Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-08
School Census Completed By
Association College Women
Need of Truant Officer Being Prevalent, Espe-
ciay Among Foregn-Born Race Suicide Among COL
ored Population Housing Conditions.

cation if these reasons could have been
ohviated.
INFANT MORTALITY.
'One of our questions has been How
many children under five have died IN the
family during the last ten years? We
have some startling figures that should
help to advertise the Baby Saving Cam
paign now being carried on all over the
country. For instance, IN one block, which
probably none of YOU have ever seen, but
which IS about the size of the block
bounded by Thirteenth, Fourteenth,
Broome and Franklin streets we found
I34 families with children and 20 without,
eight of these % being colorcd; We found
IFS children of school age. 81 of whom
were not attending school; we found that
there were l91 children under ; years, and
63 under ) wears have died within the
past 10 wears All this in that one block.
All Of this shows the need of improved
sanitation in certain districts Of tho city,
Also the need for milk stations and visiting
nurses.
"One surprising fact brought to light
BY our investigation is the apparent race
suicide among the colorcd population OF
our city. In the foreign sections. almost
all the families reported without children
are colored families, and III Colored sec
tions we find house after house reported
without children
THE HOUSING PROBLEM.
Another public problem upon winch
light viii be thrown ny our Investigation
Is the housing question. In all houses
where there are children We have found
the total number of people living ~ tie
gwen number Of rooms and whether there
I - a
as 13 or II persons living IN three on four
rooms and in one case u persons living IN
seven rooms In one section Of the city
where large numbers Of men board and
lodge in families. the Investigators maize
special mention Of the fact when they
found family without boarders. IN tins
section the rents are exorbltant; nearly
all the families arc renters the landlords
make no repairs, and the houses are ~
very bad shape, unsafe and unSanfarN
showing the need of housing laws. In tins
same section. in - blocks there are 800
pre-schOol children under ) wears OF age
over halt Of whose mothers neither speak
nor understand English Truancy Is
quite general ID this ncighhorhood, and
several girls about II years Of age Who
could not speak English were found to bc
working out Also canvassers have re-
ported school children who could not
speak English, but that vas not in tins
district, knowledge Of these facts should
awaken interest III the movement for
AUGMENTATION schools
FEDERAL STATISTICS
after the fluctuations arc reported
from Washington, We shall know the
number Of children in each block of the
city (which locks are known to rs by
number number Of children Of school
age their sex, state OF health. which
public, parochial or private school each
attends, what grade he was IN when the
census was taken " shall know how
many Of school age 5 TO Is inclusive are
not in school, reason for leaving, age and
grade when they left, present occupation
and earnings We shall know the number
Of children under 5 years in each block,
bows girls and total, the number under )
who have died in the last 10 years We
shall know the number Of families in each
house. total number Of persons, and mum
Der of rooms, all of which information viii
be of the greatest value 10 the Board Of
Public Education
''As an organization we should express
thanks TO those outside the Delaware
Association Of College Women who have
helped IN the census canvass. -FOUR com
mittee wishes TO mention specially Miss
Jennie Weaver, Miss Katharine Washal,
Mr.. John s Bigucki and the Rev Henry
Schike, without whose volunteer help We
should not have been able 10 get the de
sired information from the forcign-speak-
ing people Our appreciation Is due also to
the members of the Washington Heights
Century Club, who. under the leadership
Of Mrs. Boyd Cooke, chairman Of their
education committee directed the taking
Of TIC census in the Mhnlc Ninth Mnrd