St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-17
HANDLING CHILDREN.
When They Should BE Allowed to
Work Discussed.


ties, occurred last night at the residence
of George r. Bracket, the president of
the association. 1t was an informal affair,
and all persons interested Ill the work
of charity were invited to attend. Sew
eral hundred ladies and gentlemen re-
sponded to the invitation, rendering the
social complete success. Two papers
were read, one by Rev Father ByrneS,
president Of st. Thomas seminary, and
the other by A. q. Merrill, superlntend-
ent of the state school at OWatonna.
During the interval between the papers
Miss Josephine Jennings sang Thou
Art a Flower" and the guests were
given an opportunity to become &C
quainted with each other. AT the con-
clusOn of Supt. MerrilPs paper'lunch
was served, ana then followed general
discussion on charitable work. Ihe
title of Fir. Byrne's paper was "Educa-
ton and Child Labor" 1t was very IN
terestIng. ana the reader was applauded
vigorously when ne concluded. Follow
ing is brief extract:
Remove this stumbling block.
namely, the employment Of children as
wage earners, and nine-tenthS or all
children now kept from school Will be
sent back. 1t will be the office OF pas
tors and charitable people generally to
see that the remaining tenth also be
sent to school. But right here arises
the question, at what age should cnlld
be considered amenable to SucA law!
Let us take glance at 1t.
'All laws which are enacted to 10
away with an abuse should be so framed
as not to inhict burden, otherwise
they remain a dead letter On the statute
book. In the matter before US it IS evil
dent that 1t would be an intolerabIe
burden were law against chlld-laD0r
vigorously enforced until the child al
tanned say his sixteenth year. w hlle
ne certainly needs Instruction up 10
this are. still it is not so certain that
he needs it the whole year round. On
the other hand, parents blessed with
five or six children can be materially
assisted if the eldest III his four
teenth year and fifteenth year earns
his own clothes. and that amount
of spending money he requires TO keep
him from the temptation OF pIlfeIIGg.
Under thirteen years there are many
reasons to debar absolutely any enid,
boy or girl, from any kind OF Work eX-
cept that little required at nome. FROM
the ace OF thirteen to sixteen there is
transition period in which the rigOr of
sion granted to parents to put their
children at some decent employment
for a few months in the year.
The selling Of papers or flowers
or any kind of street work is never be-
coming employment for young girls.
The term OF working days thus allowed
should not exceed six months; III TACT,
It would be better to make the law pro-
hibit any sort Of labor for certain we'll
defined period, say from the 18th Of Oc
tober to the 18th of April. The law,
therefore. WhichI would enact eXempli-
flying that saying of the phi
lOsOpher that in matters moral
we should not require mathematical
precision. would contemplate: First.
an age. viz. thirteen years. under which
no child should be allowed TO Work;
secondly, an age, viz, sixteen years,
beyond which all work would De per
United at all times; thirdly, transition
period. during which Work would be
permitted for portion OF the year, ana
prohibited for the rest"
The rest OF Father Byrne'S paper dis
cussed the necessity for caution in the
enactment OF such law and the fixing
of penalties for its violation. Such
law would be summary, compulsory IN
its effect and would mean, to a certain
extent, crossing the threshold and
usurping the rights Of parents. The
sense OF liberty rebels against coercion.
The title of Supt. MerrllPs DaDeEwas
"The Work Of the State School, lie
briefly outlined the peOn OF operation OF
J the school and the process Of admission
He also suggested the need. III the
cities, of special officers to look after
children. The associated charities were
! doing good work. but could not do all
that should be done. OF life i'll the
! school he said:
The idea of home life lies at the very
| foundation of the enterprise, and this
| distinctive feature has been recognized
| in the erection OF cottage buildings
| with hOme-lke arrangements for the
| division OF the children into family
! groups. In each cottage there lives
| with the children a woman OF character.
| who comes in close communion with
! them. and bears to them a relation.
! in care and supervision, as close as
/ that of a mother. The old life is shut
| out. and they enter here community
/ governed and maintained under high
! moral standards. Foul Jest and oath are
! not permitted, as under thelrfOrmer sur
! rOundingS, in their conversation. Ihe
! depressing effect of life in public in
! stitutiOn is guarded against IN every
possible way, and the utmost liberty
consistent with good discipline IS given.
Every vantage ground is used to upllft
I the children"
He did not understand that the peO-
| pie who have established and maintain
| the children intend that they shall be
| supplied only with the bare necessities.
! Their lives should be frightened and
! expanded in the school. The social
nature is appealed to. They are edu-
Gated in a good graded school. But the
! children are to be restored to the con-
ditiOn of children better born. so they
are sent. after a short residence at the
state school, into Well-tO-dO families
where they have good homes. All these
| children so placed are systematically
visited and watched by the state. Supt.
Merrill said in conclusion:
Il have outlined here, not theory
! simply, out plan that is successful in
| operation and has results to show.
Seven hundred chiidIen have been
| provided for: Of these 1876 are now in
! the school at the state expense. while
! the others, with few exceptions,
have been placed in homes,
to the mutual advantage Of both
themselves and their foster parents.
! They are today to be found in our dis
trict schools. high schools and acad-
emies: and it is fair to presume that a
| few wears will find some of them pur-
suing the higher courses of the uniVer-
| sity These. however. will be the eX-
ceptiOns; the great mass will occupy
| places i'll the ordinary walks of life and
| earn their living by honest toll"
AMERICAN IS. AND T..