Evening star., 1936-01-09
YOUTH. PROSPECTS |
HELD CHEERLESS.
Commission Considers Out
look for $500, 900 as
Session Opens.

A cheerleSs report on the oppor-
tunities Of 5,500.000 youths between
Is and Is, denied the advantages Of
employment and education, and the
estimated 2,875 600 young people re-
Gently on relief rolls was made today
to the Youth Commission of the
American Council on Education, which
opened a two-day conference at the
Carleton Hotel
Rapid increase In child labor through
out the country, manifest unwilling
ness of many young people to work
at all and the failure of American
level with increased productions were
some Of the major points made In a
survey prepared by DR.. Homer p.
Rainey. director of the commission.
Presided over by Newton D. Baker,
the non-governmental agency is A.
nanced by the General Education
Board, Rockefeller Foundation unit.
1t Is studying general problems in en-
ployment, health education, recreation
and delinquency among the youth Of
the land
Child Labor Scored.
Child labor conditions, increasing at
an alarming rate since the invalidation
of the N. R.. A. codes, were scored in
DR.. Rainey's report.
In Maryland from June to October,
1884, only six work permits were issued
to II and 15-year-old children. For
the same four months in 1885, the
report pointed out, the number was
l54.
Child labor increased by over 400
per cent in New York City during a
similar period and corresponding in
creases were reported from localities
in Massachusetts,, Michigan, New Jer-
sey, North Carolina. Florida and
Texas.
The proposed child labor amend
ment to the Federal Constitution may
yet be ratified" DR.. Rainey said, but
even If this should occur in 1887 1t
would have no effect on the situation
unless and until Congress legislated on
the subject
Ambition Lack Cited.
Youths lack of desire for employ
ment was considered "a serious prob
lem" that has grown out Of the un-
employment situation. the report said.
While the census of 1880 revealed
100000 youths gainfully employed,
this number was estimated to have
decreased 35 per cent by 1885, with
2.875, 900 recently on relief DR..
Rainey estimated at least 1000 900
between the ages of l6 and "a now are
gainfully employed. but he was none
too optimistic about the probability
of immediate further employment in
large numbers.
Any considerable increase in man.
power employed in agriculture seemed
to be out of the range of probability.
the report said, and the rapid stride
Of Improvements in manufacturing
and transportation indicate increased
production without proportionately
increased employment.
DR.. Rainey declared that schools
must reorganize to meet the new situa-
ton.
DR.. Rainey cited Justice Depart
ment reports showing that more peg
pie are arrested at the age of 10 than
at any other age, and that 37.4 per
cent of the total known arrests are of
people under IS years of age. The re-
port states in most rural localities
there Is lamentable dearth of COM
y social and recreational facili-
ties"
-..nong members of the commission
attending the conference are Mrs.
Dorothy Garfield Fisher, the novelist;
Henry I. Hartman. former president
Of the United States Chamber OF
Commerce: DR.. John W. Studebaker,
United States Commissioner of Educa-
ton. and DR.. George F. Zook. presi-
dent of the American Council of Edu-
cation. Sessions were held behind
closed doors.