RUNAWAY CHILDREN

Your article on runaway production (“The Seduction of Hollywood,” by Martin Halstuk, Sept. 22) managed to bring out a little-known fact--namely, that perceived strict work regulations for child performers is causing productions with children to go to other states.

While we do agree that producers are working elsewhere with children for this reason, it must be noted that, at this point, California has almost no laws or rules covering child actors actually on the books. The “strict rules” that are followed are mostly all customary and traditional and have no force in law.

The Screen Actors Guild and others have been pushing hard for a set of fair and equitable regulations in this area, and the Labor Commissioner in expected to enact them by the end of this year. Until then, in truth, California’s child labor laws covering the film business are really non-existent.

MICHAEL HARRAH

Assistant Chairman,

SAG Children’s Committee

Universal City