South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-24
CITY AND RURAL
CHILDREN EQUAL
Both Have Same Advantages
as to Health. Says Bulletin
Recently Issued.

Neither the rural child nor the
city child has an advantage over
the other in the matter OF health,
according TO the Child Labor Bui-
letin." published by the national
child labor committee. IN an arti-
Gle on THE Draft as a Test of the
Nations Physical Stamina" by Ed
ward y. Chopper. an analysis of the
per cent of men rejected for phySi-
cal reasons in the draft shows that
exactly the same per cent (2G.6J
were rejected from rural and from
urban districts. Recent studies Of
rural school children have tended Il
prove that the country child is not
as healthy and robust as the city
child, due largely 10 the fact that
more measures have been taken b.
the cities for the preservation Of
children's health The draft figures
show that the country boy is still
holding his own but that he has no
margin and that unless the rural
districts follow the example of the
cities in taking care OF their chit
dren, the cities viii soon Outdistance
them
Another article dealing with the
health OF children, Physical Wei
fare of Employed Children" by
Florence I. Taylor. points out tn
necessity for medical supervision Of
children at work. Most states have
medical inspection systems i'm their
schools and number of states re-
quire children to pass a physical
examination before they can secure
a permit 20 work. according to tn
article. but after they have once
entered industry there is no stale
that requires them 10 be periodical
ly examined 20 see whether they are
working at tasks harmful 10 their
health. The article cites many cases
where the health of children mad
suffered because OF their employ
ment and recommends as best
means of handling. the situation a
special force of medical inspectors
attached TO the labor department i'm
each state which would work under
the supervision Of an agent of the
state board of health.
In the field Of education there is
an article by a. ]. McKelway on
Federal Aid TO Elementary Educa-
ton" which announces that at the
request of the committee on national
aid TO education, Of which Prof.
John Dewey was chairman. the ma
tional child labor committee has
taken over the work of promoting
the plans for federal aid to elemen-
tary education as the next logical
step after the enactment Of the fed
eral child labor law. THE princi-
Piles on which national aid TO educa-
ton rests are simple and easily I'm.
derstood." says DR.. McKelway. THE
children of the United States are
children of the nation as well as of
the states.
But the state are uneQuallv able
to solve the problem. just as i'm a
state some school districts or some
counties must have assistance from
the state fund for education. the
richer counties contributing more
than their share to the fund. AS an
example DIR. McKelway points out
that because Of greater per capita
wealth and a larger ratio Of adult
male producers to children of school
age, the typical school district in
the state of California is IS times
more able than a typical South Car
olina district TO educate its children
a bill will he drafted shortly. il is
said, after the advice Of school men
throughout the country and con-
gressionaI leaders in Washington has
been received and will be introduced
in the present session of congress.