The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-06-01
LAW AGAINST CHILD LABOR.
Will Be Enforced to the Letter, Par.
ents Are Warned, and SO Are
Employers Of Children.
Charleston American.

SQGIlSSCOu kAmC1lSdH.
Columbia, May 2S.-The department
of agricultul commerce and indus
tries is exper. cling considerable diff
fculty in the enforcement Of the child
labor laws, due to lack Of cooperation
on the part of parents in some in
stances. and of manufacturing estab-
lishments in others. The department,
however, is determined to reach every
violatcr of the law if 1t be possible
to do so, and number of prosecutions
have recently oeen issued. The fed
eral law goes into effect on September
/. and after that time the enforcement
of the State law will be rendered less
difficult by federal aid and the rigid
penalties of the act Of congress.
In some cases which have arisen in
this State it has been found that par"
ents have gone so far as to change
records in family Bibles as to dates
of births. Where employers OF chill
dren under the legal age have been
convicted, small fines have been I'M
posed, the penalty provided being not
over $50, and the minimum being $40.
The federal law will prohibit the Of
fering for sale in interstate commerce
of any products of mills, canner1es,
workshops, factories, mines or quar-
ries, where children under Is years OF
age are worked longer than eight
hours per day. The penalty for the
first offense is not more than 5000 fine
or three months Imprisonment, ana
for any subsequent offense 1t is not
more than $1,000 zine, or three months
Imprisonment, or both. Federal certl-
fcates of age are required and penal
ties are imposed for false certificates
similar to the penalties imposed upon
manufacturers violating the law. In
any State designated by the federal
board, an employment certificate or
other similar paper as to age of the
child. not inconsistent with the pro-
visions of the federal act, shall have
the same force and effect as the certl-
ficate provided for in that act.
1t is probable that permits issued
bv the State commissioner in this
State will be acceptable to!the federal
government, and with that in view,
Commissioner Watson has already
given solemn warning to both parents
and employers to exercise the greatest
care to insure accuracy in the prepar-
alton of birth statements. The max
ing of false statement even through
carlessness, is liable to prove a very
| serious matter, not only for the par
ent, but for the employer.
Employers violating the law will not
only be subject to the penalties OF
fine and Imprisonment, but also to
having their products forbidden to in
terstate commerce.
Under the South Carolina law, No
child under IA is permitted to be en-
| ployed in any factory, mine or textile
establishment, and every child en-
ployed who is between IA and Is years
of age must be covered by a sworn
statement and permit issued by the
department of agriculture, commerce
and industries. Same penalty applies
to parents consenting to children un-
der the legal age being employed or
making false certificates in regard to
the age of their children, as applies
to employers knowingly employing
children under the legal age.