The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-19
CHURCHES BACK
DRIVE AGAINST
CHILD LABOR
Or. Tippy, Of Federal Council.
Says State Action Alone
Is Not Sufficient.

"ChfId labor IL q shameful evil
and economically unsound," de-
clared the Rev. DIR. Worth M.
Tippy. secretary of the Commission
on Social Service Of the Federal
Council Of Churches, today in an
nouncing that the churches of
America are cooperating to secure
the passage of the child labor
amendment.
1.-THE amendment il necessary"
he said, ito protect more than a
million child workers. The Federal
Council and the allied organizations
are convinced that the State action
cannot alone be depended upon to.
remove the evil, but that Federal
can quickly control It."
\ Pointing out that the 1920 census
was taken in January, which ex-
cluded counting children working in
the beet fields and canneries and
did not include children under ten
years who work in factories from
forty.four to sixty hours a week,
and that the enumerators awere in
strUcted not to count chores as
child labor, he declared that the
census report of conditions is an
understatement Of the real situa-
ton. Stating that the administra-
ton of the two Federal laws before
they were declared demonstrations
stimulated and helped the State au-
thorities, he continued, ut does not
seem necessary to sacrifice new
generations of child workers. Child
hood is the period for growth and
education, and It quickly passes"
Child labor, as distinguished
from wholesome after-schoue and
vacation assistance in home and on
the arm, stunts growth, handicaps
the future and produces illiterates.
Children soon lose their opp0rGu.
| nifty. Given two or three years out
of school and half-dozen years
Of broken school work, their chance
is irretrievably lost.
Child labor is O shameful evil
and economically unsound. It sacri-
fices the future of life for the
present. It is a perpetual source of
annoyance and criticism to the
management of an industry. EN-.
ployers should be glad to get rid of
It and have uniform competitive
conditions over the country.
I'VE trust that the people will
not be deceived by the plea that
children must be sacrificed for the
maintenance Of widowed mothers.
The Mothers Aid provided by the
last Congress, the charity organi-
cations Of our modern conn. unities
and the good offices of relatives,
friends and churches will take care
of the very limited number Of these
unfortunate mothers.
LAS to the effect upon our civil
! institutions Of this amendment to
the Constitution there seems to US
to be no cause for alarm. The
amending Of the Constitution Is suf
ficiently difficult to prevent hasty
action.
"Our people are not revolutionary.
The danger Is rather the opposite,
namely, that over conservative
forces may obstruct the normal
progress Of the nation, specially In
its effort to safeguard the popu-
lation from known evils.
''Let us not sacrifice the children
to the Constitution, but protect the
children by the Constitution. The
Federal Council Of Churches be-
lieves that Congress can be trusted
to act fairly for the control OF
child labor, and the Children's Blu
reau to administer the law wisely
and considerably when they are
empowered to act"