Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1917-09-20
Notes From County
Superintendent

VIII nave 10 be reminded that thare IS
a flag law that requires more than "A
ragged .weathcrbcaten reminent of
flag to be up III seasoncblc weather.
We new end then see 4 flag that is
never lowered, which we believe is
quite as patriotic as never raising =.
a simple little ceremony with the
raising and lowering of the flag
would be worth while in any school
and enc way of irstiliing patriotism
in the school program.
Tic following letter from the De-
purt,nent Of Public Instruction has
been sent to the county supcrintcn-
dents. We wish every teacher, par
cnt and school officer would read it
carefully:
Sept. IL, 1917.
To the County Superintendent:
| wish at this time to direct your
attentions to IT,. matter of the illegal
non-attendance Of children OF con-
pulsory school age. One of the two
chief defects in our rural schools at
the present time is the poor attend
ance of country children and partic-
ularly of country boys. In some sec
tions of the state this non-attendance
is disgrace to all concerned.
To help improve the situation you
will please have all the teachers in
your county, beginning with the open
ing of the school this fall, report at
The end of each week all children OF
compulsory school age, that is, chi d
rem of or between the seventh and the
seventeenth birthdays, who ale absent
)ne day or more during that week, in
.luding those not yet enrolled. Have
them report all such abscntees wheth-
,r they consider the excuse legal or
not, as the validity of the excuse must
be passed upon by the county superin-
tcndent.
AS you know, the excuse for nom
attendance generally given is the one
Actually necessary to the support Of
The family" This in several sections
If the state has been abused in a
shameless manner, even when using
the exigencics of the war as an cx-
use. The new law leaves this par
ocular excuse to be passed upon by
The states attorney. subject to appeal.
Where you have reason to believe chat
The states attorney has been too libcr-
II or too careless in his matter, it will
be your duty to appeal directly to this
Office; and I want to assure you that
It will have to be plain case of des-
titution or extreme poverty before
this department will excuse anyone.
People with funds OF hand or OPP
Grating large farms can have no good
excuse for keeping their children of
compulsory school age out Of school
| 20 do the work OF able bodied men
Our Allies have learned the bitter les
son that child labor, with its consc-
luent lowering of civic and industrial
efficiency, is an ally of sutocracy and
never of democracy.
In this connection schools opening
before October 1st should be carefully
checked UP at once to see to it that
all children OF compulsory school age
are attending, as required by law If
not doing so, you should proceed
promptly to enforce the law as it was
intended, for it was given as the rca-
son for the early opening of these
schools that all children of compul-
sorry school age would attend
! hope that you have been success
ful in getting goodly number Of
Jour schools to defer opening until
| Oct. LIST. The reports coming into
this Office show that large number
viii not open until that date, but there
has been some objection and from
quarters where you would least cx-
| JcSt ~. lldNIliOl!, Ic!lCe W lItG
states welfare, and political chicanery
die hard, even in progressive North
Dakota. Thoughtless teachers and
society danes want June for their va
cation. They say it is too hot for the
children and teachers during this
month to be in school We ask, what
about the middle-agcd professors, and
young men and women who are in orr
eastern universities during all the
summer months? Often thoughtless
school patrons are Indifferent to the
iisgracefully low number of country
children doing high school work in
this state. Some of them are more
concerned over the fact that some of
the children would be idle during the
month of September. We simply ask,
what would they be doing during the
month of June? Country boys from
twelve to sixteen years do not stay