The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-10-18
WORKING FOR
CHILD WELFARE
Or. Fuller, National Secretary,
Emphasizes Outstanding De-
feCtS in Tennessee Schools.
SURVEY OF STATES MADE

c. &. Member. OF Nashville, secretary
of Tennessee Child Welfare commission,
accompanied by Raymond q. Fuller.
New York, director of the publication
department of the National Child Labor
committee, Is here TO confer with local
members OF the Tennessee Commits
sion, r. f.. Hudson and Mrs f.. l..
Underwood, on matters pertaining TO
the work OF the commission. A meeting
OF the entire commission will he held at
the state capitol, Nashville. Oct. 70.
Both financial and moral support of
n chidren's code for Tennessee is being
asked by members of the Tennessee
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 It's nee
essary data and drafts for legislative
action which will be presented at the
next regular session of the state legis-
lature in January.
When Gov Roberts created such a
commission. he placed Prof. Albert $.
Williams, state superintendent of pub
lie instruction, at its head. G. c. Menu
Ter, executive secretary of the state
board OF charities and corrections, was
made secretary and treasurer. The
other members are: Gov. A. ii. Roberts,
j. II. Kirkland, Dr. II. A. Morgan,
president OF the University of Tennes-
see; X. +. Hudson, f. ii. Mckee, f. X.
Myers, DIR. DIN West. John w. Fry.
j. +. Krantz, +. A. Mckenzie. Judge H.
G. Stocksbury. Mrs. T. f. Kelly. Milton
). Binswanger, Dr. II. w. Checker, Mrs.
Eugene Crutcher. Mrs. Claude ID. Sulli-
van, and Mrs. +. l.. Underwood.
In an interview. MIR. Fuller stated
that there were four outstanding de-
fects of the Tennessee schools: the
short term, the poor attendance, the
prevailing old-fashioned type Of school
building. which is poorly built and
poorly equipped, and the inefficient and
unframed teachers.
Each of these evils mentioned
works together for one end-they pre-
vent the child from securing the educa-
ZION to which. he is entitled Iaid Dr.
FULLER A state should provide sys-
tenn OF schools so operated and taught
mat normal child should complete the
work of the elementary grades at the
end OF his fourteenth year.
I'm four counties OF Tennessee the
agents of the National Child Labor
committee conducted intensive school
surveys. Age and grade records were
taken Tor each school and on a liberal
two year basis-by that | mean consid-
ering that child seven years old should
De In the first or second grade, a child
of eight years old should be in the
second or third grade and so Ont was
round that nearly one-half of the chill
NltL WVle at least one year,
and that over one third of those
were retarded three years or more.
Remedies for this condition OF
things are suggested in the defects of
the school system which has brought
them out. 10 make the schools most
efficient. the term should be heightened;
the truancy laws should be enforced;
the type of buildings should be i'm
proved and the standard of teachers
should be raised
The four counties in which the inten-
siVe school survey was made are Ham
ilton, Maury, Smith and Monroe.
The national committee through its
corps of ten SPECIALISTS in the different
departments of the child welfare field,
has Just completed a state wide study
of all conditions and laws affecting
children of Tennessee. The commits
sion expects to publish report en-
bodying the findings of this comprehen-
sive survey of child welfare conditions
and problems and to make recommen-
dations to the legislature. The survey
carried the following subjects: Health,
schools, recreation, child labor. rural
economics, rural social life. delinquency,
dependency, poor relief, child caring in
stitutions and state laws and admins
tration.
The report covers health, schools, re-
creation child labor, rural economics,
rural social life delinquency, depen-
dency. poor relief, child caring institu-
tons, state law and administration.
Recommended that a bureau of child
welfare be established in the department
of state charities. This means an in
creased appropriation for the depart
ment. Duties of bureau to include
First-Supervision of all child-caring
institutions in the state.
Second - Supervision OF juvenile |
courts,
Third-Standardizatio Of mothers
pension administration.
IN H. A.
unteer county boards of public welfare, |
to be created; the members of these
boards to be appointed by the secretary
of the department and to act as his rep |
resentatives in all matters relating to
delinquent dependent and defective |
children,
According to Mr.. Fuller there is a |
very important field Of work to which |
no public officer is now assigned, |
namely, the care of children In need of |
special care who are not in any nsti- |