Child Rights

CHILD LABOR

With unusual team work, committees of the Senate and House reported almost simultaneously a proposed Constitutional Amendment. The Amendment would give Congress the right to regulate the employment of persons under 18 years of age. Three times Congress has passed laws to regulate the employment of such persons, commonly termed children, and three times the Supreme Court has declared such laws unconstitutional.

It is predicted that the proposed Amendment will pass promptly in the House with the necessary two-thirds majority. In the Senate, there may well be considerable delay and some of the staunch state-righters--Caraway, Overman, Stanley--may try to filibuster the measure out of the session.

Last week the Department of Labor made public statistics obtained in 34 large cities. In 29 of the cities, the number of children under 16 years of age entering regular employment for the first time showed an increase in 1923. In 19 of these cities the increase was 30% or more. In nine of the cities the increase was 50% or more.