■Child Welfare in Gklahom 
An Inquiry by the National Child Labor Committee for the 
University of Oklahoma 
Under the direction of 
Edward N. Clapper, Ph.D., 
Secretary for the Northern States 
NEW YORK 
Natwnal GUrilb Uabnr (Uammitte? 
1917 OKLAHOMA Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
An Inquiry by the National Child Labor Committee for the 
University of Oklahoma 
Under the direction of 
Edward N. Clopper, Ph.D., 
Secretary for the Northern States 
PUBLISHED BY 
•Naitnttal CEtTtlh Ualw Cnmmtttre 
INCORPORATED 
105 East 22d Street. New York City Copyright 1918 
by the 
National Child Labor Committee 
PRESS OF CLARENCE S. NATHAN, INC., NEW YORK. CONTENTS 
PAGE 
Introduction Edward N. Clopper 5 
Public Health Work Gertrude H. Folks 11 
Recreation Gertrude H. Folks 38 
Education Elizabeth Howe Bliss 62 
Child Labor Lewis W. Hine 106 
Agriculture Charles E. Gibbons 118 
Juvenile Courts and Probation Mabel Brown Ellis 141 
Institutional Care of Children Mabel Brown Ellis 164 
Home Finding Mabel Brown Ellis 194 
Poor Relief Eva J ofe 208 
Parentage, Property, and General Protection, W. H. Swift 220 
Administration W. H. Swift 246 
3 INTRODUCTION 
Edward N. Clobber 
The well-being of the children of a community may be fairly 
judged by the laws that govern it. As a rule they reflect public 
opinion. In a new state however, it frequently happens, as seems 
to have been true of Oklahoma's child welfare acts, that they are 
suddenly seized upon because of their adoption elsewhere without 
any clear conviction as to their suitability for the control of local 
conditions. Laws function best in any community when developed 
out of that community's own thought and experience, for then 
they are adapted to the local needs and are understood and appre- 
ciated by the people they affect. But such an ideal process is not 
feasible in a newly organized community faced by the necessity 
of immediate measures for the regulation of its affairs. Oklahoma, 
being a new community of unusually rapid growth and having 
been organized as a state long after most of her sisters in the Union, 
naturally deemed it wise in framing her laws a few years ago to 
avail herself of what the others had to offer as the fruit of their 
experience and accordingly lifted a mass of legislation bodily from 
their statute books and spread it on her own. Fortunately, this 
legislation in respect to dependent, delinquent, and defective children 
was generally modem, but with regard to normal children especially 
in the fields of health and school administration it lagged behind 
progressive thought elsewhere. The state has since been struggling 
to make these acts meet the conditions within her borders and in 
that struggle has become aware of their defects and convinced of 
the need for revision. It cannot be accurately said that in respect 
to her child welfare laws the state took a long step forward and 
then retrograded-it is perhaps nearer the truth to say that Okla- 
homa leaped out into this field somewhat prematurely and im- 
petuously, but bravely and confidently, and finding herself in a 
confusion of antiquated and modem acts, is striving to correct the 
situation and to keep from falling back. However, Oklahoma was 
not original in this respect-she merely copied the mistakes of others. 
Legislative measures for the protection of children are of more 
or less haphazard growth. They are commonly the result of 
5 6 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
spasmodic and unrelated efforts on the part sometimes of official and 
sometimes of private agencies or individuals, put forth at different 
intervals as occasions seemed to require. A society interested in 
juvenile delinquency drafts a juvenile court and probation bill 
and has it introduced into the legislature; at another session a 
measure to provide a state asylum for orphans is urged upon the 
law makers by some other organization; later on a compulsory 
school attendance law is proposed by some official or private agency; 
and at some other time amendments to the child labor law are 
brought up for consideration at the instance of the labor depart- 
ment or of some volunteer committee. So the body of laws safe- 
guarding boys and girls has been built up gradually through the 
separate contributions of public and private organizations and 
individuals, each interested in only one phase of the general problem. 
Inevitably there results a lack of harmony and coordination. The 
parts of the body so constructed fail to articulate and function 
smoothly. The effectiveness of such laws in operation as a general 
program is correspondingly reduced. Frequently laws that have 
a close correlation in purpose are found to be contradictory in their 
provisions and the attempt to administer them jointly creates 
hopeless confusion. Social workers themselves have not been dis- 
tinguished for cooperation within the fields of their own activity. 
They commonly pursue their own ends independently of others 
engaged in closely related work and utterly oblivious or even ignorant 
of the opportunity for joint endeavor. This aloofness on the part 
of the workers also has contributed to the random growth of our 
laws on social welfare. This state of affairs has become so in- 
tolerable that a movement started a few years ago to remedy it 
through the codification of laws and the encouragement of co- 
operation among those who administer them has met with hearty 
endorsement and support. 
Three acts of the British Parliament known as the Consolidated 
Factory Acts, the Consolidated Educational Acts and the Chil- 
dren's Act of 1908, together with amendments that have been 
adopted at different times, constitute what is virtually a code of 
laws for the benefit of children in the United Kingdom. The sub- 
ject matter of the first and second of these acts is indicated by their 
names; the third is wider in scope and divided into six parts, 
treating of (1) infant life protection; (2) prevention of cruelty to Introduction 
7 
children and young persons; (3) juvenile smoking; (4) reformatory 
and industrial schools; (5) juvenile offenders; and (6) miscel- 
laneous and general matters such as giving intoxicating liquor to 
children, safety at entertainments, definitions, etc. Mr. Bernard 
Flexner, the American authority on juvenile courts, made special 
efforts to bring this Children's Act of 1908 to the attention of social 
workers in the United States shortly after it became effective, and 
suggested that action be taken here looking toward the simplifying, 
standardizing and codifying of our own state laws somewhat on 
the plan of the British procedure. 
About the same time, upon the invitation of President Roose- 
velt, a conference now known as the White House Conference, was 
held in Washington at which the principles governing the care of 
dependent children were set forth as agreed upon by the repre- 
sentative social workers who took part in the deliberations. This 
statement of principles has been useful throughout the country 
wherever measures for the care of dependent children have been 
under consideration. 
The National Child Labor Committee and the National Con- 
sumers' League had for some time been urging the adoption of a 
standard child labor law and in 1911 the National Conference of 
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws approved a draft, prepared 
and submitted at its request by the National Child Labor Com- 
mittee. This proposed measure was recommended by these com- 
missioners to the states for enactment so as to promote uniformity 
of standards in this field and its provisions have since then been 
adopted in whole or in part by several commonwealths. 
A standard juvenile court law was written by Mr. Bernard 
Flexner for the guidance of communities contemplating the improve- 
ment of their methods and procedure in dealing with juvenile un- 
fortunates and has served as a guide for a number of years past. 
In 1913 the report of the commission appointed by the Governor 
of Ohio to revise and codify the laws of that state relative to children 
was submitted to the legislature and marked the first comprehensive 
effort in this country to coordinate laws affecting children a'nd to 
make them harmonize with the best thought in the several fields 
concerned. The report of this commission covered the organiza- 
tion, powers and duties of state agencies dealing with children, 
juvenile courts, methods and control of child placing, management 8 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
of children's homes, orphan asylums, reformatories and institutions 
for defective children, provisions for widows' pensions, compulsory 
education, the regulation of child labor, and punishment of offenses 
against children. 
Two years later a similarly constituted commission reported 
to the legislature of New Hampshire its findings and recommenda- 
tions concerning the care of dependent, defective, and delinquent 
children, especially in connection with the problems of infant 
mortality, feeble-mindedness, and the organization of juvenile courts. 
In 1917 the legislatures of Minnesota and Missouri considered 
the reports of commissions appointed in those two states. The 
proposed children's code of Missouri embraced 42 bills of which 
only 11 were enacted into law, while of the 43 measures recom- 
mended by the Minnesota Child Welfare Commission, 35 were 
adopted. 
The subject has been discussed at the National Conference of 
Charities and Correction and at the annual meetings of the National 
Child Labor Committee. So much interest was shown in it at the 
National Conference of Charities and Correction at Baltimore in 
1915 that an organization which took the name of the National 
Committee for Standardizing Children's Laws was immediately 
formed to further the development of the children's code idea through- 
out the country and C. C. Carstens, of the Massachusetts Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, was chosen as Chairman. 
A children's code is exceedingly complex and yet its elements 
fall into relatively simple groups. First there is that body of laws 
which might be listed under the heading Preservation of Life and 
Health, including among other matters the segregation of the unfit 
to insure reduction to a minimum of the birth rate of abnormal 
children, the requirement of physical fitness of applicants for the 
marriage license, freedom of mothers from toil before and after 
confinement, birth registration, insistence upon responsibility for 
illegitimacy, medical inspection of children in schools, in institu- 
tions, and at work. The second group of laws might be termed 
Protection from Want, Abuse, and Crime and would include the care 
of dependent, neglected, and defective children, protection from 
cruelty and premature toil, regulation of work conditions, cor- 
rection of delinquency, procedure in dealing with juvenile offenders, 
fixing the age of consent, providing for public relief, safeguarding Tntroduction 
9 
of property rights, and protection from obscene literature, intoxi- 
cants, tobacco, dangerous weapons, etc. In a third and final group 
would be found the provisions for the benefit of children generally 
under the heading Education and Recreation, comprising schools, 
compulsory attendance, vocational training and guidance, social 
centers, parks and playgrounds, public baths and libraries. The 
laws covering these three fields and their several divisions are by 
no means so independent of one another in their functions as might 
be inferred; indeed the inter-relations are so extensive as to weave 
a veritable network which is revealed upon but brief study of their 
administration. 
The conviction has been growing that any action looking to- 
ward the adoption of a code should be preceded by careful study of 
conditions existing throughout the state so that all the factors 
entering into the situation may have due consideration. In all 
instances, so far, the official commissions of our states have been 
instructed to submit their reports to the legislatures at the sessions 
next ensuing; their work has consisted of the study of conditions, 
consultation with workers in the different fields, the compilation 
of laws and the preparation of reports, and inasmuch as their mem- 
bers have devoted to the task only such time as they could spare 
from their regular work, it has not received the attention necessary 
for thoroughness in an undertaking of such magnitude and im- 
portance. Again, nearly all the members of these commissions 
have been selected from among the residents of the larger cities in 
the state concerned, and because of their familiarity with urban 
conditions and comparative ignorance of rural affairs, there is 
noticeable in their reports an undue emphasis upon the needs of 
children in cities and an implied assumption that what is good for 
the city child is necessarily good for the country child too. A 
children's code is so complicated and far-reaching in its effects, that 
haste in its preparation should at all costs be avoided and sufficient 
time be granted to insure satisfactory results and to enable the 
public to become informed as to its provisions and purposes. 
When the propriety of seeking the authorization of Oklahoma's 
legislature for the creation of a Children's Code Commission was 
recently under discussion among social workers in that state, the 
consensus of opinion was that inasmuch as they themselves were 
unacquainted with the actual situation pertaining to children in 10 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
all parts of the state, it would be unwise to entrust so important 
a task to any group however disinterested whose services might 
be enlisted, before the facts were known. It was felt that the first 
essential step to be taken was a comprehensive study of conditions 
and in the light of the knowledge so gained, substantial progress 
towards the desired end could be more certainly achieved. The 
National Child Labor Committee in the early spring of 1917 was 
conducting an inquiry into the causes of absence from rural schools 
in Oklahoma, which required its agents to cover the entire state, 
and as the Committee was equipped to study the various allied 
branches of child welfare, the University of Oklahoma perceived 
the opportunity for collecting the information needed to throw 
light on the question of whether or not the interests of children were 
adequately cared for under the present laws and system of ad- 
ministration. Accordingly President Stratton D. Brooks of the 
University, suggested that the Committee extend the scope of its 
inquiry so as to include other matters relating to the welfare of 
children and the Committee gladly consented and set about the 
work of gathering the facts desired. Eight agents of its staff have 
spent the greater part of a year studying the situation from all 
angles. The following series of reports is the result of their labors. 
Each chapter treats of a phase of the child welfare problem studied 
especially by its author and taken together these chapters afford 
a general view of the conditions existing over the entire state. 
The volume is submitted in the hope that it may be found useful 
in some degree at least by those who may in the future undertake 
the task of preparing a children's code for Oklahoma. 
For his painstaking review of the manuscripts of these reports 
and for his helpful advice throughout the progress of the inquiry, 
grateful acknowledgment is made to Professor Jerome Dowd of the 
University of Oklahoma. PUBLIC HEALTH WORK 
Introductory 
Gertrude H. Folks 
The absence of effective public health work in Oklahoma is 
due fundamentally to a poor organization of the Health Depart- 
ment. Although the Constitution provides for a State Board of 
Health, it does not specify of whom this Board shall consist, and 
the State Commissioner of Health, appointed by the Governor, 
truthfully says, "I am the State Board of Health." The law also 
provides for an Assistant Commissioner of Health, a State Registrar 
(newly created), eight food, drug, and sanitary inspectors, and cleri- 
cal help. 
Such a staff is, of course, inadequate for a state the size of 
Oklahoma. Nevertheless capable local authorities have not been 
created to deal with the situation. The Board of Directors of each 
township, the Board of Trustees of each town, and the Mayor and 
Common Council of each city, except where other provision is 
made, are constituted a Board of Health for the territory under 
their jurisdiction. Their primary interest, however, is not health 
and except in cases of flagrant abuses they do not exercise their 
power. There is also in each county a superintendent of health 
appointed by the State Commissioner, on a part-time basis, and 
the appointment of a similar official is optional for each city. The 
law provides that they shall be paid per diem, the total salary not 
to exceed a specified maximum. As might be expected, in some 
cases, the position is political, the superintendent receiving the 
maximum salary and on the whole doing a minimum of work. As 
a rule inspection is made only on complaint, cases of contagious 
diseases are not properly isolated, complete records of vital statis- 
tics are not kept, and practically no constructive or educational 
activity is carried on. The health officers frankly state that their 
salary is not sufficient to permit them to develop the work, and 
that their private practice comes first. Not only do they give 
little of their time, but they are loath to take any measures, even 
when required by law, that might antagonize their clients or fellow 
11 12 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
physicians. The result of this system is that the most intelligent 
and capable of the physicians do not enter the field of public health. 
The work is not considered of much importance in the community, 
and for the most part, both the county and city superintendents 
are mediocre physicians, with little knowledge of medical science 
and none of modern public health methods. Oklahoma City, 
Tulsa, and McAlester are exceptions to the general rule. The health 
officers in these cities are doing work as effective as is possible with 
the staff and money at their disposal. 
In three of the cities visited having a population of about 4,000, 
the county health officer did the work for the city also. In one 
instance, the city clerk explained, "Our city ordinances do call for a 
health officer but the last few administrations have kind of over- 
looked it." 
The law also provides for county and city physicians whose 
duty it is to give medical care to the prisoners in the county and 
city jail, and in some instances to attend the indigent sick. They 
are also supposed to be paid on a per diem basis and there is a tend- 
ency for them also to receive the maximum salary. Frequently the 
position of health officer and of county or city physician is held 
by the same man. This year, in one city, the board of county 
commissioners, as a measure of economy, adopted a new system 
of caring for the indigent sick, letting out the work for the entire 
year by contract. The physician in the town giving the lowest bid 
was awarded the contract, but the sum which he specified was so 
inadequate that after performing one operation for appendicitis 
early in the year, he felt that he had given all of the time and money 
to the work that he could afford. The rest of the indigent sick are 
receiving little care. 
Such a health organization would be ineffective in any com- 
munity. It is doubly so in a rural state like Oklahoma where even 
the most elementary of health measures are seldom observed. Con- 
ditions as to sanitation are appalling; large families live in one and 
two-room shacks, amid filthy surroundings; the water and the milk 
supply are frequently contaminated; persons with contagious 
disease are not properly isolated, and patent medicines take the 
place of intelligent medical advice. 
Even the rural schools, which might be expected to set the 
health standard for the community, contribute to the unsanitary Public Health Work 
13 
conditions which surround the child at every point. Often the 
buildings are dirty, the heating insufficient, the ventilation poor, 
and the lighting wrong. The desks are not fitted to the children, 
the toilets are not properly constructed, a pure water supply is 
not available, and even when the water is pure, there is great danger 
of disease from the use of the common drinking cup. 
Infant mortality figures, the most obvious measurement of 
ERRATA, PAGE 13. 
According to the returns sent in, the death rate in Oklahoma 
of children under five years of age would be only 1.0 per thousand, 
although in the total registration area of the United States it is 
about 26 per thousand. Similarly that for children under one year 
of age would be only .58 per thousand, as compared with about 92 
in the registration area, still births, in both cases being omitted. 
