Evening journal., 1909-09-28
WANTS EDUCATION
LAWS ENFORCED
Factory Inspector Eli on
COnferS With Board Of
Education MemberS
ED LAWS ARE
EASILY UNDERSTOOD

Factory Inspector j. Austin Ellison
held a conference with the Board Of
Education following the meeting Of
that body last evening. relative to
having enforced the compulsory edu-
cation law. He claims that this Is
not being done and he wants the
board to take some action in the mat
ter and encourage the assistance Of the
police, Il possible, 70 see that the law
is obeyed 10 the letter.
"'rhe last Legislature made amend.
ments to the laws Affecting schoo
children and the requirements are now
very simple to follow" said Mr. Eni-
son. There was conflict between
the compulsory education and child
labor laws previous to the convening
of the last General Assembly, but that
body Strengthened out matters and
now the law is plainly set forth so
that IL cannot be readily misunder-
stood"
The amended laws provide: "That
no child under the age of fourteen
years shall be employed or suffered to
work at any gainful occupation.
THAT no child between the ages OF
fourteen and sixteen years shall be em-
played in any factory. workshop or
establishment where the manufacture
of any kind Of goods whatever is car
ried on unless such child shall have
attended a public school or a school
equivalent thereto or a parochial
school for not less than one hundred
and forty days during the school year
previous to his arriving at the age
Of fourteen years, or within the school
year Immediately preceding such em-
ployment, and unless such child shall
be able to read and write simple
sentences in the English language,
and be familiar with the fundamental
operations of arithmetic up to frac-
tions.
"That no child or children under the
age Of sixteen years shall be employed
in any gainful occupation for a longer
period than nine hours a day, or fifty
four hours a week, or before the hour
OF seven o'clock in the morning or af-
ter the hour OF six o'clock in the even
ing. and further provide. that every
such child so employed shall be en-
titled to not less than thirty minutes
for meal time at noon, and every EN-.
ployer shall post I'm a conspicuous
place, where such minor children ar,
employed, a printed notice. statins
that the maximum work hours re
quired in any one week shall not ex
ceed fifty-four hours. o"
Under the old laws a child was com
PEELED to attend school for sixty day
or nights previous to obtaining EN-
ployment and in the event of losin,
that position was compelled to atten,
school again for a similar period be
fore being qualified to receive a certi
ficate for further employment and re
peating such tactics until the age o
sixteen years was reached.
The old law provided for the an
pointment Of two truant officers bu
the Board Of Education did not hav
the money 70 expend for the purpos,
The law was amended making tn
members Of the police force practicall
truant officers. Mr.. Ellison said tina
the police can do much by taking u
children under fourteen years OF ag
they see walking about the streets.
Under tho new laws a child mus
attend school until he or she is four
teen years OF age and must attend a
least 40 days between the thirteent
I and fourteenth year. After havin
complied with these requirements an
having reached the age of IA yeeri
| the child IS no longer molested.