Evening star., 1921-01-22
BILL
GOES OVER A WEEK
Senator Jones Defends
Measure in Report-Sena-
tor King Attacks It.

After considering the Curtis-Gard
child labor bill for more than an hour
today, the Senate District committee
postponed action on the measure until
Monday, January 81. so that some OF
the senator's could give further study
to the measure.
Not a little opposition to some OF the
features of the bill, as reported py
Senator Jones of Washington. chair
man of subcommittee, developed al
the meeting Senators Pomerene OF
Ohio. King of Utah and Dlliinghami OF
Vermont all questioned the advisabliity
of some of the sections of the bill.
Senator jones' Report.
Senator Jones defended the measure.
In his report to the committee he SAID
1--WE do not need to urge upon the
Congress the Importance of our chill
dren In the nations life. They are It's
richest and most precious assets. Inc
nations strength and virillty depends
upon them and they should receive our
greatest solicitude. The proper care.
development, education and training OF
the child are matters of vital concern
to every one having at heart the vel
fare of the republic and the perpetuit3
of it's institutions, and money ana eI-
fort spent in this Qlrectlon VIII oiIH6
the greatest return. =.
s'The purpose of this bill is to give
the best care. provide the best train
ing and insure the best health to the
boys and girls of the District OF Co
lumbia and give to them advantages
equal to those given the children OF
the states Of the Union. 1t is not in
tended as a model for the states, but
is rather a compilation or mosaic OF
the best in the laws of our most pro-
eressive states. The main changes
that it makes in the present law are
the following: '-.
Changes Proposed.
81. The minimum age for children
to go to work is raised from fourteen
to fifteen years.
"2. No child is permitted to go to
work unless it is found to be Of nor
NAL development for child OF it's
age and physically fit for the work 1t
proposes to do.
"3. No poverty permits are to be
issued.
~. Work permits under certain con.
ditions may be issued to children be-
tween fifteen and sixteen years of age
and vacation permits may be issued to
children between fourteen and sixteen
during the regular summer vacation Pc
riod Of the public schools.
"5. Females under twenty-one years
Of age are prohibited from doing mes
senger service and more stringent pro-
visions are enacted with reference te
males acting as messengers.
"6. Compulsory school attendance Is
nroyided for all children between the
ages of seven and sixteen years. witt
certain exceptions, and ample provision
ia made for the effective enforcement
of this provision.
~ A school census OF all children be-
tween six and eighteen years OF age II
| to be taken every year.
"8. A bureau OF attendance and Worf
j permits is created under the board oi
education to carry out and enforce the
provisions of this act
Poverty Permits Discussed.
Discussing the matter Of poverty
nermits for child labor under the ex'
! listing law such permits are done
away with by the bill-Senator Jones
said that the committee had found few
such permits justified on the ground
of poverty, and that the children hac
heen nut to work to make additiona
money above that needed by the fam
! ily for it's living.
Senator Dillingham; wanted to know
! IL many of the parents of the children
had urged the enactment of the bill
| into law. He said that numbe- OF
j narents had discussed the matter witt
him and termed the bill farce" ant
; that the parents have not been mucl
{; interested.
| In reply to this Miss Clara NJ. Byers
Of the minimum wage board OF the
| District said that the Parent-Teachers
! Association of the District had in
+; dorsed the bill, in which many parent!
are members. and also other organiza
| tions.
! Senator Pomerene criticised particu
larlv those sections Of the bill which
| leave to the determination of a boart
established under the bill the character
| Of employment to which children ma!
undertake in certain instances, ant
| which prevent young man undel
twenty-one years Of age from carving
night messages. He insisted that Con
press alone should pass upon the ques
:, tion Of what business or employment
| could be undertaken by a child here.
In Doubt Over Legislation.
! The Ohio senator expressed doub
that such drastic legislation as car
| ried in the pending bill Is needed in tn
district. which is not manufacturing
| center.
| Senator Jones. discussing the compul
| sorry education features of the bill de
clared that under existing law com
| pulsory education was not really en-
| forced at all in the District. He pointet
out that there is no school census taken
| Senator King attacked the measur
as sotialistic and said that appar
lently the theory Of much propose'
Legislation was based on the groun,
THAT a parent has no right to contro
lhis children or business any more, an
that government officials must tel