Denver labor bulletin., 1916-08-12
CHILD LABOR BILL
PASSES SENATEAND
WILL BECOME LAW
GREATVICTORYF FOR
ED kEATING
President Wilson Uses Pres
sure in Favor of Measure that
Will Abolish Child Wage
Slavery in u. S.

Iabor's greatest Legislative victory of
the year was achieved Tuesday of this
week when the United States Senate
passed the Keating-Owen child labor bill
by vote of 50 to II. Two Pennsylva-
MA Republicans. Penrose and Oliver, and
ten Southern Democrats, voted against
the bill. They were: Bankhead, Ala
bama; BRYAN and Fletcher, Florida;
HardwicIl and Smith, Georgia; TiIlman
and Smith. South Carolina; Overnan
adm Simmons. North Carolina; and VIII
liams OF Mississippi.
The law will not become effective un-
til a year after passage Senator Over
man attempted to have the time ex-
tended to two years.. but lost, 40 to IA.
Made Stronger in Senate.
One amendment was made by the Sem
ate to make the law apply to all prod
ucts OF a factory or mill employing chill
dren. The House bill applied only to
the products of children and the amend
ment will be readily concurred in.
The bill excludes from interstate COM
merce the products of children under IA
years of age. and under sixteen if worked
more than eight hours per day. As
amended it will exclude all products of
concerns employing such prescribed chill
dren. This means that child labor,
everywhere in the United States, will
cease the day this law becomes oper-
ative, for practically all products of
child labor are articles OF interstate
commerce, that is, transported and sold
in states other than those in which the
mills, coal mines, factories, etc. are To-
Gated
Wilson Demanded Its Passage
President Wilson Will sign the bill the
moment it reaches the White House.
Two weeks ago he performed the ,un-
usual by going TO his room in the ma
tional capitol. calling the Democratic
leaders on the carpet and demanding
that the bill be placed on the calendar
and passed. An effort had been made
to sidetrack the child labor bill until the
next session.
Congressman Edward Heating of the
Third iPueblol Colorado district is the
author OF the child labor bill as origin
allv introduced in the House. Senator
Robert l.. Owen of Oklahoma introduced
a similar bill in the Senate, so that it
became known as the Heating Owen child
labor bill. This measure passed the
House on February ,. ssL, by a vote of
S37 to 46, former Speaker Joe Cannon
making the principal fight there against
it. The bill imposes heavy penalties upon
manufacturers and shippers for inter-
state shipment of any commodity in
whole or in part produced by children
under 10. working in mines or quarries,
or by children under IA working in mills,
canneries, workshops or manufacturing
Establishments.
Labor Group on the Job.
relegrams of congratulations from
all over the nation have poured, in upon
President Wilson and Congressman Keat-
ing this week for their victorious fight
in behalf OF this humane measure. What
is known as the Labor Group" in Con-
gress has worked incessantly for this
bill ever since Congress convened last
December. A similar bill passed the
previous House. but was permitted to
die in the Senate.
President Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor also is deserving of
full credit for the enactment of this law.
1t WAS made the first and paramount
legislative demand of the Federation, and
has been urged at every opportunity.
Keating Renominated Same Day.
It is estimated that between 800 100 and
100000 children will be released from
wage slavery bv this bill. What it means
yond cOmparison.
\ happy coincidence was that on the
day this bill passed the Senate by
vote OF five to one, Congressman Keat-
ing. its author was renominated by the
Democrats OF his district without q
single dissenting vote.