Child Labor in City StreetsClopper, Edward Nicholas
History
Child Labor in City Streets
Clopper, Edward Nicholas
Child labor
In the province of Lower Austria, "referring now to the other main
occupations in which school children are employed outside of industry
proper, the report [of the investigation] shows that ... those
working in trade and transportation usually help wait on customers in
their parents' stores; a number, however, sell flowers, shoe laces,
etc., or huckster bread, butter and eggs, or carry passengers' baggage
to and from railway stations. Most of those put down as delivering
goods are engaged in delivering bread, milk, newspapers and
washing."[40] Children who sell flowers, bread or cigars in Vienna
earn one to two crowns (20.3 to 40.6 cents) a day during the week, and
on Sundays as much as three crowns (60.9) cents. "The children
employed [in Lower Austria] to deliver goods and run errands are also
usually employed by non-relatives and receive wages in money. Those
who deliver milk, and who work one half to one hour a day, generally
receive twenty hellers to one crown (4 to 20.3 cents) weekly; in
exceptional cases two crowns (40.6 cents), and in some instances only
food and old clothes. For delivering bread and pastry, wages are
reported as thirty hellers (6 cents) a week and some meals, or fifty
hellers to two crowns (10 to 40.6 cents) a week without meals; in
exceptional cases, 10 per cent of the receipts. For delivering
papers, which requires one to two hours a day, children receive two to
ten crowns (40.6 cents to $2.03) a month. For delivering of washing,
thirty hellers (6 cents) for a two-hours' trip, or sixty hellers to
two crowns (12 to 40.6 cents) a week. Children who carry dinner to
mill laborers, requiring one half to one hour daily, get eighty
hellers to five crowns (16 cents to $1.02) a month. Messengers for
stores, hotels, etc., get a tip of two to ten hellers (.4 to 2 cents)
per errand, or, if employed regularly, twenty hellers to one crown (4
to 20.3 cents) a week."[41]
"The delivery of milk, pastry, newspapers, etc., in which many
children are employed in Vienna and other large cities, does not cause
frequent absences, but is responsible for tardy arrival at school in
the morning and for the fatigue that reduces attention and prevents
mental alertness."[42]
CHAPTER III
NEWSPAPER SELLERS
By far the majority of the children in street occupations are engaged
in the sale or delivery of newspapers. The newsboy predominates to
such an extent that he is taken as a matter of course. As Mrs.
Florence Kelley says, "For more than one generation, it has been
almost invariably assumed that there must be little newsboys." Ever
since he became an institution of our city life, the public has been
pleased to regard him admiringly as an energetic salesman of
penetrating mind and keen sense of humor. There seems to be a tacit
indorsement of the newsboy as such.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account