Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-12-13
CHILD LABOR
DEBATE HELD
National Child Labor Commit
tee Hears Both Sides of the
Controversy at Trenton
NOW BEFORE CONGRESS
And the StateS-Question the
Policy of Giving Such Sweep
ing Powers in Matter
NOW BEFORE CONGRESS

TRENTON, Dec. 13. - The pro-
posed child labor amendment to the
federal constitution was buffeted
about here yesterday afternoon at
the luncheon called under the aus
pices of the National Child Labor
Committee to discuss its merits and
the question whether it should be
ratified or left alone by the 1925
Legislature. owen r. Lovejoy, of
New York. secretary of the commit
tee, Commissioner of Institutions and
Agencies Burdette q. Lewis, of this
state, and Joseph II. Hagedorn, of
Philadelphia, who said he was for
merly a manufacturer led the forces
for ratification while a variety of
speakers and interests seriously ques-
toned the wisdom of giving con-
gress sweeping powers to legislate on
child life in the different states.
Mr.. Lovejoy in his discussion fre-
quently referred to deplorable con-
ditions in Georgia, Florida and sew
eral other southern states. which, he
claimed are behind on the matter
of protecting child workers. He adj
mitted that cJew Jersey has gone far
in the care of it's children who must
go out to work and gave the i'm
preston that the hackers of the
amendment are not driving at this
state and others which have properly
taken care of the problem, so much
as to use the powers of the federal
government to force the recalcitrant
ones into line.
The speaker said sachusetts
rejected the amendment at popular
referendum by vote of 8 to / and
blamed misleading propaganda as
the cause. He said many parents
were told they would have to stop
their children from working until
they reached the age of IS. THE
propaganda is already started in
your state" he declared.
This is not child labor statute
at all." said Mr.. Lovejoy. "All it is
is grant of power to congress.
What kind of legislation congress
will pass is a matter for the future.
That will be for the people to say
to their representative. The ques-
ton now is whether we shall grant
the federal government the power to
cooperate with the states in regu-
lating it's working children"
The secretary referred to the
psychology of fear" that congress
w III OQlSlCp 4loCll tAit AalAtdo0 ~ 10
given under the amendment and he
pooh poohed the idea. He contend
ed that all the power to be conferred
is now lodged in the state govern
ment of New Jersey.
]. Connor French. Trenton lawyer.
and d. William Scammell. promi.
nent business man and public
spirited citizen of tnis city, opened
the argument against the amend-
ment. Mr.. French read Its provis-
ions to the conference including the
second section of the proposed addi-
ton to the national constitution
which says:
1.-The power of the several states
is unimpaired by this article, ex-
cept that the operation of state laws
shall be suspendes to the extent
necessary to give effect to legislation
enacted by congress-
The speaker saw in this an op-
portunity for congress to ''go the
limit" and enact any legislation II
might choose for the states to fol-
low, and declared: THE gentleman
who advocates this amendment
states that congress won't do any,
thing to usurp the power of the
states and their regulations. How
do we know? New Jersey has al
ways been jealous of her rights as a
sovereign state. She was one of the
last to ratify the eighteenth amend
ment and was not in the vanguard
in endorsing the nineteenth (equal
suffrage). Before we ask our legis-
lature to ratify this proposed addi-
tion, let us have a vote of the peo-
pie of our state after there has been
a full and intelligent presentation of
the merits of the question"
Mr.. Scammell asked whether the
federal government could better
regulate the laws concerning the
employment of children in New Jer-
sey than this state itself. Charles
r. Hardin. Newark lawyer who as a
candidate for the assembly from Es-
sex county last fall opposed the
plank adopted at the Democratic
state convention favoring the child
labor amendment. asked Mr.. Love-
joy whether 1t was not true that
every state but about five now have
laws forbidding the employment of
children under fourteen. The secre-
tary said that he thought there were
nine states which. while they have
protective laws, they contain certain
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