Evening star., 1920-02-03
MIR. DANIELS TAKESISSUE
WITH ADMIRAL SIMSASHE
ENLIGHTENS SENATORS
CHILD EDUCATION
AND LABOR BILL
|S|NTR0DUCED

bill restricting child labor and
compelling education of children in
duced in the Senate today by Senator
Curtis of Kansas and in the House by
Representative Gard of Ohio.
The measure has been drafted by a
committee from the children's year
committee of the District, the Ma
tional and District Consumers League
and the children's bureau of the De-
partment of Labor.
Statement Issued.
Miss Pauline Goldmark of the Con-
sumers' League gave out statement
today regarding the bill, which, in
part, follows:
ure will be welcomed by all the i'm
portant organizations in the District
as it will remedy some serious defects
in the present statutes. 1t will rein
force the schooling laws of the Dis
trict. which, in the past have been less
effective than those in many cities OF
the same size and brings compulsory
education up to sixteen years. 1t puts
premium on education. because it
allows a child more than fifteen years
of age to go to work if he has COM
pleted the eighth grade, otherwise he
must remain in school until he is six
teen years old. This is not a drastic
requirement. as normal child should
reach the eighth grade by his four
teenth birthday, and many children
have advanced to this grade even
earlier.
Employment Here Not Extensive.
ut is true that the industrial
employment of children in the Dis
trict is not very extensive. On the
other hand large number are en-
ployed in messenger work of all
kinds. and this work has in the past
undoubtedly been allowed to interfere
with the proper amount of education
as measured by the best American
standards. This bill will bring the
District into line with the leading
states of the country, as it will keep
children in school until their six
teenth birthday unless they have Sc
cured their work permits and are le-
gally employed
1T is cause of great satisfaction
that employers are more and more
standing for the continued education
OF boys and girls. In fact. local en-
ployers have stated that they prefer
to employ children who are over six
teen years of age and have had the
benefit of adequate schooling, as such
employees.
Labor Lacks Educational Value.
From the point of view of the
child, it has been found by INQUIRY
in the industrial centers of the coun.
try that child labor is without educa-
tional value. In fact. children under
sixteen years of age are generally
employed in blind. alley occupations.
without opportunity for proper ad-
vancement.' It il only after the six
teenth birthday that boy or girl can
become valuable member of the in-
dustrial world Among the important
features of the bill is the provision
to protect young girls by keeping
them out of. employment in which
there are special moral dangers.
Children between fourteen and six
teen years who desire to work in
street trades or in the summer yaca-
ton can do so by securing special
permits.
In drafting this bill, with only a
few exceptions. provisions have been
used that have worked well in
neighboring states. Thus, while the
bill is in no way to be regarded as
too advanced. it will assure to the
ready enjoyed by children in other
states"