The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-02-29
How the States Guard the Child.

the practice of hiring child from
/ his parents in order to send him to
school are some of the more remark
able measures adopted during the
year Just ended by number of States
which are endeavoring to get every
single child of school age into school.
| These measures are described by j.
! C. Boykin, Editor of the United States
Bureau of Education. in a report is
sued for free distribution by the Bur-
/ eau.
In Michigan, If poverty compels a
child to go to work before completing
! his common school education, the dis
trict board OF education may pay the
parents as muchNas the circumstances
require up to three dollars a week
/ in order that they may place their
child in school In addition, the. child
may be furnished with textbooks free
j In many States, very often weak
schools over a considerable area are
consolidated into one strong school,
/ the State paying the parents or others
to bring in the children. Mr.. Boykin
discusses this as follows:
"A variation from the usual provi-
sions for transportation is found in
! the Minnesota law granting aid to
consolidated districts. The school
board of such a district is authorized
to pay a reasonable amount for board
and lodging in lieu of transportation
of pupils living at distance from the
schoolhouse. Another unusual devel-
opment is the South Dakota law,
which provides that when transporta-
ton is not furnished the school dis
trict shall pay to the parents or guar
dams of pupils living at distance
from the nearest schoolhouse, as
much as 45 cents a day of actual
school attendance.
These two enactments are exam
plies of the unexpected results that
sometimes follow new lines of legis-
lation. In one case public funds not
only furnish free tuition with all that
it implies, but also pay part OF the
board and lodging of the pupil; in
the other case the parent is paid in
cash for sending his child to school,
for there is no requirement that he
shall transport the child. In neither
case does the element of charity en-
ter.
Other laws upon the general sub
iect of transportation were enacted
during the year in California, where
pupils may be transported at the cost
of the county to county high schools;
in Kansas, where any district board
may provide transportation for pupils
living more than IL miles from
school; in Missouri, where the limit
of distance is only one-half mile; in
New Hampshire, where school dis
tricts were authorized to purchase
necessary vehicles in Pennsylvania,
where it is provided that no pupil Of
a discontinued school shall be requir-
ed to walk more than mile and a
half to a consolidated school; and in
Iowa"
Increased educational requirements,
and a shortening OF the hours OF la
Dor for the purpose of allowing the
worker greater opportunities for self
improvements characterize the child
labor legislation passed during 1911
as another phase of the campaign to
raise the general level of education
in this country. In this connection,
Mr. Boykin says:
Comprehensive laws of great i'm
portance relating to child labor were
passed during 1911 in Colorado, Indi-
ana, Michigan, Missouri, New Hamp-
shire, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and
Wisconsin. All these states previous
ly had laws that we're more or less
effective, but in no case did the old
law compare with the new in com
pleteness or in definiteness. The, new
measure of New Hampshire is espe-
cially comprehensive and we'll drawn;
that of Colorado is nearly as com
plete; and those of Tennessee, Texas,
Utah and Missouri are notable in
that they greatly broaden the field OF
legal regulation, for in those states
the previous enactments were of linn
: tied application.
THE most advanced laws prohibit
employment before the age of 16 I'M
less the child has completed the
eighth elementary grade, bvt that
standard is still considered too high
in most of the states, Ability to read
Understandings and to write legibly
is all the education that is required in
New Hampshire and Colorado for
children between IA and 16, and that
is as far as the requirements of the
majority of states GO
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