Charles Lionel Chute papers, 1899-1913

Mr. Chute's long and successful career in social work began in 1910, soon after graduation from The New York School of Social Work, when he was appointed special agent for the National Child Labor Committee. Two years later he became executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Association. During this period Mr. Chute drafted a uniform child labor law, and led many campaigns for the enactment of labor laws that would protect children from exploitation.

The studies, and reports of investigations, include valuable source material. They represent primary sources, the factual data about child labor conditions, principally in glass, mining, and textile industries, and in the street trades. As might be expected, these investigations were carried on in highly industrialized states such aa Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois, during the years 1911 - 1913.

For students who may wish to trace evidence of early use of the community organization method, these documents will be an important historical source. It is indeed interesting that, fifty years ago, Charles L. Chute and other pioneer leaders who worked with him in the child labor movement, planned community-wise on state and local levels, to achieve social action goals. Specific references to the Pennsylvania campaign present evidence of the community planning process at work in 19131

To the research worker, the collection of 100 clippings will be a rich source of reporting on action and reaction trends during the Pennsylvania campaign of 1913. Mrs. Audrey S. Chute has written an excellent description and interpretation of these clippings, which is included in the annotated bibliography of the whole collection.