Milford chronicle., 1954-10-01
REPORT To PARENTS
81 pR MARTHA M ELIOT
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eh'ei childTen 8grseu
it IS part Of our national trade
tion to admire the youngster who
has enough get up and go to
earn dollar for himself
Some Of us who look on the ef-
forts of even the teen-ager with
much the same sentimental attitude
that we give the small fry with
their lemonade stands may be quite
unaware 0f harmful working eondi-
tions that can grow up around even
part-time jobs.
such q situation has grown up IN
many of the 10000 bowling alley
establishments where thousands Of
youngsters have been employed
since the last war Being q pinboy,
to those who have thought about IL
at an, may seem a nice chance to
keep alive the HOratiO Alger tradi-
ton Of getting experience under
the belt and at the same time turn
ing up a useful dollar
The casual bowler would prob
ably be shocked to know the late
hours. low pay. hard work, poor
conditions, and the age Of the PIN
settlers in their favOFite bowling
place. Many Of the boys employed
have been under is years Of age
the minimum that child labor au-
thorities think should be set for
this Work-and some have been as
young as 8.
The boy who serves two alleys
played by teams Of players EACH
must pick up and return 16-pOund
tenpins 500 times during the 2
hours Of league play More likely
than not a yOungster who is In
jured receives none Of the eGmpen-
satiOns that adult workers know
they have right to-
Here is one job that Is a far cry
from a desirable part-time task for
the young
During the manpOWer shortages
of recent years, the situation grew
worse. Regulatory legislation in
many States came to be widely
ignored. Last February, this led
the Advisory Committee on Young
Workers Of the u. S. Department
Of Labor to call a conference of
representatives Of national organi-
cations -such as the National Child
Labor Committee and the League
to Promote School Attendance
and Of the Bowling Proprietors
Association and bowling leagues.
The bowling executives went on
record as being anxious to right
the' situation. They presented a
suggested code, according to which
bowling alleys would provide
healthy and safe working condi-
tions. would protect the boys from
undesirable influences, and would
cooperate with parents and school
authorities as to working hours
and other employment arrange
ments
An all-Out program was under
taken to put this code into effect
before the big bowling season Of
this fall should start
Over 5000 bOWling-alley proprie-
tors received a copy Of the code
and we're urged to post it in theiI
alleys and to observe it. The code
mas Also uecM puDtlGtAeU IN lMe
magazines read by bOwlers ant
news Of it has spread through the
bowling leagues.
In turn the citizen organizations
In their journals and through let.
ters are urging that the alleys
pledged to the code be backed up
especially through patronage -and
that community action be Joined
with national citizen and bowling
groups to work for good laws and
law enforcement and to prevent
the breakdown Of protective labor
laws for children already on the
books.
Last spring when women bowl.
ers in one Iowa community became
aware Of conditions through theiI
national organization, they refused
to bowl in an alley where under.
age pinsetters were employed.
When individual proprietOrs il
each community see that the pub
lie really cares what happens Il
the boys who work in their estab
lishments, Improvements will un
dOubtedly be made.