The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-09

(Fron the report of an investigation
by Louise Montgomery, carried on under
the direction of the University of Chicago
Settlement and the Chicago Alumnae club
OF the University Of Chicago.
alma is good GIRL. said the Polish
mother. "She brings home all her money,
but-she goes out where she pleases nights
and Sundays and we can't follow"
Ninety per cent of the parents In the
stock yards neighborhood of Chicago ad-
nit that they have as little control as
this over their daughters. Many fercely
condemn ''the American life" which
makes such characterization possible
Every foreign Industrial community In
our American cities is confronted with
much the same situation-the american
born girl of foreign parents lives between
the unseen traditions of the old world
and the visible customs of the new. The
foreign parent and the American child
are under one roof struggling with the
MISUNDERSTANDING common to age ana
youth, but intensified by the natural de-
sire of the one to cling to inherited stand-
ards and by the strong young Will OF the
other to be a vital part OF the present
generation.
The 400 families who form the back
ground of a recent study In the Chicago
stock yards neighborhood have been
known to the University of Chicago set
tlement from one to eight years. Witnih
this group of 800 families, 800 girls were
selected from whom it was possible 70
obtain the information needed with rair
degree of accuracy. without exception the
500 girls represent prevailing type spars
from the historical background OF the
parents-the first generation In Amerir
struggling to keep up with American
standards and making every enort u
avoid being classed as foreigners.
The dominant educational standard OF
the neighborhood is the minimum legal
requirement of the state. accepted Win
little protest by the majority, Tor the
peonle as a whole are essentially law
ahidine neople. The reasons for this at
titude. however, are various. Among
hard headed peasants, for example, there
is the traditional feeling that education -
a luxury Polish parents who owned
three-story tenement from which they
were collecting $50 q month rent placed
their 14-year-old girl in Factory at -
a week. not because they We're pressed
for money, but because in the natural
order of things she was destined to marry
a Polish workingman and it would be
very unwise to unfit her for that position
by giving her ''the education of yam
kee."
A very much larger number, however
feel an actual need of the child's wages
to supplement the earnings of the fatner.
The sacrifice OF little girls to the passion
ate determination to own property may
be found in any social group. from the
'undaunted widow who takes in washing
six days of the week and drives her chill
dren to any task that viii bring in money
10 meet the uayments on the f0ur-room
cottage, to the thriving saloon-keeper who
is landlord over a dozen tenants.
Again the failure OF the elementary
school to meet the practical needs of an
industrial community is recognized by
many parents. Work with the hands
is good" said German father, and
American education does not give it,
Apart from the group OF parents
who accept the compulsory age limit
as their educational standard. IL an
other sroup made up of those who look
er Of the stock yards expressed It:
People who have learned nothing do
the dirty work OF the world. want
my children to have . chance at a
clean Job That's why ! send them to
school,
The educational standards of the for
eign home influences the future OF both
boys and girls. but in the stock yards
district it ix fundamental idea tlfat
the education of the girl is a matter
of much less Importance than the edu-
cation OF the boy. A well-to-do Polish
landlord who doubted the advisability
OF sending his 14-year-old daughter
to tho high school told with pride OF
tho plans he had In mind for the UNI
versity training Of his son.
That the school az II stands today