The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1920-01-10
CHILD LABOR AND THE WAR.

How the barriers against child
labor were let down during the war
is among the subjects dealt with the
Seventh Annual Report of the Chief
of the Children's Bureau of the U.
S. Department of Labor.
Even before the entry of the United
States into the wal American child
rem went to work in increasing num-
bers to help fill contracts placed
with American manufacturers by the
belligerent nations. After we were
at wal, "a mistaken sense of patri-
otism and the many opportunities
for employment at an abnormally
high sense of patriotism and the
many opportunities for employment
at an abnormally high wage COM
bined to draw permanently into in
dustry large numbers of boys and
girls, many of whom under normal
conditions would have continued in
school for several years"
The Federal Child Labor law which
had gone into effect on Sept. /, 1917.
prohibited the employment of child
rem under 16 in mines and quarries
and of children under IA in factories:
limited the working day to 8 hours
for children under 16, employed in
factories, and prohibited work fol-
them between p. m, and 7 a. M
But this law was declared uncon-
stitutional by the Supreme Court on
June 8, 1918.
The immediate effect of the Su-
preme Court decision in states where
the state child labor standards were
lower than those imposed by the
Federal law was the prompt restor-
alton of the longer working day for
children under 16, and an increase
in the number of working children.
In number of states there was an
appreciate increase in the viola
ton OF state laws. For example, in
one state, the inspectors of the Chill
dren's Bureau found that AZ out of
53 factories visited after the FEEDER
al law had been declared unconsti-
tutional were violating the state
law by employing children under II.
Four hundred and thirty such chill
dren were employed, while in 40
| factories visited then the Federal
law was in force, only 95 such chill
dren under IA had been found at
work. In one state where the mini
mum age for employment in Gamer
les was fourteen years, 721 children
under that age, including so who
were not yet 10 years old, were
found at work in canneries in the
summer of 1918.
1t was in recognition of the Sc
robustness of this incl easing employ
ment of young children that the War
Labor Policies Board voted that COM
pliance with the standards of the
former Federal child labor law should
he required of establishments engag-
ed on Government war contracts
made after the date of the decision.
In consequence of a number of
complaints received Ny the Bureau
regarding illegal employment of
children in shipbuilding plants, a
special Investigation of this indus
Try was made by the Bureau in &C.
operation with the Emergency Fleet
Corporation in the winter and early
spring Of 1919. Practically all the
important shipbuilding plants on the
Atlantic Coast Gulf of Mexico, and
the Great Lakes were inspected, and
there were found to be numerous
violations of state and Federal laws
Even more serious, however. was
the employment of children in haz-
ardous occupations which in pre-
war times had been confined to
older boys and men.
In order to counteract the effects
of the wartime employment of child
len and to discourage such employ
ment in the future, many COM
munities 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 undertaken in the
majority of the states. This work
has included agitation for better en-
forcement of school attendance laws;
more attendance officers; more
school houses; more and better
teachers with higher salaries; lon
ger school term; better child labor
laws; and provision for advising
children in choice of occupation and
assisting them in finding suitable
employment
BY these and similar means many
states hope to reduce the illiteracy
which is so alarmingly prevalent,
especially in rural districts of the
United States and which is so great
a stumbling block to Americaniza-
ton; and to protect children against
the hazards of too early employment.