The situation is too manifest to have escaped notice. Yet the 
State Health Department prides itself on not spending its full 
appropriation. Last year $50,500 was appropriated, of which only 
$34,500 was spent, and as $15,000 was paid in to the State Treasury 
from license fees and other sources, the State Health Department 
last year cost the state only $19,500. This, in spite of the fact 
that there is no well organized department, no regular inspection 
of public buildings, schools, motion picture houses, etc., no pro- 
vision for proper hospital care or treatment for the indigent, no 
medical inspection of schools and little preventive or educational 
work. 
Birth Registration 
The registration of births in Oklahoma has been very incom- 
plete up to the present time. In spite of an increase in the popu- 
lation of the state of 32.8 per cent* between 1910 and 1916, there 
was a decrease of 14 per cent in the number of births reported for 
the year ended September 30, 1916, as compared with the number 
* Based on 1916 estimate of Federal Census Bureau. 14 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
for the year ended September 30, 1911. There are two explana- 
tions for this:-(1) An inadequate law-the law which has been in 
force until this spring did not require the registration of midwives. 
Consequently, those births attended by midwives or others not 
licensed physicians were seldom reported. This includes the great 
majority of negro births as well as many white births. Although 
it provided that local physicians should report all births to the 
county health officer, who should in turn report monthly to the 
State Department, it did not make any provision for the enforce- 
ment of this law. (2) The indifference of state and local health 
officers-a county health officer as a rule made no attempt to 
compel local physicians to report to him, because "they are my 
friends," and the State Department in turn accepted the returns sent 
in without making any effort to oblige him to secure complete lists. 
A new law was passed by the legislature last winter, providing 
for a reorganization of the Vital Statistics Department. A state 
registrar is to have charge of the work; each city, town, and town- 
ship is to constitute a registration district, and deputy and sub- 
deputy registrars are to be appointed for each district; the regis- 
tration of all midwives and physicians is made compulsory; a 
report of birth within ten days by the physician, midwife, other 
person attending, or in the absence of anyone, the parents of the 
child, is required; and, heavy penalty for failure to report is provided. 
The State Commissioner of Health believes that under this law 
Oklahoma will soon be included within the registration area. Its 
effectiveness, however, will be determined by the attitude of the 
health authorities in enforcing it. Only four of the county super- 
intendents of health interviewed in the six weeks following the 
passage of the bill knew that such a bill had been introduced and 
only two knew of its passage. 
Though conforming to the standards of the "model" law sug- 
gested by the Children's Bureau it lacks two features included in 
modem systems: first, it does not provide that return slips shall 
be issued to the parents of every child registered; second, it does 
not make compulsory a statement as to the treatment given the 
child's eyes at the time of birth. 
Recommendations. Until this law has been in force for two or 
three years, its adequacy cannot be judged. Later on it would be of 
value for women's clubs to undertake a "birth registration test" as Public Health Work 
15 
outlined by the Federal Children's Bureau. In the meantime every 
effort should be made to have physicians realize the importance of 
its observance, and offenders should be prosecuted. A statement of 
the treatment given the child's eyes at birth, and the issuance to 
the parents of a notification card stating that the child is registered, 
should be made compulsory. No fee should be exacted for the 
issuance of a transcript of a birth certificate for use as the proof of 
age required for work permits. (See report on Child Labor, page 117). 
The Prevention of Contagious Diseases 
In spite of state laws requiring that certain diseases (pellagra, 
hookworm, infantile paralysis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, puerperal 
sepsis, hydrophobia, measles, diphtheria, smallpox, scarlet fever, 
pneumonia, chicken pox) be reported by physicians to the county 
or city superintendent of health, and authorizing the health officer 
to supervise the isolation of patients with such diseases, epidemics 
of measles, scarlet fever and smallpox are not infrequent, either in 
rural or urban districts. This can be traced to two preventable 
causes:-(1) The health authorities, either because no physician 
has been called or because the physicians do not report contagious 
diseases as required by law, do not get in touch with the situation. 
(2) Even when in touch with the situation, through failure to en- 
force a strict quarantine and through lack of cooperation with the 
school authorities, they do not check the disease. As the juris- 
diction of the county and the city superintendents of health is 
separate, and the problem of the county officer is more difficult 
than that of the city, because he has a much greater territory to 
cover and there are fewer local physicians, the conditions found in 
the counties and cities will be dealt with separately. 
Counties. The study covered 21 counties-Atoka, Bryan, 
Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland, Creek, Garfield, Grady, Kingfisher, 
McClain, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, 
Pontotoc, Pottawotamie, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Washington. 
In 16, the county superintendents of health were interviewed, and 
in all, the county superintendents of schools were questioned with 
regard to health conditions. 
The superintendent of health does not secure a complete report 
of cases of contagious diseases in a single county. Two stated that 16 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
about three-quarters of the physicians reported cases; one, that 
if a physician was called the case was usually reported; one, that 
physicians were "urged" to send in reports; one, that "more than 
formerly" were reported; and the remainder that comparatively 
few cases were reported. 
While admitting that the physicians were lax in this respect, 
the superintendents of health on the whole attributed the prevalence 
of contagious diseases more to the failure of the country people 
to call in physicians. In one community there was a severe epidemic 
of scarlet fever and "things got pretty bad." There were no at- 
tending physicians and the nature of the trouble was not recognized. 
Not until the epidemic was well under way and a boy came to the 
health officer for treatment for "acute bronchitis" was the situation 
discovered. 
In no county is there any systematic cooperation between the 
school and the health authorities. In a few cases the teachers 
report to the health officer any cases of contagious diseases which 
they discover, but the health officers practically never report cases 
to the school. One school superintendent stated that he did not 
want the health officer to report cases to him, that health wasn't 
part of his job, and he had enough to keep him busy. This means 
not only that there is no guarantee that other children in the family 
who may spread the contagion are not attending school, but that 
the teachers are not on guard when the child returns to see that all 
danger of contagion is passed. This is especially serious since permits 
from a physician for a child absent from school on account of illness 
are seldom required on his return. Only four of the counties visited 
even claim that they require such permits, and in none of these 
is the provision strictly enforced. 
The remarks of the health superintendents, when asked about 
the return of children to school after illness, give a fair idea of the 
situation:- 
"If the child returns and the teacher isn't sure and sees a rash or 
anything, he sends the child home again." 
"The teacher is supposed to look at them and decide whether they 
should come back or not." 
"The child is told to stay home a certain length of time. Each disease 
-scarlet fever, measles, smallpox, and whooping cough, has a regular 
period." Public Health Work 
17 
The one who most truly described conditions said, "The 
children come back when they feel like it." 
In one school visited there had been four cases of smallpox 
and two of scarlet fever. These children returned to school without 
a certificate of any kind. In two counties the health superintendent 
stated that they were not particular about quarantining for 
measles, for it did the children no harm-"Measles are more 
contagious at some times of the year than at others and I am glad 
for every case I hear about in the spring. It means one more 
over with it, but we have to quarantine some or the schools would 
make a fuss." 
It is not surprising that the country is invaded by disease 
every year. Sixteen counties reported severe epidemics of measles, 
and eight reported that three or more schools had been closed for 
this reason. Others reported less severe epidemics of whooping 
cough, pink-eye, scarlet fever, typhoid or smallpox. One superin- 
tendent stated that although no schools had been closed, attendance 
in one town school had been reduced for one week from 400 to 57. 
Another stated that there had been epidemics in 12 schools. They 
were not closed, however, "because everybody has already been 
exposed so they might as well see it through." 
Cities. The report is based on 24 cities-Ada, Atoka, Bartles- 
ville, Chickasha, Claremore, Dewey, Durant, Edmond, El Reno, 
Enid, Kingfisher, Lawton, McAlester, Muskogee, Norman, Oklahoma 
City, Okmulgee, Perry, Purcell, Sapulpa, Shawnee, Tahlequah, 
Tulsa, and Wagoner. The city school superintendents were ques- 
tioned as to health conditions and in 18 the city health officers were 
interviewed. 
In spite of the fact that a larger medical force, better sani- 
tation, a well-organized school system and a generally higher level 
of intelligence should decrease the amount of contagious disease 
in the cities, conditions are similar to those found in the country. 
The reporting of contagious diseases is better observed. In 
two cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, practically all of the cases 
are reported. In four, about three-quarters of the physicians report 
the cases which they attend. In two, most of those cases for which 
a physician is called are reported, but these form a comparatively 
small percentage of the total number that occur. One health officer 
stated that all contagious diseases except measles were reported, 18 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and it was not necessary in the case of measles, because the danger- 
ous period was over by the time any noticeable symptoms had 
appeared. Two health officers frankly stated that complete lists 
could never be secured from the local doctors, because they feared 
to incur the displeasure of their patients. It is due to this unwilling- 
ness of the doctors to take any measure which would offend their 
clients rather than to negligence, that reports are so inadequate. 
Seldom is any attempt made by the county superintendents 
of health to force physicians to comply with the law, the chief 
reason for this being a false idea of loyalty to friends and co-workers 
in the medical profession. As one superintendent expressed it, 
"I suppose there is a penalty for not reporting but all of us doctors 
in town are friends and I hate to arrest a physician." 
There is not much more cooperation between the school and 
the health authorities in the cities than in the counties. In only 
three is any attempt made on the part of the health officers to re- 
port to the schools cases of contagious diseases. In one of the largest 
cities in the state the principal of a public school stated that only 
once within the last few years had the health authorities been in 
communication with his school and that was in connection with a 
case of smallpox. The principal of another school in the same city 
stated that last year there was a severe epidemic of scarlet fever 
in the school and 53 children were sent home. No city health officer 
came to the school or assisted in any way. 
Fourteen cities reported that children must have permits to 
return to school after absence for contagious disease. In seven, 
these are issued by the health officer; in one, by the family physician; 
in four, by either the family physician or the health officer; in one, 
by the health officer or the school superintendent; and in one 
(Lawton) by a school physician. In two cities where the health 
officer is supposed to issue the permits, that officer stated that he 
was too busy to do it himself and left it to the family physicians, 
relying on their honesty. The general feeling of both the school 
and health authorities is that when the physicians are allowed to 
issue permits, some of them, to please the parents, do so before all 
danger of spread of contagion is past. In one city, the health officer 
stated that he frequently issued them over the telephone. His 
judgment as to whether the child was in a condition to warrant 
issuance of the permit would be of doubtful value. Another Public Health Work 
19 
reported that no permits were required, but that in the case of small- 
pox, diphtheria or scarlet fever, "there is a general understanding 
with the school that children will not return until the quarantine 
is raised." Another reported that "if a child returns and still looks 
sick, he is sent home for two or three days." The teacher, with no 
special medical training whatever, is hardly qualified to determine 
whether or not all danger of contagion is passed. 
Even when cases are reported, the quarantine is ineffective. 
One physician stated that when a boy is about well and wants to 
return to school, he merely orders him to take a bath and get cleaned 
up, doubtless on the theory that the germs will be washed away. 
Another went one step further and stated that he "fumigated the 
boy." To the average health officer quarantine for contagious 
disease is a matter for compromise. The dilemma was stated by 
the superintendent in one of the larger cities, "If I don't let 'em 
out the parents cuss, and if I do let 'em out the neighbors cuss." 
At the time of this investigation, no city schools were closed 
because of epidemics. Seven cities, however, reported the prevalence 
of measles and in a few other cities there were occasional cases of 
measles, scarlet fever, pink-eye, and typhoid. Last year in one of 
the larger cities a school had been closed for one week because of a 
scarlet fever epidemic which had gotten beyond control. 
Recommendations. 1. That the law requiring physicians to 
report cases of contagious disease to city and county health officers 
be enforced and that all cases of violations be prosecuted. 
2. That the county and city truancy officers report to the 
county and city health officers the names of all children absent for 
illness, and that the county or city health officer visit all such cases 
(if they have not already been reported by a physician) to determine 
whether the child is suffering from any contagious disease. In 
cities having a school health officer, this work could be done by 
that officer, a report of all cases being sent to the county or city 
health officer. 
3. That the health officer notify the school of any child absent 
for contagious disease, and that such child be re-admitted only on 
presentation of a permit secured from the city or county health 
officer or from the school health officer. 
4. That children living in a family in which there is a case of 
contagious disease be prohibited from attending school until a 20 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
permit is secured from the city or county health officer, and that 
parents be held responsible for any violation of this rule. 
5. That teachers be given training in the recognition of the 
earliest symptoms of the common contagious diseases, and that 
this instruction be included in the normal school course and also 
be given by the school health officer. 
6. That a pure water supply be provided for every school. 
Medical Inspection in the Public Schools 
One of the essential requirements for healthful conditions in 
both rural and urban communities is a well-developed system for 
the medical inspection and treatment of school children. Such 
work not only helps to safeguard the children from contracting 
transmissible diseases and improves the health of the individual 
child, but raises the standard of the work of the school through 
detection of the physical defects which form the basis of much 
mental retardation. On the whole, Oklahoma has done little along 
this line. The school boards hesitate to introduce a measure which 
in their minds has no relation to regular school work and which 
might be regarded by the parents as an interference with their private 
affairs. There is also strong opposition to any work of this kind 
in Oklahoma on the part of certain schools of medicine and certain 
religious sects. One of the best county school superintendents in 
the state attributed her defeat for re-election to the stand which 
she took in favor of medical inspection. 
Where medical inspection has been tried, the work has been 
done largely by physicians who volunteered their services. Although 
many of good standing, interested in the work, gave a large share 
of their time to it, unfortunately in other cases the actuating motive 
was neither the need for the work nor the desire to demonstrate 
to the city its value, but personal considerations. These latter 
expected that children advised to secure medical treatment would 
come to them for it. When they found that the large majority of 
parents failed to "cooperate" and that there was no compensation 
in increased practice for the time given to the work of inspection, 
they lost interest. 
In no county and in only three cities (Oklahoma City, Tulsa, 
and Lawton) is tjiere any permanent basis for the work and a Public Health Work 
21 
salaried officer employed. In the other counties and cities where 
the work has been tried, it was carried on for a year or so and then 
dropped, or else is being done without any system. 
Counties. Of the 23 counties studied, 15 have done nothing 
whatever along the line of medical inspection. The work of the 
remaining eight will be briefly described: 
1. Canadian. The County Medical Association agreed to 
examine, free of charge, all children sent to it. A thorough exam- 
ination was not attempted but serious defects of the eyes, nose or 
throat were looked for and anything else, such as tuberculosis or 
heart trouble, suspected by the teacher sending the child. In 
addition to this work, about one-quarter of the schools in this 
county have had medical inspection. The county superintendent 
knows little about this work and it is not being continued this 
year. 
2. Comanche. Some of the teachers give the children eye tests 
and oculists have volunteered to examine the record cards and 
recommend attention for those who need it. Occasionally the 
city medical inspector or physician cooperating with him works 
in the rural schools. On the whole, however, little is done. 
3. Creek. Most of the rural schools of the county have had 
some form of inspection. The work is usually done by the teachers, 
occasionally by physicians living in the school district. 
4. Kingfisher. Medical inspection of the children in the 
county schools was made last year by the State Health Depart- 
ment. Specialists gave their services for eye, ear and throat ex- 
aminations and in some cases for treatment also. The work is not 
being continued this year. The State Commissioner of Health 
reported similar work in Lincoln and Blaine Counties. 
5. Oklahoma. Last year two doctors from the Oklahoma Eye, 
Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, just before a bill was to be intro- 
duced providing for medical inspection, volunteered their services 
to start the work and about 25 per cent of the children in the county 
were examined. The notification of defects which was sent to the 
parents also informed them that if they were unable to pay for 
medical attention, free treatment could be secured at the hospital 
in Oklahoma City. This year the physicians did not offer their 
services and little work is being done. Children may still receive 
free treatment, however, at the Oklahoma City Hospital. 22 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
6. Pittsburg. Last year a local physician was appointed by 
the State Commissioner of Health to inspect the rural schools of 
the county. He received no compensation and visited only those 
who requested his services. Last year schools in five villages were 
examined. The work is being continued along similar lines this 
year. 
7. Pontotoc. The Society of Optometrists volunteered to 
inspect the eyes of all the children in the public schools. After 
inspecting a few village schools they gave it up because so few 
followed their suggestions. 
8. Washington. The doctors of the county volunteered their 
services for the inspection of any schools that desired them. A 
letter was sent out by the county superintendent to the parents 
living in each school district, explaining the value of medical in- 
spection and asking whether they desired it. Only six of the 22 
districts addressed responded affirmatively. The work has been 
completed in two of these districts and the superintendent hopes 
to make arrangements for the others in the near future. 
