New York, January 20, 1906.
Dear
There are twenty-nine million children sixteen years of age and under in the United States, two million of them working for wages, and over 400,000 are to be found in factories, workshops, trade and transportation pursuits. Their physical growth, education, and welfare are partially guaranteed by the compulsory education and child labor laws in the several states. Those states that have done the most are retarded in the effective execution of such laws by others that have done little or nothing. It is necessary that private citizens aid public officials in the progressive enforcement and development of such legislation.
The National Child Labor Committee, as the general steering committee for the country at large, in trying to equalize legislation and to devise the best methods of dealing with those peculiarly difficult industrial situations which transcend the borders of a single state. A brief summary of the work of the National Committee is enclosed in printed form.
Twenty-five public-spirited citizens contributed $500 each last year to this work. Almost all of this support came from New York City or its immediate vicinity. To continue the work and make it more effective, it is necessary to appeal to other large industrial and business centers of the country, such as Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, and to a few persons who are in a position to appreciate the national aspects of this work and its meaning as a patriotic duty which we have to perform. We shall [page 2] purposely restrict our requests for financial aid to a few persons, and avoid a general appeal that might interfere with the support of local work in behalf of children.
May we not add your name to the list of our one hundred dollar contributors? If it is not convenient to subscribe so large a sum at one time, will you not make some contribution to this effort to protect the rights of childhood?
Checks may be made payable to the order of V. Everit Macy, Treasurer, and sent to Samuel McCune Lindsay, Secretary of the National Child Labor Committee, 105 East 22d Street, New York City, or to any member of the Chicago Finance Committee; and their receipt will be promptly acknowledged by the Treasurer of the National Committee.
Yours very truly,
NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE:
Isaac N. Seligman, Chairman
Paul M. Warburg
John S. Huyler
V. Everit Macy
Stanley McCormick
CHICAGO FINANCE COMMITTEE:
Miss Jane Addams
Dr. Emil G. Hirsch
(Please detach and mail to V. Everit Macy, Treasurer of the National Committee, 105 East 22d Street, New York City, or to any member of the Chicago Finance Committee.)
Dear Sir:
In reply to the letter of appeal from the National Child Labor Committee, I desire to contribute the sum of $____ for the work of the year 1905-1906; and it will be most convenient to pay this amount on or about ____________.
Yours very truly,
______________________
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