Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-10
Special to Times Republican.


Des Moines.' Feb. 10.-'Iowa is we'll
advanced in the matter of child labor
legislation said Labor Commissioner
A. L. Urick yesterday in commenting
on the recent national conference on
child labor held at Asheville, n. e. Il
think this state will compare favor
ably with any other in the work be-
ing done to prevent child labor.
This conference was purpOsely held
at Asheville because North Carolina
and also South Carolina have thus far
kept out regulation of child labor to
any extent. The big manufacturers of
cotton goods who employ hundreds of
children in the mills many OF them as
young as IL years and working ten or
eleven hours a day, have had enough
L. influence to keep child labor legisla-
tion from getting a foothold
We had one especially interesting
debate at the conference Congress
man Britt. who represents the tenth
district of North Carolina in congress,
lives at Asheville. He was on the pro-
gram at this child labor conference.
A short time ago when the Heating
Owen bill for the regulation of child
was supposedly a friend Of the child
labor movem ent, voted against the bill.
much to the surprise Of many of his
constituents In and around Ashevlle.
Naturally the child labor conference
attendants We're anxious TO hear what
he had to say as to why he voted
against this bill. He spoke last Satur-
day night and his speech was defense
of his position on the bill
However, on Sunday afternoon.
Congressman Heating, Of Colorado. one
of the trainers of the bill for national
control Of child labor, spoke. A large
crowd turned out to hear him and he
was enthusiastically applauded. He is
a clever speaker and evidently was
much more popular with the crowd
than Congressman Britt.
But child labor in those mills in
the south Is a serious matter. They
say that the lint from the cotton and
the humidity in which the factory
workers are compelled to work soon
causes the young children to become
hollow chested and brings on tubercu-
losis. The tuberculosis germs you
know multiply much more rapidly in
a warm humid temperature than In a
cool climate. And these workers who
go into the factories at an early age
soon undermine their health. When
they reach maturity they are often
broken down men or women.
The factories, Of course, are able to
recruit their help from the mountain
districts where the people are poor and
are anxious for some means of making
an income. So the south has been the
last section Of the country to yield to
child labor legislation. Those swift
running streams from the mountains
furnish splendid cheap power for the
mill machinery The abundant crops
of cotton furnish the raw material and
the south has some Of the largest cot
ton goods factories and hosiery mills
to be found in the country.
THE national child labor organiza-
ton, however, is hanlGnering away all
the time in the south and Is going to
overcome this opposition to it's cause.
They employ two special workers in
other southern states. The sentiment
is changing and it Will not be long
until the south will have the same ad-
vanced child labor laws as have the
states Of the north"
47t. More Candidates.
Dennis P. Hogan, Of Messena Cass
county, is q candidate for district
delegate to the republican national
convention from the ninth congression-
al district. Mr.. Hogan Is a banker and
has been active in Iowa politics and
affairs for several years. He was a
member OF the lower house in the
Thirty fourth general assembly. He
was a member of the American COM
mission which studied the question Of
farm credits in Europe In 1918. having
been appointed by Governor Clarke to
represent Iowa on this commission.
Elmer P. Pieper, of Waukon, today
wrote to Secretary Allen for nomina-
ton papers. He expects to be a. can
didate for representative from ALA
makee county.
g, City and State in Dispute.
The city and the state are in dis
pute as to who shall pay for lighting
the streets which are now a part o;
the capitol extension and belong to the
state The Des Moines commissioners
have notified the electric light com =
pany that the city will no longer pay