Gilpin observer., 1916-01-20
WASHINGTON News
BY Edward Heating.


mittee-an organi: a ion composed of
such famous social welfare workers
as Jane A6ans, Felix Adler, Flo
renee Kelly ard osLers-tEe church
es of the courtry Will observe next
Sunday, Januery 90, as, "ChildLabor
Surday" and the Congregations win
lie asked to jon in an appeal to
congress 10 erect the so-caMed keat-
ing-Owen child ,abor bill. The meas
ure is known as the "Keatirg Owen
homa, has undertaken to father it
N tie serate VIII lie l lcok after it
in tie house.
TIE bill IS desigr ed to end, once
and for all. osild ,ahor in the mines,
quarriss, mills, factories, canner,es.
etc, OF this country. 1t has been
described by one of the, supporters
as: "A bill to conserve Child life
in Amo rioa.''
Not a Radical Bill.
It's provisions are net raG'cal but
they are conceded TO be affective.
They specify t at children under 16
years shall rot be employed in
mines or quarrits or under IA in
that children betwe n IA and 16 en-
ployed in mills, factories, Gamer
les, etc, shall not be employed more
than eight hCuIs a day or at right.
That these reQu 'remeEts are not
unreasonable is evidenced by the
fact that an actual majority of the
people, through state action, have
ADOPTED the precise Standards set up
in this bill.
The opposition Genes almost ex-
ciusively frcm tie cotton-mlling in
terests of four of five somthern
states. They are waging a we'll or
ganized fight, ard do rot conceal
their intention to struggle uril they
have been driven from tie last
trench. In the LIST congress they
killed the bill by threatening to talk
it to death in the senate. In this
congress We will probably force
iieuil " IL eAt ~ Ou l!4iS eSt.
Need OF Legislation.
TIE need CT tie legislation is
shown by a mass of evidsnce. Ac-
cordirg to the cersus reports for
1910 in TIE state of North Carolina
alone, mere than 1000 children be-
tween 10 and IS years old were work
ing sixty hours a. week in tie cotton
mills. These tets went to work be-
fore dawn and labored until after
dark.
During tie hearirgs on my bill one
of the most prominent of these North
Carolina millmen, stated, in response
to my questions, ths.t in his judg-
ment it was all right to make a boy
of 10 work twelve hours a day in a
cotton mill.
White Children the Victims.
One interesting feet developed was
that these cotton mill children are
Caucas.ars and ore witness testified
that lie had frequently seen negro
children on tfeir way to school pass
white children en- their way to the
mills.
Congress is without power to fer
bid the employment of child labor
but it may say that the products of
such labor shall not be shipped from
one state to another. Ninety per
cent OF the products of American in
dustry Is compelled to cross state
|, lines in order to find market. So
it win be seen thet IL we succeed
in barring the products of cldldIla-
Dor from interstate commerce the
evil will be destroyed.
More Prosperity.
"Wilson. peace and prosperity" will
be the battle cry Of the Democrats
in the coming campaign.
The Republicans are making a des-
perate. but somewhst ludicrous, at
tempt to get away from the prosper
ity issue which trey were so anx-
ious to raise few months ago. Wher
the last congress adjourned we were
warned that we were headed straight
for destruction and now we are as.
sured. by the game Republican al.
thority. that we ale rolling in wealth
because Of the war in Europe and
that Democratic policies "have moth
ing to dc with the case"
Our friends, the enemy. overlook
the fact that our country is at peace
with the world largely because OF
the presence Of Woodrow Wilson In
the White House. That blessed
peace has enabled us to devote our
energies to creating things instead
OF destroying things, with the result
that We are enjoying unprecedented
prosperity.
Since December /. 1915, the wages