Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-09-30
ABOUT OVERSIGHT FOR
CHILDREN OF THE REPUBLIC
Mrs. Jno. A. Logan

At a session of the National Educational associa-
tion recently held at Asbury park, N. J., some valuable
were made on the subject of education of
children and child labor. For the first time attention has
been called to the question of the immigrant child"
the statemen being made that "carful examination of
the statistics of the bureau of immigration shows
first; that no census of children of school age among
the arriving immigrants is TAKEN second, that thou
sands of immigrant children of school age never enter
our schools, and third, that about 8 per cent of immi-
grant arrivals are of school age. That there has never
been any coordination between the immigration and the
school authorities is a government blunder which needs
immediate correction
Thus it would seem that the United States are ac-
cessory in allowing foreigners to carry out in this
country, the custom of the old world of making every
member of the family contribute to the support of it,
no matter how many Of them are infants.
Statistics will prove that child labor was first intro
duced through the employment of foreigners. Among
some nationalities the multiplication of children is for
the purpose of increasing the productive resources OF
the parents, the fathers generally anticipating freedom
from work through their children, who are forced to
labor before they have reached their teens. Many mini
grants who have large families come to this country be-
cause of the opportunities to place their children in ser
vice that is more remunerative than in Europe.
Not satisfied with the advancement in their own
wages, they put their babies to work, sometimes at al
most as good wages as they received themselves on the
other side of the Atlantic, without regard to the effect
on the development of the children. 1t is the duty of
those in authority to stop the criminal destruction of
young lives. The future welfare of the nation depends
upon the generations that are to succeed each other.
In almost all communities the public schools have
wellequipped industrial departments where boys and
girls have far better opportunities than they can posi-
Jly have in their own homes to learn the useful arts.
One has only to visit the public schools and see the chill
dren at work to realize that our system of education is
admirable If the parents are made to conform to the
aw in the matter of sending their children to school un-
til they have reached the age of fourteen years. After
that time, they can enter upon almost any vocation with
confidence in their ability to succeed.
No other country has so many provisions, of both
public and private character, for the education and
training Of their youths as has the United States. We
have only to see to it that they are not deprived of the
benefits of these provisions through the avaricious
spirit of carelessness or parents or guardians.
1t has been estimated that fourteen years it not too
much TO allow for the development and necessary educa-
ton of both boys and girls to fit them for the grave re-
sponsibilty of life and usefulness in our great repub-
lie. 1t would seem that this is about right; none too
much to insure a noble, intelligent race.
There are statutes on compulsory education, but
they are of little use if they are not enforced and
parents compelled to send their children to school and
give them their freedom after school hours for recrea
ton and exercise necessary for the unfolding of their
mental and physical powers.
Immigrants should especially be under the scrutiny
of officials and made to take proper care Of their chill
dren. and II they are found unable to do so the children
should be taken away from them and placed in institu-
able cases il has been found that brutal men lead lives
OF idleness and debauch, relying upon their children and
their wives for the qualification of their vicious appe-
ites and support. Such men should be arrested and
made to provide for their families. Otherwise these in
fauts in the eyes of the law become dwarfs mentally and
physically.
Copyright, 1905, by w. r. Hearst)