Evening star., 1924-05-28

under the present limitations of the
Constitution the only way that that
situation can be relieved is through
an amendment.
The platforms of both the leading
political parties have indorsed (1916)
| the federal control of child labor, and
Presidents Wilson, Harding and Cool
idge have urged it. The standards
which Congress desires to establish
are not higher than most Of the
states already have through state
legislation. Thirty-six states prohibit
child labor under eighteen years of
age, and twenty-nine under twenty
one years. This does not refer TO
farm labor, and ii is not the inten-
ton of Congress to interfere with
children working on farms-espe-
cfally on the farms of their parents.
There is no demand that children be
reared in idleness, but only that they
shall not be enslaved in hazardous or
oppressive toll, beyond reasonable
safety and health precautions nor to
the prevention of fair schooling.
In his address at the child labor
conference last evening, Representa-
tive Israel NJ. Foster of Ohio, chair
man of the House committee on the
judiciary, outlined the scope of the
proposed legislation. He said that a
state from enacting its own restric-
tions, provided they were at least as
protective of the child as the mini
mum standards of the federal law
age, education and physical standards.
While forty-five states have a nomi-
nal minimum age for work in fac
tories, only twenty-eight have mini
mum of fourteen years for both fac
tories Cannar1RS which
standard of the two former federal
laws. Federal law will never affect
child labor except in such industries.
as deal in interstate and foreign COM
merce, hence there will still be need
of state legislation to deal with in
trastate conditions.
Although previous federal laws did
not set up educational and physical
standards, thirty-eight states now
have such tests; hence, in order TO
equalize conditions of competition be-
tween states, the new federal laws
will probably follow the leads of the
majority of the progressive states.
All enforcement of the laws will be
in the hands of state officials, under
general inspection of the United
States child welfare bureau Of the
Department Of Labor. Hence, en-
forcement will not greatly add TO ex-
pense.
When the data for the last census
were gathered-in January, 1890
as it was midwinter. there was no
farm work active and so the sta
tistics of children engaged on farms
and in canneries were not complete.
More than a million child workers.
of ages between 10 and II years.
were found. Three -f1fths of these
were agricultural workers, but there
were $4,000 in factories. canneries
and mines, and. in addition. there
were tens of thousands under ten
years, some as young as five or six,
doing sweatshop labor ten to twelve
hours a day.
Marching four abreast, American
child 1aborers, apart from farm work.
ers-children of the oyster can
neries. the sweatshops and factories
constitute an army" seventy one
miles in line. No flags! No bands
with stirring martial music! Rolling
kitchens few and tagging! Marching
In review past the White House and
Capitol, at the pace of an all-day
march of Regulars, through day and
night, starting at dawn on Monday,
the last struggling fours would pass
after sunset Tuesday.
Congress caused the capture of
Coxey's army because it was out of
bounds and upon the grass. There
are members of Congress now who
would halt the childrens crusade.
that the little soldiers might stand
''at ease" or even break ranks and
forage some of life's blossoms. Gen.
Humanity orders Fall out!"
-toopyrisat 1924. by Paulv. Collins-i