The Portland daily press., 1872-03-02
City Reports.

| TRUANT OFFIcER-Mr w. L. Fitch. the
truant officer in his annual report to the City
Government says:
l have become fully convinced that the
| course adopted by me when l assumed the du-
ties of this Office two years ago. is the one OF all
others most successful, and fortified by the best
| results; so have continued to bestow much OF
| my time and labor at the homes OF uuant
| boys.
Another years experience in this capacity
| has only served to deepen the conviction and
! impress more fully on my mind that the pa
rents of our children are the ones to deal with
| in most cases of truancy. L think that nine
| tenths of all the trouble in this direction can
be traced directly to the parents; so it is doing
but little for the cause to take such boys to the
school-room, and never visit their homes and
see how matters are where, generally, the seeds
of truancy are first sOwn.
1t has been very pleasant to witness the re-
suits of such a course of labor; for, in many
cases these parents are not aware of exerting
such an influence upon their children; and
when by little argument on my part it has be-
come evident to their minds that they were the
chief offenders in the matter, they have chang
ed their course at once and in many instances
rendered valuable service to me.
L would not invite the inference, by these re-
marks, that these homes have been my only
field of labor; or that all bad boys have been re-
formed and brought into the school-room; for
aside from answering the cards from the teach
ers (of which have received ten hundred and
slxty-one during the Year, 1 have made two
hundred and forty-nine arrests from the
streets
Z. While feel that 1 have been successful in
reducing the number of actual truants (by these
L mean those who absent themselves from
school without the knowledge or consent of
their parents) to a very small figure, as
rious schools l still find myself power
less in regard to large class who, by
the consent and express wish of their parents
remain out of school, and are employed in va
rious ways throughout the city. Of these nom
attendants quite a large number are regularly
engaged in the swill business; their parents
claiming that it is utterly impossible for them
to dispense with their help. The mikmen
have the services of another class who serve
them just long enough each day to make it
impracticable for them to attend school. The
bowhng-saloons must have their boys to set
up their pins, and there must be mackerel
packers, errand, office, telegraph and store boys;
SO that in the aggregate it makes quite regi-
ment of these absentees from the schools: and
they are only acting in accordance with the
wishes of their parents
Now it seems to me that in some way these
boys thus growing up in ignorance and conse-
quently in vice, should be compelled to attend
our schools a part of the year at least Much
good was realized from an effort / made in the
spring by publishing in the PRESS and argus,
for three weeks, two sections from the city ord
inances relative to truency, together with re-
quest to the citizens for Information in regard
to boys who were liable under said sections.
The influence of this was felt in the schools by
better attendance and very susceptible in
crease in the numbers ON our school registers.
During the year have sent nine boys to the
State Reform School. e 7oa IN. -.I35 ~
would express my greatful acknowledge
ments to the police department for the very
valuable assistance rendered by them in several
instances. The teachers. also, have my hearty
thanks for their uniform kindness and courtesy.