The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-04-13
Better Standards
Continued From Page One)

labor provisions of the National Indus
trial Recovery Act of 1888, and the
child labor provisions Of the Fair La
Dor Standards Act of 1888.
"The American Federation of Labor
has also advocated the adoption of the
child labor amendment to the Constitu-
tion which has been approved by both
houses of Congress, and is now before
the States for ratification.
"The objective embodied in the child
labor amendment which vests in the
Congress the power to limit, regulate
and prohibit the labor of persons un-
der 1S years of age is the objective
which the child labor section of the
Wage and Hour Law was designed to
attain.
Thousands of Children Employed
employment of minors in industry
and trade still looms as one of the
major social and economic problems.
In 1880, a depression year in which
employment of all classes of workers
was drastically curtailed, 10000
children of 10 and under 16 years of
age had regular gainful employment
in non-agricultural pursuits through
out the country.
"A survey made by the Children's
Bureau in 1886 covering 6 states in
the South, Middle West and in New
England forcefully brought out the
need for legislation on employment of
young workers by revealing the con-
ditions to which they were subjected.
"This survey excluded children in
agriculture, domestic service, street
trades, or children working only out
side school hours, on Saturdays or
during school vacations. This survey
showed that nearly three-fourths OF
the children were employed in non
manufacturing industries with large
proportion by wholesale or retail
stores as messengers and as delivery
boys.
Low Wages and Long Hours Imposed
"These children, whether employed
in manufacturing or -manufactur-
ing, generally received low wages fol
long hours of service. The mediar
wage earned was only $4.15 per week
and 1S per cent earned less than 81
for weeks work.
"Nearly fourth of the children
surveyed had work week Of GO hours
or longer, while S per cent were com
PEELED to work so hours or longer
Half of the children made less than
cents an hour, and only 8 per cent
made as much as 25 cents an hour
the minimum now required under the
Wage and Hour Law.
"In the light of these facts, and il
pursuance of the policy to which the
American Federation of Labor has un
swervingly adhered, | consider it m!
duty to strongly urge the revision Of
the proposed regulation SO as to pro
vide for a more rigid enforcement o
the child labor amendments of the Ac
as they apply to children between l.
and 16 years of age.
"The Act provides that the employ
ment of children between the ages O
IA and 16 may be permitted under thu
regulation of the Chief of the Child
ren's Bureau to the extent that th'
Chief of the Children's Bureau deter
mines that such employment is con
fined to periods which will not inter
fere with the schooling of these child
ren and to conditions which will no
interfere with their health and well
being.
an our judgment, the proposed Reg
ulation Number does not confine th
employment of children in this ag
group to the time and conditions in
tended by this Act"
A. +. l.. Amendments Summarized
In order to bring Regulation No.
up to the standard which the Ameri
can Federation Of Labor believes il
visoned by the Fair Labor Standard
Act, Mr.. Fenton asked that the ex
cluded occupations be extended t.
processing, services in work rooms
where goods are processed, and "oc
cupations which may be found ant
declared by the Chief of the Children
Bureau Of the u. S. Department D
Labor to be particularly hazardous 70
the employment of children betweel
IS and Is years of age or detrimental
to their health or well being"
Moreover, Mr.. Fenton asked tha
the length of the permissible worl
week be reduced to 30 hours insteat
of the 40 hours set forth in the regu
lation, that the length of the worl
day be reduced to hours instead o
s hours, that work before 7 a. m
should be banned, that the provision
permitting employment of minors "no
more than 3 hours on any school day
be omitted, and that the provision au
thorizing the employment Of minors
"outsidc school hours" be amended t.
read "outside school hours other thar
school days"
In support Of these propositions
Mr.. fenton said
an 1888 the n X. A. practicall,
eliminated the employment Of child
rem less than l6 years Of age in in
dustry and accomplished this withou
disturbing our economic or social life
The tprpnipat ion of tbc Y II cunn