Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-14
Wednesday, March IL, 1923.
CHILD LABOR IN MICHIGAN

The Honorable James Couzens of
Michigan. who is understood to con-
slider himself progressive and some
what inclined to the uplift Of human
fty became peeved the other day and
took his complaint Immediately to
the powers having charge OF affairs
in the District of Columbia. Coming
out Of a hotel, he wished to take
taxi, but the driver told him, 1t was
for the use Of the patrons Of the no.
tel. Senatorial dignity was offended
and no time was lost. Possibly un-
der the rules and regulations obtain
ing in the national capital he had
good ground for exerting his senator
ial influence.
We hope he will find some good
tenable ground for exerting his inf1u-
ence as a senator. also asa resident
OF the State Of Michigan, to relieve
the disgraceful conditions in the beet
fields OF Michigan as reported from
the Children's Bureau, L. S. Depart
ment Of Labor. A study was made of
the condition Of 500 families in which
either a child under 16 or a mother of
child under 6 worked in the beet
fields in 1920. conditions typical not
only of Michigan but also of all the
Middle West beet growing section.
In the families studied, 81 per cent.
OF the children between the ages of 6
and is We're found working in the
beet fields, one fourth of these being
under ten years of age and only a
fifth had reached the age of fourteen
years. Families came from distant
states to get this opportunity to
work the children and one fourth of
these families expected to receive
less than 5000 for six or seven
months work. Three fourths of the
children investigated. had been alb
sent from school on account Of this
work, which is severe drudgery, one
fourth of the children reporting II to
10 hours daily work in the beet fields.
Interesting. healthful work in mod
GRAFTON is not likely t. do the child
physical injury and not infrequently
is invigorating for both mind and
body. But work such as is required
in the beet fields and in the cotton
mills OF the South, not only robs the
child OF the pleasures of childhood,
Tor which there is no equivalent, but
also of the schooling which all agree
he should have and, besides, is very
likely to injure the child physically
as well as mentally. 1t would not be
tolerated except for greed. 1t is a
disgrace to the people who practice it
or tolerate it.
Now it surely would be unjust to
intimate that the burden of this dis
grace is on the shoulders of sena-
tor from Michigan. but his portion Of
it is on his shoulders and that por-
ton is measured by the influence
which he possesses that might be
used to put an end to it. He should
lift up his voice against it at home
and at Washington. His senatorial
dignity should be Uneasy under it. He
would have company and not one of
them all should pose as the friend of
mankind while doing nothing to re-
lieve\such conditions. And, by the
way, we do not recall that in all the
recent unstinted flow of verbiage
recently heard in the Senate,
when men talked against time
about anything but the ques-
ton at issue. any senator from a
sovereign State which permits mon
ey to be ground out of the bodies of
children referred in any way to this
burning shame.