Child labor in factories and various industries was widespread.
This is the most accurate choice. The text suggests that the issue of child labor was significant enough to prompt the formation of a committee advocating for the rights of children. The other alternatives appear less plausible; if most business owners deemed child labor intolerable, a committee wouldn't have been necessary. Additionally, the passage doesn't assert that work was an unacceptable substitute for formal education. While it does mention that limiting the working hours for children would allow more time for school, it does not imply that work serves as an alternative to education. The rationale for selecting the first option contradicts the latter. It’s either prevalent or uncommon.
