| Summary: | The first passage reviews the basic terms of the federal child labor law (which had recently been declared unconstitutional) and explains the scope of this project: "Practically no attention was given in this study to the establishments to which the federal child labor law...applied, as the object was to obtain information about the state law and state methods of enforcement. This confined the investigation mainly to children employed in mercantile establishments, offices, drug stores, laundries, and similar establishments to which the federal law did not apply." This section also mentions that the state prison inspector and his three assistants are in charge of inspecting all businesses in Alabama that employ children, as well as all the prisons and almshouses. The second passage discusses the difficulties of obtaining proof of age for young employees ("Since birth certificates can almost never be obtained...the only acceptable proof remaining is a Bible record, a life insurance policy, or a physician's certificate of physical age") and violations of state child labor laws in small cities. The third passage lists suggested amendments to the state law and recommendations for enforcement and cooperation. The fourth passage discusses Alabama's juvenile court law and includes an excerpt that explains which children will become wards of the state.
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