Beginning next Monday the child labor law of Illinois will be enforced in the coal mines of the state. Under the interpretation of the law made by factory inspector Edgar T. Davis and sustained by the court no boys under 10 years of age will be permitted to work in the mines. It is estimated the enforcement of the statute will take 2,500 boys away from employment under ground.

50 Years Ago, 1954

Most American farmers will start harvesting a strange new crop next year: social security. In effect, this brings a far-reaching new era to agriculture. For more than 20 years of mushrooming growth, the federal system for retirement or death benefits hardly scratched the surface on the farm. Fluctuating, hard-to figure incomes, a tendancy toward scant bookkeeping and shifting workers presented special problems, considered too tough to tackle. The new social security law extends coverage to an estimated 3,600,000 farm operators and to about 2,100,000 farm laborers.

25 Years Ago, 1979

After a Ted Kennedy for President rally at the Lewiston Multi-Purpose Center, Gov. Joseph Brennan said that Kennedy will definitely visit Maine before the caucuses. About 130 people attended the meeting at which John F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late president spoke. In trying to stir up enthusiasm for his uncle’s candidacy, he quoted his father, saying, “things just don’t happen, they’re made to happen.” The bushy-haired Kennedy also praised Brennan for his early support of Sen. Kennedy, and also talked about a special feeling he has for Maine.