Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-06
NEW CHILDLAB0R
LAW MAKES DRASTIC
EDUCATIONAL CHANGES
Provides Reduced Hours of En-
ployment and Directs Els
tablishment of Continu-'
alton Schools
IN EFFECT JANUARY

Philadephia's educational machine Is
being rebuilt to meet the demands of the
new child labor law, which becomes eff
fective on January /. The law Is the most
drastic ever passed in Pennsylvania for
the promotion of the cause of public edu-
cation, and basic change in the orsani-
zaton of the school system will be the
result.
1t will cost the public many thousands
of dollars to enforce the act. by providing
instruction to children who, under the
present regulations are not required to
attend school, New teachers will neceS-
sarly be appointed at higher salaries
than the average teachers now receive;
new schoohouses must be erected, and
mills and stores that now employ minors
will be Obliged to adjust their businesses
to the requirements or discharge all juve-
nile workers.
Louis Nusbaum. Associate Superintend-
ent OF Schools. has been appointed by the
Board Of Education OF this city to estab-
lish educational institutions made neces-
sary by the act. Mr.. Nusbaum has made
n
West and has returned to this city deter
mined to make use of his observations in
other States,
The old child labor act Fixed 81 hours
n week as the maximum number OF hours
for which n child under i6 could be en-
ployed Under the new measure the
limit is fixed at 81 hours. For eight OF the
81 the children must attend school, so that
while the boys and girls Will be paid for
81 hours work they will actually per-
form but 49,
The school system will be obliged to
furnish a special type of school for the
children who are affected by TINS eight
hour claust These are the continuation
schools originated In Germany but now
established in Illinois. Wisconsin and
other States. They are so called because
they ENABLE the children to continue
their education while they are wage
earners.
Mr.. Nusbaum has visited hundreds of
Philadelphia employers and discovered q
remarkable willingness TO cooperate win
the school authorities in enforcing the
law.
An editorial signed by Willard A. Camp
bell is contained in the American Indus
tries. a magazine devoted to the manu-
featuring interests.
The editorial takes a favorable atti-
tude toward the recent act. IL says:
''The new child labor law OF Pennsyl-
vonio is n notable work of constructive
legislation In the interests OF the coming
generation of workers over 4O.OO0 chill
dren under l6 years of age are employed
in the factories. mills, about mines, IN
offices. stores and messenger service ~
this State. The records show that the
majority left school before completing
the sixth grade. Children so deficient
in real preparation for life have very lit
tie chance to advance to skilled work In
Industry. Probably the greatest one rae
tor in this exodus OF ehllaTeh from ene
public school at this age Is discomfort
with the regular school work, either on
The mart of the child or parents. Eco
nomic necessity accounts Tor ABOUT oo
per cent. leaving at this age as iar as
investigations made In diherent cities
seem to Indicate
..rhis stream of children from the pub
lie schools TO factories. mills ana other
temporary tasks in business ana INDUSTRY
constitutes a grave problem for educators
and a menace TO Industrial deNelopHleht
II appears that most OF these chlldren 90
not obtain even the benent OF the man
nal training and domestic science courses
~ the seventh and eighth grades, which
constitute the only element OF practlcal
education embodied in the elementary
school curriculum. The work obtained
bv children of thisf age leads nowhere;
They may earn 81 or s. week, anu hhu
themselves in a rut where they can ad-
vance to nothing more than laboreTs
wage of $40 or s12.
Every investigation made OF chhd
n nor in this country seems to prove con-
clusiyely that the majority of child labor
ers drift into the ranks Of unskilled work
ers. The reason is not far TO seek. When
q hov or girl has spent two or three years
Sn some dead end Job and has become
too Big to work longer for ehilds pay
he has acquired no training that bts for
something better. and oftimes he has de-
veloped habits that unfit him for study
or the pursuit Of training that wil LEAD
somewhere. The chances are that IN tMo
Years OF child labor the boy or girl has
become inert and lacking In ambition.