Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-24
STATE TO INVESTIGATE REASONS
FOR CHILDREN LEAVING
STUDIES.
MORE THAN 1000 BOYS
,s.. AND GIRLS HAVE PERMITS
Why These Children Quit 10 Subject Of
Inquiry Jnaugurated by State Labor
Comnissiener-cause Sought in Or
dor 10 Suggest a Cure-State House
News.
special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, March 24.-An investi-
cation into the causes for boys and
girls between the ages of IA and >16
years leaving school is to be made by
Ellen M. Rourke of the state labor COM
missioner's office. There are now LOO
boys and girls of that age who have
work permits as required Of young peo-
pie between IA and 16 years of age.
II consider mere figures as to the
number Of young persons of high school
age who are working Of little value"
said Commissioner A. L. Urick yester-
day in outlining his plan of finding
out why these young people quit school.
IF we can find out why they stop we
will have some information worth
WHILE" he said. I'VE must find out
causes before we can recommend
cure.
This investigation will extend into
all parts of the state. 1t will not be
hard matter to work out as we have
the names and addresses of these 1.lOO
who have taken out work permits.
Two years ago an investigation was
conducted by the extension department
OF the State University of Iowa along
similar lines. Boys who had quit schooi
to 10 to work were interviewed In the
cities of Des Moines and Sioux
CITY The very large per cent OF
them gave as their reason that they
had to make money, many of them to
help support the family. A few reported
that they quit because they could not
ret along will in school, that the work
was to hard for them and that they
would rather take up some kind OF en-
ployment.
Mrs. Rourke last summer made an In
vestigation among women workers az
to their hours of labor, working condi-
tions and similar matters. She paid
particular attention to conditions under
which telephone girls worked and also
d to laundries. She found the tele-
phone girls inclined to develop nervous
troubles, due to the tension under which
fhey worked. She found laundry work.
.ers had to spend much time on their
feet bending over machines and work
ing in conditions of extremeheat in the
summer time
However, legislation was enacted by
the last legislature which prohibits
.woman working eight hours a day at a
laundry without being given some
chance to SIT down, and this has Inn
proved laundry conditions, the special
Investigators say.
q lpvestiqation Barrel Measures.
p E. c. Lytton, chief of the weights and
measures department, has begun to look
after barreled goods to ascertain
whether or not full measure Is being
given. Within the past few days IN
.spectors have seized shipments OF rock
candy syrup in Des Moines, Ottumwa,
Cedar Rapids and Burlington some OF
which ran short as much as five GAL
Ions to the barrel. With the syrup SELL
ing around so cents per gallon whole
sale. the shortage would amount to as
much as 50 per barrel, the department
says.
s. A barrel of gasoline was taken over
at New Providence, Ia, which fell short
two and three-fourths gallons, With
gasoline selling at 20 cents per gallon
wholesale, this shortage soon counts up
into money. the department declares.
At Marshalltown an inspector picked
up four automatic weighing machines
on which the owners had neglected to
pay their license.
State House Notes.
A new insurance organization was in
corporated yesterday, known as the
Iowa Citizens Fund Mutual Insurance
Association. The headquarters are to
he at Mason City. The officers are
president, A. J.. Killmer; vice president,
w. E. Gildner; secretary, Earl ]. New
ton.
q Col. George H. Morgan; of~St, Paul,
who has been appointed inspector OF
cavalry Of, the Iowa National Guard
reached Des Moines yesterday to take
up his work. He went to Iowa City last
evening. He takes the place of Capt
Geo. J. Oden Of the Fifth cavalry, who
sis with his company down on the Mex