The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-06-30
STATE ASKED TO INVESTIGATE
Judge Randall Insists That Only Va
cation Permits be Issued to These
Boys and That They be Forced to
Attend School in Winter.

New evidence of the existence of a
"padrone system for the importation
Of Italian child laborers to America
and to Kenosha has been brought to
the notice of Judge G. E. Randall in
the municipal court and he is planning
to lay the facts that he has discovered
not only before the deputy state fac
tory inspectors, but if necessary be-
fore the officials of the United States
immigration Bureau. Within the
past few weeks permits to work have
been issued to twenty italian boys who
are now living in Kenosha and most
of them have just passed the age of
fourteen years. These twenty boys
according to the story told by them
are practically homeless in Kenosha
and although of very tender age they
are forced to depend on what they can
earn for livelihood or else seek sup
port from the pauper committee of the
common council. These boys were
brought to this country under age for
the issuance of working permits and
when they landed they were in charge
of some one who agreed to provide for
their support. The clannishness of
the Italian people has made it possible
for these boys to be taken care of in
Kenosha until they have reached an
age where they can go to the judges
of record and demand a permit to
work for their own living.
1.-THE courts have practically no
course open to them but to issue per-
mits for these little fellows to go to
work." said Judge Randall this morn
ing, Fbut it is little less than a crime
against childhood. They must either
work or become paupers. The men
and women who made it possible for
these children to get into the country
are reported as "gone" and it is i'm
possible to find anything further about
them. For the protection of the Judge
issuing the permit we have adopted
the plan of sending these Italian boys
to Clerk Michael Donahue of the board
of education who secures from them
statement which is filed with the ap-
plication for the permit. These boys
all go to work in the factories. I
have found that few of them have
ever attended school,
Judge Randall has advised D. D.
Evans the factory inspector in charge
of this district that it is his belief
that were the proper search made fifty
of these Italian boys would be found
in Kenosha and it is thought possible
that many of them are living in a
single house and contributing to the
support of older people who were di-
rectly or Indirectly responsible for
their being brought over from Italy
to work in the Kenosha factories. It
is a noticeable fact that these condi-
lions are common only to the Italians
and few boys of people born in other
nations common in Kenosha have asked
for permits save in cases where they
are accompanied by their parents.
District Attorney Baker in the past
has looked into this matter, but at
that time he was unable to get facts
which would warrant an investigation
by the federal authorities. Judge
Randall is making a record of each of
these cases and at a later period he
will have this evidence of the importa-
tion of these boys in a. condition to
present it properly to the officials of
the state and of the federal govern
ment if necessary.
These boys are not paupers, but they
are entirely denied the rights of edu-
cation and it is felt that being denied
these rights thy can not but in time
become a menace. to the country
Judge Randall has issued to these
boys permits for the vacation only and
they must be ready to go to school
with the opening of the schools in the
fall.