The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-22
CHILD LABOR BILL
Has Been introduced in Congress By
Heating Of Colorado

Has Been introduced in Congress By
Heating Of Colorado.
Congressman Edward Heating of Colo
RADIO stands sponsor for new war meas
IRE which would directly prohibit the
labor of children under the age of IA
years at any time and Of children be.
tween the ages Of IA and 10 for more
than eight hours a day or at night in
factories, and Of children under 10 years
Of age in mines and quarries. These are
the standards Of the federal child labor
law recently declared unconstitutional
by the supreme court. The new bill
seeks to restore and maintain these
standards during the war by direct pro.
hibition under the war power of Con-
gress, as there is no question Of the au-
thority Of Congress to meet the present
emergency In this way. 1t is believed
by child welfare workers that prompt
action by the federal government is
needed, since 1t is known that many
children went back TO work immediate.
ly upon the decision Of the court, and
that the lure of high wages ON the one
hand and the high cost Of living on the
other, are inducing many Others TO keep
out Of school in the states which have
not enacted these standards
The new bill was drawn by Thomas
y, Parkinson Of the legislative drafting
research fund of Columbia university
and has been approved by a joint com.
mittee of the national child labor COM
mittee and the American Federation Of
Labor, which are actively supporting it.
Edward n. Chopper, acting secretary
Of the national child labor committee.
says: This proposed exercise of the
war power Of Congress Is not only to
protect the children from excessive hours
Of labor and premature employment, but
also to conserve national health and Wig.
or. Children who lose their chance for
education and normal growth to-day,
will make poor citizens tomorrow.
Those who are now children will have
70 bear the burdens arising from the
war, so every opportunity must be given
them to become strong and intelligent.
The passage Of the bill as a war meas.
ure will give the national child labor
committee and the American Federation
Of Labor and others interested in per
manent child labor legislation time to
study the best methods Of meeting the
objections of the supreme court to the
old laws and to frame a bin for time of
peace calculated to pass the test of con
stitutionality. In the meantime the ex-
ploitation OF children win be prevented.
When the old law was declared uneon-
stitutional it was insisted BY those who
were opposed to such federal legislation
that the states would each take care of
their own problems satisfactorily The
opportunity soon came--the legislature
Of Georgia, from which state strong dis.
approval Of the old law had come, con
vened few weeks after the decision of
the United States supreme court was
handed down, "A child labor bin EN-.
bodying the standards Of the federal
daw was introduced in the lower House,
but was roundly denounced on all sides
and promptly rejected by vote of nine
to one in the committee to which ii had
been referred. This shows only too clear
ly that the remedy lies in federal legis-
lasion rather than in an appeal to the
states.
The new bill has been presented TO
President Wilson and he is reported to
have given it his unqualified approval