The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-01-16

-"excepting those engaged in
outdoor employments.'
And that was rejected without
a roll call.
Then Senator Reed moved to
reduce the age limit from Is to
16.
1t was lost by a vote of AZ to
40.
Senator Reed next offered this
substitute:
Section /. The Congress shall
have power reasonably to limit
and regulate the labor of persons
under 1S years of age and to pro-
hibit such labor in pursuits involv-
ing special hazard to health, life
or limb"
This was rejected So to 25.
Senator Bayard of Delaware,
next offered an amendment to
submit the child labor proposal to
| conventions of the people in the
States instead of to their legisla-
lures. ,......, .,
1t was rejected So to 22.h "a
Senator Fletcher of. .Fqbfjday
then proposed this new section: 4
Section 8. This article shall
be imperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to
the Constitution by the legisla-
lures Of the several States, as pro-
vided in the Constitution, within
five years from the date of sub
mission hereof to the States by
the Congress"
1t was rejected So to %.
A final effort was made by SEN
ator Reed to eliminate the words
"and prohibit" from the resolu-
ton, but his motion lost 81 to %.
On the vote of the Senate for
adoption of the so-called child Ia
Dor amendment it carried 81 to
| 23.
Although Congress had been
told that millions Of women" de-
manded this amendment, within
less than three years, that is, up
to March 1S, 1927, the legisla-
lures of 3S States ,or'more than
three-fourths, had rejected the
amendment. In Massachusetts,
where an advisory referendum
was held on the amendment, the
people sustained the legislature in
its rejection by vote Of 697,563
to 241, 461.
The so-called child labor amend
ment, proposed to our State legls-
latures in June, 1924, was duly
rejected by more than one-fourth
of the several States on March l,
1925, when Massachusetts, reject
ed. On March Is, 1927, with re-
lection by Maryland. 26 States
had rejected by the action of both
Houses of the legislatures and IL
States had rejected by the action
of one House, making SO States
in all.
The amendment had been con-
sidered definitely rejected and de-
feated. Article V of the Constitu-
ton requires ratification of an
amendment "by the legislatures
| of three.fourths of the States"
and implies that "the ratification
must be within reasonable
time" according to the unanimous
opinion of the Supreme Court in
| Dillon VS.. Gloss, $50 U. S. 36S.
OF the 81 amendments to the
Constitution of the United States
the longest period of time re-
ouired for ratification was three
wears. six months and one day, in
the case of the Sixteenth or In
| come Tax Amendment, and the
shortest period nine months and
10 days in the case of the Twelfth
Amendment. , .-.
| Notwithstanding the so-called
child labor amendment has been
| pending nearly 13 years, and was
decisively rejected within ten
months of, the date of its submis-
sion, its promoters renewed their
activities and propaganda for a
resurrection of the amendment in
1888, contending that it has not
been defeated, but is only DOR
mant. 80 ~., ....
There are, five amendments to
the Constitution which failed to
receive ratification ,oy three
fourths of the legisls lures. Two
were submitted 14s years ago,
one 1877. years ago. one 76 years
ago, and the so-called child labor
amendment nearly 13 years ago.
Certainly, "a reasonable time"
within which these proposals
| might have been ratified has
ELAPSED, Us .H ;,