The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-24
Challenge of Child Labor Facts

Twenty-Five years of devoted effort the part
of the national child labor committee have brought
us out of savagery into barbarism in our treatment
of children in industry. The problem of the next
quarter century will be to pass from the barbarism
into truly civilized ways of dealing with children In
our mechancal-factory age
Best assurance of success in this responsibility
is full recognition of the real job which lies ahead
Casual glances at optimistic reports regarding prog
ress In child labor restrictions often lead into
compacent satisfaction and feeling that the fight
already has been won. review of some of the facts
viii diSsipate this Illusion
There still are more than million children be-
tween 10 and Is years of age ganfully employed in
the United States Two states still have no age limit
whatever Nine states have failed to adopt the eight
hour day. Twenty states permit work after p. m.
Twenty three states demand no health certificate
upon employment. Fifteen states exact no eouca-
tonal requirement.
About half the states permit work in dangerous
trades Thrty-six states allow children under II TO
engage in street trades most of them with no strict
regulation as to time day hours worked. Thirty
four provide no regulation of home tenement work
Many other stgmata of barbarism could be pointed
to space permitted.
Facts as to sectional distribution of the child
labor abuses also are likely to provide us with
eharp Jolt We assume often that child labor Is
exclusively q problem of the southern states and
Is there simply by-product of the early stages OF
snduStrialiZation.
When we include agricultural occupations, 1t is
txue that the south leads in the percentage of child
iahox But when we limit ourselves to considera-
stcu OF manufacturing industry and the mechanical
trades we find that child labor remains for all prac-
Hcal purposes, northern problem.
OF the ten states with the largest number o.
children employed in manufacturing industry, only
one is a southern state, North Carolina But North
Carolina has only 1857 employed as against 1881
in Pennsylvania and 27,T53 in Massachusetts.
/ Moreover. some them states are more back
ward in legislation. F nsylvania and Michigan have
failed to adopt rty-eght-hour week, while
mississippi and vrgni are two of the four states
which have sdopted a rty-four-hour week. 1t Is
obvious that there is no lis for northerners TO wrap
themselves in a mantle o. smugneSs and point con-
temptuously at the benighted south.
When one Joins to such considerations as those
revealed by the above facts the recollection that but
i've states have signed the child labor amendment
tn the federal Constitution he will have no difficulty
in understanding that the national child labor COM
nrttee has a stable job cut out for itself If 1t Is
To bring about situation which will stand the clear
light of day.
Christmas is good time to think about child
labor.
The stock picture of the child exploited in our
factories Mines canneres and the like is distressing
one He is shown to us with dwarfed body, pinched
face curved SPINE blank eyes fiat feet, hollow chest
Aleaky and skippy heart, bowed legs and retarded
mind Poor stuff from which to mould the future
citizen.
The hardboiled skeptic regards this picture of the
child laborer as nothing but sob stuff He views 1t as
the creation of obSessed sentmentaSts who desire to
create the proper atmosphere for the launching OF
campaign to collect funds for upft organizations
One of the shrewdest strokes of the national child
labor committee in conjunction with its twenty-fifth
anniversary its preparation and publication OF
brief and ncisive pamphlet containing the views OF
fifteen distinguished medical specialists regarding the
vicious physical effects of excessive and unguideo
labor.
me contributing doctors include such weu-known