The Washington times., 1922-07-07
IN
MY. PROTECTED
BY LABOR BODY
Years 70 Law-Bullding to Com
peII Schooling Now
Bearing Fruit.
BY wINIFRED VAN DUZEN.
Universal Service.

| Universal Service.
NEW YORK, July Tho kids
down on the East Side may not have
butter on their bread or shoes or
any specific family attachments.
| But they're not SO badly Oft since
the god-daddy Of all the young sons
of the Empire State has signified the
! intention Of making them his special
charge.
At least Miss Jeanie ". Minor, ex-
ecutive secretary Of the New York
Child Labor Committee, looks upcn
that body as a benevolent god
parent Of the youngsters. She ex-
| plained:
"It has taken years to build up our
laws to protect the health and NOR.
ais of the children OF. the State. We
have much to be thankful for In
what we have accomplished. But
we must go still farther In our legis.
lation in order to see that each child
/ has square deal"
These are some Of the welfare
measures accomplished in this State
by the committee:
Children under fourteen prohibit
ed from working in any business.
Children Of fourteen and fifteen.
prohibited from working without an
employment certificate issued only
IL they have graduated from gram.
mar school and are physically fit.
Children under sixteen prohibited
from employment in dangerous oc.
cupations.
Eight-hour Day Established.
Eight-hour working day for chill
dren between fourteen and fifteen
and a nine-hour day for those be-
tween sixteen and eighteen estab-
lished.
Boys under twelve and girls six
teen barred from selling newspapers.
Girls under eighteen forbidden to
run elevators and girls under twenty.
one not allowed to work as conduc-
| tors or guards on subways, elsvated
tra<ps or trolleys.
These laws are part of the ccde
which has been a slow outgrowth Of
strike that drew the attention Of
the country when 200 children. all
less than twelve years old, dragged
their gaunt little bodies through the
streets Of Cohoes. while banners they
carried bore this plea: Give Us
Time To Play In Gods Sunshine"
That was thirty years ago and the
children were protesting against
their labor in the cotton mills. RUt
the tragedy Of it might be re-enacted
in many cities and towns Of this
country now that the Federal Child
Labor Law has been declared un-
constitutional.
Ten years later, when a member
Of the present State labor committee
saw a bit Of a messenger boy stand
| ing asleep against the counter In a
department store, active work hegan
on organization Of the od-daddy.
Exceptions to the State laws per-
NIT children over twelve to work on
farms after school hours, or in other
outdoor work not connected with
factory or mercantile establishment.
II permits boys over seventeen to
sell newspap pers outside Of school
hours excepting before 6 in the morn
ing and after 8 at night.
No child under sixteen may work
| in a factory before o'clock in the
morning or after 8 at night. No
boy between sixteen and eighteen
may work between midnight and
in the morning, and no girl may
work later than 10 o'clock at night
or before in the morning.
Continuation Law Is Feature.
Miss Minor continued:
1.-The continuation school law is
another feature which will 20 far
toward seeing that every working
child has an education. Unless
child up to eighteen has completed
four-year high school course. he
will be compelled to attend school
four hours a week.
"If he is out of employment he.
will be compelled to attend the full
twenty hours a week. A law now
is being worked out - take care OF
children between fourteen and sew
enteen who have not completed ele-
mentary school in The city"
She told the story Of a typical
youngster. hardly tall enough TO
see over her flat-top desk, who
came into her office and demanded
his workin' papers. This conversa-
ton took place:
How old are your"
Fourteen. Say can't I have
emf"
You know very we'll you can't.
You're not fourteen, and you
haven't gone anywhere near
through grammar SCHOOL,
"Oh. my Gawd, lady lemme go
to work else they'll put me in a
constitution
While the boy sobbcd, the lady
learned his story. His father dead,
he was the oldest Of a number OF
children. II he couldn't go to work
he was to be put into an institu-
ton. She added:
"I got him scholarship instead;
one Of those which this committee
awards to boys and girls who can
not get working papers and whose
help is needed in keeping UP the
| home. We have helped 1,137 chill.
dren continue in school this way.
THE 81 week the youngster
took home kept him out Of an In.
stitution and put constitution In
him instead. He Is making good
today"