The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-24

among lLS neipleSB VICTIMS, cnlld
labor has become a blight that men
aces every human being in the nation
There are two types OF child labor il
the United States today; the open
employment of children in factories
mills, mines, department stores and in
Agriculture and the furtive slavery
of children within the confines Of the
novels they call homes. It is the sec
ond category that merits close inves
tigation, because it is more carefully
concealed.
Dry statistics from the last census
conducted by the U. S. government
1920 inform US that there were a
that time 1O9O,S58 children between
the ages Of 10 and is years 'gainfully
employed" throut the country. Equal
ly vague are the figures regarding the
division of this group between indus
tries and agriculture. The same gov
eminent report presents tables of sta
tistics to prove that child labor has
decreased since the census of 1910
Like all government reports, this one
requires further investigation. 1t is
poor policy to take the statements OF
a capitalist government at their fac
value, especially when they deal witt
the devastation caused by capitalism
Granted that the figures were accurate
they do not prove decline Of tho
number OF child slaves, for the simple
reason that the 1910 census was tax
en- In a period OF so-called prosper
ity," while the 1920 survey was taken
at the beginning OF a period of unem.
ployment and at a season of the year
when employment, especially in agri
culture was at the lowest point. TIL
additional fact that the federal child
labor law was at that time on the
statute books must be taken into con
sideration. 1t was the supreme court
decision declaring this law unconsti-
tutional in 1922 that necessitated a
constitutional amendment to give con.
gress the power to enact a fedora
child labor law. So our glorious con.
stitution that the one hundred per
centers profess to uphold does mo-
even permit congress to legislate for
the protection of helpless children
from the jackal pack OF capitalism.
A Tale Of Two Pest Holes,
The census Of 1920 informs us that
In New York City there are $3.50
children between 10 and Is years o,
age "gainfully employed" and that in
Jersey City, N. j.. there are 2.735
But like the national total, these fig
ures are inadequate to convey the real
facts regarding child slavery. Moth.
Ing is said here about those miserable
half-starved and half clothed, prerna
turely aged children UNDER TEN
years Of age that slave from morning
until night In the most revolving sur
roundings-their homes! Hearing re.
ports Of the conditions In certain dis
tricts. !. accompanied by other trad,
unionists, investigated some of them
both in New York and Jersey City an
was staggered by the appalling con.
ditions existing in a supposedly civil
lied country.
In New York City, in three differen
sections-tbe Bronx, the lower Eas.
Side and Brooklyn--we found children
both boys and girls, working on beaded
gowns. There are designs drawn o,
these gowns and the children have to
sew bright colored beads on the de
signs, for which they are paid accord |
ing to the whim of the employers, who
deliver the dresses and beads at the
homes" Of the workers and call 70
them when finished Whole families
and even children as young as six anf
seven years do this work. Sitting II
one position hours at time, strain.
ing their baby eyes to get each beaf
in its proper place. browbeaten b,
filthy. brutal. illiterate parents, there
Is surely no more pitiable creatures