The Washington times., 1924-03-19
U.S.CH|LD LABOR
LAW AGREED
UPON
Form Of New Federal Amend
ment Distilled From 20
Proposed Measures.
By TOM EVERRITT.
Cosmopolitan NSWs Service.

From somewhere beneath the oily
scum covered surface of national
legisIation comes in pristine clear
ness O proposed child-labor amend
ment to the Constitution, which
will soon be the subject Of the
United States Senate's considera-
ton.
A few Senator'S, not engaged in
oil matters, have laboriously met,
argued, dissented, disagreed day
after day, night after night, and
then finally agreed upon the form
Of q child-labor movement.
The proposed amendment is as
follows:
"The Congress shall have power
to prohibit the labor of persons
under the age Of eighteen years
and to prescribe the conditions Of
such labor.
"The power of the several States
is unimpaired by this article. ex-
cept that the operation Of State
laws shall be suspended to the ex-
tent necessary to give effect to leg
islation enacted by the Congress.
The bill is sponsored in the Sen
ate by Senator Shortridge Of Cali
fornia. There were twenty proposed
child labor amendments, but the
above is the concrete expression Of
all of them.
Protection Taken Away.
The U. s. Supreme Court declared
unconstitutional two former child
labor laws not amendments to the
Constitution.
Grace Abbott. chief of the Chill.
dren's Bureau, U. S. Department OF
Labor, probably the best authority
upon child labor in the United
States, speaking in favor Of a child
labor amendment, recited the bene-
fits that accrued to children while
the two old laws were in effect,
and before the Supreme Courts
decision. She said: 1--WE know
that during the period those child
labor laws were In effect, the chill
dren enjoyed a greater protection
| in many parts of the country than
they had before, and that, instead
of paralyzing State initiative, the
| reverse was. true.
There is no question but what
| child labor operates in vicious
circle to make the parent get less
and to perpetuate poverty.
1.-The movement for Federal
minimum in the United States be-
gan in Congress in 1905, and In
1916 the first law was passed. !
| think the reasons urged by the
people at that time for a Federal
| minimum were: First, there was a
feeling in the country OF moral re-
pugnance to child labor; second,
they felt that the power Of certain
| industries in certain States had pre-
A. 81 In Hye
| or prevented the enforcement OF
laws when they were passed; third,
that inasmuch as products OF child
labor went to all parts Of the coun.
| try we were concerned with what
was done in any part Of the coun-
| try, and fourth, that, after all, these
children in any part of the country
became citizens of the United States
and moved from one part Of 1t to
the other carrying with them the
| illiteracy or the poor physical de.
| velopment to the State that has
high standards, and that wants its
| citizens to have high standards.
! Therefore, 1t was felt that the citi'
Eenship OF the country was q matter
with which all were concerned. Nc
State can protect its citizenship
against the evil consequences Of the
| child labor in another State.
| Now or Never.
1--WE cannot drift; we cannot de.
| fer relief to the children. 1t Is now
| or never as far as a certain group
Of children Is concerned, If they are
to have this protection. AS long
as we wait we are denying this pro.
lection which we recognize as neces-
sary to the children of today"