The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-05
CHILDREN ARE BREAD WINNERS Upwards of 1, 400 of School Age Now Employed in Local
 Factories
 TEST THEY MUST PASS State Examiner Hall Who Made Inspection Here Tells of
 Results
TEST THEY MUST PASS

Children between the ages of four teen and sixteen years must know how to multiply, add, divide and sub tract in common fractions if they want to go to work for a living. During the past three months Charles N. Hall, agent Of the State Board of Educa- ton, who has been conducting a cam paign in this city, has received over 1,7OO applications from girls and boys between the above mentioned ages, and 1875 certificates had been grant ed up to last night Of the 325 or more children who were not able to get the certificates a large per cent age could not solve simple problems in common fractions. A small per centage were refused certificates be- cause of physical ailments.
 Three factory inspectors are now busy going through the factories and insisting upon al cflIdren under the age of 16 showing certificates. MT. Hall said that it was surprising to find that factory owners had given em- ploynent to several hundred children without any regard to the law that of the General Assembly. He sstd that there would be no prosecutions, however, until the present campaign had been finished, but that the State board would make the present inSpec- ton the last call before commencing prosecutionsl
 One Of the provisions of the new law compels children employed in the factories to get certificate each time they change employment, so that the State board 1ClI know where the child is employed, and whether or not the place where they are employed is suitable place for child to work
 Under the present method of grant ing permits the word of the appli- cant is not taken alone and all certi- -ficates are withheld. until an exami- r1F f7<a in the town or TcTty where the child has attended school.
 One thirteen-year-oId boy appeared before the agent at the office of the s.clan's certificate which was to the effect that the boy was not able to attend school because of poor health The lad stated that he was the third O dest of a family of seven father;ess children and on the strength of a cer- Gficate that he was not strong enough tp go to school, he wanted a certificate that would entitle him to go to work. ~ The applicant did not appear to be more than 10 years old and said he could get q job in the brass industry where he could helpT his mother Agent Hal declined to grant the cer- tificate' and said that he was afraid that one year in a factory would iTn- pair the lads usefulness for the re- msfnder of his life. He will go to the boys home and make a personal investigation of the case.
 Already number of youngsters who did not attend school long enough to reach the fifth grade where fractions ale taught, are appearing before the agent and are doing sums in fractions with startling rapidity and correct ness. The agent suspects that the youngsters, many of whom are already employed. have studied fractions and mastered the problems at home so that they wtIl be able to remain at work
 The majority of the s25 children who have been refused certificates will have to do some studying at home or go back to school until they have mastered the task of doing sums in fractions
 Over 50 children were given atten- tion by Agent Hall last night. and in the future he will be at the rooms of the Board of Education every Tues day morning at 10 o'clock. and at the office of the town clerk every Thurs day night at o'clock.
 When the work of the State boards inspectors is finished in the present campaign the State will have a rec ord of every factory employe of school age, the class of work they are. em- ployed at, and the pace where they are employed.