Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-04

nave DcSH caught an u returned 10 the
public schools of this city in a single
year, so it Is plain TO be seen tnat
the truant problem CT New York is =
very serious one. OF the total mum
Der. however, less than nve per cent.
are so incorrigible that they have to
be committed to reform schools, and
Of those committed, not to the ordi-
nary reform schools, where discipline
is a perfunctory following of tradi-
tional rules. but to a model reform
school like the New York Juvenile
asylum, the majority develop Into
good and useful citizens.
However, truants are not the only
ones that give the school authorities
trouble In twelve months the II
truant officers have investigated as
many as los, 416 cases OF absence from
school, but this does not represent
all their work by any means, for
nearly $4,000 of these cases required
more than one investigation. Cases
of truancy are the most important of
ALL Jut some idea of the ignorance
and negligence prevailing in the city
may be derived from the fact that
during the year these truant officers
discovered some 5000 children who
did not go to school because not com
PEELED to and some 1900 children wh0
were employed during school hours
All of these children were, of course
sent to school by the officers as soor
as discovered.
1t is no exaggeration to say that
the lot of the New York truant officer
Is not a happy one He is largely re-
spOnsible for the enforcement of the
law that every child between the ages
OF eight and fourteen must attend the
public school regularly, and the en-.
forcement of this faw in districts like
those of the lower east side, where it
is not uncommon 70 End several hun
bred persons living in a single five
story tenement house, requires tire
less vigilance The mere physical
task of climbing stairs and question
ing the residents in FIVE or six tene-
ments scattered from one end of
district to another is itself a great
drain on mans patience and energy.
For it would never do to conduit
these visits perfunctorily. As a rule
these cases of non-attendance az
school have too many peculiar or ex-
tenuating circumstances 10 warrant
disposing Of them according TO hard
and fast rules; and the officer must
play the part of just judge.
The work Of a truant officer begins
when that of parent Ur guardian has
apparently ended. For example, when
the usual notice mailed to the home
of child who has been absent from
school is neglected, or when some
unsatisfactory excuse is made, then
the truant officer makes Il his bust
ness to visit the chiId's home and in
vestigate the case himself; and any
one who wishes to see east side life
as it really is, behind doors generally
closed to all but officers in uniform,
would find It instructive and interest
ing to accompany the truant seeker
on his daily rounds
First on his list today. say, is a
faussian-Jewish name that would be-
wilder the native eye and defy the ma
tive tongue. The officer goes down
side street. crouches to enter dilap-
idaLed four-story tenement house
through a low doorway, picks his way
through a dark entry and goes up the
creaking stairs into an atmosphere
Of bad air and the odors from several
kitchens. He knocks on one Of the
four doors Of the landing at the head
of the second fight of stairs A mid
die aged woman appears, and placing
her arms allimbo, regards him in
qusitlveiy. He speaks to her in Yid-
dish, telling her who ne is and what
he wants, and then she makes way
for him meekly enough and mods
towards the farther end of the room.
II is a typical east side room. about
ten feet square, with a window open
ing unon an air shaft, and with a
table, a gas stove, and couple OF
wooden chairs for furnishings At
the table sits boy, his cap on his
head, an empty cup and a crust Of
bread before him Evidently he has
just had his breakfast.
why aren't you at school?" the Of
ficer asks.
The boy sulks and does not an
swer. His mother explains that he
won't go to school: neither will he go
to work. He is only fourteen years
old, but she has lost all control OF
him. His favorite occupation is loaf
ing around the streets with gang OF
boys like himself. His father has been
hopelessly blind for two years. and
the mother has supported the family
by taking in washing once she had
hopes that her son would be 4 help
to her; instead OF that he is hin
drance She explains why he cannot
talk very Wei by describing the beat
ing his father had glvea him the day
before for gambling WY her weeks
earnings. She has done everything
she could for him, she says, but now
that he Is proving himself useless she
would rathc~ have him taken away
There is no doubt in the officers
mind that the story Is true. and he
makes arrar sraroents 10 come again