Evening journal., 1917-12-20
ARGUE FOR TRAINED
LABOR INSPECTOR
Committee Issues Statement
in Reply to That OF
Chairman Warner
EXPERT SERVICES
DEMANDED, THEY SAY

The following self explanatory
statement has been issued:
"Nlr. Charles Warner, chairman Of
the Labor Commission Of Delaware, has
made statement in the newspapers. OF
Wednesday, December h. which is in
tended to explain the position taken
on Tuesday. by majority Of the com
mission when they failed 10 appoint a
specially trained or experienced person
as child labor Inspector. While we
have nothing 20 urge against the per-
sonalty OF Mr. Hagner, his appointment
represents a principle which we be-
lieve contrary to the very best interest
Of the welfare work for women and
children in our State No matter how
/ well disposed he may be towards the
/ duties OF the Office 10 which he has
/ been elected. even his best friends must
admit that he lacks both training and
/ experience; and even at the best
much valuable time must be spent and
! The interests Of the women and chill
dren must be sacrificed while he Is
qualifying himself TO perform The du-
/ ties which a trained worker would
/ know at once TO perform. A recommen-
dation was made 10 the commission by
a special committee Of members Of the
/ Volunteer Advisory Board Of the COM
/ mission and Of representative walfare
/ organizations Of the state, that the
/ commission adopt as its standard OF
/ qualification for chief child labor in
I spector the requirements Of the fed
/ eral government for its assistant child
labor inspectors From Mr.. Warner
statement il is inferred that the
Trained social worker cannot also be
the practical and interested worker
/ in civic, governmental and labor prob
lens
'"This inference. we believe, should
be challenged DO we not find here IN
Wilmington, among our all too Few
trained social workers some OF our
most practical and interested workers
i'm civic. governmental and labor prob
lens? The three years experience OF
the labor commission Of Delaware
should be placed over against the much
longer experience Of other States ana
country. In most instances when such
labor laws were FIRST enacted their en-
forcement was given to so-called prae-
i.tical men: but experience, in the Ions
run, proved this policy both impractl-
cal and inefficient. Now the services
/ Of the expert are demanded.
To-day the leading countries Of Eu-
rope make factory inspection a hignly
specialized profession. In the United
states the whole modern trend has been
steadily to raise the standard Of quail
ncations by establishing civil service
examinations or hy specifying. in the
law certain specialized training or eX-
perience. as the Federal Capitol chill
dren's Bureau does. This bureau first
secures a list Of specially trained per-
sons and from this list selects those
with the additional important qualiilca-
tlOn Of personality tact, practical COM
mon sense, proper maturity and force
President Taft's appointment of Miss
Julia Lathrop, a trained social worker
as head Of the Children's Bureau, cX-
empllnes this principle. The commits
sion had such a list of trained workers
fiom which It could have se-
lected one with the other practical
qualifications. This 10 failed to do
Upon learning that unframed persons
were being considered by the Labor
commissions candidate committee, Miss
Lathrop telegrqphed 'UnquestionlblS
thoroughly qualified sstate inspectors
essential TO success in protecting chill
dren in industry
"This shows the Federal Government
interest in the Delaware appointment
How long shall The explanation iha
our State is peculiar to be allowed e
prevent the adoption of The suggestion
Of the Federal bureau tested out b,
experienced our only interest in thi
matter is the welfare Of the working
women and children Of the State. w
have no other interest to consider
therefore, we are deeply disappointei
that the principal of special training a
4 a necessary qualification was ignores
by u majority Of the Labor Commits
sion.
Signed
Lillian w Hayward.
Newark.
ETHEL Ball Staniar,
Wilmington.
"W. Newell Bannard, Jr.,
Wilmington.
n Charles l.. Candee,
- ttNnff1rnfa~Far