The Evils of Child Labor
By Editor
There is mighty effort put forth at the present time by friends of the children to stop child labor, and we wish to say that on the whole they have our deepest sympathy. Doubtless there are cases where the law is drawn too strictly, where it would be better for children of twelve or thirteen years of age to be at work rather than on the street; but when conditions exist as they have been shown to exist in some places, of little children of four or five years of age who were working in factories long hours with their parents, certainly something ought to be done. Many times they work without any supervision at all. Those investigating these conditions have found that many of the goods made, were made by those who have tuberculosis, and this is especially true where the work is done at home. For instance, one lady who was investigating found two boys carrying big bundles of knee pants, which the family had been finishing in their home. She stopped and asked them why they were not in school, and they replied, “’Cause we’re quarantined with scarlet fever,” and further inquiry brought out the fact that the patient was one of the two boys. The inspector had visited the home, but the clothing had been removed to a neighbor’s flat until he had gone away. Hand-made cigarettes were moistened by the tongue, and children and grown-ups told of cracking nuts with their teeth and removing the nut-meats from the shells with a hairpin. It is said except in the one industry, women’s ready-made muslin underwear, there is no way in which consumers can be informed and protect themselves from possible infection. Taking into consideration the lives of the children themselves, and the dangers to the wearers, there ought to be a nation-wide statute made effective in all states, against child labor; but with this there ought to come compensation sufficient so that parents could support their children.