Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26
LAW REVEALS EVILS
Lazy Father, Lax Doctor and
ignorant Child Discovered.
BIRTHS NOT ON RECORD
Physicians Derelict in Filing Vital
Statistics.
BOY COULD NOT READ OR WRITE
Comnulsorv Education Evaded
Parent Who Would Not Work
Made to Work.
BIRTHS NOT ON RECORD
BOY COULD NOT READ OR WRITE

Az means to discover the lazy father,
the lax doctor and the illiterate child the
child labor law recently put in force in
the District has proved to be the real
thing.
While Congress passed the resolution
with the purpose to protect small boys
and girls from work tending to lower
their efficiency in the battle of life, they
haze succeeded in producing other great
results.
How the law has shown the dereliction
of physicians. an employee of the health
office says, is proven by recent incident,
To obtain a permit to work school Off
Gals issuing them have, in most cases. re-
CURED the presentation of birth GER
tificate to show the age of the child.
A German father applied for permit
for his Wilhelm recently and was told ne
must obtain a birth certificate from the
health office. The foreigner protested
that the presence of the live boy proved
his birth. The permit clerk was obstinate.
Physician Dead.
OF went the father to the health office.
There he discovered that the birth of his
child was not on record. He was told to
hunt up the doctor who was present on
the suspicious occasion and he started
off
a few days later he reported the physi-
clan was dead.
Several instances of this kind have come
to light. showing that physicians have
failed to make reports of births to the
health department. Where the physician
in question is still living and In the city.
1ln liS-y nt !, ice. yryil1 =
edy the vital statistics records. and will
caution the medicine man.
The enforcement of the child labor Law
has, it is added. proved that the compul-
sorry education law has in some cases been
violated with impunity. Only a few days
ago according to r. o. Wilmarth, who is
issuing the permits, fifteen-year-old boy
applied for a permit to work. He was
asked for a schooling certificate, showing
when and how long he had attended
school.
That was not forthcoming. An educa-
tional examination was given the young
ster. 1t was discovered he could neither
read nor write. He admitted that he had
practically never attended school.
In this case the permit officer decided to
allow the boy to work on the condition
that he attend night school every night
next winter. His name and address are
recorded, and the night school rolls next
year will be examined to determine if
authorities say, the permit of the boy will
be revoked.
The utimatum of the school officials
to such boys and girls is in plain
language:
Go to school or you cannot work.
Provisional Permits.
In cases where the revenue of the fam
lily is SO small that the earnings of the
boys are necessary to the maintenance of
the home, the permit is granted but
with the proviso that he attend school
during some of his leisure hours. And
the ultimatum that he cannot work un-
less he attends school, it is declared. will
act more forcibly than the compulsory
education law.
School officials add that if only acting
to make known these cases Of non-aT-
tendance at school. the new child labor
law will prove of great benefit.
Mr.. Wilmarth says he has a long list
of those TO whom contingent permits to
work have been granted. This will be
consulted by the child labor law inspec-
tors and truant officers next fall after
the school sessions begin. Some permits
are good only until classes begin in Sep
TENDER. Others are not good unless the
child attends night school
Fathers have also felt the effects OF
the law. Under its provisions Judge De-
Lacy of the Juvenile Court is given power
TO allow children to work if the circum-
stances in the home justify ii. few
days ago he was investigating the APP
plication of round-shOuldered, spare
woman for a permit for her fourteen
year-old boy She maintained that the
earnings of the boy were necessary.
"Of course" she added. :'if his old man
would work regularly the boy would not
have to earn anything
$50 that's the trouble commented the
Judge We will that fat har
does work regularly"
A warrant for the arrest of the husband
the hands of the police. When the head
of the household appeared in the court
room he was given to understand that his
duty to the home was not to send his
children out to work from early morn TO
late night while he nurSed a pipe and
wore out the railing on the front porch
during the day.
And the most impressive part of the
judges remarks were that the husband
must give his wife IS every week for the
support of herself and boy.
Mr. Wilmarth has announced that the
issuing of the permits from the Franklin
School building will be continued during
the coming week every afternoon until
badges to newsboys and boot blacks will
take place. Also on that date the enforce
ment of the. law will begin.
Nearly all the children who want to
work during the coming year, il is be-
leved by the school officials have made
their applications. The number of per-
mits issued is over 1000. During the past
few days the number granted each day
has been small.