State Interprets Child Labor Laws for North Carolina, Aug. 9, 1919

From the Hickory Daily Record, Aug. 9, 1919. Child labor laws did NOT apply to farmwork, and children of any age could work on a farm for as many hours as desired. They did apply to mills, factories, mines, and shops, where a child could work, but not before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m. and not during the school year.

Rules Announced by Child Labor Heads

Raleigh, Aug. 9—Following conferences with employes of children held this week the child labor commission announced the rules and regulations suggested in section 5 of the child labor bill which provides that the commission may make certain exceptions to the general law.

The commission on the whole, found that those who want to employ children were in harmony with the general idea and purpose of the measure and believe that the rules worked out will be generally satisfactory. These rules follow:

No child of any age under 16 will be permitted to work in any of the occupations enumerated in the measure before 6 o’clock in the morning or after 9 o’clock at night. The law, itself, makes this rule mandatory.

No girl under 14 years of age shall be permitted to work in any of the places enumerated in the bill. The reason for this rule, says the commission, is that if the womanhood of the state is to be properly conserved in the future girls of tender age should certainly not be allowed to run the danger of association inherent in employment in public places.

No child under 14 years of age shall be employed in any of the places enumerated in the bill for more than eight hours a day.

Boys between 12 and 14 years of age may be employed in the enumerated occupations when the public school is not in session, when it is shown the county superintendent of public welfare that the proposed employment is not likely to injure the health or the morals of the child. But in no case shall such employment be legal until a certificate has been issued by the county superintendent of public welfare on blanks furnished by the state commission. Before determining the question the officer may, if he deem it necessary, require a physical examination of the child by the health officer or other practicing physician.

During the time that public school is in session boys between ages 12 and 14 may be employed on Saturday and out of school hours on the same condition as above, provided that such continuous employment does not interfere with their school work. When school officials have provided for what is known as continuation schools and where arrangements have been made to make the outside employment a unit of the school work, boys of this age may in specific cases be allowed to be occupied in employment during school hours for a limited time at the direction of the superintendent.