The Washington times., 1922-06-29
johnson N'SLAW
ON CH|LD'LAbOR
URGED At. MEET.
Mrs. w. A. Fitzgerald, Of Cali
fornia, Introduces Indorse-
ment Resolution.
by Cosmopolitan; News Service.

CHAUTAUQUA. N. j.. June %
Mrs. w. A. Fitzgerald, president Of
the California Federation OF Won.
ems Clubs, has introduced a reso-
luton at the biennial convention
Of the General Federation Of Wom-
ems Clubs, in session here. indors-
ing the proposed amendment to the
Federal Constitution. sponsored by
Senator Hiram johnson. regulating
child labor.
THE executive board Of the Cali.
fornia Federation has adopted a
resolution favoring this amend.
ment." Mrs. Fitzgerald said. we
need such a law in our Constitu-
ton, because II we wait for other
States to follow our example. Il will
be twenty-five years before we have
uniform child labor laws. and per-
haps longer. In the meantime thou
sands OF children, our future citi.
zens. will be growing up with de-
formed bodies and shattered intel
lects. Child labor is the keynote
of the Industrial world. California
has the high minimum wage law
OF SIS per week for women en-
ployes.
Must Regulate Hours.
I'VE must make some provision
for child workers. II we cannot re-
move their burdens, we may 1T least
tighten them by regulating the
hours and seeing that the child gets
a chance to play. Children seven.
eight and nine years old. some even
younger. string beads at home every
spare moment, for our factories.
They earn only couple OF dollars
for a weeks work Of eight hours
per day. A mifiion children are
being added every year to our ma
tion's workers, and one.sixth of the
children between the ages OF ten and
sixteen years are working.
Most of our factories put out
products which can be manufacture
ed at home where everybody works,
even the four.year-old. In the city
streets, newsboys cry their papers
until 3 a. m. a great man who
grows from a newsboy 10 not the
rule, but the exception. The South.
ern States have cotton pickcrs In
their field, who pick many times
their own weight In the not sun
when they should be running and
playing, stretching their muscles
and giving them a chance to grow.
In the sugar beet fields. the season
usually lasts from March until DE.
cember and the children are kept
out of school during this season. OF
these children, 70 per cent has pos
tural deformities and malpositions
from continual STOPPING.
Three times as many accidents
occur to children as to adults, vet
factories employ them around dan
eerous machinery, because they are
cheap labor. II Is time that we
went TO the rescue Of the sad-eyed
little slaves, who have forgotten
how to play. II u time we loosed
their shackles and set them free.
You are a voter. what are you do.
ing for these future citizens OF
America.
Proud OF johnson.
"All over our union, the women
are standing for men Of principle
instead Of allying themselves with
political parties. California Ia prrSld
Of the fact that 1t was Senator
Hiram johnson who introduced the
first child labor amendment TO the
Federal Constitution. 1t is a big
step forward to have 1t introduced.
The amendment provides that no
child shall be employed under eigh.
teen except by special regulation.
"The child labor law will come
some day Just like prohibition came.
but we can't wait lons. It 10 q
natural result of the participation
OF women in the national affairs
Children hold the future OF our
nation in their hands, and II we
fail them. they will fail the nation.
we must mould their minds and
bodies in Gods outdoors. and give
them the same chance to grow that
we give to our gardens. that they
may produce the flowers Of our
nation"