Cities. Of the 24 cities visited, 11 have never had medical 
inspection of any kind. The extent of the work and the methods 
used in the remaining 13 will be described briefly:- 
1. Ada. All children in the schools including the high school, 
were examined last year by local eye, ear, nose, and throat specialists 
and some of the children were also examined by the county super- 
intendent of health, as to heart, lungs and spine. The physicians 
did not volunteer their services this year. 
2. Bartlesville. Until this year the school children have been 
examined once a year by physicians of the city who gave their 
services. This year the physicians were not asked until December, 
when they were "too busy." 
3. Claremore. Medical inspection is desultory. Free dental 
inspection was offered by the dentists of the city, but little was done 
because the school superintendent considered that until free treat- 
ment also was offered, the inspection was of little value. 
4. Dewey. Two years ago the city physicians offered their 
services. They began with an examination of markedly defective 
children, and later extended their work hoping to include all chil- 
dren. The work was never completed, however, and nothing is 
being done at the present time. Public Health Work 
23 
5. Enid. The only medical inspection in any of the schools 
of the city consists of a physical examination required of high school 
boys joining the Volunteer Corps. If they fail to pass, special 
corrective training is given under one of the regular teachers. 
6. McAlester. The city superintendent himself sometimes 
examines children for mental defects and the teachers report to 
him obvious physical defects. He then urges the parents to provide 
medical care. Occasionally physicians have been called in to examine 
the children, usually when contagious diseases are prevalent. This 
year the physician who inspected the children in the rural schools 
of the county has done some work in McAlester also. 
7. Muskogee. There is no medical inspection. A physical 
examination is required of all high school girls. Although a regular 
record form is used, the test is not complete-there is no apparatus 
for measuring lung expansion, for instance, and some of the measure- 
ments are taken by the children themselves, and are not accurate. 
The city superintendent last year included in the annual budget an 
appropriation for medical inspection, but the county excise board did 
not grant sufficient funds to allow this work to be undertaken. 
8. Norman. Each year an examination of the children in 
both the graded and the high schools is made by the teachers. 
9. Okmulgee was the first city in the state to establish medical 
inspection. For the last five years until the present year, a paid 
medical school inspector has been employed, his work included 
the examination of all school children, the inspection of school 
buildings and grounds, with regard to lighting, heating, sanitation, 
etc., and the exclusion of children with contagious diseases. Al- 
though the schools increased in number and in enrolment, there 
was no corresponding increase in the appropriation for the work. 
It became less and less thorough and the attempt to give a personal 
examination to all school children was given up. Last year the 
physicians made inspections only when called to the school. This 
year, because of lack of funds there is no paid physician and a new 
system is being tried. The high school has two, and the grade 
schools one physician each, the best in the city, who have volun- 
teered their services for work in that school. It is hoped that next 
year provision will again be made for a paid school physician and 
that a system of the examination of all children can again be estab- 
lished. Dental inspection has never been included. 24 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
10. Sapulpa. The last two years the doctors and dentists 
in town volunteered their services for medical inspection; this year, 
however, the offer was not renewed. 
11. Lawton. A retired physician is employed at $50 a month 
to act as truancy officer and medical inspector. He gives after- 
noons to the latter work, examining the children for eye and ear 
trouble. A few local physicians cooperate with him by examining 
the nose, throat, and teeth. This year nearly 1,000 children were 
examined. 
12. Tulsa. The supervisor of hygiene acts also as school nurse 
and has charge of medical inspection. She is subject to call and 
also makes an inspection visit to every school once every two or 
three weeks. At this time she examines all children sent to her as 
defective or retarded. The work of the ungraded classes is also 
under her supervision. (See report on Education, page 86.) This 
year she is attempting to inspect all of the children in the schools. 
In a few buildings this has been done but since there are nearly 
8,000 children enrolled, and she has no assistants in the work, it 
is doubtful whether the work can be completed. 
13. Oklahoma City. For several years Oklahoma City has had 
a school medical inspector, paid $1350 for two-thirds time. This 
year she has had as assistant a school nurse paid from funds saved 
from the sale of Red Cross Christmas seals for several years. This 
means that she is employed only on a temporary basis; that unless 
the city makes an appropriation for her salary hereafter, there will 
be no fund from which to pay her. The doctor makes an inspection 
of all the school children of the city at least once a year. Defects 
are reported to parents on regular blanks which must be signed by 
them and returned to the school and subsequent examinations are 
made of all such children. The school nurse cooperates with the 
home in securing the necessary medical care. 
In only a few cities have any reports of this work been made 
to the city or county superintendent. These few, however, reveal 
the general situation. They constitute the best proof that could be 
offered as to the need for medical inspection. 
In one ward school in McAlester, examined on complaint, 31 
children were found crowded in a hall which was being used as a 
classroom. Only one child was free from eye trouble of any kind; 
18 had sties; many also had catarrhal condition of the nose and throat. Public Health Work 
25 
COUNTY OR 
CITY 
NO. OF 
CHILDREN 
EXAMINED 
PER CENT FOUND DEFECTIVE 
Eyes 
Ears 
Throat 
Teeth 
Nose 
Ada 
Over 1,200 
514 
40 
31 
84 
59 
39 
Kingfisher County 
White 
37 
11 
46 
42 
Colored 
100 
53 
8 
60 
35 
Washington County 
(1 school) 
27 
40 
4 
29 
40 
7 
Oklahoma City 
350 
32 
21 
52 
49* 
* Over half had but one cavity. 
In Okmulgee over 35 per cent of the children examined were 
found defective in some respect, not including teeth. 
Of 245 children examined in one school in Pittsburg County 
only three were reported sound in every respect. Of 100 examined 
in another school only four were sound. 
These figures refer, of course, only to the most obvious defects. 
The conditions under which the examinations are made in most 
cases do not permit of thoroughness. There are too many children 
to be tested in a short period of time; the examination is made in 
the presence of the class; there is no attempt to secure data with 
regard to the family history; and the physician has to be careful 
to do nothing to antagonize the child or his parents. One doctor 
stated that he had to judge whether or not the child had adenoids 
by hearing him talk. "I don't dare to put my finger down the 
child's throat for I have 15 to 20 in a room at a time, and if I did 
the rest would all run away." The tests made by the teachers are 
of little value, for medical experience and special training are 
essential. 
Aside from the irregularity of the work and the lack of thor- 
oughness of the examinations, the greatest weakness of medical 
inspection in most cases is the lack of the necessary "follow-up" 
work. The majority of parents, either through indifference or 
poverty, pay no attention to the recommendation that they consult 
a family physician with regard to the condition of their children. 26 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Yet not in a single county and in only three cities is any effort made 
to see that the needed treatment is secured. 
The superintendent of one county where about half the chil- 
dren had been examined, reported that she knew of only two in- 
stances of action taken by parents as a result of the medical inspec- 
tion. Another reported that "occasionally a child is sent as advised," 
and a third estimated that 1 per cent of all the cases examined 
and recommended for treatment received such treatment. It was 
in a village school in this county that 15 cases of trachoma were 
found. Nothing was done, however, because the district board 
"made a fuss." Some of the parents refused even to have their 
children treated. "I had the legal authority to suspend those 
children and I ought to have done so, but some of my best patients 
live in that district and I simply couldn't." In another school 
of this county a member of the school board, who had particularly 
requested to have his children examined, upon finding that his 
daughter had trachoma, refused to allow the doctor to notify any 
parents in the district of the defects of their children. 
In only two counties (Pittsburg and Oklahoma) was any 
provision made for the treatment of children whose parents could 
not afford to consult a physician. In the former, the physician 
who made the inspection also sent word throughout the county 
that he would treat and operate, free of charge, all children examined 
whose parents could not provide the necessary medical care. In 
Oklahoma, free treatment was offered by the Oklahoma City Hospital. 
In the cities conditions were little better. In most cases the 
county superintendent reported that few parents acted on the advice 
given. With the exception of Norman, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City, 
there was no effort made to do "follow-up" work. In Norman 
the teacher making the examination is supposed to have a personal 
interview with the parent of any child whom she considers defective, 
to urge a more thorough examination, and treatment if necessary. 
In Oklahoma City the school nurse is a connecting link between 
the school and the home, following up cases in which the parent 
does not signify his intention of securing medical advice. In Tulsa 
the supervisor of hygiene does similar work. If the parents do 
not cooperate, the school nurse visits the home and urges treatment. 
In a few cases when the parents have persistently refused to provide 
it the matter has been taken to court. In only five cities, McAlester, Ptiblic Health Work 
27 
Bartlesville, Norman, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, is provision made 
for the treatment of children whose parents cannot afford medical 
care. In McAlester the same physician who treats county children 
free of charge cares for the city children. In Bartlesville there are 
two physicians and one osteopath who occasionally give their 
services. In Norman a few doctors will examine eyes and remove 
adenoids free of charge. In Tulsa twenty dentists have promised 
to give free treatment to one case each month. Medical and surgical 
attention is also given when necessary, and hospital bills paid. When 
a physician undertakes the care of a school child he works with the 
entire family as well. Eyes are examined free of charge and glasses 
furnished by the county. In Oklahoma City the doctors cooperate 
by giving free dental treatment and medical attention, and a private 
club raises money annually to furnish glasses for children who other- 
wise could not obtain them. 
Recommendations. 1. That a practising physician should be 
appointed as school health officer by the city board of education on 
the recommendation of the superintendent of schools in every city 
having 5,000 or more inhabitants and by the county board of 
education in every county. The latter should have jurisdiction in 
all territory not under the city school health officer. In counties or 
cities where this is not practicable, the county or city health officer 
should serve also as school health officer, his salary being paid by 
the board of public welfare and the board of county commissioners 
jointly, in proportion to the amount of time given to the school work 
and public health work respectively. 
2. That the duties of this school health officer should be: 
a. To make medical examinations of all children, in the graded and 
high schools both public and private, twice a year, and to report to 
parents any defects found, with recommendations for treatment, 
and to follow up such cases until defects are corrected. 
b. To make additional visits to schools as often as possible, to re-examine 
children found defective at previous visits, and to inspect all children 
sent to him by teachers as retarded and possibly defective. 
c. To inspect school buildings as to sanitation. 
d. To issue health certificates to children applying for work permits. 
(See report on Child Labor, p. 116). 
e. To issue permits to children desiring to return to school after re- 
covery from contagious diseases. (See report on Public Health Work, 
p. 19). 28 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
f. To vaccinate against smallpox and typhoid fever all children whose 
parents request it; to vaccinate all children when in his opinion the 
local situation requires it; and to compel parents who refuse per- 
mission, to remove their children from school in case of an epidemic. 
g. To issue certificates of health to teachers, such certificates being 
required of all applicants for teaching positions in the public schools 
of the state, to be renewed each year after thorough examination. 
h. To give instruction in hygiene in schools. (See report on Education, 
p. 68.) 
i. To instruct teachers in the symptoms of mental abnormality and 
deficiency, as well as of physical defects, and to cooperate in work 
with backward classes. (See report on Education, p. 86.) 
j. To study school problems in their relation to health-such as the 
need of hot lunches for school children, desirable length of school 
day, advisability of homework, etc. 
3. That a school nurse be appointed by the Board of Education 
on the recommendation of the school health officer in cities with 
25,000 or more inhabitants, to assist in this work; that whenever 
possible cities under 25,000 appoint a part-time nurse; that she 
have charge of the follow-up work, and make all visits to homes; 
and that she do educational work in the homes. 
4. That free treatment be given by the school health officer and 
by the school nurse to children for whom it is recommended, but 
who cannot afford it; and that glasses be supplied by the school 
health officer to all children who need them but cannot afford to 
purchase them. 
5. That a room be provided in each school for the special use 
of the school health officer and the school nurse. 
Educational Work 
The Health Department. There is no well-organized pub- 
licity or educational work in the Department of Health to encourage 
a more general observance of the laws of hygiene and health. Aside 
from occasional lectures given at the request of women's clubs and 
other organizations, the county and city health officers have done 
nothing to stimulate interest in such matters. Many of them have 
not the necessary qualifications. The State Health Commissioner, 
however, has tried throughout the year to carry on educational work. 
He has issued a pamphlet "Conserving the Public Health" for the Public Health Work 
29 
use of mothers; he has given about 25 lectures in various parts of 
the state, using the slides and charts of the United States Public 
Health Service; he has secured speakers for meetings which he 
himself could not attend, and sent out weekly letters to the news- 
papers, many of which relate to the care of children. Although of 
great value, this work does not begin to reach the number of people 
who could be reached nor approximate in amount what could be 
done if there were a regular publicity bureau in the department 
conducting an educational campaign. Part of the unused appro- 
priation of the Health Department might well have been used for 
this purpose. 
Women's Clubs. In several cities women's clubs and teacher- 
patron associations have attempted to educate the community with 
regard to public health, but without the cooperation of the local 
health authorities they have not been able to do very extensive work. 
They have been instrumental in securing the observance for the 
last two years of "Better Babies Week" by many communities and 
have been assisted in this by the State Commissioner of Health. 
Of the 23 cities visited, 14 had "Better Babies Weeks" of some kind 
last year, varying from merely a baby contest held in connection 
with the county fair in some counties, to a well-organized campaign 
in others. Of these 14 cities, 12 had baby contests open to the entire 
county, 7 had lectures on infant hygiene and allied subjects, and 
2 had free clinics. Special films in motion picture houses and 
special sermons in churches on the Sunday preceding the campaign 
week were also arranged for in a few instances. 
"Better Babies Week" is being observed again this year, and 
although several of the smaller cities which observed it last year 
do not intend to do so again, certain of the larger cities are intro- 
ducing new features. Oklahoma City has carried on effective pub- 
licity work and is organizing a baby-poster contest, and Tulsa is 
planning visits to the day nursery, the hospitals and the detention 
home, and proposes to equip a room as a model nursery and give 
demonstrations in proper infant dressing. 
Schools. The schools are probably doing more than any other 
agency to introduce new standards of cleanliness and new methods 
of health preservation. But even their work is pitiably small in 
amount. The unsanitary conditions which exist in many of the 
schools speak louder than the hygienic teachings of a few. 30 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Some of the state normal schools offer courses in school hygiene, 
with a view to training the teacher to diagnose anaemia, adenoids, 
myopia, etc., to teach correct posture, the care of the teeth, the 
value of cleanliness, and the relation of hygiene to general efficiency. 
The state course of study prescribed for the rural schools as well as 
that followed in the cities, includes an excellent course in hygiene, 
sanitation, and physiology, with special attention to oral hygiene. 
Unfortunately, however, this study is neglected by practically all 
of the rural and by most of the city schools. In many, no instruction 
whatever is given in hygiene and in others no practical application of 
the study is made. The importance of this work is gaining recog- 
nition, however, and interest is gradually being aroused. Eleven 
of the 23 counties visited reported some activity along this line. 
In 7 counties "tooth-brush brigades" have been organized in at 
least some of the schools, the children being supplied with tooth- 
brushes and instructed in the care of the teeth, and similar work is 
done, though less frequently, with regard to the care of the finger 
nails, the washing of the hands, etc. Three counties reported that 
teachers laid special stress on health work, emphasizing it in the 
classroom and urging high standards of cleanliness and sanitation 
in the homes, and two reported a "clean-up" week. Eight reported 
lectures usually held during rally week. These were occasionally 
given by the county health officer, but more often by a lecturer 
sent out by the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. 
Even though not well organized and carried on under difficulties, 
this work is not without its effect. A teacher in a rural school told 
of a seven-year-old boy who returned to school the day after a 
talk on cleanliness had been given, full of enthusiasm. He had told 
his mother what the teacher had said, and she had promised that 
she would give him a bath every two weeks, that as soon as his 
father was better she would give him one every week, and when the 
hot weather came, every day that she could possibly find the time. 
As in the case of medical inspection, the chief difficulty en- 
countered is the hostility of the district school board to the intro- 
duction of any new feature, especially if it does not seem strictly 
educational, and in some the indifference of the school officers them- 
selves. In one county a supply of pamphlets on "Minimum Health 
Requirements for Rural Schools" published by the National Edu- 
cation Association and the American Medical Association, had been Public Health Work 
31 
sent to the county superintendent for distribution among the 
teachers and lay in his office untouched for over two years. 
In the city schools the work is along similar lines. Four cities 
reported tooth-brush drills, four regular courses in hygiene and sani- 
tation given by the teacher, sometimes in the upper grades with the 
assistance of a physician, four lectures by outsiders, two clean-up 
days for the school, one, a clean-up day for the entire city, and two 
Red Cross courses. 
In Oklahoma City the school medical inspector gives a talk on 
sex hygiene to the high school boys and the nurse expects to do 
similar work for the girls. In no other city, however, has this been 
started, the general feeling being that opposition on the part of the 
parents would be too great. 
