Evening journal., 1919-12-08
REPORT DLCREASE
IN CfILD LABOR
Some Industries Dispense
With 1t Entirely, lnspec-
tor Hagner Reports
WOMEN IN
INDUSTRY, HOWEVER

crease IN rural Delaware, anu tlat 80
per cent. Of children applying for
working certificates are backward 10
schooling are points brought out In The
annual report Of Charles 4. Hagner,
State Child Labor INSPECTOR, submitted
10 the state Labor Commissioner, on
Saturday. Mr.. liagner says that be-
cause Of The Federal child labor law,
many employers are discontlnulng the
employment Of children.
Miss NJ. Edna Palmer. state Ten
Hour Law Inspector. pointed out In her
report. that there has been a slight in
crease IN the number Of women EN-
iployed in manufacturing establish
ments IN Wilmington.
Mr.. HagDer, in the course OF his re-.
port, said:
"The number Of children applying TO-"
and receiving employment certificates
during the past year, has greatly de-
creased in Wilmington over that OF the
4 previous year, and increased in the IT,
manning sections Of Tho Stale.
"Thls Is due in the first instance, 10
the passage 0f the Federal Child Labor
Tax Law, which Is a part Of the rev
enue act OF 1918. effective APRIL p, 1919
Under the provisions Of The above law,
children between n and tG years. are
not permitted 90 work more than eight
hours iR any one day. nor more than
is hours in any week Tie penalty for
violation Is an excise tax 0f 10 per
cent. Of the net profits Tor the year.
! As Delaware has been designated as a
State whose employment certificates as
20 the age Of children shall have the
force and effect Of federal employment
certificates, we have had the cO-opera-
ton OF many employers in refusing 20
employ children who claimed as high as
A. years. until documentary evidence as
to their age had been produced. BY
using this safeguard, the careful en-
plOyer has no cause 20 fear violations.
THE one chance for violation is in cases
Of children who are greatly over size
and can pose as being much older. a
number Of employers decided TO dis
continue the employing OF children en-
tlrcly, which resulted In those dis
charged back-trackng 20 positions for
merry held, thereby making 1t more
dlnlcult for the new comers to obtain
work.
-Four hundred and sixty-one letters
proving ages Of children applying for
plOyers during the past year.
THE increase in the number Of Ger
tincates Issued 20 children IN rural New
castle, Kent and Sussex counties is due
10 the Issuing OF certificates 10 chill
7 dren employed In canneries. In 1918
i30 certificates were Issued as against
1875 this year.
During September a survey OF the
o. canning establishments Of Delaware was
D made. Seyenty-lwO canneries were
visited and Of that number 20 were not
l operating. Authentic reports were ro-
- ceived that 10 other establishments
y were closed. Scarcity OF tomatoes ind
. the prevailing high prices prevented a
, number Of Gamers from opening their
] plants. The desire Of employers TO COM
ply with the Federal law was apparent.
, Employment certificates were issued TO
, children 10 work in quite few fac
D tories.
Through the courtesy Of John Shill-
, ling, assistant commissioner Of the
J state Department Of Education, who
submitted a list Of superintendents Of
/, schools throughout the State TO serve
as issuing officers, the Labor Commits
sion now have such officers IN Clay
mont, New Castle, Henry Clay. New
ark, Smyrna, Dover, Harrington, Wy0m-
ing, Milford, Georgetown, I.ewes, Sea
ford and Laurel. The appointment Of
these officers will be very helpful.
1t is interesting TO note that IF the
97i children now working In Whining
ton between the ages Of "a and i6 years,
357. or 36 per cent, received certiil-
Gates upon presenting school records
showing they had completed only five
or five and one-half yearly grades. The
last-named grade should be attained
By normal child OF ilis years. Are
we to believe that those 357 children
were mentally retarded pupils? II not,
10 what cause must be attributed the
low grade attained?
The number OF general employment
, certificates Issued up 20 December T.
, 1919. in Wilmington. was i67. as COM
! pared with 70s for tho same period in
1918. This form OF certificate entities
d children between the ages Of 81 and i6
years 10 be employed the entire year.
There were 1875 general certificates
issued in rural New Castle. Kent and
sussex counties during the year. Certi-
, lcatcs were issued 10 children residing
]
d, state. Cannerles and boX-making es-
] Establishments received q good proper
ltlon OF the certificates. There were i3O
: certificates Issued last year TO chill
J drcn outside Of Wilmington. Certificates
=. In the future Will be issued by superin-
tendents OF schools IN the various dis-
trlcts.
The number OF provisional or sum
mer certificates issued during the year
was considerably reduced. due pre-
sumably TO the lack Of opportunity 10
he employed and the splendid success
OF the Wilmington Community Service
, in directing the attention Of the chill
drcn. TO well-equlpped Fairgrounds
, Certificates 10 the number of $50 were
, issued. as compared with 6sS for 1918.
MFR. Hagner set forth statistics show
ing the school grade finished by app!i-
cants for certificates; report py
months. and The Initial occupations
taken up by those granted certificates.
Miss Palmcr's Report.
Miss NJ. Edna Palmer. tcn-hour law
J inspector. who has supervision over inc
. employmcnt Of women, submitted re-
: mort covering her activities from April
2 % 10 December 1. in the course OF
which she said.
During this period 1854 establish
, ments have employed SOii women as
I compared with i5l1 establishments EN-
lploylng iO.5J1 women during the same
period last. year, showing decrease or
la establishments and 2I2C women.
The greatest decrease f. I'm New Castle
, Ie.trnfv axcliSiva Of Wilmington.