Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-08-30
RELATIVE TO CHILD LABOR

The Fourteenth Census statistics
relating to the employment CT chill
| dren 10 to Is years of age in gainful
| occupations are not as conclusive as
might he wished Due to a change in
| the date of taking the census from
| April - in 1910 TO Jan. l in 1920 a
! marked falling off in the number Of
children employed in agricultural
| pursuits is shown. The demand for
| that kind of work in January must be
! small as compared with the activities
Of the spring season. Consequently
from the statistics alone it is inn
possible to learn definitely how much
! if any improvement has been made in
this division of child employment.
The report taken as a whole, out
side the agricultural occupations, af-
fcrds gratifying evidence of nOticoa
BILE falling off in the employment of
children during the past decade. This
| decrease was general in the cities of
10000 inhabitants or more, only
three out of the 6S showing an in
crease in child labor over that of 1910,
these being Jersey City and Rich
mond Borough, \. y. and Washing
ton. D. c., while Trenton. y. j.
showed a slight increase in the num-
Der Of female children employed but
Al percent decrease in male children
employed. The decrease at Fall RiY-
err was negligible, being but - in
male children and L in female chill
dren In the smaller cities of $4,000 to
10O, 900 inhabitants the number of
children employed was small in
most cases but not in all, though, eX-
cept in public service and clerical
occupations, there was a general de-
crease.
In 1920 the number Of children, 10
to 10 years, enumerated was 12,502,-
$50, of which 1,06o,S5S or 50 per cent,
were employed in gainful occupa-
lions. But it should be kept in mind
that this number affords no idea of
the number that would have been
found employed in agricultural work
had the census been taken during the
tI,D
farms, where certain amount Of
work is doubtless good for the
youngsters, but toiling beyond their
strength in the beet fields and on the
cotton plantations. In 1910 the num-
Der of children enumerated was TO-
SOS ,365 of which 1.990,225, or 1874 per
cent were employed in gainful &C.
equations.
In clothing industries 11.157 We're
employed in 1920 and 1857 in 1910;
in textile industries 54,649 We're en-
lloyed in 1920 and 1867 in 1910: in
the cotton mills nearly twic, as many
were employed in 1910 as in 1920.
This Improvement is gratifying ev-
idence of what may be done to lessen
the evil Of child labor. That only
about half as many children. 10 to
10 years old, were employed in 1920
as compared with 1910, notwith-
standing the increase in population
is decided encourag cement and war
rants continued effort, which is now
made more difficult because til fed
eral law has been declared unconsti-
, tutional. There should be redoubled
effort in consequence. Because en-
ployment of children Of those ages
for part Of the time in certain health
full pursuits is not harmful we must
not forget that it is necessary 20 have
legal restrain to prevent the exploit
ing of child labor in the factories III
| der unhealthful conditions and in tn .
fields at tasks which tax ;M, =
strength to the utmost.
Tn law and common sense recog-
nize the need of guarding the chill
| dren. of fitting them mentally and
physically for the duties which later
they must undertake. These truths
are either better appreciated or bet
ter observed in some states than in
others. 1t is therefore desirable that
these state conditions be kept before
the public eye, that merit may be APP