Other Agencies. The county farm agents in some counties, 
have also worked along public health lines, organizing health clubs 
among the women, with a view to raising the sanitary standards of 
the rural communities. This activity, however, is incidental to the 
agricultural and domestic science work and has not been very fully 
developed. 
The Oklahoma Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis 
has a paid secretary and plans to do propaganda work throughout 
the state. 
The U. S. Public Health Service has made a complete health 
survey in Okmulgee County, and it is hoped that the work done by 
the federal government there will be undertaken by the state in 
other communities. 
Recommendations. Health Department. That a division of 
Education, Publicity and Information be established in connection 
with the State Health Department to carry on educational work 
throughout the state by means of bulletins, newspaper articles, 
lectures, exhibits, pure food campaigns, etc., and to supply free 
information to anyone w'ho may inquire concerning matters of 
health, sanitation, food preparation, etc.; that a special study be 
made of infant mortality and child hygiene; and that the county 
and city superintendents of health cooperate in this work. 
Women's Clubs. That the "Better Babies Week" campaigns 
be continued; that local committees be organized to study the 
health conditions of the community, to suggest needed changes 
and to awaken public opinion to demand these changes; that these 32 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
clubs work in cooperation with the local health authorities; and 
that whenever possible a Children's Health Conference be held, 
as outlined by the Federal Children's Bureau, pamphlet No. 15. 
Schools. That the course in hygiene be given more fully and 
in accordance with the outlines of the state course of study, and 
that an examination in this subject be required; and that the school 
health officer and the school nurse give talks on hygiene at least 
once a week to the boys and girls to enable them to apply the prin- 
ciples studied to local sanitary conditions. 
Milk Inspection 
Milk inspection in Oklahoma has suffered from the division 
of jurisdiction between the Department of Health and the Board of 
Agriculture. The latter by virtue of its authority over the live 
stock supervises the conditions under which the cows are kept on 
the farm and the handling of dairy products until they reach the 
city. The Board of Health has inspection of the product only after 
it is delivered. 
An annual appropriation of $5,000 is granted to the dairy com- 
mission for the inspection of dairies, creameries, cream stations, 
ice-cream factories and oleomargarine dealers. One inspector and 
four deputies are employed. Money is transferred from other 
departments, however, so that in all, about $10,000 a year is actually 
spent, and some feed inspectors give part time to this work. There 
are about 120 dairies, 500 cream stations, 25 creameries and 100 ice- 
cream factories in the state. The Board of Agriculture keeps in 
close touch with the ice-cream factories, annual licenses are issued, 
and an inspection is made at least once a month. Good work has 
been done along this line. Several factories in the largest cities of 
the state have been ordered closed and are remodelling as necessary. 
Inspection of cream stations and creameries is also fairly well 
organized. On the other hand, the Board cannot give adequate 
attention to dairies, because of the limited funds at their disposal. 
An adequate staff cannot be employed and the expense of trans- 
portation in rural districts is great. The Board of Agriculture has 
prescribed certain standards with regard to the conditions under 
which the cows must be kept, the methods used in milking and 
preparing the product for market and the transportation of milk Public Health Work 
33 
to the city, and the tuberculin test for all cows furnishing milk for 
public dairies to be sold either wholesale or retail is required. Very 
seldom, however, is a chemical or bacteriological test of the milk 
made either on the farm or after it reaches its destination. In about 
12 cities, the county or city health officer assists the Board of Agri- 
culture in the inspection of dairies, either by cooperating in the work 
of the State Board or through local ordinances and inspection. With 
the exception of Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and possibly Sapulpa, the 
local work is not effective. There is no regular system of dairy 
inspection, visits are made only on complaints, no records are kept, 
and the tuberculin test is not always made. 
Recommendations. 1. To secure an efficient system the in- 
spection of milk and milk products must be concentrated under one 
department. Although the State Board of Agriculture is the agency 
which has been doing this work, it is recommended that the control 
of the entire situation, from the sanitary conditions on the farm to 
the delivery of the milk to the consumer, be placed under the Board 
of Health (a) because the necessary chemical and bacteriological 
tests are not being made at the present time, and the Board 
of Agriculture has not the necessary laboratory equipment to 
undertake this work, and (b) because the Department of Health 
has local officials to assist in the enforcement of the standards 
adopted. 
2. That the standards, suggested by the U. S. Public Health 
Service in the report of the Commission on Milk Standards, pub- 
lished February 1917, be adopted by law as the standards for the 
state. 
Hospital Care and Medical Treatment 
The absence of free hospital service is one of the greatest weak- 
nesses of the health work. There are no state, county or city hospitals 
for the care of indigent sick or those who can pay only a moderate 
amount, except the detention hospitals which have been established 
in a few cities for the isolation of contagious diseases. In a few 
cities there are a limited number of beds in private hospitals, which 
may be used by "free" patients if the city or county pays. The 
result is that the sick remain in their homes, they do not receive 
the close medical attention which is essential and in many cases 34 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
live in the midst of surroundings that increase, rather than decrease, 
the danger from disease. In most cases even contagious diseases 
are treated in the home. 
Actual hospital care is provided more fully in Oklahoma City 
than in any other community, though even here the need of more 
adequate provision for the city's poor is felt. The University Hospital 
and the University Emergency Hospital, under contract with Okla- 
homa City, give treatment to men, women and children. The patients 
are not charged, but the city pays for them at the rate of $10 
a week. They are given free treatment by the clinical staff of the 
faculty of the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. A free 
dispensary is also operated in connection with the University Emer- 
gency Hospital one hour every week-day. There is a dispensary 
staff of ten and the following departments are included: Medical, 
Surgical, Genito-Urinary, Gynecology, Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat, 
Children, Rectal, Consulting Dentist, X-Ray and Dermatology, 
examination of pregnant women. The average daily attendance 
at the dispensary is about 30. There is also a City Detention Hos- 
pital with 100 beds, all free, for the use of tuberculous patients and 
those with contagious diseases. Professional service is rendered 
to these patients by the city physician and his assistants. A City 
Maternity Hospital for indigent cases has been established. There 
are also several private hospitals in the city, one of which, St. 
Anthony, has 10 free beds. No social service work is done in con- 
nection with any of the hospitals. 
In Muskogee, the P. & S. Hospital operates a free clinic for 
such work as the removal of tonsils, eye, ear and throat treatment, 
and the city also has the use of five beds at the rate of $10 a week. 
Last year only 81 patients were sent by the city and a total of only 
893 days of service given. In other words, only 893 of the 1820 days 
allowed the city were used. Nevertheless the city health officer 
refuses to send patients there, on the ground that there is no room 
for them. This plea of overcrowding may be true, but it is not due 
to the number of city patients. As long as the hospital is under 
contract with the city, it should be obliged to receive city cases. 
In Chickasha there is a hospital with about ten beds; children 
are admitted though there is no regular children's ward. The min- 
imum fee is $10.50 and if any indigent cases are received, this fee 
must be paid by the city. Public Health Work 
35 
In Guthrie, the Methodist Church maintains a hospital having a 
children's ward with four beds but no patients suffering from con- 
tagious diseases are admitted. Patients unable to defray their 
expenses are received as well as those who can afford to pay the 
charges. 
A hospital with accommodations for contagious disease cases 
and admitting children is located in El Reno. The Women's Hos- 
pital Association supports one bed for poor patients. 
In Durant there is a sanitarium run by the county superin- 
tendent of health. Occasionally city and county charges are re- 
ceived here and paid for by the county. 
Tulsa is at present raising funds to build a large modem and 
well-equipped hospital. Provision will be made in it for free cases. 
In some counties, the county or city physician attends persons 
who cannot afford medical care. In other cases these officers do 
little except attend the prisoners in the county and city jails, and 
in these communities the people who are too poor to call in physicians 
are unattended. 
Aside from the free treatment given in connection with medical 
school inspection, there is little free service, except as individual 
physicians treat special cases that come to their attention. One 
physician in Bartlesville gives free treatment twice a week. He 
estimates that he treats about 400 cases a year, of whom about one- 
half are children. He acts purely on his own initiative, and does not 
cooperate with any organization. At present two cities have visiting 
nurses, Oklahoma City and Muskogee. 
In Oklahoma City, besides the school nurse, a visiting nurse is 
employed by the Provident Association. She is paid from the milk 
and ice fund of the Association, receiving 50 cents a visit, about 
$10 a week. Her work is chiefly with children and pregnant 
mothers. The children are taken by her to the Emergency Hospital 
dispensary for treatment, and if an operation is needed the Provident 
Association pays for it. The Association also supplies milk and 
ice to tuberculous people and young children in winter and to older 
children also in the summer. 
A district nurse is employed by the United Charities of Mus- 
kogee, who also does work for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., 
50 cents for each visit being paid by the Company to the United 
Charities. About one-third of her patients are children-chiefly 36 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
cases of underfeeding, due to poverty. Last year 1197 calls were 
made for the United Charities and 273 cases were cared for. Of 
these 22 were sent to a hospital, 13 died, 150 were dismissed as 
cured and 88 were carried over to the next year. Of the cases treated 
during the year, 28 were maternity and 35 tubercular. 
Bartlesville and Enid expect to secure the services of nurses 
next year. In Enid, the Associated Charities will pay, and in 
Bartlesville the Smelters are planning to hire one to work in co- 
operation with the Provident Association. A nominal fee of 50 
cents will be required. In Tulsa the local physicians cooperating 
with the school nurse partially fill this need. 
Nowhere in the state, however, are there any infant welfare 
stations of any kind, any prenatal work, obstetrical clinics, or 
classes for mothers in infant care. 
General Recommendations 
In view of the inadequacy of the present health department 
to deal with the situation, a complete reorganization of the state 
and local systems of administration is recommended in accordance 
with the following outline:- 
1. A State Board of Health of five members, a continuing body, 
to consist of the State Commissioner of Health, the President of the 
State Medical Society, the President of the State Board of Agri- 
culture, a member of the Faculty of the Oklahoma School of Medi- 
cine, elected by that body to serve for four years, and one, not a 
physician, to be appointed by the Governor for a term of four years, 
these members to serve on this board without pay, but necessary 
traveling expenses to be paid. 
A. Division of Inspection-15 inspectors. 
(1) Buildings-with regard to the ventilation and 
sanitation of public buildings, stores, factories, motion 
picture houses, hotels, etc. 
(2) Institutions-the ventilation, sanitation, gar- 
bage and sewage disposal, milk and water supply, etc., of 
institutions and the medical inspection of inmates, 
and the approval and disapproval of plans for public 
buildings and institutions with regard to these matters. Public Health Work 
37 
(3) Pure Food-including also drugs, milk and 
water supply. 
(4) Contagious Diseases-supervision of the work 
of local health officers and control in cases of wide- 
spread epidemics. 
(5) General enforcement of sanitary conditions 
in state. 
B. Division of Vital Statistics (as provided in present law). 
C. Division of Education, publicity and information. 
2. The Commissioner of Health, appointed by the Governor, 
should serve as executive secretary of the State Board of Health. 
3. Local Organization. 
County. The proposed county board of public welfare should have 
general supervision and control of the health work of the county, 
and should appoint on a full-time basis a regular practising physician 
to serve as county superintendent of health and county physician, 
care for all indigent patients, assist the State Department in the 
inspection of milk, and organize educational work in addition to the 
duties now prescribed by law. 
Cities. The present organization of the board of health in cities 
of 5,000 or over should be abolished, and the proposed city board 
of public welfare should have general supervision and control of the 
health conditions. This Board should appoint a regular practising 
physician to serve as city superintendent of health and city physician, 
who is wherever possible, to be employed on a full-time basis and to 
exercise in the city the powers and duties which the county super- 
intendent of health exercises in the county. 
The organization of the proposed county and city boards of 
public welfare is set forth in the chapter on Administration, pages 
251, 252. RECREATION 
Gertrude H. Folks 
The recreational problem of the sparsely settled rural com- 
munity and that of the small town and city are very different. 
That of the former is, first, to utilize the physical advantages which 
the country offers by organizing and directing activity, and, second, 
to break down the complete isolation of rural life by organizing 
social activities, to render more tolerable that amount of isolation 
which is inevitable, and to counteract any tendency towards im- 
morality among farm young people which may arise from their 
lack of opportunity to form normal social relationships. The city, 
on the other hand, must not only direct the physical activity of its 
children and young people but must supply the opportunity for it, 
and its social problem is not to create social contact but to direct 
it through public and private agencies along wholesome and con- 
structive lines and to supervise commercial forms of recreation. 
The report will, therefore, deal separately with the various phases 
of the work in the rural community and in the city. 
The Rural Community 
Absence of Commercial Forms of Recreation. Com- 
mercial forms of recreation have not yet reached the country. 
Moving pictures are impossible both because of the expense of 
securing films and because of the absence of electricity in all but the 
larger towns. In Muskogee County, excluding the city of Muskogee, 
which may be taken as a typical county, there are only four towns 
equipped with electricity. Of these three have motion picture 
houses which are in operation at least occasionally but they are 
open mostly at night and are, therefore, inaccessible to farm children. 
In other words, only 20 per cent of the population of the county 
outside of the city of Muskogee can have this form of recreation, 
and only 16 per cent actually have it. The only form of commercial 
recreation which reaches the country is the circus or carnival which 
once or twice a year visits small towns and to which the farmers 
38 Recreation 
39 
come in. These are as a rule of a cheap sort, patronized by a rough 
crowd and unsuitable for children. 
Lack of Social Intercourse. The average rural community 
has little social life. In some sections of the state, especially the 
cotton-growing belt, a large percentage of the population is migratory. 
(See report on Agriculture, page 128.) Families move into a district, 
live there a short time, the children perhaps attend no school, and 
contact with others is negligible. A far more serious factor in this 
social isolation is the poverty of the farmers and the consequent 
lack of leisure time even for children. A third factor contributing 
to the isolation of farm life is the absence of the usual social agencies. 
Fortunately, there are no saloons to serve as a general meeting place, 
but so far no acceptable substitute has been provided. There are 
very few rural churches and those which do exist have few interests 
beyond the Sunday morning service, and the schools, with few 
exceptions, have hardly begun as yet to recognize the relation 
existing between the physical and social needs of the child and his 
"education." 
The Schools. Interviews with 22 county school superin- 
tendents reveal a lack of adequate recreational work. The district 
boards as a rule do not admit the need of such work and refuse to 
vote money for playground equipment, that which the children 
themselves provide is insufficient and often of a crude type, and there 
is little effort to introduce supervised play. 
Twenty-two counties were studied, Alfalfa, Atoka, Bryan, 
Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland, Comanche, Creek, Garfield, Grady, 
Kingfisher, McClain, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, 
Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner, and Washington. 
Of these, one reported that there was not a piece of apparatus in 
any school in the county, 14 reported that some of the schools, 
ranging from two or three to half the schools of the county had some 
equipment, often only two or three pieces; and seven reported that 
practically every school had at least one piece. In only eight cases 
had the district boards contributed anything for the purchase of 
this apparatus, and of these three reported that the amount con- 
tributed by the boards was almost negligible. In the remainder, 
the apparatus was either made by the children or paid for with 
money raised by box and pie suppers. Special mention should be 
made of the work in Canadian, Creek, and Washington Counties. 40 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
In only two of the counties was any use made of the apparatus on 
Saturdays and Sundays. 
This report from the county superintendent is, if anything, 
more than just to the situation. Ninety-six rural schools were 
visited, located in ten counties. In only six of the schools were there 
more than three pieces of apparatus. A great number had only a 
basket-ball outfit, often crude and home-made, and perhaps a see- 
saw for the younger children. In many, what apparatus there was, 
was in poor condition. By far the best equipment seen was that at a 
small school in Pittsburg, Pittsburg County, a town of 800. The 
apparatus, attractively placed and in splendid condition, consisted 
of eight see-saws, two basket-ball outfits, a tennis court and net, 
eight swings, a giant stride, four sets of parallel bars and a vaulting 
bar. This had been purchased by the school board. 
A few counties are trying to encourage the installation of play- 
ground apparatus through the score-card system. Of the 22 counties 
visited, five kept score-cards, Canadian, Kingfisher, Muskogee, 
Oklahoma, and Washington. In Oklahoma County two, and in 
Canadian and in Kingfisher Counties five of the maximum 100 
points are allowed for apparatus. In Muskogee County, the scoring 
is on the basis of 10 for each of the 27 points. No mention is made 
of playground equipment. In Washington County, out of a total 
of 1,000 points, 100 are allowed for playground apparatus. Of the 
38 schools reporting last year on this basis, 15 had rating of 0, 11 had 
20 or under, 7 from 20 to 40 inclusive, 4 had 45, and 1 had 50. 
