The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-20
CHILD LABOR AND HEALTH.

1t is so well recognized that certain
occupations may involve serious dan
ger to young, growing persons that
most states now have their child labor
laws, and these were recently supple
mented by the federal child labor law
that was enacted during the closing
days of the last session of congress.
Massachusetts, which has been a
leader in legislation of this character,
is now engaged in a systematic effort
to collect information that may be of
value in determining the need of
changes in it's present laws and regula-
tions governing the employment of
minors.
And whatever information Massa-
chusetts may collect in these import
ant particulars will be available and
of value to all other states in suggest
ing, perhaps, some desirable changes
in their child labor laws, and for their
improvement
At the request of the Massachusetts,
board of labor and industries, DR.. NJ.
Victor Stafford, assistant surgeon of
the United States public health serv-
eminent to cooperate with the state
authorities in a study of the effect of
employment in various occupations on
the health and physical development
of children now permitted by law to
work therein.
report of this study with respect
to the cotton manufacturing industry
of Massachusetts has just been pub
lished by the federal government in
public health bulletin, No. rs entitled,
Influence of occupation ON health
during adolescence"
The physical condition of over 500
boys between the ages of fourteen and
eighteen employed in this industry in
different parts of the state received
careful study. 1t was brought out that
in Massachusetts boys between these
ages for the most part do not remain
long IN the cotton mills. This fact,
and the strict regulations cf the state
governing the employment of minors
may not make some of the conclusions
reached in this local investigation
equally true elsewhere, but among the
facts disclosed the following may be
] entioned.
A considerable proportion of the
younger boys and also of those over
sixteen were understood and physically
undeveloped for their ages while those
between fifteen and sixteen veraeed
larger than other classes of boys of
their age with which comparisons were
made. This is explained by the ac
cumuIation in the mills of strong bows
waiting to reach the age of sixteen
to go into permanent full time" oc-
equations.
The presence Of noteworthy pro
portion of understood boys is not as
cribed to the effects OF the occupation
but to the fact that the cotton mill Of
fers one of the few chances of en-
ployment for understood boys. Evil
dence of injurious effects of their work
or working conditions even of the
temperature and humidity of the mills,
on normal boys was seldom found
altho further investigation of possible
effects of atmospheric conditions is
recommended.
Probably as a result of the state
regulations relative to the issuance of
employment certificates comparatively
few cases of dangerous diseases were
discovered. There was, however,
wide variety of defective conditions
disclosed by the Investigation, many
of them of such a character as to i'm
pair seriously the future health and
economic usefulness of the individuals
concerned il not remedied