The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-10-20
SUPPORT ASKED
FOR TENNESSEE !.
CH|LDREN'S CODE
Commission Faces Lack OF
Funds in Carrying Out Nee
essary Work on LegisIa-
VIONM

KNOXVILLE. Tenn, Oct. 20-Both
financial and moral support of a
Children's code for Tennessee is be-
ing asked by members of the Ten
nessee Child Welfare commission,
which was created by Gov. Roberts
in January, 1920. The commission
has no funds of its own with which
to carry out its necessary data and
drafts for legislative action which
will be presented at the next regu-
lar session Of the state legislature
in January. ..-.r.r
When Gov. Roberts created such a
commission, he placed Prof Albert
s. Williams, state superintendent or
public instruction, at it's head. c. G..
Member, executive secretary of the
state board of charities and correc-
lions, was made secretary and treas
urer, The other members are: Gov.
A. H. Roberts, J. H. Kirkland, DR..
Fl. A. Morgan, president Of the Uni
versity of Tennessee; R. f. Hudson,
r. M. <McRae. F. e. Myers, DR.. Olin
West, John w. Fry, J. p. KrantZ, f.
A. Mckenzie, Judge e. G: Stocks
bury, Mrs. 8. r.. Kelley, Milton s.
Binswanger, DR.. T. w. Checker, Mrs.
Eugene Crutcher Mrs. Claude d.
Sullivan, and Mrs. F. L. Underwood.
The local members are DR.. Morgan,
president of the University of Ten
nessee; DR.. T. w. Checker, profess
sor of economics and sociology at the
university, and e. G. SUCCESSFULLY
Judge of the Juvenile court.
Dr. Raymond G. Fuller. associate
director of the National Child Labor
commission, with headquarters in
New York, and c. G. Member have
been here for an informal conference
with members of the state commits
sion for the purpose of discussing
proposed legislation for the better
ment of conditions affecting children
in Tennessee.
At the request of the Tennessee
commission, the national child labor
committee recently made a state
wide survey of conditions in schols.
A staff of specialists was at work
for eight months in Tennessee max
ing one of the most comprehensive
! and exhaustive studies OF child wei
e fare conditions and problems that
! has ever been made on a state wide
= scale. -
The report of this staff of special
lists, which is now before the COM
mission and will later be presented
to the governor and to the legislature.
contains
the state: health, schools, recreation,
: child labor, rural life juvenile
courts, mothers pensions. institutions
and home finding.
In an interview following his con-
ference with members of the COM
mission, DIR. Fuller stated that there
were four outstanding defects of the
Tennessee schools: The short term
the poor attendance, the prevailing
old fashioned type of school build
ing which is poorly built and poorly
cnnipped. and the inefficient and UNI
trained teachers.
zach of these evils mentioned
works together for one end-they
prevent the child from securing the
education to which he is entitled
said DR.. Fuller, "a state should pro.
vide a system of schools so operated
ana taught that normal chiic
should complete the work Of the ele-
.nlentary. grades at the end o. M MI
fourteenth year. -.
an four counties of Tennessee the
agents OF the National Child Labol
committee conducted intensive schoo
survey. Age and grade records
were taken for each school, and or
a liberal two-year basis-by that
mean considering that child
years old should be in the first o.
second grade, child of 8 years oil
should be in the second or thir'
grade, and so ont was found tina
nearly one half Of the children wer
retarded at least one year, and tina
over one-t third of those who were re
tarded three years or more.
Remedies for this condition o
things are suggested in the defect
of the school system which ha
brought them about. To make tn
schools most efficient, the tern
should be heightened; the truanc,
laws should be enforced; the typ
of buildings should be improved
and the standard Of teachers SHOULD
be raised"
The four counties in which the in
tensive school survey was made ar
Hamilton, Maury, Smith and Mon
roe.