More serious than the absence of playground equipment, is the 
lack of organized play. Of the same 22 counties, 14 reported that 
no organized play was conducted in any of the schools. Six reported 
that there was a little of this work in a few of the schools where the 
teacher had taken courses in recreational work at the summer normal 
school. One reported that the teachers were required to play with 
the children. This, however, amounted to little in practice. One 
county reported that nearly one-half the schools had folk-dancing, 
games, etc., and that an exhibit of this work had been given at the 
county fair by two of the schools. The courses at the normals 
referred to above, constitute about the only attempt being made to 
interest the rural teacher in this work. Of the four Normals visited, 
one gave no course in recreation, two reported summer courses, 
and one reported a two-term course in which special attention is Recreation 
41 
given to the needs of the rural community. This course is elective, 
however, and no mention of it is made in the catalogue. 
The most generally adopted recreational work is the "county 
meet." All the districts of the county, excluding usually the larger 
independent districts, are free to send contestants. Interest runs 
high and the affair is made a big occasion for the youngsters who 
come to the city. Of the 22 counties visited, 17 were holding a meet 
this year, and in seven a literary contest was held as well. 
The social use of the school has been confined chiefly to the 
box suppers and to the traditional Christmas party and closing 
exercises, with perhaps an occasional Easter program. In no case has 
this been developed to establish any permanent basis for community 
work. The lack of any social relationship between the average school 
and the home is even more marked than the isolation of the school 
buildings. 
Work of the County Farm Agents. (See reports on Agri- 
culture, page 133, and Education, page 69.) Although the county 
agents come directly into contact with the farm situation, their work 
is chiefly agricultural, and except for creating some degree of leisure 
time by introducing more efficient methods of farm work, anything 
that they may do along recreational lines must of necessity be 
incidental. The canning and poultry clubs which they organize, 
the interest which they arouse in the county fair, and any other 
measures which bring the children into contact with each other have, 
of course, recreational value. 
Work of the University of Oklahoma. The Extension 
Department of the University of Oklahoma through its visual 
instruction course and its traveling libraries, has also begun to touch 
the rural community. The professed purpose of visual instruction 
is to stimulate community feeling. A series of lectures with slides, 
chiefly travel and description, are sent out to a community for use 
in about ten nearby districts. It was estimated that last year 544 
communities were reached, with a total attendance at lectures of 
over 360,000 persons. A large percentage of this work was done in 
the cities, however, not in the rural communities. 
In addition to the lecture work, 35 rural libraries were dis- 
tributed last year, chiefly among the schools. The University is 
planning to extend this work along such lines as community singing 
and educational motion picture circuits. 42 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Recommendations. The problem of rural recreation in Okla- 
homa is essentially related to that of education. The school has 
already begun to recognize the need of this type of work and is the 
one agency which can develop it along physical and social as well as 
educational lines. It is already in touch with the children, it has a 
standing in the community, and has at least the beginning of the 
necessary physical equipment. 
Physical 
1. Special courses in physical training, organized play, play- 
ground supervision and community work in the normal schools 
and all other educational institutions giving training for teachers. 
Such courses should be made compulsory. 
2. The introduction of organized play in the regular course of 
study. 
3. The installation of playground apparatus, adapted to children 
of all ages, on every school ground, and the amendment of the school 
laws to permit the purchase of such apparatus. 
4. The use of the playground on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. 
5. Supervision of the recreational work of the schools by the 
county superintendent or his assistant. 
Social and Educational 
1. The development of the aesthetic instinct of the children 
through school play, out-of-door pageants, and especially through 
nature study. 
2. The social use of the schoolhouse for gatherings of both chil- 
dren and adults, and a state law to permit of such use of the building. 
3. The stimulation of a love for out-of-door life and activity, 
through school and community picnics and the organization of 
groups of Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls. 
4. Making more interesting the farm tasks of the children 
through cooperation of the teachers with the county agents and the 
inclusion of recreational features at every gathering of children or 
their parents in connection with farmwork. 
5. Greater cooperation of the school with the extension de- 
partment of the State University and other educational institutions. 
6. The organization of Teacher-Patron Clubs to discuss various 
phases of child life. Recreation 
43 
Cities and Towns 
The conditions affecting recreation in the city are the reverse 
of those in the rural community. Here, even without the saloon, 
there is no dearth of opportunities for meeting others; private 
enterprise consequently flourishes and the natural human love of 
play and desire for companionship is exploited. Not only must the 
community guard against any abuses on the part of commercial 
agencies by supervising their activities and prohibiting what is 
absolutely harmful; it must also develop a demand for a high 
standard of entertainment by teaching the children to recognize a 
good type of recreation when it is offered them and to appreciate its 
value. The report will consider: First, the commercial forms of 
activity found in the state; and second, the work of non-commercial 
agencies, both public and private. 
Commercial Forms of Recreation 
Motion Picture Houses. Without question this' is the most 
common form of amusement in the state. In the 23 cities visited 
there were 65 such theatres with a total seating capacity of about 
37,000. In other words, if every seat in these houses were occupied, 
as is usually the case on Friday and Saturday evenings, one in every 
ten persons living in these cities would be "at the show." 
Only ten houses are open before 1 p. m. and twelve are open 
evenings only, except on Saturday and possibly Sunday. The usual 
closing hour is 10:30 or 11. In spite of the fact that cities offer 
practically no other means of diversion, only nine cities permit 
Sunday entertainments. 
The admission varies from 5 to 15 cents, the usual rate being 
5 cents for children and 10 cents for adults. When vaudeville is 
given the price is usually 10 cents for children and 15 for adults in 
the afternoon, and 10 and 20 cents respectively at night. 
There is neither state nor local restriction on the attendance 
of children. They may attend alone at any hour of the day or night. 
On entering the theatre one frequently finds the first few rows 
occupied entirely by small boys and occasionally girls who express 
their appreciation of the show by cries of approval or disapproval. 
The advisability of this form of entertainment for children is deter- 
mined by two factors-first, the physical safety of the buildings, 
and second, the nature of the performance. 44 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Physical Safety of Buildings. There is no state regulation 
whatever with regard to fire protection, and on the whole the cities 
have not met the situation. Of the 23 visited, 5 required no license 
fee, 11 required $50 a year or less, 4 required over $50, and in 3 the 
information was not secured. In 3 some of the houses had not paid 
for the required license, and in no case is the license dependent upon 
conformity with the city ordinances. 
In nine cities varying from 3,000 to 12,000 in population there 
are no building-code provisions except the creation of a fire restric- 
tion area. In two, the city clerk could not find a copy of the ordinance 
relating to motion pictures. And in one there is merely a provision 
requiring that before a theatre is opened application be made to the 
mayor and city council setting forth the kind of building and show 
-an ordinance passed, it was stated, to protect the existing house 
and prevent others from opening. Twelve cities have ordinances, 
some of them very detailed and comprehensive, covering all of the 
essential points, and others very incomplete. The general inadequacy 
of the ordinances in these 12 cities can be seen from the following table: 
ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS 
Number 
of cities 
having 
Number 
not 
having 
Requirement of approval of building inspector or fire 
chief before use of building 
7 
5 
Regulation of construction of booth 
9 
3 
" " number of aisles 
4 
8 
" " width of aisles 
7 
5 
" " distance of seats from aisles 
5 
7 
" " number of exits 
6 
6 
" " width of exits 
6 
6 
" " marking of exits 
10 
2 
Requirement of control of exit and passage lights from 
box office 
5 
7 
Regulation of heating apparatus 
4 
8 
Requirement of chemical fire extinguishers or their 
equivalent 
4 
8 
Prohibition of standing in aisles 
5 
7 
" " " anywhere in theatre 
2 
10 
Requirement that seats be fastened to the floor 
6 
6 
of city license for operator 
4 
8 Recreation 
45 
This does not mean that in those cities without specific regula- 
tion, the point in question was violated, nor, on the other hand, does 
it mean that in those cities with ordinances, the requirements were 
observed. In cities having ordinances, violations were frequently- 
found-including the locking of exit doors, the opening of the theatres 
into another building, failure to mark exits, the blocking of exits 
by advertising posters, baby carriages or other obstructions, standing 
in the aisles, and the absence of chemical extinguishers. 
In some of the cities having no ordinances the buildings were 
veritable fire-traps. In one city, the theatre situated on the second 
floor of the building is reached by a wooden staircase and has no 
other exit. The rest of the building is occupied by stores, living- 
rooms, etc. In another, the seats in two of the three theatres were 
not fastened to the floor. In another the theatre, though situated 
in the business section of the city, was a wooden building, so roughly 
constructed that daylight could be seen between the boards. There 
were two narrow entrances and no other exits, and one entrance 
was blocked by a baby carriage. 
Of the 22 cities from which information was secured, not one 
had a regular system of inspection. This was to be expected in the 
ten cities having no ordinances. Of the 12 others, however, one 
did not require inspection, one required it twice daily (no one knew 
of this provision), and the remainder every 30 days. In no city, 
however, is the inspection systematic or adequate. The usual 
reply of the fire chief when questioned was, "We have no regular 
inspection. The boys drop in at the show occasionally when they 
have a half-holiday and if they see anything wrong, they speak 
about it." Absolutely no records of such visits are kept. In Okla- 
homa City, the system of inspection would be effective if it were 
carried out. Inspection is made by the fire warden and his deputies 
and records are supposed to be kept on a specified form-card covering 
all points included in the ordinance, complaints, return inspections, 
etc. The examination of these records, however, showed that none 
had been kept for either of the colored shows or for the most recent 
of the white theatres. Except for a visit to one theatre in February, 
1916, to another in December, 1915 and to another in August, 1915, 
there were no entries since June, 1915. The fire warden's explana- 
tion of this was that only those visits are recorded where a change 
is ordered and a second visit required to follow it up, If conditions 46 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
are satisfactory or the change made while the inspector waits, no 
record is kept. "The movies are all right now that they have once 
been cleaned up." However, when inspections were made fairly 
frequently in 1914-1915, violations were found in certain theatres 
on every visit, and there is no reason to suppose that the managers 
have suddenly adopted a new policy. 
Health also is endangered by the motion picture houses. Al- 
though the State Commissioner of Health states that the control 
of hygienic conditions of theatres is included in the power of the 
county and city superintendents of health "to abate any nuisance 
calculated to injure or endanger the health, safety, comfort or repose 
of the public," this authority has seldom been used. Only two of 
the 23 cities have any ordinance regarding ventilation. Although 
several houses have installed electric fans and other apparatus 
without such an ordinance, most of them have not done so and the 
air in these houses is close, foul, and probably germ-laden. Except 
in Tulsa, little effort is made to prevent the spread of contagious 
disease through the motion picture house-a serious omission in 
view of the wide-spread epidemics of measles, scarlet fever, etc., in 
Oklahoma. With two exceptions all of the theatres visited were well 
lighted. 
Nature of Performance. Any classification of the merits of 
the motion picture houses on the basis of the films seen is impossible, 
because the individual house cannot be judged by one day's pro- 
gram. If the films are bad on the days visited, the possibility of the 
presentation of objectionable films is proved. On the other hand, 
if the films are good, a uniformly high standard cannot be inferred. 
Visits to a large number of houses do, however, form a basis for 
judging the general situation in the state. 
The exhibitions of the average picture house in Oklahoma must 
be characterized as common. A few houses present regularly a high 
type of picture, but even these occasionally spoil a good programme 
by one poor film. On the other hand, several films were seen which 
contained features decidedly bad for children-such as street- 
walking scenes, violent attacks on women, vivid murder scenes, 
and plots in which crime appears attractive. The large majority, 
however, present, with perhaps the exception of one or two special 
features a week, a cheap type of film which, though not immoral, 
is vulgar and low-objectionable in general tone rather than in any Recreation 
47 
specific incidents portrayed. To the adult such films serve simply 
as a temporary diversion, but on children and young people the 
effect of constant vulgarity is disastrous. An occasional view of the 
condemned sex-problem play does far less to create in the child a 
sordid view of life and an attitude of irresponsibility than does the 
witnessing three or four times a week of vulgar farces, melodramatic 
love scenes, and criminal exploits. 
Of the 65 theatres investigated, 34 present vaudeville also. 
Of these, 18 include it at every performance, seven about half the 
time, and nine only occasionally. The type of vaudeville shown is 
similar to that of the films. Three performances of an unusually 
high standard were seen. At the other extreme were several which 
contained low jokes, objectionable dancing, and vulgar burlesque. 
But here again the majority are of a cheap and tawdry kind con- 
sisting of typical chorus girl dancing and singing, burlesque, jokes, 
etc. No one, outside of movie managers, was found to stand up for 
the vaudeville, nor to countenance the attendance of children. 
Nevertheless the combined show is as popular as the "movie only," 
and many children do attend. 
The public recognizes the problem created by the motion picture 
house but is at a loss to know how to deal with it. Efforts have been 
made to meet the situation along three general lines-first, local 
censorship; second, special children's programmes; and third, the 
presentation of motion pictures by non-commercial agencies. 
Local Censorship. In four cities, Oklahoma City, Sapulpa, 
Enid and Guthrie, there is provision for censorship, but in no case 
is it effective. In three of the cities it has practically never been 
used, and in the fourth, it is directed only against films that deal 
frankly with sex questions. Vulgar and suggestive pictures and 
vaudeville exhibitions are not questioned. 
The attitude of the managers was, of course, decidedly hostile 
to censorship. Of 43 interviewed, three stated that they favored it- 
of these two were in cities having censorship committees which 
had never used their power. Two were not intelligent enough to 
have any opinion regarding it, and the remaining 38 opposed it. 
The usual arguments were advanced-that the public was the best 
censor, and demanded a clean type of show; that censorship was 
ruining the film business; that censorship boards were composed 
of old women and politicians-and that the Kansas Board proved Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
48 
this. Invariably the managers presenting the worst films would 
base their opposition on the ground that, "It isn't needed, for I 
put on only the best and cleanest of plays such as anyone would be 
glad to see." Their attitude toward any restriction on the attend- 
ance of children was similar. 
Special Children's Programs. Of the theatres visited 14 in 12 
cities reported some attempt at special programs for children. Of 
these, six reported that they were financially a failure; five of the 
others have had them only occasionally; and the remaining three 
have had them for only three or four weeks. Several managers 
reported that they were anxious to establish such programs but 
that it was difficult and expensive to secure suitable films. In two of 
the houses where the special program proved popular, Charlie Chaplin 
was the drawing card, and in one, the lower grades of school had 
been excused to attend a special performance of a serial "The Great 
Secret," a film of no special educational value, and with little appeal 
to children except for the highly melodramatic situations it presents. 
Moving Pictures by Non-commercial Agencies. Few attempts have 
been made to provide moving pictures through non-commercial 
agencies. Last year in one city, Dewey, the school occasionally gave 
entertainments for the school children. Though successful, the 
plan was dropped this year, because of overcrowded conditions, to 
the disappointment of the children's parents. A new building is 
under construction, however, and the school superintendent is 
planning to start this work again. Two other schools had motion 
picture booths, but no machines, and in several other cities including 
Oklahoma City and Muskogee, the school superintendents recog- 
nized the legitimacy of motion picture entertainments as a function 
of the school, but stated that the expense of such an undertaking 
was too great. In Tulsa the Y. M. C. A. occasionally has a motion 
picture evening for the boys, and in Oklahoma City the Community 
House gives a film about once a week. When compared with the 
extent of the motion picture house business, however, this work 
reaches too few to have influenced the general situation. 
Recommendations. 1. Physical safety of the buildings. 
a. Certain measures for all theatres such as the approval of the 
building by the building inspector before use, prohibition of standing 
in theatres, the fastening of seats to the floor, marking of exits, and 
regular inspection. Recreation 
49 
b. Detailed provisions varying for cities of various sizes regu- 
lating the construction of the building, the size and construction 
of the booth, the number and width of aisles and exits, the light- 
ing and heating arrangements, the installation of adequate fire 
extinguishers, and other points now specified by the insurance 
companies. 
c. Absolute enforcement of these provisions by the local fire 
authorities, and supervision by the State Fire Marshal. 
2. Nature of the performance. 
The chief difficulty in controlling the type of film presented 
arises from the fact that although what is not harmful to adults 
may be undesirable for children, they both attend the same per- 
formance. The most obvious remedy, censorship, is both unwise 
and ineffective, whether local or state. Local censorship is unfair 
to the theatre owners-in many towns the films do not arrive until 
late afternoon for presentation that evening and, if they are rejected 
entirely, no substitute is at hand. It is unfair to the public, for 
each individual censor has his own standard, and the type of film 
presented in a city will be determined by the standards and the 
prejudices of that individual. The most serious drawback is that 
films barred from the larger cities by the censorship board will be 
forced upon the smaller communities which have no censorship. 
