The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-07

the schooling and the driving, the ut
most rigor OF british aforementioned
by relentless magistrates, by consta-
blcs, detectives and visitors" whose
very sustcnancc depends upon their
vigilance, and the endless dread OF
prison 10 both parents and children
can after all compel n school attendance
OF only thrce-fourths OF the children
under actual everyday Surveillance. Is
II any wonder that, under such n sys.
ten, the entire school attendance OF
tho grea. city OF Liverpool. for the
month Of July last, failed TO reach ST.
600. and that, to provide for tho reten.
ton OF the rcbcllious among this nun.
Der, its Ragged School" priHons in
Park Land, Bond, Queensland and Adj
olson streets were rated to hold l,22j
child prisoners, with their capacity
quito ovcrtaXcd.
SOME DEVICES.
Children arc got on tic school lists in
three ways-by house-io-house rcgistra-
ton, when more tina onc.halt OF the
poorer classes deny MI knowledge OF
their children, hide them in the most
cunning manner and often incitc riots
with the aid Of sympathizing neigh
bora; by parents presenting their chill
drcn Tor voluntary registration; and by
spying them out in the streets and
logging their footsteps until they ar.
rive at their homes, when an invcstiga-
ton, which often amounts to u siege,
at once begins.
The devices rcsorted 10 for scQuestor.
ing children from registration are often
pltiinily grotcsqnc. On II occasion
when accompanying n visitor or his
rounds, | saw n poor woman caught in
tho act OF sqec2inS her boy into the
oven OF her hob; aud among many quite
as odd stratagcms witnessed, was sol by
a mother who stood in the open door
and after b!untly denying maternity,
was finally forced TO admit the owner.
ship OF two atrappinc girls that had Tor
the fifteen minutes parleyinG stiilcd
and trcmblcd beneath the mothers
o%vcr-amp!o skirts. Stuffed beneath
bundles Of rags; actually covered with
Goals; wedgcd in chimney-nues; hid
beneath floors; smothercd between
mattresses; and clinging 10 the sides OF
privy vaults; are ommon bestowals OF
children TO escape registration or sub
scqucnt capture. No wonder that the
yagabond and criminal instinct becomes
predominant in. the nature OF folk thus
larrasaed.
"Oncc on the school.lists, always OIL
and always worritcdnl' is = common
saying among the British lowly. An
cX-inspector OF the Liverpool police
force, o q rent collector for a wealthy
Liverpool tcnemcnt-housc owner, told
me he believed there were 10000 fami.
lies III that city known as ''scampers,"
that is families that fit from one habi.
tation to another. and leave the land
lord in lurcli for his rent. On mention
ing !this to one Of the most reliable
OF the Liverpool school board wis
itors, he stated it to be his firm con-
viction that at least one-half that num-
Der had been forced into the scamp.
ing habit, and had become utterly
worthless people in their loss o fhome
life and the saving ambition to attain
independence, from the u~nccasing pur-
suit OF their children for compulsory
school attendance, and the judgments
hanging over the heads oil their parents
Tor fees and fines which they never had
been. and never would be, able TO pay.
In his opinion the whole OF these hui
man being shad become vcritable out
casts, and outlaws in Il small way,
through this system OF ceaseless, petty
but to them overwhelming persecution.
Az
We will suppose, Tor illustration, n
boy has been hunted down and got
within the school board jurisdiction.
II 4 single absence be recorded against
him, he m under all the possibili-
ties OF the law. The usual course is in
case he makes 4 little more than hall
time, that is, six out OF ten attcndances,
two per day, or ten per week being
the rcckoning-and 4 warning having
been served for every absence, the
mother or the father and usually the
former, is summoned before n police
magistrate. The visitor is practically
the prosecutor ior the board. He makes
oath to the boys "presences" and cab
sences. II the mother answers the
summons and enters a good defense, the
boy may get off with areprimand; but
he is permanently thereafter under
court espionage. Ii breach OF attend
ance now occurs, 4 second summons is
issued against the mother, and 4 line,
the lowest being 4 shilling, is never cs-
capped. AZ the same time, q superin-
tendent OF the National school board is
present, who, whether the CHI Id is
from 4 parish or board school, will
recommend his commitment to an In
dustrial School, and never for q term OF
less than three years. This commit
ment is q sentence to one OF three con-
ditions or grades Of Industrial School
prison life:
Ito the Truant School, Tor BOYS
and girls, for n three years term; in
which case the culprit is chased by
visitors to and from the school,
where he remains certain hours OF each
day; and receives his food, but no
clothing, and sleeps at home. The Pc
rents are compelled 10 pay one shiI-
ling per week into the Industrial school
fund.
ITO the Intermediate Industrial
school, Tor boys only, where he is com
mitted, TO the ago OF sixteen, should hc
be sentenced ut the age OF five. Here
the lad is in absolute confinement; and
his parents arc compelled to pay from
two shillings to two shillings and six
pence per week into tho fund; and
SO the Industrial school proper,
Tor both sexes, under 4 ~tivc-ycars' sen
tencc. The parents must pay the same
sum weekly rs 10 tho intermediate
fund. They may visit their children
once every three months; but the lat
ter arc never liberated until finally dis.