The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-27
CHILD LABOR LAW NO FAKE.

statements have been scattered
broadcast of late that the recently en-
acted federal child labor law is
fraud" and Joker" and because of
the provision in it that reads in effect
that no manufacturer shall ship in
interstate commerce the product of
any manufacturing establishment in
which within thirty days prior to the
removal of such product therefrom
children under the age of fourteen
years have been employed or per-
mitted to work.
Those who are branding this new
and important law as a fake interpret
this provision as one that would per-
NIT a manufacturer to work children
under fourteen years of age in his
factory for many months in q year and
then discharge them, hold the prod
ucts of their labor for thirty days and
then ship them as freely in interstate
commerce as he could before this law
was passed.
But the National Child Labor COM
mittee refutes emphatically the sug-
gestions that the new law is a fraud"
and Joker" and that the provision
in question destroys the purposes of
the legislation. And the word of the
National Child Labor committee on
this score is assuredly worthy of be-
ing accepted at it's face value and
against the assertions of those who are
now attacking the new child labor law
and whose criticism may be born of
desire to play politics. or to manu-
facture little political capital.
The National Child Labor commit
tee has been in existence for many
years and has been fighting the battles
against child labor and for prohibitive
child. labor legislation in an exceed
ingly intelligent as well as a most
persistent and vigorous manner. No
suspicion of partisanship has ever been
breathed against this organization. 1t
has been as hot on the heels of Re-
publican congresses to enact a federal
child labor law as it has been on the
recent Democratic congresses. And if
it is satisfied that the new federal
child labor law fills the bill, there
should be little reason for alarm
among those who have the interests
of the child workers at heart that
these waits of industry have been
''jobbed' by dexterous and designing
statesmen in the child labor Iegis-
latfon that was drafted and passed
at the last session of congress.
I'VE hope that no one will be mis-
led by these rumors," says Owen r.
Lovejoy, general secretary of the Ma
tional Child Labor committee, in a
statement just issued by him and for
the committee and in respect to the
suggestions that the new child labor
law is a delusion and a snare for the
children of the land. "The bill was
carefully drawn and thoroly consid-
not damned thru congress but had
been pending three years.
ut is significant that both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans were well rep
resented on the senate committee that
passed on the final form of the bill,
that both Democrats and Republicans
stood solidly for it in this form, and
| that when the roll call was taken only
two Republicans-Oliver and Penrose
voted against it.
IF the law is a gold brick, both
parties made the brick, and the at
tempt to use it as campaign material
is absurd.
! The law is as air-tight as a law
can be. The thirty-day clause which
has been attacked as a joker does
not relate to shipment in interstate
commerce but to removal from the
| factory, and was intended, chiefly, to
| prevent evasion OF the law by the stor-
age of child-made goods in ware
house. 1t was necessary Furthermore,
because without it a manufactures
who once employed child labor would
find his goods debarred forever from
interstate commerce, even tho his
child employees were discharged.
1T has been suggested that some
thrifty manufacturer may try to run
the government blockade with ship
ments of goods in thirty-day lots, hir-
ing and firing his children so as to
evade the law. but we believe that such
a manufacturer would be an abnor-
mally determined employer of chill
dren-for employers have been telling
us for many years that they do moi
want to employ children but are