Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-26

WHTMS And NEEDS
PROMPT CHILDREN
IN QUITTING SCHOOL
35 Seek Sanction to Termi-
nate Education" Il Should
Worry" Girl Explains.
Father Dead" Another.

otiiSi L<CoO, NliottiSi'
Eighteen boys and seventeen girls APP
piled today at the headquarters of tn,
Bureau of Compulsory Education, 1852
Cherry street for legal permission tc
terminate their school careers and bcgir
work in the stores or factories Several
of the children were questioned as to
! the causes which made them ask for
labor certificates. The answers were re-
| markable.
! The first applicant was a little girl,
/ whose wan face indicated she had never
known any other condition than poverty
and that heavy responsibilities had
checked her normal development.
My father was killed in a railroad
accident" she stammered. 'and ever
since that time my mother has had a
hard time of it. She worked last year
as scrublady in an office building, but
the doctor told her that IL she didn't
want to die and leave us kids all alone
she.s better give up that Job. So she
did. And now Jimmie. that's my oldest
WORKING in a silk mill, is only working
half time, and it's up to me to go to
work"
Edward c., robust lad of 49, an
parently was delighted over his prospects,
Either | was dumb or else | was lazy"
he confessed. Anyway, l never was
any good in school Half the time
didht get promoted, and my father thinks
IA be better off at work My mother
thinks so, too, and my uncle saws I'll
MAKE good mechanic. l was always
mandy with nails and hammers and things
like that I can make furniture. and
NOBODY ever taught me, either.
When anything gets broken around
the house l can fix it. So I'm going IN
work as carpenters apprentice, I'm
going to get 81 week and | am going
TO pay dollar board every week, too.
Maybe I amt glad"
TEACHER A "TYRANT"
am going to quit school because |
don't like my teacher was the answer
of a plump snub-nosed little girl. she
always had spite on me and she knows
it, too. When anything went wrong she
always blamed it on me. She said
didn't tell the truth and | was stupid
and | was always coming to school late
and ! had dirty hands and that I never
studied, and, oh, you ought to hear all
the nasty things she use to say about
me. But I don't care. | am going to
quit, and now I wonder who she's going
to pick at. have a job as a cash girl
Il should worry" exclaimed a more
optimistic girl II got job in a rib
bon factory, and maybe they'll like me
won't. Maybe won't like them and then
III quit. I'm going to take a chance.
should worry"
Pop says If l want spending money
I'll have to work for it," was the reason
given by 14-year-old Charles L. He says
he's tired of handing out coin to me all
the time and If | want to go to movies
l can earn tho money for II. He got me
a good job at s. a week In stocking
mill"
HARD TIMES BOYS REASON.
"I amt got job yet" confided Sam
uel T.. but I'll have to go to work.
Hard times has struck our house and
my father and oldest brother are out
of work. So l guess I have right to
earn something for the family. I'm
half glad I'm going to quit school, be-
cause when I'm working I can go out
at nights, but I'm sorry that I'll have
TO qut my education. They say you
~. IL 1.
an education. Anyway, the teacher gave
me some old books TO keep and when !
get time after | have Il job I am going |
to study up
Henry r. had decided upon an expert |
ment Il am going to quit school for
a while, anyway" he said. land | think |
I'll go to work as an Office boy. If I |
like 1t I'll stick and If | don't I'll go
back TO school, I'm young yet and |
got plenty time to try things out. When |
I'm a man l want to be prize fighter. |
but the fellows tell me I'm too young |
for that yet"
All of the applicants were between the |
ages of IA and 10. Children younger |
than that cannot leave school and chill
dren who have attained their 18th birth |
day are not required 10 obtain labor |
Remarkable differences |
were noted in the height of the various !
children One boy was six feet tall and |
another who stood near him. measured |
hut little more than the average child |
of s,