LAD/Blog #28: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

Keating-Owen regulations for labor

The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act does not allow manufacturers, producers, or traders to operate unless they have had 30 days without children under the age of 16 working in manufacturing, children 14-16 working more than 8 hours a week, and children under 14 working. A committee was also created by the Attorney General, Secretary of Commerce, and Secretary of Labor to enforce these guidelines. Plus, it allows inspections of the factories to make sure illegal child labor was not taking place and that any violations must be reported so the proper procedure could be used in court. The punishments for violations included jail time and fines. The Act concludes with the statement that it would take affect one year after it had passed. Unfortunately, it did not last very long as the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in Hammer v Dagenhart, since they believed it to be exceeding the government's role in regulating commerce.

Lewis Hine, a muckraker during the progressive movement,

photographed child labor to encourage the reform of 

child labor laws in America