The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-28
Dr. Felix Adler Makes the Annual Address on
 Child Labor
FEDERAL AID FOR
 BENEFIT OF CHILD
Dr. Ross Tells of His Work of Preyen- tion of Disease Among Country School Students - Dr.
 Hand Speaks

Louisville, Ky January 27.-"We are bound to consider whether the time has not come for a national subsidy not to re- place. but to supplement the efforts of the states,' declared Dr. Felix Adler of New York, chairman of the national child labor committee, tonight in his annual ad- dress to the eighth conference in session here He was speaking on the subject, Federal Aid for Education and con- cluded:
 "The more consider the question, the more this step seems imminent. We must throw off our burden of iliteracy. In this respect we lag behind Germany and tho Scandinavian countries. We must have vocational training in the public schools and therefore we must increase the amount we expend upon our schools
 Growth of National Sentiment
 Dr. Adler had spoken of the growth of the national sentiment" since the civil war, of the proper aims of nationhood, of the prolific waste of Americas resources, even the human resources, the children of the mills, whose lives we have spoiled and blasted" He showed how the nation had delegated to the states the education of it's citizens, and how the states, de- spite the splendid records. still face enor- nous and appalling illiteracy figures.
 a any of them, he said, are so saddled wi.h self imposed burdens that there is little prospect of them being able to add tax sufficient to abolish illiteracy. and espeei- ally to introduce agricultural and indus trial training which is so sorely needed.
 pr. G. F. Ross, superintendent of health of Guilford county, N. C., the only county in the country whose country school pupils undergo meuicaI examination. told the conference of his work of prevention, dwell ling on the importance of educating the parents in disease, prevention methods and what had been accomplished. The rural child laborer as well as the mill child laborer is often placed at great dis advantage with respect to his physical and sanitary surroundings, he said
 The conference went on record today as indorsing without reserve the Amer ican Bar association recently drafted uni form child labor law.
 Illiteracy Facts
 Citing an amazing array of facts to demonstrate the need of compulsory edu- cation in the south, Prof ". H. Hand, state high school inspector of Colum- bia. & C., spoke before the eighth an- nual conference of the National Child Labor committee here today.
 After showing that Kentucky stands forty-third in the percentage of illiteraey of native whites 10 years of age and over. and with over 166,OO0 such illterates; South Carolina forty-fourth, with 54,oOO and North Carolina forty-ninth. with over 175000. Professor Hand said:
 "The south could once boast of an aris- tocracy capable, broad minded and high lv trained The conditions conducive to such a society however. have been swept away and today the south is pre-eminent- lv the land where training and fitness of the masses are indispensable.
 CT can show that the entire volume of iliteracy has remained stationary dur ing 10 years from 1890 to lsoo, except III North Carolina, where the number in creased. In 1900 the south Atlantic states had 2.472. .s95 white children between the .ees of | and 20 years. The school attend ance for that year was less than half the total number.
 Illiterate Females
 
 of this already gloomy prospect Is that in most of the southern states illiterate females outnumber the illiterate males An illiterate mother does not augur well for the child of tomorrow.
 When the state has provided schools for all the children. it has performed only a part of it's duty. If universal school tax is iustif1able on the ground popular education is a necessity. com pulsory attendance by the state is also justifiable.
 "A state has no right to levy and collect taxes for a specific purpose. Then permit that purpose to be defeated at the hands of indifferent or selfish par ents.
 "Objection is often made that compu1- sory attendance would work hardships fin the homes of the poor Is 1t not q fact that the poor child Is the very one who most needs the aid of the state to bring him into possession of his own? He it Is who must soon face the complexities of modern life and the insistent demands of citizenship with none of the advantages common to birth or wealth. He is the very one whom the state ought to help because he himself is helpless. The child of the poor must work, but 1t is neither right nor human that he should be forever denied his share in his inheritance in order to be bread winner for a sell fish. 1unfeeling father, as is so frequent ly the case.
 .'In the end, the south will have to apply compulsion for the education Of it's children. Neither bonuses nor local option laws will put the children into the schools We might as we'll face the facts
 :. Seized Steamer Released
 
 ger steamer Tavignano. which was seized by Italian torpedo boats last night orf Bipan, Tunis, has been released