The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-03-09
NEWSPAPERS OPINION
CHILD LABOR RESOLUTION

! Considerable discussion has been aroused ane"
throughout North Carolina following the presenta-
tion in the House. this week, by Rep Gardner, o.
Cleveland county. of the joint resolution which
seeks to have the General Assembly go on record
favoring the adoption of the proposed child LABOR
amendment to the national constitution.
Probably the defeat administered to the amend
ment proposal in New York state, after bitter
fight has served to open the eyes of many OF the
Tar Heel legislators to of the many reasons
why they should reject the proposed amendment.
For the benefit of Record readers who may have
forgotten, we reprint Section OF the propose"
amendment which reads as follows
"Section | The Congress shall have power to
limit, regulate and prohibit the laDor Oh Persoii'
under 10 years of age
Most American citizens remembering their own
youth should realize the absurdty of CHASING all
bows and girls up to IS years of age as children
and then vesting in Congress the right to limit
regulate. and prohibit the labor" of all SUCH
We agree with the New York State Grange,
which addressed itself to the legislature of the
Empire state as follows
..To give Congress the power to limit regulate
and prohibit the labor of persons under IL years
of age would give to Congress the right to con-
troll the lives of people who are not, in point of
fact or law children at all. To do this without
any qualification reservation whatsoever, would
he totally unwarranted delegation of power to the
federal government the part of the states. Sup
porters of the proposed amendment have repeated
" endeavored to assure those engaged in agricul-
tural pursuits that Congress would never exercise
the power which would be conferred upon it by the
proposed amendment to prohibit the labor of per-
sons under Is years of age on the farm. However,
these assurances are entirely lacking in substance
and are not convincing. If we do not want Con-
gress to exercise such power, it would be the height
of folly to confer it.
"The Grange stands second to no organization
in its desires that childhood receive all care and
protection to which it is entitled. However, we be-
eve that drastic federal interference is unneces-
sary; that the adoption of the proposed amend
ment would doubtless necessitate an army of gov
eminent agents and inspectors and would be the
precedent for the establishment of other costly,
centralized and bureaucratic agencies at the ma
tional capital
That is the position which The Record has taken
all along, and the argument seems so logical to
US that we cannot comprehend how any Tar Heel
soon could be deluded into thinking that human-
tartan obligations demand his support of the legis-
lation.
Practical people should always remember that it
is wise to surrender to Congress powers
which might be exercised to our own regret and
disadvantage. Particularly at this time when we
have such demagogues as Huey Long leaping into
the limelight and backed by sufficient voting
strength to stir presidential talk, it would be the
height of folly to adopt such potentially danger
Gus amendment We have gone too far towards
paternalism already.-Hckory Record.