The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-04-17
BEETERS.
~ Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

mast Of this ship of state would bear the
device, All the children in school all the
time"
II is lot more important for q ma
ton TO conserve its human stock than its
beef cattle or any other kind of prop
|erty.
A pointed and concrete instance of our
crime against the children is given in an
article in The Survey by Edward N. Clop-
per. northern secretary Of the National
Child Labor Committee.
He tells the story of the Colorado
"beeters," meaning those who labor in
the beet fields.
In 1915 Colorado produced more beet
sugar than any other state about quar-.
ter of million tons. Before the people
of that state begin jubilations over this
triumph, however, they should ask them
selves whether these gains are clean.
Any dollar looks good, but of dollar
lit can be said what Lowell said of
book, that the best one is one honestly
come BY"
And the local school superintendent
estimate that part of this economic
supremacy is due to the hard labor Of
5000 girls and boys from six to fifteen
years of age.
Every dollar of profits due to labor
by children is a dirty dollar.
The state owes every child training.
There is no escape from this obligation.
1t is first lien on the community.
And this debt runs toward every child,
no matter what its parentage. Education
should not be considered matter of fam
lily pride or privilege, but as matter Of
communal necessity.
Every unframed child is a menace to
society; he is potential enemy.
Every one of these little ones that is
toiling in the beet fields in the hot sun,
instead of preparing his mind by study
and his body by normal play for efficient
citizenship, is an element of national
weakness.
Every thousand children in school Is
equivalent to battleship or a regiment
in the account books of national pre-
paredness."
Those 5000 child ''beeters" are equal
TO five battleships sunk, five forts pull
verified, five towns sacked
The Investigations of the child labor
committee show that the work of these
immature hands amounts only to about
seven per cent. of the total field work,
and consequently that "if the labor of
were eliminated the industry would not
suffer-"
| Most Of them are children of Mexi-
cans, Japanese, Italians, Austrians, Rus
slams, Slovaks and other foreigners, the
very ones who ought to be in the crucible
of the public school, to be transformed
into Americans.
| For the question of what immigrants
we are to allow into America is not so
important as what we are going to do
with them and theta children when they
come.
In several towns of the beet section,
says Mr.. Chopper, children are segregat-
ed in communities popularity known as
"Russiatown," "St. Petersburg" or "The
Jungle" They live apart from the life
of the town itself, many Of them not
being able to speak English, and have
no social intercourse with American res
idents.
1.-THE best corrective for this isolation
and it's inevitable train of unfortunate
results is the steady association of their
children with American boys and girls
| in public schools on democratic basis.
II is a slow process, but thorough and
effective. But .he children of these fam
lilies are not permitted to attend school
regularly throughout the school year, for
their parents insist upon their helping
with the work in the fields"
Colorado has a good compulsory edu-
cation law, but like many other laws it
is often nullified by local public opinion.
AN OBSERVATION
% It, a~l.~