Evening star., 1914-04-26
By w. B. WILSON. Secretary of Labor

and vet the percapita weekly income with
out the earnings of the children under sixteen,
after rent was paid and sickness and death
expenses met, would turn out to be four, five,
or even eight dollars. Sometimes trouble in
school would be given as the reason, the
parents insisting that they were both able
and willing to keep the child at school, when
the weekly percapita income was under one
dollar or under fifty cents Often,
when the income was well above the mini
mum standard, and the chds dissatisfaction
with school was alleged, perhaps inability
+ to keep him off the streets, it was evident
that although probably the dissatisfaction
and possibly the inability existed, the actuat-
ing cause was the desire for more money.
The clue to the real reason was sometimes fur
nished by the teacher neighbor. Many
times it perplexing to the mother to try
to assign reason for such natural pro-
ceeding. "He's of age to work: why shouldn't
he?"
Giving as careful weight as possible to the
alleged reasons, and testing them by infor-
nation cleaned from various sources about
each family, it was found that 1S6 children
left the school because of necessity, as follows:
1863 whose earnings were necessary to family
support, six for help needed at home, and
eleven for self-support Where the child's
help was desired DuC not necessary, Ille loi-
lowing resulted: 140 to support family, twelve
to buy property, fourteen for home work,
and seven to earn money for education of
or relative These two categories formed $40 per
of the total of 620 children the rest being allotted
her causes, such dissatisfaction with school, pref
ce for work, i'll health, to avoid vaccination,
al of residence, mothers disapproval of coeduca-
, to learn trade, "too much play and company
sure.
those with the lowest income there is no question
possible as to the need of the chids labor In the
of family of four at Woonsocket, the father aver
three dollars a week when working, the mother,
out and feeble in health, could add nothing to the
ger income and the eldest child put to work as
as the law permitted, because the family was SO
that every penny was needed. The boy had been
,ork about six months, and when consider that,
lding his pay, only S276 had been earned by the
ly in the year preceding the investigators visit,
will wonder that his parents looked upon his wages
ecessary, even though the child, only fourteen, had
yn irritable and nervous since going to work, was
tired to go to evening school, and described as
or undernourshed little lad whose chief longing
et out into the open country whenever he was not
king.
case not dissimilar showed father with earning
acity of fifteen dollars week; but during the pre-
ing year unsuccessful attempt to start in business
himself followed by equal unsuccessful efforts to
ire permanent position, had reduced his earnings
$500. AS he had wife and five children, ranging
n thirteen downward, this obviously an in
icent allowance. Nevertheless, the parents were
willing to send their children into the mills until
reached the point where they actually had not the
ney to pay the eldest childs school fee. Then, as
could not keep her in school, three weeks before the
nts visit they let her go to work in knitting MILL
alv determined that as soon the father could get
eady Job she should return to school
other exceptional cases involved insufficient family
ome because the stepfather drunkard and the