Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-09-20
COOLIDGE FAVORS
CHILD LABOR CURB
Conference With Gompers at
White House Said to
Reveal Opinion.

The need for legislation to re-
strict child labor in the United States
was discussed by President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor in conference with President
Coolidge today at the White House.
Mr.. Gompers, after his talk with the
President. said he had found him In
an entirely receptive mood and in
sympathy with all efforts to restrict
child labor.
Mr.. Gompers said the President
pointed out that his own state, Mas
sachusetts. had taken an active part
by law, to restrict child labor and
that as governor he had signed the
forty eight-hour-a-week law.
Other recommendations for legisla
ton relating to labor were discussed
by Mr.. Gompers and the President.
At the request of the President, Mr.
Gompers will submit to him brief
dealing with these matters before Mr..
Gompers leaves Washington tomor-
row for Portland, Ore, to attend the
annual convention OF the American
Federation of Labor.
LaDOF increases.
Mr.. Gompers called attention to the
fact that since the Supreme Court of
the United States declared the last
child labor law unconstitutional
there has been an increase of 36 per
cent in the<number of children en-
pIoyed in the United States in vari-
Gus industries.
He said that representatives of
eighteen different national organiza-
lions of women, interested in the
restriction of child labor, had met
with the representatives of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor and formed
a national conference on child labor.
He said they had been informed by
leading attorneys that no law passed
by Congress would be held constitu-
tional by the court in view of it's past
decision and that a constitutional
amendment authorizing Congress. to
restrict child labor by the necessary
legislation, was the only remedy for
the situation.
For that reason, he said, the Amer
lean Federation of Labor was strong
ly urging the adoption of such an
amendment.
Representative Treadway of Mas
sachusetts called at the White House
today and after a conference with
President Coolidge said that he urged
the calling of an extra session of
Congress to enact legislation to pre-
vent proffteering in coal. He said
that the prices of coal in Boston had
already been increased and that there
was no telling how high they would
go.
Mr.. Treadway did not say what the
attitude of the President was re-
garding a special session. He did
say, however, that if a special ses-
sion should be held to aid the farm
ers, as has been proposed, undoubted-
ly the coal situation would be given
consideration.
Some time ago when an anthracite
strike seemed inevitable, Mr.. Tread
way recommended to the late Presi-
dent Harding that he call a special
session to deal with the coal Situa-
ton.
Harrison Visits Coolidge.
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi,
democrat, the most insistent and per-
sistent of the administrations op-
position speakers in the Senate, called
to pay his respects to the President
today. On leaving the White House
Senator Harrison said that he and
Mr.. Coolidge had been warm friends
at the Capitol. He recalled once when
he went to Boston to deliver an ad-
mittee of gentlemen who asked they
be permitted to look out for his
wants. When he asked to what he
owed the honor of the visit, he was
told that Vice President Coolidge
had written them Senator Harrison
was coming to Boston and to do all
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