Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-02-24

country's first line of defense. The
ships must be Differed by men trained
to the work. So it follows that the
United States Naval academy where
the officers are trained is an important
factor in the solidity of the first line.
Moved by a desire to learn some
thing about the real conditions in the
case, | went to Annapolis. 1t may be
gratifying to the public to learn that
the middies' misfortunes are not so
great as they have been chronicled. 1t
is true that 220 of them in n way or
another have been found to be not
quite up to the high-tide mark in some
study or other, but unquestionably it
will be necessary to discharge only
about fifty Of the young sailors from
the service. 1t is not a large number
when consideration is given to the
high standard of the study and dis
cipline requirements of the United
States Naval academy.
Many Officers Are Necessary.
There are about 400 ships Of all
kinds, classes and conditions in the
United States navy. On one of the big
ships alone between thirty or forty
officers, irrespective of chaplains, doc
tors and marine officers, are required
for duty. OF course on the smaller
ships the number is much less, but 1t
can be seen that a huge number of
men trained to command is needed for
the service.
In addition to the officers on ship
and sea service, hundreds of others
are needed for the construction and
other bureaus and for service in the
department at Washington. The Uni
ted States navy has not enough Off
GERS for its service as it stands today.
1t is expected that before congress ad-
journs legislation will be enacted to
increase the attendance at the naval
academy by 300 students. The house
has passed the bill. When this legis-
lation is complete there will be 1900
youngsters studying modern seaman
ship in all its branches, and even then,
with the ship increases planned for
the navy itself, Annapolis will not be
able to graduate enough officers to fill
the needs in the case.
Take it all in all, the discipline at
Annapolis is nothing like as strict as
it is at West Point, although it is vast
ly stricter than 1t is at any civilian
school in the United States; and yet it
is not strict enough, as some people
view it, for the good Of the service.
Child Labor Bills Prospects.
The child labor bill has been passed
by the house of representatives. 1t
is the belief that the measure will
pass the senate and if so it is GER
tain to be signed by the presi-
dent. The friends of child labor legis
lation say that it is a fit companion
for preparedness measures, and the
argument made is that legislation safe.
guarding the health of the children
will insure that real manhood and real
~womanhood are to be treasures of the
nation in the future.
The basis of the child labor bill
which the house of representatives has
passed by an overwhelming vote is to
forbid the entrance into interstate
commerce of any goods in whose
manufacture the labor of children un.
der fourteen years of age has entered.
1t also forbids interstate commerce in
goods which children under sixteen
years of age have helped to make, pro-
vided they we're compelled to work at
night. or longer than eight hours.
Child labor legislation has an inter-
esting history in congress. Some eight
or ten years ago a strong effort was
made by one or two senators to secure
a patient hearing on a bill much like
that which has just passed the house.
They could not get a hearing. When
the proponents of the bill spoke in its
behalf senators left their seats for the
cloakroom or for the restaurant. In
the house of representatives there was
every evidence that child labor legisla-
ton would be given scant considera-
ton. Republicans and Democrats alike
were against 1t except in some rare
instances.
Great Change in Sentiment.
1t was said that the legislation
struck at the roots of state rights, that
it invaded the sacred precincts of the
home and robbed the father and the
mother of the right to do what they
wanted to do with their children.
Actually it was intimated by some Of
the members of congress that if the IA
ther and mother wanted to work their
children "a hours a day, the state had
no right to interfere.
What a change has come over ION.
gress since the day when child labor
legislation was sneered at and spoken
Of as unconstitutional, disruptive of
the home life, and, as an army officer
might put it, "prejudicial to good or
der and national discipline! If some
one eight years ago had suggested that
such a measure eventually would go
through the house by a majority which
made the minority look like q fly
speck, he would have been put down
as a lunatic, and yet this very thing
has happened. Democrats, Republic
ans, P~rogressives voted for the child
labor bill and only a handful Of irrec.
oncilables was to be found to vote
against it.
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