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Show f I CHff-DREN WHO WORK. , ' ; . I An laereaeo In tha'NtimUr la Thli Country, Jt H Between 1870 and IStro tbo amount I of child labor In this country dectftedta I Increased. In 1870, out of E,C04,00 H children between 10 and 16 years old; H 739,000 wero wsge-earncra; In 1880, out B ot 0,(19.000 children of theso ages, 1,- 118,000 wero wage-earners. The lasl H censua changed tho classification of M children, so that exact comparisons are H Impossible. It reported that ot 7,033,4 M 000 children between 10 and 14 years! 9 old but C03.000 were at work, and on J the basts ot this report Commlsslonei IB Wright claims that a great gain baa) M been made, says the Chautauquanj Ql This, however, is doubtful, as 14 Is pre, clsely the ago nt which children ore moat likely to leave the gram mar schools and go to work. Tho employ ment ot over ROO.OOO children unilervl( In factories, shops nnd mines demands serious national attention. In tho mining min-ing regions of Pennsjlvnnla boys ot 13 are taken out of school and put to; work for ten hours a day at the break era, picking slato from coal; and In the south boys and girls are taken; from school before they aro 10 and set to ork for twelve hours a day In tho-cotton tho-cotton mills that aro being scattered over the country. Tho argu ment often made that child labor deprives parents of employment Is not usually a valid one. It Is true, thai In cotton-factory towns hardly any man over 40 Is at work, and bis llttlo chldren aro In factories while, ho "totes" the meals. Rut this Is largely large-ly due to tho fact that tho fingers ot tho father are no longer nimble and that thora Is raroly much employment In tho neighborhood of n cotton factory, to which ho can turn bis hand. Whllo Industry Is diversified, tho labor ot a, factory worker's children no moro keeps him from working than tho labor la-bor of children on the farm keeps tho farmers from working. Wages tho children earn cannot be spent without paying for the labor ot some one also. This labor, therefore, Is not the cm, barrassment to the employment of parents par-ents It Is often asserted to be As a, rule. Hi worst effect upon tho labor of adults Is by Increasing tho number ot those seeking Jobs, without Increasing ths number of (Iiom giving them, and thus slightly reducing tho level otj wagn. These material conditions.' however, are of minor Importance. Tho ground upon which child labor Is Id be prohibited Is not the right ot adults to bo protected against competition,' . but tho right ot tho child to be fitted; far competition which ho must meet lit life. |