The Survey, Volume 30, Number 9, May 31, 1913

A vivid snapshot of progressive‑era reform, this recording opens with a painstaking account of the child‑labor fight raging across Pennsylvania in 1913. It follows activists from the Pennsylvania Child Labor Association and the National Child Labor Committee as they champion a bill limiting work hours, banning night shifts for those under sixteen, and tightening age restrictions on dangerous jobs—while confronting fierce opposition from textile and glass manufacturers worried about productivity. Listeners hear the heated testimony before a Senate committee, the lobbying tours of Herschel H. Jones, and the emerging structure of a new state labor department aimed at enforcing these protections.

The narrative then turns to New York, where the annual Conference of Charities convenes in a mixed setting of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the countryside. Speakers such as O. F. Lewis and Frederick C. Howe debate municipal needs and social welfare, providing a broader context for the era’s reform movements. Together, these reports offer an immersive glimpse into early twentieth‑century struggles for a fairer workplace and more organized public assistance.