The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-30

the amendment has been killed by its friends and their stupid as- saults upon everyone who pre- sumed to enter objection to it's ' language. OverAeager to: put all ! opposition down to reactionary class prejudice or, personal self interest they now find themselves put on the spot themselves. Hav- ing viciously attacked the honesty of purpose of all who have spoken against the amendments ratifica- ton they are at last placed in position where their own sheer ity must be proved. The suspicious are now suspect. If those who have been vociferating theT hatred of making the kiddies toll in the sweat shop, on the slag heaps, and at the looms really want to put a stop to such despic- able things they will have chance to do 1t when Senator Vandenberg of Michigan presents his proposed alteration to the present amendment. If; however, what they have been after is not child labor legislation but control over children, particularly in the field of education, (which is what I for one believe they have In mind) that will become apparent. So, everything is to the good if the fakirs are only exposed to their real roles.
 Scepticisn
 It will be remembered that the amendment now being considered by the state legislatures which have to date failed to vote for its ratification demands that: es
 The Congress shall have the
 power to limit, regulate, and
 limit the labor of persons under
 eighteen years of age.
 Every attempt made by real friends of children to change the wording of the act has been fought. Every effort to secure 8 definition of the word labor" has been frustrated. There would be no discussion of the amendments language much less consideration of the serious objections which were being made to it. The atti- tude of the ratificationists was, and is, "You'n take 1t as 1t lays. And like it." The minority groups trying to blackjack legislators into acceptance of their opinion would not even listen. Senator Vanderl- berg, with whose position on many mooted questions I am in complete disagreement, puts the situation fairly when he said:
 'I must say there is consider
 able merit to some of the scep-
 ticism that has been displayed
 over the language of the amend
 ment."
 Will They Do It? <,
 To remove all grounds for scep- ticism Senator aVandenberg has phrased his amendment to read:
 The Congress shall have pow <
 CT to limit and prohibit the labor
 for hire of persons under six
 teen years of age.
 The age limit is reasonable and is compromise between the four teen years figure of the Borah amendment. and the eighteen years of the present one. Regula- tion is stricken out and the words "for hire" are inserted. MT. Van- denberg is confident that the amendment as he has put it into words would pass in no time and I think he is right. This lan- guage,~ he says fought to clear up most of the doubts. Any oppOsi- ton to an amendment such as this would have to be frankly based on opposition to interfer- ence with child labor" If the ad- vocates of the amendment as 1t is now worded are honest in their attempt to wipe child labor off the American map, they should bring the same pressure to bear upon the Congress to adopt the Van- denberg amendment as they have in attempting to bludgeon objec- ing legislators into voting for something to which most of them are cOnscientiously opposed. Will they do it? Now you tell one.
 Last Leaf on the Tree