The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-01-18
 THREE IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES OF CHILD l LABOR COMMITTEE Lovejoy Says We Must Con- serve the Health of Boys and Girls and Blot
 Out Illiteracy

Summing up the three most impor- tant activities of the national child labor committee during the stress or war times, owen R. Lovejoy, who was the luncheon guest Thursday of the Association of Social Workers, assisted by the Chamber of Commerce and the Civic association, in masterful and impressive manner. named these branches. as follows:
 First, we must maintain the stan dards we already have; second, we must conserve the health of our boys and girls; and third, we must blot out illiteracy."
 Ringing applause greeted the speak er's words and the hundred or more interested auditors expressed their ap- proval heartily of the ideas advanced ,, MT Lovejoy is most interesting and forceful speaker; he came to Bir- mingham yesterday en route to Flor ida, where he goes to make addresses in various cities there on child labor During his visit to the city he was the guest of Mrs. w. L. Murdoch. Immediately following the luncheon at the Tutwiler meeting of the Ala bama child labor committee, of which | Mrs Murdoch is chairman, held a 1 meeting which MT. Lovejoy attended. l Among the guests at yesterdays 8 1 luncheon were a number of Montgom- cry representatives who had been in vited by Mrs. Murdoch tc hear MT. Lovejoy's message.
 Among other vital points emphasized 1 in his address MT. Lovejoy employed these:
 AMERICAS FIRST IMPULSE .J war one of the first impulses that swept the country was to set aside laws regulating the employment of 1 children and to release children from l school to work on farms, in canneries and factories. This was precisely the mistake European nations made when they entered theS war Immediately I after the outbreak of the war. Eng land began to economize at the ex- pense of her educational programme and equipment School buildings were taken over for military purposes
 teachers enlisted, repairs approprfa- tions and supplies were cut down, spe- cial classes. medical inspection. free I lunches, etc. were discontinued. and
 thousands of children, many only Il or 12. were excused from school to
 % to work. Today about 100000 l children between 12 and 1T are out
 of school In England. juvenile delin- ouency has increased 40 per cent, anC 1 educational authorities are deeply con. cerned over the havoc that has beer
 wrought. Sir James Yoxau nresiden of the British National Union ol
 Teachers. said in Parliament. "A large
 nortion of our elementary school sys tenn is in ruins--I will not say as des 1 oIate as the ruins of Iouyain. bu
 there is to some extent a likeness
 nArcr, csry NrpAnr "Instead of the war being an ex
 cuse for lowering standards, on tn contrary 1t is a reason for raisin: them. At time when we are losins thousands of men in battle 1t is : more serious matter than ever tha . there are 5,000,000 illiterates in thi
 country.
 , "Another fact of startling interes : which the war has forced on us l the large percentage of rejections fo 3 physical defects both among volun 5 teers and among those have bee 7 drafted into military and naval serv 5 | ice. When we learn that draft exemp s tions for physical disability reach fror 3 | 25 per cent in some localities to 5t
 1 so and even T5 per cent in others W : cannot ignore the fact that thousand
 iof these boys who are now unable {
 serve their country are the very boy in whose interest we were seeking ad
 euuate child labor and compulsor
 laws 10 years ago."