Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 10.djvu/311

 HAS ILLINOIS THE BEST LAWS IN THE COUNTRY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN?

MR. W. L. BODINE, superintendent of compulsory education of Chicago, in an article published in the Juvenile Court Record for August, 1904, makes the statement that " Illinois now has the best laws in the country to protect its children." Mr. Bodine's position and the importance of the subject together warrant a careful consideration of this statement.

The superintendent of compulsory education of the second city in the republic is in a position to know the strength and weak- ness of the laws affecting the children in his community. If his estimate of them is correct, the fact is of great importance, par- ticularly during the present year when a large number of legis- latures will be asked to consider and enact measures for the protection of children.

Because Illinois is the third great manufacturing state in the Union (coming next after New York and Pennsylvania), and because of the influence of Chicago, many states have in times past imitated the legislation of Illinois dealing with child-labor and compulsory education.

If the best laws in the country are those of Illinois, it is desirable that they should be largely used as models in framing measures for other states. If, however, they are not yet the best laws, it would be unfortunate to have them thus copied, and their avoidable defects or omissions embodied in the laws of states which might otherwise move forward more rapidly and directly toward the effective protection of all their children.

For the sake of the children of Illinois, also, the correctness of this statement should be carefully considered. If there are still aspects of the Illinois law which compare unfavorably with the statutes of other states, it is desirable in the interests of the children that the facts should be known and the defects remedied. For Illinois aspires to afford her children the best protection.

The progress achieved during the past twelve years in the

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