The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-14
PRICES.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
Report of the Committee on Teacher.
and Salaries

and Salaries.
Mr.. President:-The question OF compul-
/ sorry education, referred TO this commit
J tee, has been under consideration and the
following report is submitted:
First: The law governing the question
! is as follows, being An Act Requiring the
| Education OF all Healthy Children chap
/ ter 123. Laws of 1874.
Section !. That every parent. guard
ian, or other person in the state Of Kan
! sas. having any control of any child or
, children between the ages of eight and
fourteen years, shall be required TO send
such child or children to a public school
or private school, taught by a competent
instructor, for period of at least twelve
weeks in a year. six weeks of which time
shall be consecutive, unless such child or
children are excused from such attend
snce by the board Of the school district
or the Board Of Education of the city in
which such parent guardian or person
having control resides, upon its being
| shown to their satisfaction that such
parent or guardian was not able, by
reason Of poverty, to clothe such child
! properly, or that such child's bodily or
mental condition has been such as to
prevent his attendance at school or appli-
cation to study for the period required
or that such child or children are taught
at home in such branches as are usually
taught in the public schools. subject to
the same examination as other pupils Of
the district or city in which the child re-
sides. or that he has already acquired
the ordinary branches required by law,
or that there is no school taught within
two miles by the nearest Travelled road.
Sec. .. Any parent, guardian or other
person failing to comply with the provis-
ions of this act shall upon conviction be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
fined in & sum not less than FIVE nor more
than ten dollars for the first offense, nor
less than ten nor more than twenty dol
lars for the second and every subsequent
ofense. Said action shall be prosecuted
in the name of the state of Kansas be-
fore any court of competent jurisdiction,
and ali fines so collected shall be paid
into the county treasury for the support
Of common schools.
Sec. 3. It shall be the duty Of any
school director or president Of the Board
Of Education to inquire into all cases of
neglect Of the duty prescribed in this act,
and ascertain from the person neglecting,
the reason If any, therefor and shall
forthwith proceed to secure the prosecu-
ton of any offense occurring under this
act; and any director or president neg
lecting to secure such prosecution for
such offense within ten days after
written notice has been served on him by
any taxpayer in said district or city, I'M
less the person so complained Of shall be
excused by the district or city board of
education Tor reasons hereinbefore stat
ed, shall be deemed guilty Of a INSIDE
meanor, and liable to a fine Of not less
than twenty nor more than fifty dollars,
which fine shall be prosecuted for and in
the name Of the state Of Kansas, and
such fine when collected shall be paid
into the county treasury as in section
two of this act
Your committee finds. that while the
City of Wichita is operating her schools
under a special act. the act above quoted
is general in its application and as much
so TO Wichita as to any other city of the
first-class in the state. Therefore. the
President of the Board of Education OF
the City of Wichita is required by said
act to enforce its provisions within this
city and liable to conviction for a mis-
demeanor for neglect so to do.
Your committee further finds that there
are quite q large number Of children in
this city. who are qualified under said
act to attend but are not found in our
schools. public or private.
Wherefore, Your COMMITTEES recon-
mends as follows:
F'irst-That this report be published in
the city papers. at least twice per week
for two consecutive weeks. and that the
parents and others IN control of children
coming within the provisions of said
Compulsory School Attendance Act. living
in the city, be and hereby are urged and
respectfully required to have their child
rem enter the schools of the city, at once.
and II prevented. by poverty. from so
doing. that they report the fact to the
Secretary Of the Board of Education.
whose Office is lin the City Building. and
provisions VIII be promptly made for
necessary clothing and books 10 permit
such child or children to attend school.
The Associated Charities or the city have
kindly volunteered TO provide such cloth
ing and books
Second-That the President OF the Board
Of Education confer with and request the
cooperation Of the police authorities of
the city, in the efectual enforcement OF
said act.
Third-That all parents. guardians and
all good citizens unite with the board IN
administering this law. which has for its
purpose the lesseuing NJ Youthful
Migrants. decreasing matured tramps. the
improving of public morals. lettering
citizenship ard the lesseains Of cur taxes
Tor maintenance and punishment OF vio- |
lators Of an laws
Respectfully submitted
RoD0LPH HATFTEID.
II A. MCCLELLAN.
LEVI HoRNOR.