Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-06
PUT CHILDREN
IN SCHOOL;LET
PARENTS WORK
Woman Officer Sees Idea as
Solution Of Unemployment
Question in i. S.
WAR CONDITIONS OVER

Indiana parents and employers must
awaken to the fact that the general order
Of affairs that was prevalent during the
war, when every one was bent on the
one object Of winning the war, has
changed. and that the solution of the
present unemployment situation may be
solved by placing the children IN school
and giving the positions they hold &c
older persons with dependent families. is
the oainiou Of Miss Blanche Merry, State
attendance officer.
There is a hue and CRY that many men
are out Of employment" said Miss Merry
our cities are crowded with persons
seeking work, Yet it is said there are nc
jobs Such q state Of affairs is discOur-
aging 10 young men and women. and il
is exceedingly serious when these same
persons have others dependent upon them
EVERYBODY WORKED
DURING THE WAR.
During the war, the youth were placed
in all forms o. emplOymant. and especially
was this fact noticed in regard to the EN-
ployment Of women and girls. The girls
operated the elevators in our hotels, there
BY freeing men and boys for other labor
The youth worked on the farm and in the
factory. They assumed responsibility
earlier than they would have done in nor
nal tines Every phase Of society broke
Its customary method OF doing things in
order TO meet the demand for workers
These acts always carried the slogan
Doing our bit TO win the war Under
this public sentiment. boys OF the teen
age were excused from our public schools
TO pillow or prepare the fields for sowing
They were excused in the fall TO husk the
corn.
The school officials often were quite
lenient In checking up these boys and
girls. They felt as We all did that It was
a bit Of patriotism on the part Of all
parties concerned.
Now that the war IS over, st is not easy
to return TO the old order Of things. We
are apr TO think that the boys and girls
may continue to he kept out of school
for work. And while In this mind. we are
apt TO regard any effort to protect these
boys and girls as an intrusion on the
parents rights. We are aware that prices
are high when we are buying and low
when We are selling. Farmers had q
brief time Of high prices. and in that
time some invested heavily IL stocks. high
priced lard and modern implements Then
prices dropped taxes continued and in
creased; This condition was followed by
poor yields from the farm. The man OF
ordinary temper might have some reason
for thinking he was the subject of earth 5
calamiiips.
BOY UNDER IS
MUST GO TO SCHOOL.
with this gloomy outlook upon life
the new attendance law appears. Under
this law the boys and girls under 10 no
longer can be kept ar home to work
They must attend school rvery day while
school is in session. except when they
are i'll. To those Of US who have per
mitted the gloomy crop failure, etc. "a
OvefsaadUw the entire social life. tLls Law
may seem Ike the last straw on the
procerhial cameTs back
rs the attendance law hardship?
Are we so miserably poverty stricken in
Indiana that the youth of Indiana must
pay such a price, So long as our State
and Nation can find millions Of dollars
TO send to Europe and Asia there is no
need TO keep our own boys and girls
from their Inheritance in order that they
may mine and husk or fetch and carry.
We may view this same question from
the industrial angle. If the manufac-
turer, the farmer. and the grocer will EN-
play men and women above the age Of
16. they viii he helping to solve the in
dustrial problem They will help still
more If they will employ only adults.
1t would bring about a social cooperation
There would come a social balance OF
affairs
In summing up this matter, it is clear
that Indiana is not on the European
plane Of poverty Our boys and girls
must have their chance. Instead of
working our children. thereby stunting
them physically and spiritually. the labor
can be given to adults. They will de-
mand a higher wage, Of course. but this
very fact makes them bread winners
They become participants in the social
order and thereby help share the bur
dens. They are helping do the work
while the children are building into them
selves character. bone, muscle and rich
American blood