State censorship also is undesirable. It is difficult to secure a repre- 
sentative board which will agree on what should or should not be 
presented. The tendency is to leave the decision in any specific 
case to one or two members of that board and the system is again 
open to criticism that the individual determines the standard for 
the community-in this case, the entire state. If the board is 
volunteer, it will soon lose interest, and fail to give careful con- 
sideration to the pictures. If, on the other hand, it is paid, it is 
more than probable that it will become partisan. State censorship 
may easily become an abridgment of freedom of speech. 
The state should, however, pass a law, prohibiting the pre- 
sentation of pictures containing anything obscene, degrading or 
tending to incite criminal acts, and the mayor and the police de- 
partment in each city should be charged with the enforcement of 
this ordinance. 
For a real remedy, however, one must resort to public opinion. 
Through publicity in the newspapers, through the school, the church, 50 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
the women's clubs, and other groups of socially-minded people, 
an organized protest must be made and an educational campaign 
for a better type of film conducted. 
If interest is evidenced in enough cities and the managers are 
assured of an attendance sufficiently large to warrant the extra 
cost, circuits of films especially selected for family groups or for 
children can be sent out at comparatively little expense. The 
National Board of Review has prepared a catalog of such films put 
out by all the different companies, and each month publishes a 
list of those which have appeared during the month. The Edison 
Company has recently arranged a series of films to be released weekly 
in "locked" groups, each program containing a variety of subject 
matter and type of film so as to appeal to the entire family. The 
"locked group" means that these films will always be exhibited 
together, thus preventing the introduction of one poor film in an 
otherwise good program. In those cities which did not join the 
circuit, volunteer committees could be established to visit the different 
houses and advertise those films which were desirable for children. 
The establishment of such "family groups" programs should be 
followed by a state ordinance prohibiting the attendance of children 
under 16 at night at other than these special shows, unless accom- 
panied by parent or guardian. 
It would also be desirable to make it the duty of some city 
official-licensed inspector or member of the police department- 
to cooperate with the National Board of Review by making certain 
before the presentation of any film passed by that Board, that all 
changes which had been ordered in the film had been made. This 
would not only assist the National Board of Review in its effort 
to secure good films throughout the country, but would sometimes 
eliminate the most undesirable features of the pictures shown. The 
worst film seen in the entire state was one put out by one of the 
best companies but which contained a scene that had been ordered 
cut by the National Board. 
Two other measures are worthy of consideration though their 
constitutionality is doubtful, (1) the enactment of a state law pro- 
viding that only pictures passed by the National Board of Review 
may be presented in Oklahoma, and (2) the licensing of certain 
theatres only as children's theatres, all young people under 16 being 
prohibited from attending the others. Recreation 
51 
With regard to vaudeville exhibitions, even less can be done, 
especially in a community which offers so few recreational oppor- 
tunities as the average Oklahoma city. Vaudeville responds to a 
demand for a kind of entertainment which the moving picture house 
does not give. As long as the performance is not sufficiently bad 
to warrant any action by the police authorities, little control can 
be exercised, other than the prohibition of the attendance of children 
under 16 at night unaccompanied by parent or guardian. Aside 
from this, public opinion must again be relied upon. It is true, 
nevertheless, that certain houses will persist in giving a low class of 
vaudeville and there will be a certain type in the community who 
prefer this and who will permit their children to attend it with 
them. This evil cannot be eliminated. 
No substitute for the commercial motion picture house can be 
effective. The expense, the danger of a private agency over- 
emphasizing the educational film, the comparatively small group 
which would be reached, and above all, the firm establishment of 
the motion picture house at present would render futile such effort. 
The chief substitute for the motion picture house is to be found in 
an opposite type of recreation-outdoor play. When facilities for 
this are more fully developed the child may have less craving for 
the picture as his daily form of amusement. 
Dance Halls 
Cities Under 35,000. Nineteen cities with a population varying 
from 3,000 to 35,000 were visited. In 15 there were no public dance 
halls; in one a public dance is held at least once a week; in one, 
three times a week; in two, the mayor reported that "he thought 
there were no dance halls" but investigation proved that they did 
exist. In three of the four cities having dance halls, no license was 
required. The information was not obtained from the fourth. One 
city, where no dance halls exist, has an annual license fee of $100, 
passed as a precautionary measure to keep them out. Failure to 
require a license is a serious defect, for without it the city officials 
have no check on the situation. 
Cities over 35,000. Muskogee. A license fee of $5 a month is 
required. There is a city ordinance prohibiting the use of liquor, 
the admittance of disreputable characters, and the performance 52 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
of vulgar dancing. There is no restriction on the attendance of 
children. The halls close at 12 o'clock and the managers have re- 
quested that a policeman be stationed in each hall. There are two 
dance halls in the town. Both have an excellent reputation and 
are considered the best in the state. 
Tulsa. The situation here is difficult to determine, for, when 
visited, the dance halls were still under the influence of an investi- 
gation made by the police department last year. The hall with the 
worst reputation in the city was visited twice, and even here nothing 
objectionable was seen. Whether this change will be permanent is 
still a matter of conjecture. It will require a more systematic policy 
of investigation and a more rigid enforcement of the law than now 
exists. On January 1st a law went into effect requiring the payment 
of a license fee of $100 a year for halls having four entertainments 
a month or less, and $250 a year for those having more than four 
entertainments a month. In April, however, the license fee had not 
been collected from any of the five halls in the city. An official 
of the police department stated that they were all running on the 
"invitation" system, thus evading the license fee requirement. An 
ordinance was also passed at this time prohibiting the attendance 
of minors, but with the exception of one official in the police de- 
partment no one knew of the existence of this ordinance. 
Oklahoma City. The ordinances provide for a license fee of 
$50 a year, establish 11:30 p. m. as a closing hour, forbid Sunday 
dances, and prohibit the attendance of children under 18 unless 
accompanied by parent or guardian. The prohibition of Sunday 
dances, however, is the only regulation which is generally observed. 
Of the six dance halls in the city only three have paid for the license, 
and two at least, admit children. 
At the time of the investigation, the city was in the midst of 
an anti-dance hall campaign, the complaints being that liquor was 
sold, disreputable people admitted, vulgar dancing allowed, and 
children permitted to attend. How far these charges are true, it is 
impossible to determine. It is a fact that young children do attend, 
and there is doubtless some degree of truth in the other complaints. 
But does not this point to the inadequacy of the system of inspection 
rather than to any inherent evil in dance halls? It is unfair to the 
young people in the city to close the halls entirely, when no plan 
of systematic inspection has ever been tried. Recreation 
53 
Recommendations. In spite of popular protest, conditions 
found in the dance halls cannot be characterized as bad. There is a 
strong group in Oklahoma opposed to dancing in any form and to 
the public dance hall in particular. When anything of a question- 
able nature occurs, conditions are likely to be exaggerated and a 
campaign to close the dance halls started. The fact that in some 
instances this has succeeded, is a deterrent force with the others 
and tends to prevent any flagrant abuses. This does not mean that 
a uniformly high standard is always maintained, nor does it minimize 
the need of regulative legislation, but the problem should not be 
solved by prohibition. It is the duty of the community to recognize 
the legitimacy and the value of this form of recreation, and to provide 
opportunities for it; if it fails to do so, many young people will find 
the opportunity through less desirable agencies. 
Although, with the exception of the larger cities, the dance 
halls are not yet an important factor in the recreational facilities 
of the state, it must be recognized that their spread is inevitable, 
and the problem which they create must be faced. Action taken 
at the present time will determine whether their development is 
to be along good or evil lines. A municipal dance hall open at least 
twice a week, should be established in every city or town of over 
2,000. Until this is done, however, every precaution must be taken 
to secure high standards in the commercial halls. The character 
of the proprietor should be ascertained, a reasonable license required, 
based on the number of dances held a week, people of disreputable 
character should be excluded, 12 o'clock should be established as a 
closing hour and children under 16 should be prohibited from 
attending. Above all there should be an adequate system of in- 
spection and enforcement of these laws with revocation of the license 
as a penalty for violation. All dances for which admission is charged 
either through the purchase of tickets or an "invitation" system 
should be subject to inspection. The system in each city must be 
determined by the agencies existing in that city. In some cases it 
could be made the duty of a paid officer already existing, such as a 
recreational director, school superintendent, high school principal, 
probation officer or truant officer. Other communities might prefer 
to create a large volunteer committee appointed by the mayor, each 
member of which would give two nights a month to the work, thus 
providing a chaperon for every dance held. The difficulty of this 54 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
plan would be to secure enough people of sufficient judgment to 
supervise dance halls who would consent to give the necessary time 
to it. Either plan, however, is preferable to that now in force where- 
ever there is supervision-of having the police in charge. The 
presence of a uniformed officer suggests an atmosphere of wrong- 
doing which it is most undesirable to create. 
Miscellaneous 
1. In three cities, Oklahoma City, Muskogee, and McAlester, 
there are large theatre buildings, at which a good type of play is 
given. In Tulsa, there is a fair-sized theatre which employs a stock 
company and also gives vaudeville and special traveling shows. 
A bad feature of this house is the weekly amateur night, in which 
both adults and children participate. When visited, one 14-year- 
old girl sang and a younger one sang and danced. This child stated 
that she was 11, that she liked the work though, "I was a little 
scared," and that she had never done it before. Her theatrical 
manner, however, indicated that she was perfectly at home on the 
stage. Outside of the theatre was a large poster offering a dollar 
to any man, woman or child who would "sing, recite, dance or in 
any way entertain the audience for three minutes." This theatre 
also makes a special appeal to children once a week by giving 
out candy, dolls, teddy bears, etc. Amateur nights should be 
abolished. 
2. Pool-rooms and bowling alleys constitute one of the most 
common forms of recreation for adults. No children under 16 were 
seen here, however, except two workers. 
3. In only one city was there a roller skating rink; this had 
been closed for several months. 
4. In one city there was an indoor swimming pool, operated 
in connection with mineral baths. It is now patronized by very few 
people, however, having been practically condemned by the Board 
of Health. 
5. There are a few private amusement parks in the state, open 
only in summer. These contain the usual attractions-dancing 
pavilions, merry-go-rounds, swings, picnic grounds, occasionally 
water for swimming and boating, candy and cold drink stands, etc. 
6. Traveling circuses, carnivals, etc., visit the cities several 
times a year. These are usually of a cheap sort and patronized Recreation 
55 
by a rough crowd. At one carnival held this year in Tulsa, several 
of the shows were closed on the ground that they constituted a 
violation of the gambling ordinances of the city. 
Non-Commercial Agencies 
School Recreation 
Cities under 35,000-based on visits to 21 cities. 
A. Physical. The city schools have done little more than the 
rural schools along recreational lines. Only three of the cities visited, 
Okmulgee, Claremore, and Tahlequah, had playground equipment 
which can be classified as good. In one funds were on hand to pur- 
chase apparatus on the completion of a new building. In three, 
the equipment might be classified as fair; and in the remaining 11, 
it was decidedly poor in respect to both amount and condition. 
In the schools with good equipment, the money had been furnished 
by the school board. 
On the whole, there is very little supervised play in the grade 
schools. In one city, Okmulgee, such work is done under a paid 
city director; in four others, a regular program is carried out in 
each grade under the direction of the teachers; in four, a little work 
is done by a few individual teachers who have had courses at a 
normal school; and in the remaining 12, no work of this kind is 
done. No ward school buildings are provided with gymnasiums. 
In the high schools the work is fairly well developed as far as 
the boys are concerned, probably because their activity is chiefly 
along the line of athletics, and they are old enough and interested 
enough to organize the work themselves. Less than half of the 
buildings have gymnasiums, however, and all of these are not 
equipped. For girls, the opportunity for athletic work is slight. 
In one city, Okmulgee, calisthenic work is required throughout the 
entire four years; in about six, basket-ball, volley-ball or tennis 
teams are organized; but on the whole this work has received little 
attention. 
Most of the city schools participate either in the county 
meet (see page 41) or else in a separate meet for independent 
districts. 
B. Educational and Social. There is more social life in the 
city schools than in the rural schools, but at the same time this work 56 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
has not been developed to the extent that it should be. Several 
of the grade schools reported annual May-day festivals, school plays 
and entertainments of various sorts. The high schools oftentimes 
have debating, musical and dramatic clubs. There are individual 
instances of schools which are doing special work of one kind or 
another. In Dewey, for instance, the school owns a motion picture 
machine. In another city, a lyceum lecture course is held in the 
high school. In another, community singing has been started. One 
of the most promising lines of work is that to be tried in Claremore 
this summer. A director is to be employed to supervise manual 
training, school gardens, and recreational work. All the apparatus 
in the city is to be moved to the most central school, and at certain 
hours each day, the director will be there to supervise the play, 
organize games, etc. 
Recommendations. 
Physical. As far as the grade schools are concerned, the 
recommendations are similar to those suggested for the rural schools 
-the inclusion of organized play in the course of study, special 
training in this work for teachers, the purchase of apparatus, the 
neighborhood use of the school playground, and, whenever possible, 
the employment of a full or part-time recreational director to super- 
vise the school work and organize community activities. 
Those high schools which have gymnasiums should equip 
them, and as many others as possible should build them. The 
plan adopted by Okmulgee is an excellent one-a separate building 
is used as a gymnasium and manual training shop. Physical training 
of some sort should be required for both boys and girls during the 
entire four-year course. Competitive athletics should be organized 
among the girls and inter-school contests encouraged. The recrea- 
tional director should, of course, supervise the work of the high 
school as well as that of the grade schools. 
Educational and Social. In the city, the school must compete 
with private and commercial agencies in providing recreation and 
its function is not only to bring the people of the neighborhood 
together on a social basis, but also to provide a substitute for the 
less desirable forms of recreation that the city offers. To do this, 
occasional plays and entertainments are not sufficient. The school 
buildings should be open to the public at least three nights a week, Recreation 
57 
with programs of sufficient interest and variety to attract the public 
-concerts, lectures, occasional plays, political gatherings, club 
meetings, and when the building is of such a type as to make it 
possible, motion pictures, and dances. 
Cities over 35,000. 
Oklahoma City. Playground work is just being organized in 
the Oklahoma City schools. Last year the city voted $15,000 for 
recreational work. The services of an experienced recreational 
director have been secured and plans for the installation of apparatus 
and supervision of play are being worked out. In eight schools, 
three sets of apparatus are to be installed-one for children, one 
for older girls, and one for older boys. In the rest, one combination 
set is to be installed, including pieces suitable for all ages. The 
eight playgrounds, with three sets of apparatus are to be used for 
summer work. The public library is planning to keep branch 
libraries open in each of these buildings, and it is hoped that 
this will furnish the nucleus for organized community centre 
work. A director will be employed to supervise the work of each 
school. 
Teachers' classes for training in apparatus work, exercises, and 
folk dancing are held and each school is required to give ten minutes 
for graded exercises and ten minutes for recess in the forenoon, and 
in the afternoon fifteen minutes for recess. In addition, two boys' 
and two girls' clubs are being organized in each school, to play 
against each other in the various games and to stimulate interest 
in the work. In many of the grade schools, as well as in the high 
schools, musical, dramatic, and debating work is done. 
Muskogee. Muskogee has a well-developed system of recrea- 
tional work, employing three teachers in the physical culture de- 
partment. Physical training is required for 10 minutes each day, and 
two 15-minute recess periods are given for outdoor recreation. The 
supervisor visits each school every two weeks, inspecting the work 
of each class room and outlining the work for the next period. A 
regular grade course is followed; folk-dances and games are given 
for the younger children; contests in physical culture work are held 
between the different classrooms for each school; and calisthenics 
is included for the older ones. Folk-dancing is given a place in the 
program of the school entertainments and all the schools combine 58 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
in a special May-day program. Both the boys and the girls compete 
in inter-school and inter-class games. 
The high school building contains a modern and well-equipped 
gymnasium and physical training work is compulsory through the 
junior high school and the first year of the senior high school (the 
6-3-3 plan). Many of the girls voluntarily continue this work through 
the remaining two years of the high school course. 
The chief defect of the recreation work is the lack of adequate 
playground apparatus. Two years ago the Park Board established 
a municipal playground and installed playground equipment. Be- 
cause of the absence of a supervisor the plan was a failure and in 
the fall of 1916, the apparatus was given to the schools. It is, how- 
ever, insufficient to meet their needs and in poor condition. 
The social activity of the Muskogee schools is also being con- 
ducted along constructive lines. In addition to the annual May- 
day festivities, each school has a picnic in one of the city parks for 
the children and the parents. The superintendent has four stere- 
opticons for the use of the schools; community music has been 
started; several of the schools have orchestras, glee clubs, and de- 
bating societies; and children's meetings in connection with the 
teacher-patron's meetings have been organized. 
