The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-09-11
CHILD LABOR LAW
ANTICIPATED HERE
Local Pineapple canneries Put
Provisions Into Effect Many
Months Ago, Says Dole


Anticipating the Federal Child Labor
Law months before It was passed, the
local pineapple canneries will not be af
fected in any measure in carrying out
its provisions. James b. Dole, president
and manager Of the Hawaiian Pineap.
pie Company, said last night that chill.
dren under fourteen years had not been
employed by the Hawaiian Pineapple
Company for two or three years, and
when the Labor Law was passed last
fall the provision permitting children
of fourteen and fifteen years to work
eight hours only was immediately put
into effect. Children were never en-
ployed between the hours of seven in
the evening and six in the morning.
There has been a hard fight on this
bill since II Was drafted and introduced
Last Wednesday Senator Hardwic& of
Georgia, in an address before the Amer.
lean Bar Association in annual session
at Saratoga Springs, dealt with the re,
Gently enacted Child Labor Law. which
prohibits interstate commerce in arti.
cles manufactured by child labor, the
object of the law being to prevent un.
fair competition with the products of
those States having child labor legisla-
ton. Senator Hardwick led the fight
in the senate against this measure,
maintaining that it was an infringe
mcnt of State rights.
Provisions of Law
The law went into effect September |.
No child under fourteen may be en-
plOyed in any factory, mill, workshop
or cannery in the United States whose
products are to be shipped in interstate
commerce. and no child under sixteen
in any mine or quarry. The working
day of children fourteen and fifteen
years of age in factories may not be
longer than eight hours, and they may
not be employed between seven in the
evening and six in the morning.
The enforcement of the law has been
delegated by the secretary of labor to
the children s bureau of the department
of labor and the head of the new child
labor division of that bureau is Miss
Grace Abbott of Chicago. Miss Abbott
has been at work for several weeks on
the details of administration with a
staff of temporary assistants in order
that there might be no delay in enforc-
ing the law.
Enforcement Of Law Begun
The issuing of federal certificates of
age in States where the State require
ments for proof of age are below the
federal standards has already begun,
and the methods of cooperation with
State officials have been worked out
Although the children's bureau will
have its own permanent staff of inspec,
tors and will, when necessary, initiate
its own proceedings for prosecution in
case of violation, it will so far as pos
sible avoid duplication of the work of
State labor officials.
Miss Abbott has had broad expert.
ence in industrial matters in this coun
try and abroad. She has lived for
many years in an industrial neighbOr
hood and has visited Europe repeatedly
to observe industrial committees, es-
pecially in countries from which immi |
grafton has been large in recent years, !
Since 1908 she has been actively en- !
gagged in work on industrial problems
AZ they have affected immigrants, part
Of the time as executive secretary of |
the Massae husetts State Immigration |
commission and more recently as direc |
tor of the Immigrants Protective |
League of Chicago. The permanent |
STAFF of assistPnts will be selected from |
approved by the United
States Civil Service Commission as a
result of special examinations to be
'eld September Is and 10.