Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-15
NEW REGULATIONS
Continued fro m page /

Code OF Delaware, page l441, 3iul-aiz-
inclusive. has existed and still exists OF
tho statute books of Delaware, whlcl
hound the child TO its master and gav'
the s.master" the right TO will the child tc
hia assigns and circumvented any attenp'
on the part of the child to run away. !. !
stated hv the Board of Charities tna'
there are still about 20 chlldren In this
State who have bsen bound out py this
Law. The Northern Home Tor triendiesS
Children, the Western home ior ooi
Children, the Southern Home ior Destl-
tute Children, all in Philadelphia, We're M
ch,ded and allowed to place unaer thlF m
Law Such a law must naturally nave
,,;,,.,, re. To a very possessive feeling on
the mart of the foster parent and cohse-
,,eptlv much cruelty and neglect.
I21 Various Delaware agencies also
nlaced out on the farm within the state
undsr different arrangements
f2N Children were also informally piac-
IL b,. narents or friends when for one
reason or another the child seemed TO be
Nearby States learning of the demand
Cor child labor in Delaware began placing
their children in large numbers on the
S,rn. in lower Kent and Sussex counties
In 1915 during a survey that was beng
,,ade of "mental detectives in rural
.sountv' bv the Federal Children Bureau
~ large numbers of dependent or So
aIiaI 1sbome children were found that II
IL 60 a nreliminarv study of plsced out
nbldr.n IN the State of Delaware by the
TadcraI Children's Bureau. This study
ihon,.d tho total number of placed out
chiIdren ia the State at that time TO oe
osT $50 of whom had been brought IN
from outside the State. Ia agencies placing
Seventv-nine per cent OF this entire
Number were boys. indicating that tiev
Y.rr more desired because OF their apllitv
10 work on the farm.
This study further showed that chlldren
seven 70 l3 years of age placed IN 1ela-
u-.rr from other States by agencies attend
ed school as follows; -
I73per cent less than months
eao rer cent less than months
OK n ner cent less than months
po,;.aIIv all the children from ont
10 ,be state attended school for very
much shorter period than the iniIlllLt'I,l li:In
raouirerneuts in the State from which
they came.
FEEBLE MINDED.
Mental Defect in Rural County,
page 30. is as follows:
'sThe higher percentage IN sussex
county Is due to the number OF feeble
ro,ndsd depepdent children placed out IN
,be county For several years certain
agencies IN adjoining States have had
polirv of placing children IN farm homes
7, tb{s state The system has been foster
~ III the demand for child labor created
~ the character Of the farming IN south
crn Delaware The fact that until 1917
no bond was required by the state Tor the
,urposr of preventing these Dependent
children from becoming puhllc charges mas
resulted in the placing out OF many men
,alIy defective children IN the county
In April 1917. law regulating inc I'M
nortatian of dependent children was pass
~ recurring that al! agencies give bond io'
s3oD0 and secure the consent 81 the Stat'
Board az Education before placing IN th'
state The supervision q these cil'l1lieI II
,,as ,laced IN the hands of the state com
s','ss,onsr ~ education, there being NJ
state Board Of Charities existent AZ ina
time. - ,
.-,,ol,y and neglect were constantly
coming up.
80 thought 10 be feeble. minded, ha'
h.en nlaced for some time with farmer 7
the Stat, bv an outside agency. Neigh
hors complained Of the cruel treatmen
we, tho child bv the foster father. n
ebiId VA. finally removed by the Soclet,
for the Prevention Of Cruelty TO Chlldrel
~ Delaware and the foster father takel
5efore "a Justice Of the peace and hneC
The child Was found TO be covered VIII
scabies and was placed IN hospital 10
treatment He was finally returned 70 tn
societv from whence he came and .,
tb.rn was turned back 10 the Overseers o
~. Poor. This happened IN July 1919.
In December, 1919, A. T., boy VII
hsd been In the State OF Delaware 10
korne vesrs and who had been pronounced
.mental defective by responsible alleIisI
"a. referred TO the office OF the Children
Bureau OF Delaware as beng cruel,
treated. Upon investigation the Children
p,,re.u discovered this statement 10 b
tr,c and removed the child after com
rnunicst.ng with the visitor IRON tn
society. The child himself begged to b
r.-,ov.d was cowed and very mucl
afraid He was returned 10 the soclet.
from which be came, which turned nm
over 10 the mother, there beng 70 room
for him IN the institution for the ieebl
minded In his own State.
These cases. coupled with years OF com
p1iseration for the alleged suffering an'
neglect of the bound child IN the Stat
led some OF the prominent citizens TO la.
plans for a special study OF these ch1drei
who had been placed IN the State by ont
side agencies The commissioner OF edu
cation had the authority TO visit, but az
funds and no worker. The Children
Bureau of Delaware arranged with In
cornuais issioner to finance worker L
worl, under the direction OF both the stat
Board OF Education and the Children
Bureau Of Delaware. Accordingly, tn
work WAS begun March /, 1920.
The total number OF these children L
the State under seven years OF age IS on
girl: between seven and nine years, i
bows and four girls; between 10 and IL
- bows, IA girls; between IA and IL
l20 boys, II girls; between IL and y
90 boys, three girls.
The number Of children in the Stat
placed previous TO April, 1917 is 1886 an
the nunbe- placed since April, 1917 IS 9S
Certain investigations and studies whic
have been made in the last four year
would point 70 the fact that some Of thes
statements at least were warranted.
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
First as 70 school attendance. A repor
on the attendance Of dependent chiIdre
In the State for 19l7-lS, issued by tn
State commissioner Of education, shove,
that there were in New Castle county thre
pupils IN Kent county. Is and in SUISSE.
county. 10, making total of IS BOYS an,
srls who were sent 70 school less than on
month This report showed that 81 chil
dren IN the three counties attended schoc
less than two months. while So attendet