The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-26
CHARGES CRUELTY TO
CHILD MOVIE STARS

New York. March 24.~-Sensationai
charges Of cruelty TO child movie ae-
tors were made here today before the
conference of child labor by Miss
Jeanne V. Minor, assistant secretary
OF the New York child labor commit
tee. She said:
Public opinion, expressed In obs!
and abs, whenever winsome lady is
flashed on the screen, is largely re-
sponsible for the overwhelming cir
Gle of child talent employed In the
making OF motion pictures. But would
1t add TO the enjoyment of an audi
ence witnessing a thriller where
flames spread rapidly and the actors
barely escape cremation to know that
In Just such picture girl of twelve,
trying TO esca pc. struck her head or a
board which In the dense smoke she
failed to see, fell back stunned and
was not rescued until seriously
burned? Does the high salary OF $50
reimburse n mother whose small son
shivers naked in the ICY waters of
the Hudson for twenty minutes when
the Doctors bill for subsequent SER
vices Is 1892 Should II be posi- bic
to saturate an infants crib with oil,
set Are to 1t and rescue the fright
ened baby not a minute too soon9
Not the least of the evils of this
use Of children is the danger OF moral
contamination In the low type OF play
in which many of them take part, as
for instance, one little girl who PLAYED
the child OF drunken gambler and
q prostitute and was, the partaker in
scenes no child should witness
'One mother was SO Intoxicated by
the earning capacity OF her five-year-
old CHILD that she tried to secure per-
mits simultaneously for movies ana
theatrical work, and another family
of four lives solely on the earnings
OF baby of six months, the father
having given up his work to carry
the baby to and from the studio
Abolish Street Merchants.
A. ]. McKelway. Southern secre-
tary of the national child labor COM
mittee, at the Baltimore City club. de-
clared child street merchants should
be abolished. He said:
statistics showing the large per
cent OF newshoys in our reformatory
institutions have somehow not in
fiuenced the public mind The fact
pass through the Juvenile courts OF
our cities are or have been newsboys
has not alarmed us as 1t should
The street merchants are super
fluous. The wares they offer are forced
upon the public through the appeal OF
childhood rather than because of any
need that the occupation should be
pursued in the streets. 1t Is not even
necessary for the prosperity Of news
papers that the papers should be sold
by boys. 1t il rather our good Ina
tured tolerance of the street mer-
chant. despite his clamorous per-
sistence ana frequent impudence, that
has forced the American reading pub
lie into the habit of buying from him
instead of rom the news stand or from
newsmen.
ut Is not productive work, but In
tricks and arts of needless trade in
which there is every temptation to
supplement the legitimate returns of
that trade with the tips and short
change methods which increase his
profits
"As former newspaper man, still
occasionally dahbling in printers ink,
which really never comes off ones
fingers according to the newspape
proverb. should like to put this mat
ter OF the reform of the street mer-
chant business up to the newspapers
themselves.
1.-THE child who learns to succeed In
selling newspapers, or shoe strings.
or chewing gum for that matter, may
become a merchant, but will never be
a great merchant.
Street trading may develop smart
ness but II does not lead TO wisdom.
The street urchin may turn out to be
an admirable character. but thus far
It has been my misfortune not 70 be-
come acquainted with him IN his later