Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-24
Federal Child Labor Clause
Invades State Rights and
ThruSts Outside Influence
Into Homes, He Says
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
406 Evans Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

w ASH1NGION, June Zl.-ln aO-
vance of the converting of the gen
eral assembly of Georgia, former
Senator Hoke Smith and former gov
ernor of the state, issued a state
ment here Saturday expressing the
strong hope that the legislature
would not overlook the dangers Turk
ing in the proposed twentieth amend
ment to the constitution and woulc
be the first to oppose federal regula-
ton of child labor.
If Georgia will set the example
and reject the child labor amend
ment as a dangerous invasion of
states rights, former Senator Smith
says he believes a sufficient number
CT states will follow and prevent
ratification.
This amendment to the constitu
ton, if ratified, he says, will fur
niSh the most revolutionary inter
ference with the relations Of parent
and child and there is no forecasting
what injury it will work in Georgia
and elsewhere.
Former Senator Smith said:
THE Georgia legislature will meet
in a few days. l hope one of the
first things done by the legislature
will be to reject the twentieth amend.
ment recently proposed by a two
thirds vote of congress.
This amendment would furnish
the most revolutionary interference
with the relation of parent and child
that has ever taken place in ou1
country. The suggested amendment
reads as follows:
Congress shall have power to
limit, Regulate an dprohibit the labor
of persons under eighteen years of
age.
Would Invade Homes
ut would place in congress power
to largely take the control away
from parents of all persons under
the age of eighteen
Congress could prevent girls
from helping their mothers about
the house; it could prevent boys
from doing any work around the
home or on the farm.
ut would create a new bureau in
Washington which could send agents
from other states throughout Geor
gia, Drying into the conduct of par
ents and children, and utterly de-
moraliizng the control by parents of
their children.
I'VE should not be deluded by the
belief that no legislation going to
the extent suggested will be passed
by congress. The proponents Of this
measure, in pamphlet entitled
Child Labor Facts among other
things made this statement:
The southern states have q
larger percentage of child labor than
any ether section of the country,
because of the predominance of ,ag-
riculture there.
Again it stated that:
Those under eighteen years are
worked in the south and are used in
raising cotton.
IF this amendment is ratified by
three-fourths of the states, it is i'm
possible to forecast the extent to
which it will be used to interfere
with our local conditions.
House Vote Shows Danger
You will realize the danger ahead
if this amendment is ratified when
you know that, in the house of rep
resentatiVes, an amendment was
overwhelmingly voted down which
provided
THAT no law shall control the
labor OF any child in the house or
business or on the premises connect
ed Herewith OF the parent or
parents
Another provision was voted
down which provided that the pro-
posed constitutional amendment
should not apply 10
The labor Of such persons In
the homes and on the farms where
they reside
Another provision was voted
down which confined the authority
of congress to limit, regulate and
prohibit labor in mines, quarries,
mills, workshops, factories Or manu-
featuring establishments.
In the senate. a provision was
overwhelmingly rejected which ex-
cluded from the constitutional
amendment, open-air occupation, or
farm labor occupation, of those I'M
der eighteen years of age
From The O3mDhlpt of the 0ro-