s already served to lessen the evil.

RHODE ISLAND LEGISLATION.

The Rhode Island act (chapter 139) does not differ materially from that
of Massachusetts, except that twelve years is made the minimum age at
which a child can be employed in factories; and children, even during
the nine months of factory work every year, are not allowed to be
employed more than eleven hours per day. The penalty is made but twenty
dollars, which can be recovered before any Justice of the Peace, and
one-half is to go to the complainant and the other to the District or
Public School.

CONNECTICUT LEGISLATION.

In matters of educational reform Connecticut is always the leading State
of the Union. On this subject of children's overwork, and consequent
want of education, she has legislated since 1842.

The original act, however, was strengthened and, in part, repealed by
another law passed in July, 1869 (chapter 115), which is the most
stringent act on this subject in the American code. In all the other
legislation the law is made to apply solely to manufacturers and
mechanics; in this it includes all employment of children, the State
rightly concluding that it is as much against the public weal to have a
child grow up ignorant and overworked with a farmer as with a
manufacturer. The Connecticut act, too, leaves out the word "knowingly,"
with regard to the employer's action in working the child at too tender
years, or beyond the legal time. It throws on the employer the
responsibility of ascertaining whether the children employed have
attended school the required time, or whether they are too young for his
labor. Nor is it enough that the child should have been a member of a
school for three months; his name must appear on the register for sixty
days of actual attendance.

The age under which three months' school-time is required is fourteen.
The penalty for each offense is made one hundred dollars to the
Treasurer of the State. Four different classes of officers are
instructed and authorized to co-operate with the State in securing every
child under fourteen three months of education, and in protecting him
from overwork, namely, School-Visitors, the Board of Education, State
Attorneys, and Grand Jurors. The State Board of Education is "authorized
to take such action as may be deemed necessary to secure the enforcement
of this act, and may appoint an agent for that purpose."

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