The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-09-04
supt. Mary D. Bradford
Makes Interesting Report
on Playing ''Hooky.''
WORK IS GREATLY EXTENDED
Truancy Department Must Also Lave
Charge of Enforcement of New Law
for Attendance at Continuation
Schoois--Figures of Former Years.

Mrs. Mary D. Bradford's report to
the board Of educationupon attendance
work viii contain the following in re-
gard to the enforcement Of truancy
laws:
The compulsory education statistics
for the year 1923 derived from the
report Of the attendance officer are as
follows:
Nan Der of children years old and
less than IA, reported as not complying
with the law, 75O.
\ Number of parents notified of viola
tion of law, 119.
Number of children returned TO
school BY operation of law: Boys, 81;
girls, %.
Attendance and Truancy Work, and
Child Labor Conditions.
BY the legislature of 1911, the in
dustrial commission of Wisconsin took
general charge Of the matter of COM
pulsory school attendance. It became
necessary for the superintendent to re-
port within ten days Of the close of
each month two classes of children as
follows:
LIST: Children Of compulsory school
age who do not enroll in school as re-
CURED by law.
End: Children of compulsory age
whose record Of attendance fairly class
es them as habitually irregular with
out reasonable excuse.
This is done not only for the public
but also for the parochial schools. Dur
ing the year 20 children have been re-
ported to Madison. AS the parents,
whose names and addresses are sent in
with the report, are dealt with directly
by the state authorities, this Office has
no means of knowing what happened,
except from the effect. The same chill
dren were never reported twice.
This support has assisted very greatly
in securing regular attendance on the
part Of many children, but conditions
are far from ideal as the following re-
port proves. This report was made to
the superintendent by Miss E. 0. Lund-
berg, deputy of the Wisconsin industrial
commission, sent here to investigate
child-labor conditions. 1t is as follows:
Madison, Wis, June 2, 1913.
Mrs. Mary D. Bradford,
Superintendent of Schools, II
Kenosha, Wisconsin. stfii#
Dear Mrs. Bradford:
After an investigation of conditions
in your city, / am pleased to report on
the child-labor situation in Kenosha,
and the truancy so far as it comes I'M
der my observation, as follows:
My investigation covered period of
two months, and the child labor ques-
ton was gone into in great detail
However, my report necessarily does
not cover all possible violations of the
law, since great many could not be de-
teeted.
On May 18th, 1913, there were 3oS
permits in force in Kenosha. Of these
children, 103 were employed in factor
les; l9 in stores, 7 in Offices, by tele-
graph companies as messengers, IL girls
had gone into homework, 9 children
were staying at home (legitimately),
is had returned to school; Is had left
the city, 2 were i'll, 13 were temporarily
out of work, staying at home, and
should have been in school.
I'll of these children were born in
the. United States. The remainder as
follows: Germany, s; Poland, 5; Rus
STA (Jewish), 8 Holland, 4 Sweden, L;
Denmark, 8; Hungary, 5; Italy,
2; Scotland, 2; England, 2; Bavaria, L;
Canada, l.
School certificates were issued as fol-
lows:
Catholic parochial, 81; Lutheran Par
ochial, 80; country schools, 1S; public
schools, 128; out-of- town, IS; in foreign
country, 3; unknown, 10.
Of the 100 children concerning whom
this data could be secured, IL were in
the high school when they secured the
working permit; 80 in the eighth
grade; 81 in the seventh grade; So in
the sixth grade; % in the fifth grade;
s in the fourth grade; 3 in the third
grade; I in the second grade.
The ages at which permits were se-
cured were as follows:
Under IA years (mainly through mis-
representation Of age)-12, Is during
school year).
Il years (no days. to Il years II