The sun., 1919-11-02

as much for It's children as any other
State In the Union.
He pointed to n boy with a cowed ex-
preston of countenance who was at.
tending to some chores near by. a boy
whose appearance indicated that he had
been deprived OF that friendship and
tender care that comes TO n child brought
up by kind parents a boy whose spirit
seemed to have been thoroughly broken
by suitable and sufficient means; a
boy who was growing into manhood
or bitterness and dense ignorance be-
cause of continual abuses. He said. 81
got that youngster out Of a home. Do
you think ! brought him here to send
him 20 school? l tell you I brought him
here to work, and he's going to work as
long as have anything to say about It,"
This man is but one of many. Wher-
ever they go in the rural districts trying
to educate the people to the value of
educational reform the friends of the
new school law are meeting this same
protest. There are people who journeyed
TO Pennsylvania and other States search
ing the orphan asylums and homes for
the strongest children they could find
for the purpose OF getting farm labor
at minimum cost.
They say In substance, I'VE imported
these children to work for us. In re-
turn we agreed to give them clothing
and food and a place to live. We en-
tered into that contract with the full
knowledge and consent of the State.
Now, without warning or compensation,
along comes the school law and says we
must send these children to school the
majority of the time. thus depriving us
of the labor for which we contracted"
Important Reforms Urged.
While It is pointed out that the new
school laws do not prohibit the binding
of children, they DO, however. contain
very important reforms relating to this
system. The old laws contained elabo-
rate provision for obtaining this virtu-
ally free child labor from other States
and provided that "Indentures OF ap-
prenticeship made by the House Of Ref
uge, the Northern Home for Friendless
Children, the Western Home for Poor
Children, the Southern Home for Desti-
tute Children, all corporations of the
State of Pennsylvania, or by any other
corporation of any State of the Union
which shall have authority under its
charters to execute such lndentures,"
should be valid and effectual in all re-
spects as n legal binding made in the
State Of Delaware.
The old laws, through amendment
made two years ago, placed the inpor-
tation of bound children from other
States under the supervision of the
State Board of Education and required
any adult bringing such child into the
State to furnish a $4,000 bond. This
amendment was in effect toothless in
that it failed to empower the State
Board of Education to enforce its will.
The new school code, however, gives
the State officials authority to act and
is bound to greatly interfere with the
Importation of these children in the
future.
The new School Code revises this and
gives the State Board OF Education con-
troll over all children imported from
other States for indeuture or adoption.
1t requires that the adult must furnish
n bond in the sum of $1,000 before
bringing any child into the State under
this law and that the State Board OF
Education shall have general supervision
in relation to the Importation, placing
removal and supervision of all children
coming under this particular statute
1t also holds the person importing a
child responsible for its proper care and
education and for certain expenses should
the child be tried and found guilty OF
any crime or m!sdemeanor within a GER
/
prohibits the importation OF /. bound
child that is incorrigible, of unsound
mind or body or feebleminded. and re-
quires that if it be necessary for child
TO be returned because of unfitness the
person who imported It shall bear the
expense
This plan, as may readily be seen.
would tend to shut off from the owners
of child labor here their most bountiful
slave markets the orphan asyluns of
neighboring States and the crop of
orphans in Delaware alone is not suf-
iicient to supply the demand.
Also in its general provisions com
pelling all children. whether bound or
not TO attend school throughout three
quarters of the year, 1t tends to dis
courage the whole child slave system.
The better class OF farmers are among
its bitterest opponents, for they have
seen the workings of this old system
close at hand