The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-07
Frederick Haskin's Letter
fspeda Correspondence of
cHILDLABOR LEGISLATION

turned. amendments OF the ro-
stitution are proposed in Joint re
olutions which must receive a t,SS
thirds vote in both the house 49,
senate. a quorum being present -
each body, and must then be rsti
fed by the legislatures of fbrs-
fourths of the states.
| Necessarily this takes a cons;s
cradle period of time even VII,
there is little or no Opposition !.
the desired constitutional chapss
and those who hope to see child Il
! Dor abolished are impatient Of Il
| lay. The required resolutions bsv.
| been introduced and their sneas-
consideration will be urged lIsan
while, an effort will be made In a..
! tain the desired end by shor,
cut, and there are those who hi
| lieve that it is still possible n
frame a federal child labor lav
that will Withstand any constitr.
tional attacks that may be made m
it in the courts.
Federal License Plan.
A federal license for all cornora-
tions. partnerships and individuals
that seek to engage in interstate
commerce is the device by which if
is claimed that the necessity Of a
constitutional amendment can he
obviated.
It is believed that congress. m.
der its authority TO regulate com
merce between the states. can rA-
quiTe that such license be taken
out. and can lay down the condi-
tions under which the licenses viii
be granted. Suppose the nations
lawmakers say to the employers Of
the country: you cannot engage
in interstate commerce unless We
regulate you, and we REQUIRE Won
to take out license. Moreover. in
requiring you to take ont such 4
license we prescribe certain con-
ditions. and one condition is that
you cannot have OF hold such a Il
cense if you employ children IN
der Is years of age. if YOU are op-
Grating a mine or quarry, OF under
IA years if your establishment is a
mill or a factory. You can take
the license or leave st. If Won want
to engage in interstate commerce
and take the license. you will take
it with the conditions attached to
it"
It is pointed out that such a law
is decidedly different from one
which says merely that you can
not engage in interstate commerce
if you employ children under a GER
tain age" or from one which saws
the federal government will take
10 per cent of your profits If you
employ children and dispose Of
your products through interstate
commerce"
This law would be essentially a
measure to regulate commerce be
tween the states. and not one aimed
primarily to prevent the employ
ment of young boys and girls. The
conditions attached to the proposed
federal license would undoubtedly
cover many other things which it
has been found difficult to accom-.
plish through national laws. For
example, law was passed under
which it was supposed that the
federal trade commission could re-
quire mining companies 70 furnish
complete information as 10 coal
production costs, prices. etc, but
the coal interests went into court
and secured an injunction restrain
ing the commission from requiring
such data. But if these companies
had had to take opt federal char
ters or licenses. and to comply with
certain conditions before they could
secure or hold such charters, il
would have been a different story
according to some constitutional
experts
AS yet a bill has not been intro
duced that undertakes to carry out
this new idea. but it is known that
several representatives and sena-
tors have such measures under
No one denies the
evil of child labor. and everyone
would be glad to see it made i'm
possible under a federal enactment
if a law can be drafted that will
get by or over the constitutional
hurdles. Incidentally, the measure
hat has been briefly outlined may
be the means of attaining other
ends which legal wiseacres here
,ofore have found ways to dodge.