Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1929-05-17

Bishop Hughes of Chicago recently
told a Methodist conference, that in
spite of all the agitation against
child labor, hundreds of thousands
of children under working age, are
still employed in factories and
mills, and some of them in mines.
There is a difference of opinion
as to what is a suitable age for
children to go to work. Much de-
ponds upon how they are getting
along in school, and what the work
ing conditions are. Some children
who are making trouble in school,
would be better off to go to work
in some place where they are not
overworked. And many also are
taken out to put to work, who
should go to school longer.
It seems extremely poor policy to
allow any children to injure their
health and future prospects by do
ing factory work before they are
ready to stand its exactions. It is
what some philosophers have called
grinding our seedcorn, as foolish as
the act of the farmer who has so
little forethought that he depends
for food on the corn that he needs
for seed, and is thus prevented from
planting anything for the future.
We depend upon the health and
we'll being of the boys and girls to
keep the country going ahead right.
If we stunt and cripple any of these
little ones by work that is too much
for their age, we hurt the develop
ment of the country.
1t is difficult to make hard and
fast rules about it. A boy might be
very BEAUTIFULLY employed on
farm, when if he was put in an in
door workshop, his health might
suffer. Whatever laws we make
should be elastic enough to fit all
conditions. The legislature of each
state should seek the advice of its
best authorities on social welfare
and physical development, to adopt
laws that will protect the youth of
that commonwealth.
De@
PERHAPS the most distinctive
feature of the present economic
era, is the tendency of people to
unite their efforts, to join their
strength together, and to concen-
trate in larger units than formerly.
The previous age was an age
purely of individual effort. But
people have learned in these times
that the individual is faced with too
great difficulties when he tries to
accomplish things alone. He needs
somehow to join his forces with that
of his neighbors. So we see many
business concerns uniting into great
combinations and consultations,
which accomplish remarkable re-
suits of efficiency. A great many
small business concerns are of
course able to pursue an individual
and Independent life, but they need
to work more comparatively than
formerly with their neighbors.
In the field of community life,
people have learned that they can
not accomplish much while acting |
by themselves alone. They need !
some form of combined action. This
principle applies particularly in
the field of retail trade. 1t is for
the interest of the people in such a
community as Milford to have re-
tail trade doing such a good bust
ness that the merchants can afford |
to carry large stocks of the most |
modern goods.
These retail stores can live up to
that ideal, if they get all or practic-
ally all of the trade of their home
people. The principle which leads
many big business concerns to
unite their corporations, which
leads people to join in home town
work, also needs to
persuade people to consolidate the
efforts of everyone toward creating
q fine retail business center.