The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-08-08
To Eliminate Child
Labor On The Farm

The National Child Labor Com
mittce, which was one OF the chief
factors in bringing about the enact
ment by Congress and State leglSla-
lures of laws forbidding child labor
in factories, has inaugurate. da new
campaign which has as its object the
ending of child labor in agriculture.
DR.. Felix Adler, who served as
chairman of the committee for seven
teen years, guiding it through the
period during which it achieved so
much for the welfare of the nations
youth, resigned recently owing to
the press of personal business. He
has been succeeded by David Frank
lin Houston, who was successfully
Secretary of Agriculture and Secre-
tary of the Treasury in the Wilson
administration.
Education of parents, farm own
ers officials and the public general
1y to the menace child labor offers
to the future greatness of the nation
will be the prime weapon employed
by the committee in the crusade now
under way 1t is realized that
more indirect approach must be useo
than in stopping industrial child
labor because of the practical Difficult
ties which would be encountered in
trying to enforce pTohib1tory laws Ill
the remote sections where the evil
is mostly prevalent.
Another aim will be the arous1nS
of public opinion 10 a point where II
will insist upon the enforcement OF
the compulsory school attendance
laws now on the statute books the
affected districts. These include the
beet fields of Michigan and Colorado
the tobacco plantations. of Kentucky
and Connecticut, the cotton fields of
Texas. Oklahoma and Imperial Val
lev. California; the berry fields OF
California and Michigan, the cram
berry boys of new Jersey, the onion
fields of Ohio and the truck farms OF
Delaware.
School attendance statistics in all
these areas reveal an appalling state
of affairs In many instances the
local school authorities hesitate to
antagonist the wealthy and inf1uenu-
al employers of child labor, while in
other cases they simply do not care,
as the childre nat work are not
those of permanent residents but OF
itinerant families who contract to
cultivate and harvest the crops by the
acre. 1t is this system which proves
so dire a temptation to ignorant or
callous parents, whose income is
proportiOnate to the npmDer OF GILL
dren able to toll.
''In the long rum says Mr.. Hous-
ton, what is best for the child Is
best for society. The problem now
ismainly to secure more effective ana
fuller administration o flaws. 1t IS
a problem of education. People
everywhere, both agricultural ana
industrial leaders. must be educated
to a better state of mind toward the
child so that rational measures and
practices of a great variety may be
adopted which will cause the chic
to become. not only a more efficient
Iaborer but a more useful member
OF society.
ssThe great object is to make
profitable and rural lie
healthful and attractive. Ii this
movement succeeds there will be less
incentive on the part of some people
TO force children to work unduly.
Funds will be available for better
schools. Facilities for advice and
aid to parents in rural districts IN
hygiene will expand. Country dis
tricts must have ampler hospital IA
ai1i+ios and clinical service. The
National Child Labor Committee Will
strive to keep before the public the
child's status, place and interest In
this program and can effectively CO.
operate for the improvement which
will mean much to strengthen the
foundation of the nation"