Tabor City tribune., 1963-05-15


THE THREE US
BY Paul c. Tullier,
Senior Editor,
World Book Year Book
Part ii
The Step-up in educational
requirements is tanning out
into the labor unions. Most
have frightened their stand
ards for apprentices: candi-
dates must nearly always
have high school diploma.
Nor is that all. Apprentice
ships themselves are growing
scarce.
In 1880, there were 23l.OOO
apprentices in programs re-
giStered with the u. S. De-
partment of Labor. But there
were only 10000 in 1860
a drop of nearly oue-third.
Here. again. the unemployed
dropout is caught in a wise.
Not only is he unqualified
for trade union apprentice
ship, but the apprenticeship
system itself seems to in
danger of shrieling up.
Labor Laws Hinder
Oddly enough, chil6-labor
laws often seem to hinder
rather than help the million
odd youngsters who haun,
our back streets today. The
age at which youths may
start work is regulated by
state law. So are the hours
per day and pc. week. and
the type of work they may
do. But the regulations vary
from state To state. and the
state laws themselves are
usually SuperSc led by fcdCr-
al laws when Il company is
involved in interstate COM
mrrcc. Ratht:' than get Snari-
ed in red tape. T.rmS bypass
the young and hire older
workers.
Youth unemployment, then,
is rooted in a number of
causes. Bu, the chief culprits
are the dropouts themselves.
Who are they, and what
makes them tick?
Experts shy clear of any
cut-and-dried definition of a
dropout. Each. they point out.
is an individual; no two are
alike. Girls as we'll as Euys
quit before graduation. Some
are like auburn-haired Doris.
a l7-year-old who lives in
tenement on ChicasD's south
side. The block on which she
resides is lined with cheap
tavernS. Drunks often sleep
il Off in the vestibuie of her
building. Neighborhood NOR
ais are low. Two of Doris
sisters ran away from home.
My mother always watched
me like a hawk" complains
Doris bitterly. Il guess she
thought I'd turn bad. too.
Every time she heard | had
a date she'd kick up a storm.
| even had to wait until
got outside the house to
put on makeup. | quit school
to get a job-and to get "a
way from her"
Prominent Dropout
Doris. who quit school to
escape home life. is an und-
erprivileged product of a big
city slum. But many dropouts
come from more fortunate
environments. Jim. spoiled,
handsome Is year-old, is
from better-class suburb in
New Orleans, where his fa-
ther is a highly respected
minister. His mother is
prominent social worker. "All
my crowd had 'jalopics' cx-
cept me-" says Jim. who is
an only child. Il felt left
out. When my father said the
only way | could get one was
to earn it. decided to do
Just that. | quit school and
took a temporary. part-time
job. was Is. What could he
do?"
Chicken"
A few dropoutS are like Al,
who ran afoul of the law at
an early age. Ais father died
when he was three. and his
mother took a job with the
Internal Revenue Service in
Atlanta to support him. my
mother was away most Of the
time. ! guess I got mixed I'D
with a bad crowd. and all
that jazz. Anyway" he adds.
zone day bunch Of us were
playing a game called chick
en- and someone dared me to
snatch a purse. Just for
kicks, I did. ! got nabbed.'
The corners Of his mouth
turned down and he wrink-
led his forehead. when my
mother found ou'. she flip
ped. You're tsrre1 for life.
she says. That police rec
ordll follow you around like
a curse. figured, well, what
the heck. il I cant win he.