The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-12-11
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.
Labor Leaders Seek to Have Laws Enacted
to Enforce Attendance at school.

to Enforce Attendance at School.
The Wisconsin Teachers Associa-
ton, the state factory inspectors and
several cSher organizations are ali
framing bills to be introduced in the
Legislature this winter to compel chill
dren to go to school. A bill prepared
by a committee of the Teachers
association provides that every child
between the age of z and IA years
shall attend school from October i
of each year until June l Of the year
following, that proper persons shall
act as truant officers TO compel OBJ
servance Of this proposition; that if
parents are too poor to supply books
and clothing for the children, the
judge of the juvenile court shall order
the proper state officials to provide
such necessities and see that the
children go to school.
Under the present law the children
are required to go to school twelve
weeks Id year, but inasmuch as
the time for attendance is not speci-
fed, it is difficult for the state officials
to enforce the provision. At the end
of any twelve weeks the parents of
child who has not been sent to
school can be arrested and fined, but
that does not give the child the school
advantages which the state desires.
Under the new proposed law the state
officers can compel attendance for
stated time.
The chief difficulty with which the
state factory inspectors have to con
tend now, according to the inspect
ors, is the Justification of reports of
the age of children on the part, of
parents. 1t is almost impossible
to stop the practice or to prove spe-
cific cases SO that convictions may
ensue. It Is chiefly the foreigners
who resort to this practice, it is said,
and it is impossible to get direct in
formation of the date of the birth of
the child born in foreign country.
| In order to correct this defect in the
| present law, the factory inspectors
want to have the burden of proof of
the age of the child put upon the par
ents instead Of upon the factory in
| spector. For instance, in the case of
a child, whom the factory inspector
has reason to believeis under IA years Of
age being taken out of school and sent
/ to work, the parents can be compelled
to bring proof of the child's age by
| baptismal or birth records or whatever
other evidence they may have or pro-
cure. It's desired that the factory in
spectors shall be given large dis
cretionary powers, so that children
whom they deem unified by health or
nature for labor in factory can be
compelled to stop work.
/ One reason for the extent of the
Justification of affdavits of the age Of
children under the present system:
It is said that notaries public make
it business of inducing parents to
have such afidavits made out simply
that the .notaries may get the fee of
| Is cents. Many cases of notaries in
ducing parents to swear falsely to the
age of their children have come to the
attention Of inspectors. it is said.
AS rule employers cooperate with
the State officials in enforcing the law
and they have likewise received much
valuable assistance from labor unions
and from priests and ministers. Laws
providing for sanitation, ventilation
and to prevent over crowding of en-
ployes are also being framed for in
PRODUCTION to the Legislature this win
ter.