Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-18
WANT A LAW PASSED.
Iowa Unionists Working for Com
pulsory Education.
OTTUAIWA. ASSEMBLY TAKES ACTION
Local Wage Farmers Adopt a ResoIu.
ton Favoring the Proposed Bill to
Made Education CompuIsory-other
OttumWa Labor News.


[TE. matter published in this col.
| umn is furnished by the officers of the
Federation of Labor]
[From Thursdays Daily.l
At a regular meeting of the Trades
& Labor assembly, which was held
last evening at Labor hall, strong res
olutions were passed endorsing COM
pulsory education of children under
the age of Is years, and their constant
attendance at schools. The organized
labor of Iowa is making strong fight
to take the children out of the work
shops and place them in schools. The
bill for this purpose has been en-
dorsed by all the local unions and
trades assemblies in the state, ard it
| is believed that it will be passed dur
ing the present session of the legisla-
ture. The bill as prepared for presen-
tation is as follows:
Section /. All children between the
ages Of eight and fifteen years must
attend some public or private school
in which the English branches are
taught, during the entire time in which
the public schools of the place are in
session.
Sec. 2. Excuse from school attend.
ance may be granted to any child be-
tween the ages of eight and fifteen on
the grounds of physical or mental in
capacity, adequate home instruction
in branches taught at school, more
than two miles distance to school,
Sec. 8. Where the child is unable
to attend school on account of ex-
IRENE povertyof parents or guardians,
and their inability to furnish proper
shoes and clothing, the supervisors or
such other county officers appointed
for such purpose, shall on request of
truant officers, or board of school di.
rectors, furnish such child with such
needed shoes and clothing. and the
cost of same be paid for out of the
poor fund Of the county in which such
child resides.
Sec. 4. Excuses shall be issued by
the superintendent of schools in cities
having school superintendent, or by
persons authorized in writing by the
superintendent to do so. In towns
and villages excuses must be issued
by some member of the school board
authorized by said board to grant
them.
Sec. 5. Any parent or guardian
having under his control any child of
the age specified in this act, and fail
ing to comply with the provisions of
the same, shall forfeit not less than
five dollars, nor more than twenty-five
dollars for each offense, and all fines
when collected shall be paid over tc
the school treasurer of such district in
which the offense is committed.
Sec. 6. The board of directors OF
school corporations shall appoint a
truant officer Or officers, whose duties
it shall be, together with such board
of school directors, to enforce the pro-
visions of this enactment, and such
board of directors or truant officer,
shall sue with or without notice for a
forfeiture under section five of this
act.
Sec. 7. The board of directors of
any school corporation may establish
truant schools for the instruction of
children who are habitually truant
and it shall be the duty of such board
OF directors or the truant officer or
officers appointed by them to appre.
bend children of school age who do
not attend school, and place such chill.
dren when SO apprehended in such
truant school, and upon the failure OF
such child to properly conduct or to
attend such school it may be removed
to any other school in the district des.
ignated by the parent or guardian
The truant officers shall be paid such
compensation out of the contingent
fund, as the board of directors may di.
rect.
From reports received by President
Holder Of the State Federation of La
Dor, the convention to be held at Ce.
dar Rapids in May will be large and
very important one. Organized labor
has grown in Iowa with such rapid
strides during the past year and SO
many new problems are facing the
workers that it is thought that there
will be but very few local unions which
will not be represented at the conven
ton.
Another encouraging feature is that
the miners have invited the officers of
the State Federation of Labor to meet
with them at their convention which
opens March a in Des Moines. and in all
probability truce will be declared be
tween the two organizations whereby
the miners will become reaffiliatet
with the Federation. President Hold
er also reports general activity amonf
all the local unions of the state and 9
very largely increased total member.
ship. 1t is probable that the conven
ton will make plans for the carrying
on of the work SO that the local un
ions will not be confused with outside
appeals which have no bearing on tn,
affairs of organized labor.
Machinists' Union.
The local machinists' union seems t,
be moving in the right direction. TIL,
organization has now among it's ranks
about every competent machinist ii
the city, and new life has been infused
into the organization. Financial Sec
rotary Stephen Queeney reports tha
there is much interest being taken in
the meetings and that every prospect
is bright.
Musicians Union.
There is probably no stronger organ
iZation of musicians in Iowa than tina,
of Ottumwa, and they are to be com
mended for the able way in which they
han51a THAR opfoi,,c Tbo,r -,