New-York tribune., 1910-03-25
TABS ON CHILDREN
SCHOOL CENSUS ON.
WM BE HARDER No5r TO Euade
Compulsory Education.

lohcemnn calls n vour home and
LOT % questions about the number.
-. ana present mental and physical cor
--'-oh of your children. be polite 20 him.
- eonk stop az that. Give the policeman
=" the Information ne seeks; approxirnate
eslnates VIII not pass. DO not say: Il
~LIFe Ave hVe or six children. ranging from
-I''ains Ike three years 20 IN the neigh
oorhood OF eighteen"
trouble awaits the parent. guardian or
"t"ef person having untsr his control or
onstse child between tho ages % four
ana eighteen years who wIthholds OF re-
teses 10 give Information On L.s sossessiOn
reisting 20 such child-" The l-N says- that
any parent. guardian or othes person who
gives false information In such resard
shan be liable 90 snd be punished by a nne
NOT exceeding 30 or BY Imprisonment not
exceeding thirty days"
Tie whole matter Is serious. and every
one interested IN children win have 20 make
note or the work now going forward under
the direction of the Permanent Census
Board of the City % New York. Twenty
four policemen have been assigned BY Po-
lice Commissioner Baker 20 give their en-
tire time n the taking OF the school census.
When the work e fully under way no fewer
than two hundret policemen win be 30 oe-
cupied
II Is noa altogether a matter of wait
ing cor thu policeman 20 call. For instance.
you are required 20 report 81 the police
station house IN your district the following
information:
First. when a child becomes seven years
ola; second. when a child between four and
eighteen years old Is removed from one
police district 20 another; third. when q
one school 20 another within the same pre-
cinct OF when discharged from school 20
become employed. IN accordance with the
provisions OF the labor Law: fourth. when
such a child becomes q resident q the city
for the nrst time
A new school census law was enacted by
the Legislature as Chapter SO OF the Laws
of 1908 The duty of house-tO-house enUn-
Grafton is placed upon tie Po,ioe Conmis-
sioner He Is required 10 assign policemen
20 oarry on the canvass. and IN the event
that q suficient number oannO; be spared
from the regular force for this special ser
Vice the financial authorities OF the city
are directed 20 provide funds for the en-
ployment of the additional policemen. who
must then Be chosen from the appropriate
eligible lists The responsibility for en-
forcing the law rests upon the Commission
er % Education.
George II Chatheld. secretary Of the
Permanent Census Beard. said az his Oftice
IN the Board OF Education building:
The end first ROug ght BY the accumulation
of this information Is a stricter and better
enforcement OF the compulsory education
and the child LABOR laws. Il seems prOba-
ble. TOO. that much light may be shed On the
vexed subject of vocational training and
other important SOCIOLOGICAL questions re
lated 20 school work. through the opportu-
nifty afforded 20 gather these classes OF
data.
ITO Develop the habit OF reporting 20 the
police On the part OF our urban population
VIII probably be q matter OF very slow
growth. and II seems not improbable that
TIE police magistrates VIII be rather slow
- recognize q violation of this provision as
an offence suniciently serious 20 warrant
the imposition of the penalty. The duty %
reporting should devolve upon house own
ers This is now the case abroad Il =
doubtful ~ course. that this proposition
VIII ever be very attractive 20 the parties
most directly concerned
The names reported from The schools are
being furnished 20 the Policemen detailed for
census work The policemen will report
making returns on the hoUse-to-house can
vRss. To insure further accuracy n the
work each building in the city viii be listed
IN a location index and the returns checked
up 10 see thar no house or apartment has
been omitted.
For school administration purposes the
city of New YORK is divided into forty-siU
school districts. A school district. there
fore IS the basis on which the house-tO-
house canvass Is being organized.
Various methods of tabulating Ire returns
have been under consideration. Some form
o. machine tabulation viii probably be en-
ployed The census IS expected 20 be con-
tinuous-that IS 20 say, the list of names
on dle with the Permanent Census Boar1
should show q; any given time the neoes-
sary Information concerning all the chill
dren between the ages OF four and eighteen
years then resident n the city.