Tulsa. Like Muskogee, Tulsa has practically no playground 
apparatus, except volley-ball nets and basket-ball frames. The park 
equipment, however, is occasionally used by the schools. On the 
other hand, the city has an admirable system of organized play 
under the direction of two recreational directors. In the lower 
grades, ten to twenty minutes a day are given to folk-dances, ex- 
ercises and games. The older children of these grades also play 
volley-ball and smash-ball. For the boys and girls of the upper 
grades, calisthenics is given three times a week. During recess the 
older girls are taught folk-dancing, and the boys practise baseball, 
basket-ball, etc. 
The work of the high school will be reorganized next year with 
the completion of the new building. In addition to an indoor 
gymnasium and swimming-pool, there is to be a playground with 
baseball, basket-ball and some gymnasium equipment on the roof. 
Physical training will be compulsory for the first two years of the 
high school course. Four tennis courts in the city parks are reserved 
for high school children, from 3 to 6 every day except Sunday. Recreation 
59 
Recommendations. Aside from the installation of playground 
apparatus in Muskogee and Tulsa, the chief need of the schools in 
these cities is a further development of the social centre idea. By 
introducing new features, such as school dances, motion pictures 
and community singing, by further utilizing the school building for 
outside interests, and by working in cooperation with other agencies 
such as the women's clubs and especially the Park Commission 
(which is also installing playground apparatus in Tulsa and Okla- 
homa City) the foundation for effective recreational work will have 
been laid. 
Parks 
Cities under 35,000 
Several of the smaller as well as the larger cities of the state 
have public parks, but many of them are undeveloped and not 
centrally located, and few have any special attractions for children. 
Even though there are no congested sections in the smaller cities, 
the parks should, in cooperation with the schools, supply facilities 
for outdoor play, such as sand-piles, wading-pools, and the simpler 
kinds of apparatus. In only two cities under 35,000, however, was 
such equipment found. 
Cities over 35,000 
Muskogee has two large parks and several small ones with a 
total acreage of 79. There is no playground equipment in the parks 
-they are used chiefly for picnics, walks, etc. 
Tulsa has six parks with a total acreage of 145. Three of these 
are equipped with tennis courts and regular play apparatus such 
as swings and see-saws. The children in school buildings located 
near the parks are sometimes allowed to play there during the 
school day. 
Oklahoma City has about ten parks with a total acreage of over 
1,700. One of these parks, located less than a mile from the heart 
of the city, is used as a recreation centre in the summer. In it are 
a zoo, greenhouse, wading-pool, sand-pile, swings, see-saws and a 
small merry-go-round. Two other parks are to have apparatus 
installed this summer, and if funds can be secured, three more will 
be equipped next year. This apparatus, designed more for the 
amusement of the younger children than for athletic purposes, 60 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
will consist chiefly of "ocean waves" and swings. Although some 
of these parks are situated near school buildings where apparatus 
is also being installed, there has been no cooperation between the 
two departments. Two of the parks have been leased to private 
amusement companies, one of them being the colored park of the city. 
Libraries 
The libraries in five cities were visited, Oklahoma City, 
Muskogee, Tulsa, Enid and McAlester. The work for children 
is of the usual kind, the distribution of juvenile books, a children's 
reading-room, branch school libraries, a story-telling hour, and 
occasional contest of one kind or another. 
Settlements, etc. 
Practically the only work of this sort that exists in the state is 
that of the Community House in Oklahoma City, run in connection 
with the Pilgrim Congregational Church. The building is small, 
but modem in its equipment. It was opened only this spring and 
the work is still in a formative stage. In addition to the Sunday 
School work, about which the other activities center, motion pictures 
are given once a week, plays are presented occasionally, an orchestra 
has been started and three gymnasium classes have been organized, 
one for adults, one for children, and one for factory girls. A domestic 
science class has also been established for the older girls and women. 
The influence which such an institution might come to have on the 
young people of the community will necessarily be limited, however, 
by its dependence upon the church. It is, for instance, due largely 
to the opposition of the church members that no provision has been 
made for dancing. 
Y. M. C. A. and Y. W. C. A. 
Although these organizations do some recreational work, it is 
of little importance because of the comparatively small number of 
people whom they reach. In Tulsa, where the organizations are 
the strongest in the state, the only recreational work of the Y. W. C. A. 
is field hockey for school girls, working girls, and married women. 
The Y. M. C. A., however, has a splendid equipment and has 
organized various types of activity, such as swimming classes, 
hikes, games, motion picture evenings, a newsboys' club, a boys' 
farm, a summer camp, etc. Recreation 
61 
Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls 
The organization of Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls has like- 
wise brought to many children new forms of social activity and a 
new type of pleasure. But their appeal also is limited. The success 
of these groups with the few children whom they reach demonstrates 
the necessity for the city's furnishing similar opportunities for all 
of its children. 
General Recommendations. 
The recommendations suggested under the various subjects 
dealt with in this report have been offered with a view to the 
immediate needs of that specific activity. The one step, however, 
which would do more than any other to improve the whole recrea- 
tional situation of the state, would be the establishment of recreational 
associations. 
A voluntary association should be organized in each city with 
a population of over 5,000, consisting of the school recreational 
director, the park superintendent, the librarian of the Public Library, 
possibly the superintendent of health, and ten to fifteen repre- 
sentative citizens, appointed by the mayor, familiar with the social 
conditions of the community and interested in recreational work. 
It would be the function of this association to keep in touch with 
all the recreational work in the city, to secure cooperation between 
the school board and the park commission, to recommend an 
equitable distribution of the funds appropriated for this work be- 
tween the two agencies, to develop social centres, to encourage new 
lines of activity, and also to inspect motion picture houses, dance 
halls and other commercial forms of recreation. Such an organiza- 
tion would not only increase the effectiveness of the work by co- 
ordinating all of the agencies engaged in it, but it would be a tangible 
expression of the fundamental place which recreation occupies in 
the life of the people. Similar associations for each county would 
be desirable, though less feasible. EDUCATION 
Elizabeth Howe Bliss 
RURAL SCHOOLS 
For this investigation, rural schools in the following counties 
were visited: Bryan, Pottawatomie, Garfield, Cherokee, Creek, 
Washington, Alfalfa, Muskogee, Comanche, Stephens, and Jackson. 
As these counties are situated in different parts of the state and 
represent different economic conditions, it is believed that they give 
a fair representation of the general situation in Oklahoma. 
Rural Schoolhouses 
The old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse is the usual type found 
in the rural districts. This is generally a frame building in varying 
states of repair. The objectionable cross-lighting is found in almost 
every case. It has no cloakrooms, so coats and hats are hung on 
the walls or laid on desks in the back of the room. Invariably 
the stove is placed in the center of the room, making proper heating 
impossible. It is not at all unusual to find children whose desks 
happen to be near the stove actually suffering from the heat while 
others in the farther comers of the room are too cold. 
Occasionally one finds good conditions in one of these poorly 
planned and badly constructed buildings. This is almost entirely 
due to an efficient, interested teacher. In these few isolated cases 
the schools will be found clean and in fair repair but even then the 
conditions are far from ideal. How bad a school can become is 
illustrated by one instance in Pottawatomie County: 
This school is situated on a bare plot of land, no effort having been 
made to beautify the grounds either by the planting of trees or the 
cultivation of gardens. The schoolhouse itself was once white but 
the paint is worn off in many places. Four of the windows are broken 
and the panes stuffed with newspapers and rags. The shades at the 
windows are tom and flapping. Although it was a warm day when 
the investigator visited this school, a big fire was burning in the stove 
and the children were restless from the heat and bad air. Clothing 
was hung on hooks along the back of the room and piled on three desks 
62 Education 
63 
at one side. Other desks were covered with dinner-pails. The whole 
place was indescribably dirty, walls and desks defaced, and an accu- 
mulation of at least a week's papers, dirt, and remnants from dinner- 
pails were on the floor. In this building children attend school for a 
5-month term. It is small wonder that there is great irregularity 
of attendance and that the work done is of little value. 
The old type two-room schoolhouse is in some respects superior 
to the one-room school. In the first place one room is generally 
correctly lighted and as a rule the school is not so crowded. The 
unfortunate part of it is that an old building renovated and made to 
meet the need, is usually not worth the money spent upon it and 
its use postpones the erection of a modem building. 
There are very few model schoolhouses in the state although 
interest in the movement to provide them is increasing. The model 
one- or two-room schoolhouse guarantees improved conditions for 
pupils and teachers. Each classroom accommodates between 30 
and 40 children, light coming from the left side only, although high 
windows at the back are permissible. There is sufficient black- 
board space on the right side of the room. Provision is made for a 
separate cloakroom for boys and girls, a supply closet for the teacher, 
and wherever possible, a room that can be converted into a work- 
room when vocational education is established. A few such school- 
houses, somewhat modified in form, have been erected. 
In District 45, Alfalfa County, there is a one-room schoolhouse, light 
coming from the left and back of room, stove in one comer of the room, 
and with separate cloakrooms. The building has a cement basement 
which provides room for domestic science and later can be converted 
' into a manual training shop. 
In Creek County there is a model two-room schoolhouse on a large 
plot of ground where trees have been planted and gardens cultivated 
by the children. Around this plot is a neat wire fence. Each room 
has its own cloakroom and supply and library closet. Both have correct 
lighting and are heated by properly jacketed stoves placed in the 
comers. 
School Equipment 
In almost all of the schoolhouses there is very meagre equipment. 
The great majority still have old-fashioned non-adjustable desks 
with seats accommodating two children. Among 47 only 9 were 
found with adjustable seats. Little children are not able to 64 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
reach the floor with their feet, and are cramped and uncomfortable 
during the entire day. In almost every case there is too little 
blackboard space and no effort has been made to accommodate 
children of different heights. Many of the blackboards are in 
bad repair, making it often difficult to read the writing upon them. 
The few pictures on the walls are usually not framed and are poorly 
selected. Unframed religious mottoes are a very common decoration. 
Only occasionally is a library seen and the books are commonly in 
bad condition. It would be well if greater use of the traveling libraries 
of Oklahoma University were made, but few teachers know that 
this service is available. Most of the schools have maps, agricul- 
tural charts, etc., which are often ragged and in disuse. About one- 
fifth of the schools have organs, a few have pianos, and occasionally 
a phonograph is found. The playgrounds as a general rule are in- 
sufficiently equipped. (See report on Recreation, page 39.) 
Consolidation of Schools 
Two movements have been instituted to improve the schools 
throughout the state and to do away with defects inherent in the 
local school. One of these is the establishment of union graded 
schools. These are formed by uniting not less than two whole 
districts and establishing one school to provide instruction for all 
pupils above the sixth grade, including all grades of regular high 
school work. Parts of districts cannot enter. The younger children 
are provided for by the local districts. Transportation is free by 
special vote to all pupils living two miles or more from the union 
graded school. Unfortunately, owing to the difficulty of arousing 
district boards to the advantage of this system, there are at this 
writing only seven of these schools in the state. 
The second progressive movement which is somewhat more 
popular in Oklahoma, is the consolidation of schools. This method 
is again the uniting of several districts or parts of districts and the 
establishing of a common school to provide instruction for all pupils 
in the districts. This school may or may not include high school 
instruction. There are at the present time 103 of these consolidated 
schools in 39 counties. 
There is no doubt that these consolidated and union graded 
schools can provide better instruction and opportunities for children Education 
65 
than the isolated district school. In the first place, the buildings 
more nearly meet the need. They are constructed of brick, contain 
four or more rooms and have far more modern equipment than is 
possible in the local unit. Laboratories, workshops, gymnasiums, 
and auditoriums are impossible in the small school. There is not 
sufficient money in the district to pay for them, nor a sufficient 
number of children to warrant the expenditure of so much money 
even if the district could appropriate it. The larger unit formed by 
consolidation is able to maintain an efficient school. In addition, 
the curriculum in the small country school is necessarily crowded 
since a teacher must teach eight different grades of work during one 
day which means that very often she can give only ten minutes to 
a class. Adding new subjects or introducing laboratory methods 
into the course is absurd under such conditions. On the other hand, 
the consolidated school permits the uniting of classes and, by the 
appointment of more teachers, the lengthening of recitation periods 
while still giving time for new subjects. 
Not only are there more teachers in the consolidated school, 
but those appointed as a general rule are better prepared for the 
work. There is an increase in salary to attract the teacher who has 
given time and money to prepare herself for the profession and in 
addition to this she has the stimulus that comes from working with 
others. There can be closer supervision of work, and, if necessary, 
departmental teaching so that a teacher need not be responsible 
for all the subjects in the curriculum of her grade. 
The consolidated school is the only practicable way to secure 
the rural high school. Under the existing system many children do 
not go to high school because they would have to be away from 
home and pay tuition. In Pottawatomie County a girl who graduated 
from the eighth grade two years ago is attending a little district 
school. Her father does not think he can afford to send her to a 
nearby town school and so she has had to abandon all hope of further 
education. The teacher reports that she is an exceedingly bright 
girl and longs for greater opportunity. Secondary education should 
be free to every child in the state. This would be possible under 
some form of consolidation. 
As state aid for consolidated schools is provided by law and 
comes from the national gift as a building fund, it does not increase 
state taxes. This completely disposes of the objection that 66 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
consolidation costs too much. In 1916, the monthly per capita cost 
of district schools based on 151 districts was $2.26. In the con- 
solidated districts the cost, including transportation, was $2.70. 
The district term averaged 7 months; the consolidated, 8.3 months. 
As a matter of fact, consolidated schools on the whole are more 
economical than the small district schools. There is enormous waste 
in having three or four teachers instructing three or four separate 
classes in a subject when one could do it better if the classes were 
combined. The great advantage of consolidated schools is that 
they permit the study of more subjects, so securing greater efficiency 
and adaptability. 
While recognizing that model school buildings are being erected, 
that the movement for consolidation has been launched, and that 
in many cases new and modem equipment has been provided for 
the schools, it is still fair to state that the great mass of schools 
are conducted in old, insanitary, and inadequate buildings, with 
meagre equipment. These conditions make impossible proper 
instruction for the children of the state. As the burden of choice of 
buildings and the providing of equipment rests upon the local 
board, it seems only fair to admit that in this respect the district 
board has not proven an efficient unit of administration. 
The Rural School Teacher 
When we come to the question of the teachers in these schools, 
conditions appear even more serious. Many of the teachers are 
poorly prepared for their work, have had insufficient education, 
and lack experience. This is not to be wondered at when we con- 
sider some of the conditions the rural school teacher must meet. 
In the first place, there is the isolation of the community in which 
she must live, lack of social opportunities, and the necessity of 
boarding under disagreeable conditions. Some effort has been 
made to meet this last difficulty by the erection in a few places of a 
teacherage, generally a three-room house given to the teacher for 
her use while employed in the district. We find constantly teachers 
whose one ambition is to advance from the rural to the city school. 
This feeling that the position is temporary naturally limits her 
interest in the community in which she finds herself. Too often 
she merely stays from Monday morning until Friday night, and then Education 
67 
eagerly makes her way to the city where she can find her friends and 
some opportunity for recreation. 
In addition to these disadvantages the teacher is confronted 
with peculiarly difficult problems. With poor school equipment she 
must teach from 40 to 60 children all the subjects of the common 
school curriculum, from the primary department through the eighth 
grade. There is very often a lack of any helpful cooperation on 
the part of the district board and a constant check placed on any 
efforts on her part to establish modem methods. A well-educated, 
experienced teacher would find the task a difficult one. Is it any 
wonder then that many of the present rural teachers become too 
weary and discouraged to attempt any longer to better conditions? 
A very small proportion of normal school students, either among 
the graduates or those having had a year's study, go into rural 
school teaching. Therefore, ordinarily, the best preparation en- 
countered at present is graduation from the normal training course 
of an accredited high school. A great many of the graduates of 
these high schools go into the rural district school merely for ex- 
perience. They intend to remain only long enough to secure the 
training necessary to enter one of the city schools. These teachers 
are perhaps among the best but the fact that they do not regard the 
work as permanent keeps them from accomplishing anything of 
lasting value. One of the great weaknesses of the system is this 
constant change of teachers. Another type of teacher all too 
often found, is the old man or woman who has taught for many years 
under difficult conditions and who clings to the most antiquated 
system of teaching. The schools over which such teachers preside are 
the most discouraging ones in the state. There is a dreary, deadened 
atmosphere, the children seem to have lost all their normal interest 
and fun, and one goes away wondering whether the education which 
the child procures in such a school is not more harmful than bene- 
ficial. The attendance in schools of this kind is very irregular and 
one realizes that the character and life of the school itself play a 
greater part in the control of attendance than is usually believed. 
