South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-27
CHILD LABOR IN
WARNING NATIONS
Experience in France and
England Shows Necessity
for Maintaining Standard.

The experience of war time has
only demonstrated the necessity
technical. economic. and even phys
iological-of the labor laws enacted
before the war In our legislation
secured in time of peace we shall
find the conditions for a better and
more intense production during the
war"
These words of NJ. Albert Thomas.
the French minister Of munitions.
illustrate perfectly the official atti-
tude of both France and England
after two years of emergency ex-
emptiOns for war industries. accord
ing 10 the children's bureau of the
United States department of labor
which has just completed "A brief
review of all available reports on
child labor in the warning coun-
tries.
In France and England. earlier
standards of hours are being re-
health of the workers but for the
sheer sake OF industrial efficiency,
present and future. In Italy. the
central committee on Industrial
mobilization has taken steps in the
same direction. In Russia. a year
before the revolution, movement
was under way to raise the age
limit for children in industry.
Canada, Australia, and New Zea-
land. in spite of the great armies of
men they have sent TO the front,
have maintained their labor stand
ards with little or no variation.
Victoria has slightly increased the
amount of overtime which may be
permitted to women and children in
special cases On the other hand
Manitoba has reduced its legal
overtime. No change whatever in
restrictions on woman and child
labor is reported from New Zea-
land.
Sums Up Situation.
The children's bureau sums up as
follows the child-labOr situation in
France and England:
France, after almost two years of
war time exemptions by which chill
dren under IS were allowed TO
WORK AZ night in special cases, re
stored the night work prohibition
for girls under IS and provided
that other night workers should be
subject to meG!cal supervision. The
reason for this is indicated not only
in the statement by NJ. Thomas,
quoted above, but again in the fol-
loving extract from the French
official bulletin des Usines de Guerre
for July 81. 1916:
With the continuance of the
war il becomes necessary not
only 10 find the best possible
disposition of the forces avail
able for our war industries but
also to avoid every cause for
exhaustion or weakening of the
labor employed in our factories.
There is a close relation be-
tween the conditions in which
we place our workers and the
Improvement or the increase of
our war products. For the
very sake of the national de-
Tense we must conserve all
their physical strength for the
workers who are responsible
for the manufacture of arms
anu lOl tic OuApuL VI Jul AttN-
tories.
France has now under cOnsidera-
ton an education bill which would
in effect raise the standard of labor
protection in war time. II was in
troduced in the chamber of deputies
in March by NJ. Viviani and closely
resembles a bill passed by the
French senate IN June, 1916. This
proposal to establish a system of
continuation schools and TO require
part time school attendance during
working hours by all working chill
dren under Il years of age has the
endorsement of the minister of
commerce and of business interests
in all parts of the country
\ similar advance has been
recommended in England by the de
partmental committee on eduCa-
ton for juvenile employment after