Evening star., 1922-06-02
CRYS[ALL|zE FIGHT
UPON CHILD LABOR
Permanent Conference to
Seek Amendment to Abolish
Work for Children.

With Samuel Gompers, president of
the American Federation of Labor,
as permanent chairman. the Perma- =
nent Conference for the Abolition of
Child Labor became an entity yester-
day as result of conferences by
representatives of organizatio IN
terested in anti-child labor measures,
and launched fight for national
prohibition of child labor.
The first task of the newly organ
lied conference will be to draft a
constitutional amendment and the
best form of law to meet the situa-
ton which has arisen as reSui. o.
the recent decision of the Unlteu
States Supreme Court. holding that
special excise taxes on the product
of minor labor were Invalid.
A committee of ten was appointed
and detailed to this work.
The resolution of purpose adopted
by the conference shortly after its
institution declared tina. tins Per
manent Conference for the Abohtion
OF Child Labor expresses itself as ue-
terminedly organized for the purpose
of abolishing child labor for pToht
throughout the United States or
America, its possessions and terri
tories
VIII Prepare Amendment.
Instructions to the committee or
ten requested it to suomi. DON
the constitutional amendment draft
and the best form of law 1t hndS IL
self capable of submitting at sub
seguent meeting. The committee per
sonnel has not yet been named.
President Gompers. owen r.. Love, =,
JOY. secretary of the national chlld
labor committee, and Mrs. Florehce
Kelley secretary of the National Con-
sumerS League. went to Capitol Hill
Yesterday shortly after the confer
ence had convened. where ii hearing
had been arranged before the 1u-
dietary committee of the House. Each
addressed the committee. presided
over by Representative Nolstead.
They advocated no SPECIFIC meas
ure. All emphasis was placed upon
the main issue, abolition of child
labor.
After a two-hour presentation of
views before the comInittee. the con-
ference adjourned and convened
again at 2:30 o'clock for the after
noon session. At the conclusion or
the session the conference adjourned
subject to the call of the chairman.
GOmperS Not Optimistic.
Commenting upon the hearing on
Capltoi Hill. MIR. Gompers said: i
am not optimistic. If the attitude OF
the judiciary committee of the House
is a guide to congressional sentiment
we have a fight on our hands. strange
and Victorian as that may seem.
Congressman are engrOSSed with mat
terS which they deem of more con-
sequence in the stern business of get
ting reelected. 1t is amazing and
astounding that it should be neces-
sary to ask Congress to protect child
hood. Congress ought to be eager
to perform this duty.
Among those attending the confer
ence yesterday were Mrs. Ida Haf-
ford. director of headquarters, Cen
eral Federation of Women's Clubs;
Mrs. Florence V. Watkins of the Ma
tional Congress of Mothers and Pa
rent-Teachers' Associations: Miss Anna
Neary and Miss NJ. Lindsay of
the National Women's Trades Union
League, Miss A. NJ Nicholson. direc-
tor of the service bureau of the Ma
tional Council of Catholic Women:
Mrs. Frederick Schoff and Mrs. SwlS-
art of the National Council of Women.
Miss Grace Abbot. chief of the chill
drens bureau of the Department of
Labor, and many others.