Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-16
By BEN McKELwAY.


~ HID labor Is certain to con-
tinue AS one of the great
issues of the Nation.
One of the few surprises
of the election was the re-
suit of the referendum in Massachu-
setts on the child labor amendment.
The state was the battle-ground for
a hot-pre-election contest. with the
fight likely to go either way and with
the odds on paper favorfng ratihca-
ton. But Massachusetts,, whose legis-
lature last winter petitioned Congress
to pass the amendment, reared up on
her hind legs and defeated IT by a
majority Of more than 100000. And
as the result in Massachusetts is i'm
portant, from the standpoint of the
victor and for the yanquiShed, IL is
causing a lot of talk.
Opponents of the amendment al
ready have seized upon their victory
in Massachusetts and their type
writer's and mimeographing ma
chimes are busily at work sending out
tons Of literature which shouts glo-
riously over the result. They are
sending II into the highways and
by-ways, putting it In the homes Of
the butcher, the baker and the can
dlestick maker, and not forgetting
to place II where the farmers of the
country will see 1t. Advocates OF
the legislation are girdinG their loins
for a renewed fight in the twenty-five
States whose legislatures are TO meet
and which probably VIII act on the
amendment in 1925. They have met
the enemy and though defeated In a
preliminary skirmish have learned
how he works, and now they intend
to fight him with his own weapons,
with hopes for better results than
those so far obtained.
Important Strategic Point.
Massachusetts, was an important
strategic point. Her industries en-
ploy many children, her manufacture
ing concerns are large and powerful
Though she has a child labor law OF
her own her legislature had petition
ed Congress through Senator Lodge
last March to set in motion the ma
chinery for the constitutional amend
ment which would permit CON
gress to enact legislation regulating
child labor. The petition was strong
enough. THAT because OF the IN,
Justice and hardship to children In
Industry" 1t read, land the harm to
industry itself resulting from lack
Of uniformity in State legislation reg
ulatinR child labor, the General Court
of Massachusetts, respectfully peti-
lions Congress to propose an amend
ment to the Constitution Of the
United States authorizing Congress-
| to enact legislation as to child labor
through the United States Senator
Lodge, Republican leader in the Sen
ate at that time. voted for the amend
ment, Calvin Coolidge. President OF
| the United States, came out strongly
for the amendment. and to the casua
observer 1t appeared that Massachu-
sets as a whole favored 1t.
Then. last Spring, the fight against
| It, directed by many powerful inter
ests. began. The National Manufac-
turers' Committee, the National Com
mittee for the Rejection Of the TWEEN
i tieth Amendment, the Massachusetts
Public Interest League formerly thu
antitrust association), the Sentinei'
of the Republic, headed by Loui.
| Coolidge. an official of the UniteS
Shoe Machinery Corporation. and the
| woman Patriot. formerly the organ
Of the National Association Opposed
to woman's Suffrage, combined
through the press, on the stump and
over the radio. to bring about thu
amendments defeat. The farmers o.
Massachusetts were led to believe
| that the amendment would prohioi
the farmer boy from doing his chores
! tndC the IL oito "SAS Aio
vet turned IS, could not milk the COW
nor help mother in the kitchen.
Poor Folks Get Scared.
! When the poor folks were getting
half scared out of their wits. the ole
| bugaboos of socialism and bolshevisn
were taken out of the closet, painted
| up and shown to the populace a
every turn Of the road. Toward thu
end of tho campaign Mayor Curle!
| of Boston,. who had been advocating
tho amendment, awoke one fine morn
! ing to find that the amendment wa
a dangerous thing, and he about