o '- My - Th umb , ▁whom ▁the ▁others ▁dub bed ▁' our ▁baby ▁do f fer .' ▁ ▁They ▁would ▁hes itate ▁when ▁I ▁asked ▁them , ▁but ▁always ▁succeeded ▁in ▁remember ing ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁twelve ." ▁A ▁photograph ▁by ▁H ine ▁of ▁an ▁evidently ▁very ▁young ▁do f fer ▁at ▁the ▁Mel ville ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁in ▁Cher ry ville , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁a ▁National ▁Child ▁Labor ▁Committee ▁report ▁around ▁ 1 9 1 2 . ▁H ine ' s ▁photograph s ▁of ▁child ▁workers ▁such ▁as ▁do ff ers ▁were ▁influ ential ▁in ▁driving ▁reform ▁of ▁child ▁employ ment ▁laws ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁photo ▁journal ism . ▁New ▁laws ▁were ▁introduced , ▁so ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁very ▁few ▁children ▁under ▁ 1 2 ▁were ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁mill s , ▁and ▁most ▁were ▁over ▁ 1 4 . ▁ ▁Post ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁After ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁US ▁text ile ▁industry ▁was ▁left ▁with ▁sur plus ▁capacity ▁and ▁went ▁into ▁a ▁sl ump , ▁not ▁recover ing ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁In ▁response , ▁mill ▁own ers ▁cut ▁w ages ▁and ▁laid ▁off ▁workers , ▁or ▁put ▁them ▁on ▁short ▁hours , ▁while ▁mechan izing ▁further ▁to ▁improve ▁efficiency . ▁New ▁laws ▁made ▁child ▁labor ▁more ▁expensive , ▁and ▁children ▁could