Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-15

compulsory school attendance laws and
their enforcement. both IN this country
I, and abroad. The report is now being
printed. and soon will be ready for pub
lie distribution. The Nolume will be in
six parts, written by ~. II. Hand. Miss
anna Tolman Smith M Carson Ryan,
il. and w. S. Deffenbaaigh
The six states REFERRED to by DR.. Clax-
ton as lacking compulsory attendance
laws on the statute books are Alabama,
FLORIDA, Georgia. Missifsippi. South Caro-
Ina and Texas. Though nearly all the
states now have compulsory attendance
laws says W. S. Differ baugh. each state
has had to overcome much opposition on the
Part of those who argued that such laws
are un-American in principle, in that they
interfere with the personal liberty of the
!rarent. In 1891 and 1875 Gov. Pattison of
Pennsylvania vetoed compulsory educa-
ton laws on that groutid In 1895, when
Gov. Hastings signed a similar bill. he
did so only because he did not wish to
cbtrude his judgment in the matter
which was against ths bill. The plea
that such laws interfere with personal
liberty: however, has uaever been recog-
nized by the courts, ;-ad all such laws
now on the statute books of the several
states are considered constitutional
While the formulation of compulsory
attendance laws h Is been one of the prob
siams confronting legislators and school
officials for the past Seventy years. the
laws has been since 1860. Prior to that
.me only twentyseven states and the
Lhstrlct OF Columbia had compulsory
laws, and many of these were imperative
One OF the most difficult problems to solve
Ia enforcing the compulsory attendance
law IS that of compelling children from
poVerty-stricken homes to attend school
some states provide that such children
snail be excused. The lquestion may be
raised, if it is necessary for the welfare
M the state to compel the attendance of
children belonging to the weather. class
of people. does 1t follow that the educa-
ton of the poorer classes is not neces-
sary? II;
ITO compel the attendance of children
OF parents who are too Eoor to keep them
in school, some states hive taken decided
Steps In Michigan if ia parent cannot
support child of compulsory school age
the board of education may grant such
relief as will enable TIKI; child to attend
school during the entire school year, not
more than So a week to be paid family
for one child. nor mora, than Sc a week
tor the children OF any ane family Okla
homa also has a law providing for COM
pensation"
The relation between child labor laws
and compulsory attendance laws is out
.fned by Miss Anna Tolls,an Smith of the
t.tlreau of education, in q chapter on the
ps'ci deioH VI attendance. laws IN foreign
countries. Included in the countries
whose attendance laws 'asre described by
Miss Smith are England Scotland, Ire
land, France. Switzerland Italy and ia
pan. A whole chapter is! given to compul-
sorry education in Germany, and this part
OF the new publication is the work of W.
Carson Ryan, jr.. of the editorial division
of the bureau OF education.
THE successful enforcement of COM
pulsory education has long been an
&nviabie feature of THE German school
system" says Mr. Ryan; land although
The ages and periods of attendance vary,
there are practically nc children in the
German Empire who esade the laws
Come of the figures show almost perfect
condftions-for instance, out of 5.754, 600
children of school age iii Prussia in 1901.
only 54S evaded Attendance
The Need Of Compulsory Education in
the South is the subject of the conclud-
,ng chapter of the text in ;rhe report. Mr..
Hand is state high school inspector at
Columbia, S. c.. and he writes with
thorough knowledge of conditions in his
section of the country,
officials of the United States forest
sarvice and of the bureau of plant
industry of the De-
Lax Plant part ii ant of Agri
r4: culture are much con-
81. A'Peen' cerned over recent in
designations of the fedora: horticultural
board, generally knows as the United
states plant quarantine board, which
have brought out the Information that at
least thirty-four foreign nations are fall
ing woefully in living up 10 their agree
.nent to inspect effectively all plant
products and nursery STOCK exported to
this country. As a result of this lax
Inspection. the fears OF entry Of danger
Gus insects or plant diseases are in
@reased and the many millions of dollars
worth of fruit and forest trees of the
United States are constantly menaced.
Although practically all the civilized ma
tons of the world have agreed to meet
the requirements of this government
bone ports of all nursery stock and plant
products exported to this country. there
were 40 instances during the seven
months ending January 81 In which in
sects and other pests were found on stock
which had passed foreign inspection This
offers an average of more than two
chances a day f. a forest pr field crop
blight to gain a footho.d III the United
States, should the infected stock slip past
me inspectors AT the ports IN this Coun-
try.
The plant quarantine boaId makes this
rigid inspection of all forest trees, seeds
and other plant products coming into the
nited States with the cooperation and
assistance of customs officials and a large
corps OF trained inspectors. Great vigil
lance is necessary. because the passage
of single pest-infected shipment into the
country might cause the ,GSs of many
millions of dollars.
The ravages of insects and fungus dis
eases like the San jose scale the gypsy
.,rown-tail moth. pear blight and chestnut
blight have come to the attention Of al
most every man. woman and child. and
officials of this government are not taking
any chances with a repetition Of the de-
structive work Of pests. 1t is exceedingly
unfortunate, in the opinion Of this coun-
:ry's plant experts. that foreign govern
ments are so lax in the inspection of nurs-
cry stock, bulbs and plants, because their
carelessness not only endan,,ers fruit, for
est and field crops in this country, but the
appearance Of infected shipments here
creates a prejudice against :he stock of
the country which failed to make an eff
fective inspection when the shipment was
started.
OF the 40 instances il which pests were
discovered, four-fifths ,of the shipments
came from four countres-Belgium. Hol-
land, Japan and Brazil No limitations
are given by the quaEantini. board. but
there is a strong belief anicng horticul-
turists that unless some of the countries
soon change their perfunctcrs methods of
plant inspection importation of plant
products from them will be prohibited.
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN.