New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-05-21
EFFECTS Of WAR
ON CHILD LABOR
MANY BOYS AND GIRLS WORKED
ON CONTRACTS FOR THIS
AND OTHER NATIONS.
STATE LAWS ARE VIOLATED
Decision Of the Supreme Court Has
Been Followed by the Restoration of
Most DepIorable Conditions in vari-
GUS Localities.
BY M p.

by JAMES p. HORNAOAY.
Neutrality-suspicious. the barriers
against child labor were let down dur
ing the war is among the subjects
dealt with in the seventh annual re.
port of the children's bureau of the
United States department of labor.
Even before the entry of the United
States into the war American children
went to work in increasing numbers to
help fill contracts placed with Ameri-
can manufacturers by the %belligerent
nations. After this country entered
the war, "a mistaken sense of patriot
ism and the many opportunities for
employment at al abnormally high
wage combined to draw permanently
into industry large numbers of boys
and girls. many of whom under nor
mai conditions would have continued
In schOo for several years"
The federal child-labor law, which
had gone into effect on September /,
1917, prohibited the employment of
children under sixteen in mines and
Quarries and of children under four
teen in factories; limited the working
day to eight hours for children under
sixteen employed in factories, and pro-
hibited work for them between 6 p. IN.
and I a. m. But this law was de-
clared unconstitutional by the Supreme
court on June 3, 1918. Under the ex-
listing income tax law there is an in
hibitiOn against child labor and the
bureau Of internal revenue says that
the reaction due to the wal is being
overcome.
Many Violations Of State Laws.
The immediate effect Of the Supreme
court decision In states where the state
child-labor standards were lower thar
those imposed by the federal law was
the prompt restoration of the longer
working day for children under sixteen
and an increase In the number of
working children. In a number Of
states there was mn appreciable in
crease in the violation of state laws.
For example, in n state the inspec-
tors of the children's bureau found
that AZ out of Go factories visited aft
or the federal law had been declared
unconstitutional were violating the
state law by employing children under
twelve. Four hundred and thirty such
children were employed. In 40 fac
tories visited when the federal law
was in force, only % such children
under fourteen HAD been found ut
work. In one state where the mini
mum age for employment in c%anneries
was fourteen years, 72l children under
that age, including 30 who were not
yet ten years old, were found at work
IN the canneries in the summer of
1913.
Ii was In recognition Of the serious
ness of this increasing employment of
young children that the war labor poll
cies board voted that compliance with
the standards of the former federal
child-labor law should he required of
establishments engaged in government
war contracts made after the date of
the decision.
Children in S%hipbuildins Plants.
In consequence Of n number of com
plants received by the children's bu-
reau regarding Illegal employment OF
children in shipbullding plants. a spe-
cial investigation Of this industry was
made by the bureau in cooperation
with the United States Shipping Board
Emergency Fleet corporation in the
winter and early spring Of 1919. Prac-
tically all the important shipbuilding
plants on the Atlantic coast. the Gulf
OF Mexico and the Great Lakes were
inspected. and there were found to he
violations of state and fed
eral laws. Even more serious, how
was the employment Of children
In hazardous occupations which in pre-
war times had been confined to older
boys and men.
In order to c%ounternct the effects
OF the wartime employment of chill
dren and to discourage such employ
In the future. many communities
undertook back-to-school and stay-in-
school campaigns during 1918 and 1919
under the impetus Of children's year.
Some work to keep children in school
and out of industry has been under
taken In the majority Of the states.
This work has included agitation for
enforcement of school-attend-
ance laws; more attendance officers;
more ~schoolhouses: more and better
teachers with higher salaries: a long
pr school term; better child-labor
avs, and provision for advising chill
iren in choice Of occupation and as
them in finding suitable en-
,loyment.
BY these and similar means many
hope to reduce the illiteracy
is so alarmingly prevalent. es-
in rural districts Of the United
States and which is so great n STUN
,ling block to Americanization and
o protect children against the haz-
irds of too early employment.
Positions for Service Men.
Thus far only a limited number Of
ervice men have obtained posi-
in the executive department
f the government. Recently the
ivil service commission has been
eceiving many inquiries as to the J