The labor world., 1922-12-23

been given very careful attention in
the last year and number of inn
portant surveys have been made to
ascertain the extent of this un
healthy economic factor.
1.-THE reports of the Bureau of the
Census would indicate that more
than a million children between the
ages Of 10 and 16 are engaged in
gainful work in industry. The details
reveal that children between 10 and
Is years to the number of approx
1nately. $4,000 are engaged in the
sugar. beet fields. the cotton fields,
and the onion fields of the land. APP
parently the usual method is to en-
ploy whole families by contractors
to work in these fields.
THE, children work with the
adults usually from sunrise to SUM-
set, walking in stopped position
or crawling through the fields, pull
ing up the weeds, pulling up beets
and onions, cutting the tops from
these, and also in picking cotton.
There are number of definite
movements of these families COM
posed largely of children from state
to state where these agricultural in
dustries thrive.
$4,000, Spinning Girls.
more than $4,000 children are
employed as spinning girls and dof-
fer boys in textile factories. Chill
drcn in the cotton mills. it is report
ed. work 60 hours week. and those
oil II ,~ly poSr Sr1,
Thousands do industrial home wor:.
stringing beads, pulling threads from
lacework, etc.
This condition of children in in
dustry under supervision of parents
or near relatives seems to have gone
on without interruption while the
national child labor laws were in
force. 1t is doubtful whether any
Legislation of the type heretofore en-
acted or thus far -. contemplated
would reach this evil, or children
& working in agricultural pursuits or
in the homes under the supervision
OF their parents or close relatives.
Under the previous administration
the custom grew up of suspepding
the operation Of the immi grafton
laws on the Mexican border to per-
init the importation of Mexican fam
lilies for the purpose Of working in
cotton fields and sugar beet fields.
After carefully reviewing the whole
situation I reached the conclusion
that this was, not only unauthorized
by. law but was really encouraging
the most flagrant form Of child la
Dor.
1T Is true that these industries
are really suffering for help, but it
seemed to me improper to permit
the importation Of so-called cheap
labor in the form of. the labor Of
women and children in order to sup
ply the market. I feel that it is
practical aid toward eliminating
child labor when we create condi-
tinos which will require that adults
or people above the age Of 16 shall
do this work.
Million and One Half.
"A complete survey would indi-
cate that 100000 American chill
ture toll in the mines and mills and
factories and fields and homes of
this country. This is all wrong. The
great problem of our childhood is
Of the utmost Importance to the
perpetu1ty Of the Nation. Our chill
dren are entitled to life that will
conserve their strength while young
and that will educate their minds
and hearts so that they may be ef-
ficient when they grow to maturity.
"Forty-two states out Of the for
ty-eight have adopted so-called child
labor laws, some of which are high
ly developed and rigidly enforced.
Others are rather rudimentary and
indifferently enforced. The manu-
facturer in the state where children
under the age of 16 years are not
permitted to work at all and where
those above 16 and below 18 are per-
mitted only to work under certain
restricted conditions and regulations
complain that they are subject to
unfair competition by competitors
who manufacture in states where
there are no laws on the subject of
child labor or where the laws are
: not comprehensive a1d practically
not enforced. A remedy must he
found to meet this condition.
%. = Uniformity Not Possible.
4 There are those who advocate
Uniform child labor laws. by the
states. believing that it is a subject
( which should be dealt with only by
the states. On the other hand, there
are those who advocate the adoption
I Of an amendment to the Federal
Constitution giving congress exclu-
tsive power to deal with the subject.
Regardless of which method may be
adopted, it is urgent that some
. method should be adopted which will
forever blot from the escutcheon of
this Nation the black spot of child
labor yhich still exists in sofe form
In some places.
Long continued hours Of toll at
- time when the bones and the
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