Filhert streets, and sells EVEN
ING LEDGERs and other papers near the
Reading Terminal, received the badge in
formation with suspicion.
voice. as he iammed an Evening Ledger
into the hands of n stout man who was
doing marathon toward the entrance
of the station. how much are they going
to soak us for those badges?'
Don't know hey? Well ] want to
say that | don't care about getting into
the policeman and fireman class If it is
going to cost me bone or two bones for
a piece of nickel. I can use me coin to
n better advantage. ] have me mother to
support. and l can't afford to donate
whole days profits for no cheap badge.
"Say the city is gettin pretty low down
when 1t tries to levy a tax on the news
boys. We got troubles enough already
Why don't the city make some Of those
millionaires who ride around in their swell
automobiles wear badges If they want TO
raise coin fer runnn' expenses. Gee, |
this badge stuff makes me sick. Take 1t |
from me. I haint no phlanthropist. | got
me work cut out for me supportin my old |
mother" !
LITTLE TONY BALKs.
Tony Nicola. a little bootblack, who |
lives at 9th and Race streets, exploded" |
with Indignation today when he was told |
about the badge plan. Tony picks up Il |
living by cruising about for untidy boots |
in Independence Square
nix on the badge stuff" ne said IT'S |
another trick to put us out of business. |
It's gettin' harder all ther time maxim a |
lvn' scrapin' the mud Off'n peoples boots. |
The good times hain't struck the boot
blackin business, believe me. People not |
only bite a nickel, but they kiss it and |
hug it before they give 1t up for a shine. |
SO far today I've only polished three sets |
of boots. For the first pair | got three |
cents, for the second two cents, and for |
the third nickel. The man that gave me !
ti,. ,,.ftI, tIyn
mother partin with her only son at rail- |
road station
"Those politicians up at City Hall won't |
work off any badge trick on me. III move |
my business over to Camden if they try to |
stick piece of nickel on me-"
SHINE EI UP, MIsTER?"
Here Tony spotted man whose shoes
looked as If they had been bathed in Jer-
sey mud, and he went after him with the |
call:
"Shine 'em up, mister? only five cents" |
The proposed ordinance will place both |
boys and girls who ply street trades of |
any character under control of the Bu- |
reau of Compulsory Education and the |
Police Department The draft of the or |
dinance as submitted by the State Bureau |
of Labor and Industries is now being con- |
sdered by Director Wilson. The ordinance |
is necessary under the child labor act that |
became operative on January /.
VARIETIES OF BADGES.
As now drafted, the ordinance gives |
plenary powers to the police of the city |
and also clothes the Bureau of Compul- |
sorry Education with the authority to see
that the law is enforced. Newsboys will !
he required to wear a badge labeled |
"Newsboy," and bootblacks and vendors
of chewing gum will wear badge styled
street Trades" Some sort of a badge |
is also being planned for messenger boys
Children who ply street trades will be
required to show a certificate or proof
of their age at the Bureau of Compulsory
Education. Enforcement of the ordinance
will prohibit the peddling of chewing gum
and candy by boys and girls under the
age limit fixed by law. 1t will also stop
small boys and girls from selling news
papers at night