Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole asked Congress the other day to raise maximum fines for violations of child labor laws and to allow imprisonment of employers for first-offense convictions of willfully exploiting children in the workplace.
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Tougher penalties would seem to be in order. Labor Department investigations have turned up a 128 percent increase in violations in the past four years. Violations are said to be especially marked in fast food, supermarket and service operations, where it has become increasingly difficult to recruit workers for low-paying jobs.Federal child-labor laws were designed to protect the bodies, minds and general well-being of American youngsters. Employers who disregard them should not be let off lightly.