The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-05-02
CAMPAIGN
On Child Welfare Opens In Mason
County = Strong Committees
Named to Conserve Children
IN War Time.

In order to most effectually safe
guard the most precious possessions
of this or any nation-our children lor
whose future liberty the United States
finally was compelled to enter the
world war, we are asked by the FED
eral Childrens Bureau acting through
the Council of Defense to make this a
special year of Health and Child wei
fare Work in an effort to conserve
and nrotect children of all ages dur
ing the changed conditions, emery
encies and shocks of war and to pre-
vent them from being blighted as mas
the childhood of most of the other ma
lions at war.
Many countries at beginning OF war
relaxed their child Labor Laws as TINS
was thought necessary to intensity
production, but experience proved
that it failed of its purpose, ana III
England, France and Italy deilh'le
stems were taken by the Governments
to restore the provisions of the TABOR
laws because they were found ne
cessary not only for conservation Oh
tho workers but to improve the quail
ity and quantity of their WORK
In England and France oihclai c'
forts have been made to extend ana
re-organize secondary education IN
WAYS to effect the employment OF chii-
dren and raise the standard OF their
protection.
II must be understood however tha'
the labor standards in European
countries in times of peace were low
or than those accepted by public op'n-
ion and legislation in this county
Canada and the other British coloA-
les being alone comparable to the
more advanced states of this count"y
there has been no relaxing of labor
laws affecting women and children IN
any Canadian Province although can
ada had sent a year ago 100000 men
or one nineteenth of her entire porn-
lation from civil to military life.
But now in most of the countries ~
war Notwithstanding all efforts and
precautions, exceptions and eXen p
tions have had to be made to meet
the terrible pressure of military re-
cessity and labor scarcity and CHI
dren have become more deeply eA-
quilted from day to day.
In Germany the Child Labor La IS
were relaxed by the War Emergency
act of August 4, 1914, since when no
lfigures have been available.
As a side light on German "Kultur'
Ii is interesting to know that prev
ious to and at the time Germany's
highly efficient millions of soldiers
took the field to slaughter a defense
less world, there we're 1O,325.5SO wo-
men and children at work in Ger
many, 100000 were women engaged
in agriculture and several hundred
Thousand werb children under four
|teen years of age. II that was their
normal status as the price of their
.militarism what must be their condi-
Ition now?
Il The question of school exemption
lis one that will be brought increas-
6ingly nearer to us as the war pro
2ceeds on what appears to be a length
yening course.
= President Wilson at the time the T..
IS. entered the war sounded this warn
ing urging that children be kept in
(school and young people make greater
gefforts toward a college education as
Ia preparation for future usefulness
and participation. The manufacture
and operation of the scientific instru-
mentalities OF modern warfare and
also surgery and nursing make great
Ter demands on the educated young
manhood and wemanhood of our
country than ever before. II must be
Remembered that the present fearful
deficiency OF the German army and