, 1923-01-19
The Question of Child Labor.

GUILD LABOR is a subject now receiving the
~ special consideration of Congress and the sub.
mission of a constitutional amendment seems GER
tain. The chief features of discussion now in
progress is the kind of amendment that shall be
submitted. On this there are radically differing
views. A number of amendments have been pro
posed in each house.
Probably the most extreme Wow Of the proposal
to bestow upon the federal government the control
of child labor is that offered by Senator Walsh, of
Montana, a Democrat, whose amendment would
give Congress power to prohibit the transportation
in interstate commerce of the products of any en-
ploycr of child labor. Since a child includes per
sons under q years of age, If the Walsh amend.
ment were adopted Congress would be authorized
to enact legislation to bar from interstate COM
mercef all the products of any employer who en-
ployed a child under 81 years, even If the child did
not work upon the particular commodity offered
for shipment. Under the broad scope of that
amendment Congress- could bar all the products
of the Ford factory from commerce If the Ford es'
adjustment employed in any capacity a boy UNI
der 81.
One of the shortest amendments proposed is that
by Senator Townsend, of Michigan, whose amend
ment reads: "The congress shall have power to
regulate the employment and the hours of labor
and condition of employment of persons under Is
years of age" 1t will be noted that this amend.
ment does not contain the word prohibit" but
merely to regulate, and limits the period of child
Senator Mccormick of Illinois has an amend.
ment which would give congress the power either to
regulate or prohibit the labor of persons under
the age of IS years, but expressly reserving to the
states the power to regulate or prohibit to any
extent not already done by Congress.
Senator Lodge has proposed an amendment be-
slowing upon Congress power to prohibit or regu-
late the hours of labor in mines, quarries, mills,
canneries, workshops, factories or manufacturing
establishments of persons under is years of age
and OF women. The principal feature of this
amendment is that IL grants power to prohibit the
labor of women, regardless of age, and does not
apply to farm labor.
These amendments are fairly typical of the va
rious proposals. Discussion will undoubtedly be
conferred upon the features of amendments as in
dictated. In this connection 1t Is interesting to note
that in the campaign of 1920 the Republican plat
form pledged the party to "seek means to enable
Congress to prevent tho evils of child labor" The
Democratic platform declared in favor of prohi.
bition of child labor. 1t may fairly be assumed,
therefore, that in the fight which is now pending,
Democrats will line up in favor of prohibition of
child labor entirely, while Republicans will center
their efforts upon elimination of the evils of child
labor. The Democrats look upon child labor as
an evil-the Republicans deem some child labor
proper, but propose TO eradicate its abuses.
One of the early developments in the discussion
has been a manifest opposition TO national legis'
lation that will prevent children from engaging in
such work as ~berry.picking and other farm work
in vacation periods. This attitude of the farmers
is met by a recently announced war upon child
labor upon farms, the view being that work OH
farms is as great an evil as work in factories since
it tnterferes with attendance at school