Evening star., 1951-03-08
Senators Debate
New Rules on
Boy Workers
Corning Objects
To Setting Limit
Arbitrarily at Is

Arbitrarily at Is
Legislation to tighten District
law on employment of minors was
sharply debated before a Senate
District Subcommittee today with
most of the argument centering
on a proposal to raise the mini
mum age for newspaper boys.
The subcommittee, presided
over by Senator Smith, Democrat,
OF North Carolina, announced the
hearing would be resumed at 10
am. tomorrow to hear additional
proponents of the bill.
The subcommittee also COM
pleted hearing on bill ap-
proved by District officials to pro-
vide that children be committed
to the Board of Public Welfare
by the Juvenile Court instead of
to the National Training School
for Girls on Loughboro road.
No action was taken by the
group on either of the two bills.
School officials objected to three
provisions of the bill to tighten the
law on minors. These would raise
the age for employment of minors
in the distribution of newspapers
on fixed routes to the age of IL
instead of 10 as provided in pres
ent law; raise the age for employ
ment OF news vendors on streets TO
"A from the present IL, and pro-
hibit the employment of any minor
under Is years of age during
school hours.
On the latter point, DIR. Hobart
M. Corning, superintendent of
schools, and other school witnesses
said they favored the present law.
which permits a minor IA or Is
years of age who has completed
the eighth grade to work instead Of
attending school,"
School officers believe" said
DR.. Corning, "that it is more sound
educationally to have the grade
requirement rather than the arbi-
trary age of 16, and that existing
law requiring the eighth grade
completion for IA and 15-year-
olds to work actually protects chill
dren better than the laws of most
other jurisdictions.
Board Backs Corning.
Mrs. Edward Magdeburger mem
ber of the Board of Education, said
the board had approved the rec
concentrations of DR.. Corning.
The two points recommended by
the school authorities would pro-
hibit employment of any minor
under Is years of age in any me-
chanical or manufacturing plant
and lower the maximum hours of
employment for minors to 40 hours
per week.
Appearing for the Washington
Publishers Association, operated
by the four Washington newspa-
pers, Peyton r. Evans, executive
secretary, strongly defended the
present law on newspaper boys.
He contended the benefits far
outweigh disadvantages that NAV
be involved in the employment
OF boys under the present system.
Our minds are not closed on
the problem" he told the subcom-
mittee. "but we believe that we
know best after a long and care
ful study Of the actual facts in
volved in cases from real life.
not from unsupported theory.
Urges Convincing Evidence.
1--WE ask that these amendments
not be adopted" said Mr.. Evans.
unless the proponents Of the bill
are able to prove by convincing
and proper evidence that the al.
legged evils and dangers involved
IN the employment of young peo-
pie OF this age actually exist. We
know, however, that such evil
dence does not exist. Weigh these
claims against the demonstrated
moral and pecuniary benefits
which these boys will obtain by
continuing them as little busi-
nessmen."
Delivery of newspapers by young
boys was defended by both Sena-
tor Smith and Senator Butler. Re-
publican. of Maryland. The bill
was advocated by Miss Beatrice
Mcconnell of the Bureau of Labor
Standards, Labor Department.
Mrs. Milton Dunn of the League
OF Women Voters of the District.
and Mrs. Louis Gutenberg of the
Council of Jewish Women.
The bill relating to the National
Training School for Girls was in
dorsed by Irving Bryan, assistant
corporation counsel. speaking for
the District Commissioners: Ed
gar Morris, chairman of the
Board of Public Welfare: Miss
Edith Cockrill, judge of Juvenile
Court, and Mrs. Dunn. Mrs. Julia
w. Hamilton, president of the
Phyllis Wheatley Young Women's
christian Association, proposed
That the school should be renamed
THE Industrial School for Col
Ored Girls"