Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-09-30
WORK of SCHOOL OFFICERS
York County School Canvass Near.
ing Completion 9
The MOTHERS SHOULD Be CAREFUL

Little Opposition TO Compulsory
School Law-PeopIe Gladly Assist
In Giving co-operation--PenaIty for
Keeping Children Out of School
Without Good Reason.
Work of taking a census Of all
school children of York county, both
white and colored which has been in
progress for several months past is
rapidly nearing completion, Miss Belva
Saunders, one of the two York county
attendance officers who are engaged in
the work said yesterday. Another
month at most will complete the work
and then there will be in the hands
of the county educational authorities
record of the name and address as
well as d good bit of personal history
of every child, both white and colored,
in York county up to the age OF Ia
years. Work of taking such census
is not such an easy task as one might
imagine, especially il it is taken
thoroughly as the attendance officers
are doing and Miss Saunders comes
UP against some rather difficult situ-
ations from time to time. She talked
interestingly to The Enquirer the other
day about the work.
80 Familiar With Law.
everybody in York county" she
said appears to be more or less
familiar with the compulsory school
attendance law under which we are
operating and i find little or no OBJ
lection to 1t anywhere thus far and
do not expect it. People both white
and colored are eyidencing a willing
ness to give me all the information
that need in taking the census.
There are a few white parents who are
not inclined to send their children to
school even for four months in the
year, taking the position that they can
not afford to dispense with their labor,
which is necessary for the production
for the family bread and meat. but
there is little of this sort Of thing. !.
Under the law, one does not haye
to send ones children to school where
the school house Is more than TIVE and
one hslf mics away from the ffodi-
dencc and i have cene CROSS a fsP
who intend. TO lfa nd intake OF thil'
provision in keeping their children
away. l came across one man, and
white man at that, who told me fiat
some time ago that the school house
was not within the distance prescribed
by law from his residence and that we
couldn't do anything with him and he
knew it. He went on to say that they
didn't need education anyhow. al
though one could tell by their appear
ance that they needed something and
needed it badly. There are quite q
number of families who live more than
two miles and half from any school
house; but fortunately all Of them do
not take the position that the man
mentioned does.
No Trouble With Negroes.
II am having no trouble whatever
with the negroes. In almost every in
stance they know their ages and can
give the day of birth as well. The
average white family does not have
this information at it's finger tips;
but in every home the family Bible is
resorted to for the correct record.
Not so with the negro. The record Is
not put down in the Bible but is kept
in mind.
an some districts far remote the
negroes were little reluctant about
giving me census information at first.
Some of them did not know what it
was all about and were possessed OF
great fears and forebodings that l was
getting information to be used in
drafting them for military service or
something. Still after they saw me
going to the homes of white people and
asking the same questions, that / ask
ed of them they began 10 come around
all right and now have not the slight
est bit of trouble.
"Some white men have complained
to me about the compulsory law on the
ground that it applies to negroes as
we'll as whites and compels the negro
to take an education whereas they ap-
pear now too willing to get it without
compulsion. And yet there isn't a
great deal of complaint along that
line
"The compulsory attendance law was
operative in some of the districts at
the recent term as you know and sew
eral parents were reported for failure
to send their children regularly. One
mother kept her child out of school, a
little girl, one day. She gave as her
excuse that the child was unwell and
she thought it would do her good to
stay out day and go visiting. The
law says that they must go every day
unless i'll in bed and that no other eX-
cuse will do. This particular mother
also went on to say that she was un-
aware Of the law or rather did not
think it would apply 10 her child but
was for those who had not been ac-
customed to going to school Some
people are evidently not aware that
tbo low naEcc M destinations in Dpr-