Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-18
START BACK SCHOOL
MOVEMENT IN VIRGINIA
OF Labor Attempts ~
Attract Children Back To Edu-
CatiOnal Institutions.
MANY LuRED TO INDUSTRIES
Big Wage Prices offered During War
Period Pulled Many From Class
Iooms-Statc Council of Defense
to Help.

Don't be GcSortcr
This is the message sent by the
ch:ldrcn's bureau of tho Department
of Labor to Virginia and other States
throughout The country with the hope
ofsvrethrning to the schoolroom these
children who have been lurcd away
by well-payine industrial Jobs Those
behind the movement see a danger to
the nations future in a lowering of
educational standards by permitting
children TO remain away from school.
particularly as ans need that may have
existed for their services has diSap-
pearcd with the ending OF the war.
pccted 10 DC conducted mainly through
the State Council Of Defense. This
drive Will attempt TWO ihings-to re-
turn TO the schools and keep there
the children who have deserted them
for industry and to keep the children
now in school from leaving prema-
turely.
In connection with the "back-to-
school campaign the recent rulings OF
the employment service on the subject
OF child employment may be reviewed.
courage all children under sixteen
from leaving school TO enter industry.
In all placements of children care VIII
be taken that Federal and state reg
strictly observed. and SO far Us pos
sibie the conditions under which minors
placed by the service will work Will
De investigated beforehand. Further
more, II Placing children every effort
mus. es made - locate them only in
suitable ana developing" positions.
Similarly =: bays work ing reserve re-
FUSES - give u recognition 10 boys
under sixteen Who are employed in in
dussTy o. OF the farms.
COMMITTEES FORMED TO
STUDY CONDITIONS
The actua! work Of the "back-to-
-. ha 10
child conservation section OF the CouE-
Gil OF National Defense. which Is Or
gained into state. county and local
units. In each school community COM
mittces are being formed whose first
duty will be to study child labor and
school attendance laws From school
records accurate lists OF children who
have not returned 10 their studies Will
then be compiled.
Parents will be called upon and the
committee members Will talk over with
them why il is important not only IL
the child but 10 the country that he
be we'll prepared for work before at
tempting 1t. Where the reasons for
leaving were pecuuiary an adjustment
will be attempted so that the child
can return.
The bureau urges that this adjust
similar 10 those in practically all of the
colleges and in certain city school sys
tens. The average amount of school
scholarships is $l2o a year and i, is
y
an average of at least one Will be
founded for each Of the PSI goo school
houses in the United States. The Red
Cross VIII help to keep in school those
children who have father or brothc,
in the service.
The opening of the schools for the
an opportunity 10 find out TO just what
extent children We're leaving school
prematurely whether those who had
worked OH vacation permits were rn-
70 a,sll h. H. To-,
among working children
INVESTIGATIONS SHOW MANY
HAVE LEFT PUBl.IC SCHOOLS
series OF inquiries were made in
typical industrial and commercial CEN
tors to throw light on these and other
questions. The cities studied include
New York. Philadelphia. Chicago. Bos-
ton, Baltimore. Pittsburgh. Washing
ton, Wilmington (DclD. 81. Louis Gin
cinnatA Louisville and several smaller
In Washington it was found that
ms year l,o93 permits 10 work either
outside school hours or full time had
been granted under the law which
permits children of twelve or thirteen
TO work II, in the opinion of the juve-
nile court, the b9yertE OF the family
Justifes it. In l9i6-l7 only on such
permits were issued a gain Of 2s5 per
cent. The number OF children from
fourteen to sixteen who were granted
regular working permits rose from 727
In 1857 to l,SlT this wear an in
crease of l64 per cent In Wlimineton
oi per cent more children have taken
tically all OF this 81 per cent. have
dehnitely left school TO enter indus
try on full time.
Reports of greatly increased shifting
from Job TO job seem to indicate that
the child is not finding in his work n
steadily progressing training The fig
u!es 90 not SHOW that children are
staying al their jobs more steadily be-
cause OF higher wages OF that they are
Staying long enough TO gain from their
lhuustriai framing experience which
VIII make them