Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-12-20
c Commissioner Beals Points
Out Present School Law is
Similar in Many Respects
Employment of Minors Gov.
erned up to Is .Years-Fed.
eral Amendment Designed
to Remedy Conditions in
Other States, Especially the
South

o. Benls. although favoring the
proposed child labor amendment to
the Federal constitution, declared
Friday that child labor in the State
of Maine at this time viewed from
the point Of enforcement is not
serious problem.
Mr.. Beals pointed out that the
proposed Federal amendment is not
so much to take care of the situation
In 4 state like Maine as in some Of
the southern states where child
labor laws have not been passed.
This State has enacted laws en-
tirely adequate to protect minors I'M
der 1G years Of age from entering
hazardous or harmful occupations"
| asserted Commissioner Beals.
'"The last few years show q mark
ed decrease in the number OF chill
dren employed during school hours
under work permits and in some in
dustries where formerly scores of
children labored the number has
been reduced to a minimum. The
decrease from an average number of
over 1000 to under 200 at the present
time means that the money appro-
priated by the State of Maine for
educational purposes is benefitting
that many more children at this time
than previously.
The school law and the child
labor law duplicate one another In
the following ways: The school law
provides that all minors must at
90 no tN%I \,
day. The child labor law provides
age shall be employed duri:'r the
hours That the public schools gre in
session.
THE school law provides that
minor who has not completed the
first six yearly grades of the ele-
mentary public schools must attend
school until its 18th birthday; and
the child labor law provid - that
work permit cannot be issued to a
minor until It has completed the
sixth grade studies.
Maine governs the employment
or minors up to eighteen years of
age in one respect. The statute pro-
Vides that no minor under eighteen
.. years OF age shall have the care.
custody, management or operation of
any elevator running at q speed OF
over 200 feet minute.
THE proposed amendment to .he
constitution enabling tho Federal
Government to enact and enforce a
! new law forbidding child labor. Is
the result of the insistent demand
that child labor be abolished. There
Is belief, intensifying day by day.
that 1t Is unnecessary and cruel, that
1t stunts the development of the
child morally. mentally and physi-
cally and results in mon and women
ignorant. from lack of proper edu.
cation. of the true meaning and the
vast possibilities of life, and deprives
them of the ability to take advan-
taSe OF the opportunities which
modern conditions present to the
ambitious, determined and indua-
trious. 1t condemns thousands of
them to live burdened by i'll paid
toll: to dwell amid squalor; to
know the disease and suffering that
Is born Of poverty.
THUS far we have spoken only Of
the loss to the individual, which is, of
course. the principal and sufficient.
but not the only reason why child
labor should be abolished. There Is
also the state to consider. Children
who have been condemned to labor
when they ought to have been at
school or at play. do not. except in
exceptional cases, develop into the
kind of men and women who make
for progress. They have but slight
knowledge of the duties OF citizenship
and have no conception of the evils !
which grow and flourish by reason
OF Indifference to and neglect of pub |
lie affairs. Nor do the thoughts and |
Ideas come from them which make |
today better than yesterday and give |
hope of still better tomorrow. De-
prfved Of education. they are a clog !
to progress. We need citizens who |
can grasp the vast possibilities Of the !
future and help to attain them"
Commissioner Beals pointed out |
that the two federal child labor laws
that were in effect. restricted in this /
state the hours and employment OF |
minors in quarries. However, the |
Gardiner amendment to the 81 hour
law enacted by the 1923 legislature |
restricted the hours Of employment
to eight hours day in manufactur- |,
Ing establishments. So the Maine !
law Is now fully as strict in its pro-
visions as were the federal laws.
which were found to he unconstitu-
tional.
Statistics in the Office Of the COM
missioner showed that on the first |
day OF December there were in this |
state only 1S2 minors under 16 years |
OF age employed under work permits. |
practically all in manufacturing es.
ADJUSTMENTS. The number from the
Inherent cities and towns was a fol- |
lows: Auburn 2: Augusta 20: Bidde- |
ford 6: Lewiston s; Brunswick 1:
Lisbon none: Portland IS: Saco 3;
Sanford IA; Skowhegan 2: wsteryiIle |
IL Westbrook Z; miscellaneous o.. |
Since December 1, ten have been |
added to the list. 500 minors under |
10 years Of age were working under
vacation permits when the schools
were not in session. The vacation
permits were cancelled on the FIRST
Monday Of September.