The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-01-10
DEHOUNCEs FALSE ECONOMY
Wise Official Contends That Conserva.
ton in Education is Folly as the Elk
perience Of Germany and England
Has Already Proved.

ECONOMY in education is making
neither the United States nor the world
esafe for democracy and consequently
should be courageously opposed by all
patriotic citizens of Wisconsin. This,
in essence, is State Superintendent
Cary's latest messages to local school
officials and public-spirited Kenoshans.
The pronouncement reached this city
on Monday through the columns of the
Educational News Bulletin, and has
been generally approved by thinking
readers honestly concerned for the well
fare of the second generation.
The appeal is entitled "Children and
War;. It reads as follows:
cit can not be stated too often that
schools should guard against the let
ting down of standards and the break
ing up of the system that will newt
ably follow in the train of war unless
the most strenuous efforts are made
to prevent it.
''This statement is not intended to
mean that everything should be con
tinued as it has been in the past for
that would be both undesirable and
impossible. The older pupil will be
called upon next spring to go to work
on the farms before the schools close.
We may find it desirable to have
colooIe r,,nxipo civ douc IN +bo ruooly
and without the customary vacations
or holidays. We may find it desirable
to have our vacations at an entirely diff
ferent time from our CUSTOMARY vaca-
tions. All these and numerous other
changes may be made without any ma
terial detriment to the schools. But,
when efficient teachers leave our schools
and poorly prepared teachers take their
places; wher children thru lack of res
traint become insubordinate, or become
lawless on the streets; when school
boards conclude that in order to save
money at such a time, they must re-
duce salaries or at least not advance
tLem or reduce the already short school
year, we have entered the danger zone.
TfThe National Child Labor Commit
tee issued some months ago pamphlet
from which the following quotations
are taken:
CAT the present time Tin Great Bri-
tain) when war is destroying so much
of its best manhood, the nation is I'M
der special obligation to secure that
the rising generation grows up strong
aid hardy, both in body and character.
Tt is necessary to guard not only against
immediate breakdown, but also against
the imposition of strains that may
stunt future growth and development.
HAgain: In Europe, in the stress of
sudden warfare, the children were for
the moment forgotten. In Great Bri-
tain, for instance, some of the first war
economies were in the educational sys-
tenn. School buildings were taken over
for military purposes; teachers enlisted !;
repairs, building, appropriations, and
supplies were cut down; even schools,
medical inspection, school dentistry,
and free lunches were stopped or cut
down. And the age limits for school
ing were changed, so that 100000 little
children five or under, who had been
in school, were turned out, while thous-
ands of children of eleven or twelve
were excused from school to go to work.
The results are that thousands Of chill
dren in England are without teachers
or schools. At least 100000 children
between eleven and thirteen have left
school to go to work. Juvenile delin-
quency in England has increased at
least 1870 since the war began. In Ber-
lin in 1915, there were twice as many
crimes committed by children as in
1914 Oppose all attempts to break down
the school system in your vicinity,
either by relaxing enforcement of COM
pulsory education laws or by cutting
down school funds. Arnold Bennett
said in England, under like circum-
stances: Education is the very last
thing we ought to economic in. Oppose
all attempts to break down the labor
laws of your state, either by giving
young children special permits to WORK,
or by exempting certain establishments
from the laws limiting hours Of labor.
In England, where they relaxed the en-
forcement of the laws, they have found
too big a price is being paid for the
output.
Let everyone stand by his guns on
the school question when any vital is
sue is under consideration. More and
better education rather than less and
poorer should be our slogan.
Unfortunately, we have just now
the misguided efforts of some persons