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

 Keating-Owen Child Labor Act (1916)

• proposed by Senator Albert J. Beveridge
• the act used Congress's ability to regulate interstate commerce
• prohibited the sale of any goods produced through child labor under these conditions: any child under 14 and any mine worker under 16
• also prohibited the sale of any goods produced in a business that had children under 16 working at night or for more than 8 hours during the day
• the act was repealed by the Supreme Court in Hammer V. Dagenhart
• was effective in improving working conditions and hours while it lasted

The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was actually very similar to the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916.  Both acts were made during a progressive time period, and were steps taken by the government to regulate businesses.  In the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act, wages, hours, and working conditions established by businesses were regulated by Congress in order to put an end to the dangerous child labor.  Similarly, in the Sherman Antitrust Act, the government began taking steps away from laissez-faire and towards regulation, in order to break up trusts and take power away from the businesses.