Evening star., 1924-11-12
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

1t was a famous victory" but
young Peterkin will have a hard time
figuring out just what was that vic
tory-in Massachusetts. The cap
tains and the kings" may be satisfied.
but what about the children and their
parents?
Massachusetts gave President Cool
idge 100000 majority and elected
Speaker Gillett United States Sena-
tor, but although both President
Coolidge and Speaker Gillett, as well
as Senator Lodge, had given un-
qualified support to the proposed con-
stitutional amendment which would
authorize and empower Congress to
regulate or prohibit child labor, out
of total of 943,340 votes cast in
the State. there were 696,119 against
the amendment. 1t was beaten two
to one. 1t fell behind the vote for
Coolidge by S2S,S9S votes. Does that
| forecast the outcome of the submis-
sion of the amendment to the Legisla-
lures of the 4S States? True, the
popular referendum can not bind the
Massachusetts Legislature, which has
sole power under the Federal Consti-
tuition to ratify any amendment sub
mitted by Congress.
What melted that opinion? Who
supports and who opposes the Civ
ing of authority to Congress to regu-
late or prohibit child labor? What
are the respective arguments for and
against it?
The proposed amendment reads as
follows:
Section l. The Congress shall have
! power to limit, regulate and prohibit
the labor of persons under IS years
of age.
Section 2. The power of the sew
eral States is unimpaired by this ar
tlcle except that the operation of
State laws shall be suspended to the
extent necessary to give effect to
legislation enacted by the Congress. -
This proposed amendment had been
passed by the House by a vote of
| 297 to 60, and by the Senate by 61 to
%. 1t was, therefore. not party
for the required two-thirds had come
from Republicans, Democrats and
Progressives. Even the Farmer
Labor members had voted for it.
Child labor legislation by Congress
had been supported in 1916 by both
Democratic and Republican plat
forms; again in 1920, and this year
was strongly indorsed by the plat
| forms of the Republicans the Demo
Gratis and the La Toilette Progress
sives and by the conferences for
progressive political action. At the
fifth, tenth and eleventh annual con-
ventions of the Association of Gov
ernment Labor Officials resolutions
! were adopted urging support OF
child labor control by the Federal
Government.
with one exception, by the outstand-
| ing organizations of women, such as
| the General Federation of Womans
Clubs, American Federation of Teach
ers, the National Educational Asso-
citation, the National Woman's Trade
Union League and many other repre-
sentative organizations. Also by the
Children's Bureau of the Department
| of Labor, and by the American FEEDER
alton of Labor.
1t is opposed by the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers of the
United States, made up of employers
by textile organization, by the
Pennsylvania Manufacturers Asso-
citation, by the Moderation League
| formed to fight the Volstead act, by
an anti-suffrage organ and an. or
ganization formed to oppose the
| Sheppard-Towner maternity and in
| fant protective law.
! In Massachusetts,, among the out
standing personages in opposition
! are DR.. Eliot, president emertis OF