Evening star., 1923-10-14
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

1
| ~ federal government police
! - powers over matters In
which. the entire popula-
ton is interested is to be launched
when the pew Congress meets If
| plans of some of the Congressional
leaders materialize. Study of the
coal problem. 1t is learned by some
| Of the. men who must handle legis-
lation to meet the situation, has lead
to the belief that under the Constitu-
| tion as now written. the federal
government has not sufficient author
ity to deal with the industry in it's
entirety-as 1t must be dealt with If
anything effective is to be accom-
plished in the interest of the people.
The Congress sought at the last
session to. enact an anti-lynching law.
The bill passed the House and was
reported to the Senate. But even
those who believed in such a law
were, in some instances, convinced
that 1t would not hold water If it
came to be tested in the Supreme
| Court.
The people, generally, have been
|
preston of child labor. The Con-
gress has put through two laws, one
| relying upon the authority given
| the federal government over inter-
! state commerce and the other based
! upon the power of taxation logded
with Congress. Both these laws have
been held unconstitutional by the
| Supreme Court. 1t appears. therefore,
! that the only way in which child
labor can be dealt with by the fed
eral government is through an
amendment to the Constitution en-
powering the Congress to enact laws
regulating the labor of minors.
Amendment Proposed.
| Several proposed amendments to
the Constitution so as to reach the
| question of child labor were intro
duced Immediately following the last
4 decision of the Supreme Court.
Senator Lodge Of Massachetts,
Senator Hiram Johnson of. California
and others offered resolutions in the
Senate, and others were introduced
in the House.
similar resolutions will be present
ed in the new Congress. Sentiment
is such in regard to child labor that
a resolution proposing an amendment
to the Constitution undoubtedly will
go through both houses IL brought u
a vote. 1t should go through, al
though, as a matter of fact, the
states themselves have pretty well
Ldealt with child. labor. with few ex.
lchild labor, or so regulate 1t as. to
protect the children. But if only one
state permitted the exploitation %
Ichild. labor and persisted in ignoring
the welfare of IT'S children, it would
still be advisable and advantageous
to give the federal government the
| power to regulate child labor. In
/ that way it would be possible. for one
thing to have uniform law protect
Ing the children, and in any state
where there was an inclination to
wink at the state law. the federal
law would be. an additional protec-
tion.
But if a resolution proposing con-
stitutional amendment to enable Con-
gress to regulate. child labor is 10
be put through, why should not the
resolution be broadened SO as to give
Congress authority to deal with
other matters affecting the people
generally? This is the question which
has presented itself to influential
members of Congress now consider
Ing the coal situation. for the purpose
of drafting. if possible, legislation tc
prevent, II possible, a recurrence Of fuel
famines and exorbitant prices.
Affects Other Questions.
AS matter of fact, If the pro-
Iponents OF the child labor constitu-
tional amendment bring the resolu-
ton forward seriously, as it is ex-