366 



EUGENICS 



for widows who are in need. Some of these laws even provide for 

 orphans up to the age of fourteen or of eighteen years of age. The 

 average grant usually varies from one hundred to two hundred 



dollars per year for each 

 child. In many cases, 

 the law demands that 

 the mother be a fit per- 

 son physically, mentally, 

 and morally, if she is to 

 receive the pension 

 which enables her to keep 

 her children with her. 



Previous to the intro- 

 duction of the modern 

 factory system in the 

 eighteenth century, chil- 

 dren were commonly em- 

 ployed in factories. 

 Authorities of pauper 

 institutions in Great 

 Britain permitted pauper 

 children to work as much as sixteen hours a day. In 1847, the 

 hours for child laborers were reduced to ten hours a day. To-day, 

 in most states of the United States a boy or girl may leave school 

 at the age of fourteen and obtain working papers. In many 

 states this is conditioned on the passing of a health examination. 

 Five states of the United States are said to furnish one third of 

 the total child laborers and one half of all child illiterates in the 

 country. Congress has twice tried to pass laws regulating child 

 labor but each time the law has been declared unconstitutional. 

 In order for children to develop physically and mentally to the 

 fullest extent, it would be wise to keep them out of factories and in 

 school with suitable childhood recreation until, at least, the age of 



Immigrants are examined at Ellis Island to make sure 

 that they are physically and mentally fit. All those 

 suffering from mental disorders or from contagious dis- 

 eases or who are, otherwise, physically unfit to make re- 

 sponsible citizens are excluded from the country. 



