The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-30
CHILD LABOR URGED
AS PATRIOTIC SHAM
Persistent Attempts to Break Down
Laws Under Prctcnsc of Helping
The Government
PLAN OF PROF1TEERS
Federal Board Proposes to Maintain
Standard to Protect Formative
Years of Youth by Training For
Developed Usefulness In The Ma
ton.

Washington. Sept 2a.--Attempts TO
break down or evade the chhd la
Dor laws are persistentiy being made
along the line that the government
needs and must make use of every
ounce of energy at its command TO
produce food and equipment and mu-
nitiens for our armies in the fle Ids.
Advocates of the use of child la
Dor in these spheres OF industry seem
to be cloaking a general purpose OF
profiteering with show of patriot
ism. They would use the war as
fulcrum and war necessities as le-
yer to upheave and destroy the safe
guards which the nation has found
1t wise to throw around its growing
children. They even have carried
their propaga nda and their camou-
tagging plea of urgency into high
places in the government, but in every
instance so far they have met with
rebuff.
How far they have gone. and the
sort OF answer that has been made
to their plea of urgency may he ina
gined from a statement made today
on the subject by Felix Frankfurter.
chairman of the war labor policies
board in which he explains the gov
ernment's policy in a way impossible
of misinterpretation.
The imperative need for A maxi
mum production of the materials or
war says Mr.. F>rankfurter, requires
that all available reservoirs of labor
be drawn upon. The cxige ncies OF the
national situation are such the recur-
rent suggestions that child labor be
utilized have been heard. In view o,
this fact, and in view of the probable
increasind demands that children be
included in the industrial mobiliZa-
ton for war, the policy of the war
production agencies OF the govern
ment should be clearly in mind
The war labor policies board.
which is the voice Of all the indus
trial agencies of the government, has
child labor regulations contained i'll
the contracts made by the war admin
istration."
These regulations are thus enum-
Grated by Mr.. Frankfurter:
/. That no child under ID years
OF age shall be employed on war
work.
2. That no child between IA and
Is years of age shall employed more
than eight hours a day. nor before
A. NJ, nor after r. M, nor more
than six days a week on war mater
ials.
Mr.. Frankfurter goes on to explain
that the prohibition of the employ
ment OF children below certain ages
does not-gaeaa -thatthe employment
OF children above those ages is far-
ored and continues:
ITO recruit children of IA or lb
years OF age for industry is ignoring
their future value as trained work
ers. Neither the patriotic desire to
serve Immediately nor the attraction
of high wages should draw children
from school to work.
Children above The minimum age
OF permitted employment must still
be considered as potential citizess and
not merely as present producers. The
sacrifice involved in the premature
abor of children Is not yet necessary
The curtailment OF non-essential in
dustry and the employment OF men
and women not now productivity eff
gagged undoubtedly will prove suffi-
cient to care for the requirements
OF the conduct OF the war
In order to satisfy the claims of
the future maintenance OF present
educational and child labor standards
is indispensable. The formative years
of youth should be safeguarded by
purposeful training ior developed use
fulness in the nation. The time is not
yet in sight when the defense OF the
nation must he assumed by children.
The men and women OF America are
competent to the task,