The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-05
LAW THAT WILL
PROTECT CHILD
Provision ~ Revenue. BIZ Hll!, L /. E l:,s
pected to Prove Of
Great Value.
IN EFFECT FROM April ~
lts Friends Believe Exploitation BY
Greedy, seInsh, or Careless Em-
pioyers viii Be Ended--Enforee-
rent Of Act May Not % Easy.

pioyers viii Be Ended--Enforee-
ment Of Act May Not % Easy.
When congress passed the revenue
bill. In Its last session 1t likewise es-
tablished a new form Of child labor
preventive. This Is provision which
is expected to tax to death the en-
ployment OF children in the United
States under conditions prejudicial to
their health, growth, strength and
general welfare. This provision is In
effect from April "a.
The measure under which children
are now to be protected against ex-
poItation by greedy, selfish, careless
employers fixes the same standards
OF labor for children that were set
under the law, which the United
States Supreme court declared uncon-
stitutional last summer, whereby II
was sought to prevent the interstate
shipment of articles in the production
or manufacture Of which children had
been employed contrary to these
standards. 1t requires that children
who work In mines or quarries shall
be more than sixteen years Of age:
| that children who work In mills. can
neries, workshops, factories or manu-
featuring establishments shall be
more, than fourteen years old; that
children between the ages. Of fourteen
and sixteen years working In such
places of employment, shall not work
more, than eight hours day or SIX
days a week and that their work must
be done, between the hours Of six
o'clock in the. morning, and seven seven IN
the evening
Any Of the places. indicated which,
employ. children. In. contradiction OF
these terms is to be taxed 10 per cent
on the entire net profits Of the estab-
lishment. Such tax as that Is. OF
course, regarded as prohibitiye.
BY the persons and organizations
who succeeded in having these pro
visions embodied in the revenue Law
| 1t is not expected that any special Of
fort Will be made to repeal them; nor
is ii believed that the act will be
found unconstitutional, for the reason
that decisions Of the Supreme court
under kindred. conditions have upheld
the authority Of congress to lay taxes
for similar purposes.
Enforcement Of the act depends
chiefly on the issuing Of the work Ger
| tiflcates whereby children Of the pre-
scribed ages are allowed to enter In
dustry. Conditions. Of issuance arr
to be prescribed by q committee com
prising the secretary Of the treasury
the commissioner Of internal revenue
and the. secretary Of labor, II the law
is to be strictly enforced the mos
careful oversight must be observed
for the certificates are, not protection
to either employers or child worker
unless proofs Of age and fitness ar
intelligently sought and honestly &c
forth. Dishonest or Indifferent ON
clals might cause much harm II sncl
are permitted to issue certificates
The three functionaries mentioned Il
the foregoing are to name the ofacihl
who will wise and approve the Ger
tificates.
4 Certificates of states that hare beef
granted under laws consistent witt
the new federal law are to be accept
{, ed the same as federal certificates
Under the previous. law considerable
number Of states would appear in thi
category. -
In many instances customary proof
Of age are, wanting. Then It be
comes necessary to resort to weigh
and measurement tests. In order tina
these might be fair the hygiene d
vision Of the federal children's br
reau has been obliged to make a stud
of the height, weight and health Q
working children.