Teachers' Certificates and Salaries 
The granting of teachers' certificates is a somewhat complicated 
procedure. The laws provide that these certificates may be issued 68 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
by the county superintendent, city superintendent, State Superin- 
tendent and State Board of Education. There seems to be no good 
reason why there should be so many authorities issuing them. 
Those granted by the county superintendent should be abolished 
as they do not demand a high enough standard for teachers in the 
rural schools. Even the first grade certificate, the highest one 
issued by a county superintendent, requires far less technical prepar- 
ation than that of a normal school student, which should be the 
minimum education demanded. The authority for the issuing of 
certificates might well be placed exclusively in the hands of the 
State Board of Education. This Board should be responsible for 
the examination of all candidates for positions in the several kinds 
of districts and for the supervision of schools whose work in edu- 
cation is fully accredited. 
It is not reasonable to expect the country school to offer the 
attractions for the man or woman making teaching a profession 
that the city school does. The work is much more difficult, and 
because of the lack of supervision the teacher must rely upon his 
or her own ingenuity in meeting special problems. Considering 
that opportunities for social intercourse are lacking in the country 
and that at best the life of the teacher must be somewhat lonely, 
it would seem wise to suggest decided increase in salary in order to 
attract the right persons to this work. Although the average 
monthly salary paid at the present time is equal to and in some 
cases greater than that of village and city districts in the same 
county, the annual salary is less owing to the fact that the school 
term is shorter. 
Course of Study for Rural Schools 
The State Board of Education provides a course of study for 
district schools which is intelligently planned and gives a good 
outline of the fundamentals of common school education. One of 
its good features is that it gives minute directions to teachers. If 
a teacher follows this, he is in touch with certain progressive methods 
of presenting his material. 
Some features of special interest in this course are the following: 
An excellent course in hygiene is outlined, which should give to the 
children a knowledge of the fundamentals of health. Special effort Education 
69 
is made to encourage care of teeth, to show the importance of 
cleanliness of the body, and the necessity of proper sanitation. Un- 
fortunately, this course is not followed as closely as it should be. 
The teaching of cleanliness is not likely to have great force if the 
instructor is herself unclean in her personal habits and the work 
is conducted under unsanitary conditions. Therefore, the value 
of this course is lessened except in a few schools where the teachers 
recognize its need and are intelligent enough to carry out directions. 
One of the schools that best illustrate this work is located in Comanche 
County, where daily inspection of teeth and hands is made. 
A second interesting course is the study of thrift. This is 
planned to give children knowledge of the conservation and intel- 
ligent use of money. Pupils are also to be encouraged to raise 
poultry, calves, and other live stock. Cooperation with the County 
Farm Agent working in connection with the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture and the State Department of Agriculture is 
suggested. Provision is made for encouraging the planting of gardens, 
the canning and marketing of vegetables, etc. Each pupil is urged 
to have a savings account and to deposit funds in the bank at the 
usual rate of interest. Again there is evidence that this course is 
not taught to any great extent, nor with much success. 
Another interesting suggestion is that of the cooperation of the 
school with the district in encouraging the desire for and the actual 
building of good roads. In Stephens County school children built 
14 miles of road, 40 schools taking part in the competition. The 
importance of this movement is the educational value upon the 
voters in the districts. With good roads, better schools are possible. 
This experiment proved to the people of this county the possibility 
of constructing and maintaining good roads. 
The course of study also provides for a certain amount of 
vocational education. Agriculture must be taught thirty minutes 
a week. Of course, this is an absurd allotment of time to give to a 
subject of such importance to children who are for the greater part 
destined to become farmers. There is not sufficient provision made 
for practical work. Excellent suggestions are made as to the use 
of the farm and the school garden but laboratory methods are not 
made compulsory. Until this work is more fully developed and the 
importance and opportunities recognized, the rural school will fail 
to fulfill its purpose. In connection with this, the county farm 70 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
agents are doing excellent work, in fact the only practical work 
of any considerable value along this line. Grain, poultry, pig, and 
calf clubs are organized and children are being interested in intel- 
ligent farm labor. The effect that this work among children has 
had upon the community is most enlightening. The response of 
the pupils and the lively interest they take in the clubs show how 
far the school itself has failed to meet the needs and interests of 
the children along this line. 
There is an excellent course in home economics planned for the 
rural schools but this is carried out to a very slight degree. The 
work is practically all theoretical. Occasionally one comes across 
a teacher doing all she can in the way of practical work. She en- 
courages the children to cook at home and to report upon their 
success. She utilizes the equipment on hand by encouraging hot 
lunches in the school. This, however, can not fairly be called real 
vocational education. A hot lunch generally is limited to the prepara- 
tion of different kinds of soup. In the model school in Alfalfa County, 
which has already been mentioned, there is equipment for teaching 
this subject which has been furnished by the pupils themselves 
whose interest was stimulated by the teacher. This is very ex- 
ceptional. No provision for vocational work for boys beyond that 
in agriculture already mentioned, is made in this outline. 
It can be seen by a study of the above illustrations that this 
course is neglected to a great extent in the majority of the rural 
schools in the state. There are several reasons for this-the in- 
efficient teacher, unable to cope with the work; limitations of the 
one-room schoolhouse; the poor equipment for practical work. 
In addition it must be remembered that the course of study is 
planned for an 8-months' school. Rural districts vary from 5 months 
to 9 months, with an average of 6.8 months. The responsibility 
for many of these limitations rests upon the district board which 
all too often shows too little interest in the schools to recognize 
their needs. 
That the child in the rural districts has far less opportunity 
for proper education than the child in the independent districts, 
is shown by the following figures: 56.1 per cent of the school popu- 
lation of the state is in the rural districts, only 25.3 per cent attending 
school in the independent city districts, the remaining 18.6 per cent 
living in villages. In the rural districts the school term averages Education 
71 
6.8 months per year or 136 days, while the independent district 
term is 9 months or 180 days and the village term 8.3 or 166 days. 
We find that in the rural districts only 2.5 per cent receive 
free high school instruction. Other children in these districts who 
attend high school in the villages or cities nearby must pay tuition. 
In contrast to this, 67.8 of the city and 29.7 of the village children 
attend high school. 
The city child, as a general rule, is taught by more efficient 
teachers. Ninety-one per cent of all third grade certificates issued 
and only 21.9 per cent of the first grade certificates are held by 
teachers in the rural districts. A partial explanation of this is found 
in the cost per capita of education in independent village and rural 
districts. The city pays $22.65 for each child's education; the 
village, $19.36; and the country community only $13.80. 
It is evident that as a whole, conditions in the rural schools are 
far from ideal. Inadequate buildings, unsanitary conditions, 
meagre equipment, inefficient teachers, an unadaptable course of 
study, are all too common features. Something must be done to 
remedy these if children in rural districts are to have opportunities 
anywhere near equal to those of children living in independent 
districts. 
Compulsory Education Law and the Rural School 
In studying the compulsory education law, the following 
counties were visited: Oklahoma, Garfield, Cleveland, Noble, 
Pottawotamie, Kingfisher, Grady, McLain, Muskogee, Pontotoc, 
Cherokee, Atoka, Wagoner, Pittsburg, Logan, Alfalfa, Tulsa, 
Okmulgee, Creek, Craig, Rogers, Mayes, Washington, Bryan, 
Canadian, Comanche, and Stephens. These counties are in all 
parts of the state and represent varying conditions. Therefore it 
is believed that they represent fairly the conditions in the state. 
There is a surprising amount of irregularity in attendance at 
the rural schools. It is not at all unusual to find a school with an 
enrolment of 50 and an attendance of 15 or 20. There are a number 
of reasons for this condition. In the first place, many children are 
working in the fields during the fall and spring months, especially 
where the chief product is cotton. They do not enter until the term 
is well advanced and they drop out at the beginning of spring, 72 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
While one would expect the older boys to be most affected, many 
of the girls also work in the fields and even the younger children 
are utilized for this purpose. The attitude in the state toward 
this problem is illuminating. Many superintendents and teachers 
regard farmwork as a legitimate excuse for absence provided the 
poverty of the family makes impossible the employment of paid 
laborers. One county superintendent told the investigator that 
she wrote a letter to all the parents of children who were irregular 
in attendance, asking them for their reasons. In that letter she 
said: "If there is any good reason why you should not keep the 
compulsory education law, please write me the cause, and have it 
endorsed by a member of the school board." In this case farm work 
was considered a valid excuse and no prosecution was brought if 
the absence was due to this, provided, of course, that the poverty 
of the parents was first proven. Another superintendent said: 
"This is a cotton growing country. What can you expect ?" A 
third made the statement that he supposed there were a great many 
children working during school days in the spring and fall, but they 
were mostly the older ones and "their parents need them." 
A second reason often given for irregular attendance is illness. 
Out of 22 counties there was but one that did not report an epidemic 
of some kind in the rural schools. In addition to reports of con- 
tagious diseases, many reports came of "chills," which had kept the 
pupils out of school. When one recognizes the conditions under 
which some of these children live and work, it is not surprising that 
illness plays so important a part in the interruption of their school 
work. 
Indifference is all too often the excuse given by the teacher for 
the absence of the pupil. After a study of actual conditions one is 
not surprised that many children do not like school and whenever 
possible remain away. Boys and girls are naturally susceptible 
to the influences surrounding them. The dingy rural schoolhouse, 
the lack of vital interest in the curriculum, the absence of handwork 
from the course, the inefficient and unintelligent teacher, prove 
unattractive to the child. The school itself is far more to blame for 
these frequent absences than is generally supposed. Occasionally a 
county superintendent recognizes this, and attempts to counteract 
it. Special rewards are offered for perfect attendance, children's 
clubs are formed, and home credit work becomes one of the important Education 
73 
parts of the course. Until this effort is universal there will always 
be irregularity in attendance. 
Many of the pupils are children of tenant farmers or small 
landowners, who move frequently from one place to another and 
their change of residence is one of the chief causes of irregular 
attendance. They come for a few weeks, leave for another district, 
and often do not enroll again before the next term. There is little 
evidence of the proper transferring of these children from one district 
to another. The responsibility of the teacher ceases when the child 
leaves her school but some checking up of removals should be pro- 
vided for and this could be done to best advantage if the rural 
schools were organized on the county unit basis. 
The compulsory education law is most difficult to enforce. 
It reads: 
"It shall be unlawful for any parent or guardian living in the State of 
Oklahoma to neglect or refuse to cause or compel any person or persons 
who are or may be under their control as children or wards, to attend 
and comply with the rules of some public, private or other school or 
schools, unless other means of education are provided for, at least 66 
per cent of the number of days the school or schools of the district 
are maintained, which shall apply to all children of the district over the 
age of 8 and under the age of 16, unless they are prevented by mental 
or physical disability." 
The law's weakness lies in the clause compelling the presence 
of a child for only two-thirds of the school term. In the first place, 
it is often impossible to determine until the end of the school year 
whether the child has been present the required length of time. 
Until he has been absent more than one-third of the time it is im- 
possible to prosecute the parent. There is no good reason why the 
child should not be compelled to attend school during the entire 
term. If he attends only part of the term it is difficult for him to 
do the work required for promotion, and retardation commonly 
results. One superintendent told the investigator of a bright boy 
who had been in attendance for nearly 6 months of the 8- 
month term. He had then been taken out to work on a farm, missed 
over two months of the work, and as a result, promotion was im- 
possible. It was legal, however, for the boy to be out of school that 
part of the time. A teacher in a district school reported nine pupils 
who would not be promoted because they had been out at least 
one-third of the year and were unable to complete the work. 74 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Not only is the law itself at fault, but provision for its enforce- 
ment is inadequate. The law states: 
"It shall be the duty of the School District Board, or any person living 
in the district, to make complaint to the Justice of the Peace of the 
township in which the school district is situated, against any person 
failing or refusing to comply with the provision. It shall also be the duty 
of the teacher of the school to ascertain if any person is absent without 
a proper excuse, and if so, to advise the County Superintendent of 
Public Instruction of that fact. Such County Superintendent shall 
then report such information to the County Attorney of the County, 
who shall file complaint in any Justice Court of the county where the 
offending party resides." 
One of the weak spots in this provision is that the authority 
for enforcing the law is not placed in the hands of one person, for 
the district board, the county superintendent and indeed any 
person may bring action. As a result, each places the responsibility 
on the other. The superintendent says "it's up to the district board," 
while the local board members refuse to prosecute their own neighbors 
and friends. As a result the law almost invariably is unenforced. 
A second disadvantage rests in the fact that the county superin- 
tendent is elected by the people. In order to carry out the provisions 
of this law he must prosecute some of the very people upon whom he 
depends for re-election. 
The law provides that the census be taken by the clerk of the 
district board, who shall be paid 5 cents per name. This enumer- 
ation includes all children from the age of 6 to 21. It is doubtful 
that names and ages are accurately taken. One county superin- 
tendent told an investigator that if the census report of a district 
was not ready at the time specified by the State Superintendent of 
Education, he sent in the figures for the previous year in order that 
the appropriation of state funds might be assured for his county. 
In some schools the enrolment exceeds the number of children in 
the enumeration. This can be explained to a certain extent by the 
frequent moving in and out of tenants and small landowners in 
the district, but there is reason to believe that it is also due in part 
to the inaccurate taking of the census. And yet the enumeration 
is the basis for enforcement of a compulsory education law. An- 
other weakness is that the statistics submitted by the county super- 
intendent concerning enrolment, attendance, and enumeration, are 
based on the ages from 6 to 21 instead of the compulsory schooling Education 
75 
ages 8 to 16. A distinction should be made here if the State De- 
partment is to have a correct conception of the actual operation 
of the compulsory education law. In 27 counties only 3 super- 
intendents reported that they made any comparison between the 
enumeration and the enrolment, and in one of these three no follow- 
up work was done. The one purpose of the census recognized by 
all was to furnish a basis for the distribution of county and state 
moneys to the districts. That there was a possibility of using it 
as a means of preventing the evasion of the compulsory education 
law seemed to have occurred to very few. 
Recommendations 
1. The present district system of school administration should 
be abolished and the duties of the district board limited to the care 
of school property and the election of the teacher upon recommenda- 
tion of the county superintendent. That the district school board 
as a unit for administration is totally inadequate is evident in every 
phase of the system. There are various reasons why this is to be 
expected. In the first place, interest is necessarily local. As a rule 
the members of the board know very little of the general problems 
of education. They are for the most part practical, self-made men, 
who have had little schooling themselves and are inclined to be 
skeptical of new subject matter or advanced methods. They are 
interested in providing the fundamentals of common school edu- 
cation according to their ideas, but have little faith in the'innovations 
which have come during the past decade. 
Another disadvantage of the local unit is the variation of school 
standards throughout the county. Often one hears as a defense 
of the system that it is more democratic than the county unit. No 
system is really democratic, however, unless it provides good edu- 
cation for all the children in the county. This the district system 
does not do. In one school conditions may be ideal and excellent 
work done. Two and a half miles away across the district line, 
another school will offer decidedly inferior opportunities and do 
little to prepare the children for the part they must play in life. 
This is not democratic. There cannot be a fair distribution of funds; 
some districts have far more valuable taxable property than others 
and therefore have more money to spend on their schools. Another 76 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
variable factor is the length of the school term which depends to a 
great extent on the amount of money that the district can raise for 
the support of the school. It is grossly unfair that some children 
should be given the opportunity for eight months' schooling, while 
others in a neighboring school have only five months. 
It is almost impossible to secure the consolidation of schools 
under the present local system as the attitude of the boards is often 
hostile. There seems to be a feeling that the district would be giving 
up its "rights" by merging its interests in those of a larger unit. At 
present there is a serious lack of provision for high school instruction. 
The local board is unable to finance this work, and children go to 
independent districts and pay tuition in order to secure this necessary 
instruction. This condition will exist just so long as this form of 
organization is continued. 
Teachers are appointed and their salaries determined by the 
local district board. Again we find varying standards and little 
interest in these appointments. At the same time, owing to limita- 
tions of the powers of the county superintendent, adequate and 
intelligent supervision is almost impossible. There are many schools 
with inefficient teachers, giving inferior instruction. The remedy 
for these low standards lies in the abolition of district board admin- 
istration and the establishment of the county as the unit. 
2. A county board of education should be elected by the people. 
It should be a continuing body composed of three members, each 
serving six years, one retiring every second year. Women should be 
eligible for the office. This county unit plan would insure uniformity 
in school standards. Many counties at present have 100 or more 
rural school districts. Each is controlled by three men. This 
means that rural school policies of a county are in the hands of 300 
or more different men. It is unreasonable to expect so large a group 
to be in touch with modem educational thought, or to have uniform 
standards. A county board composed of a few carefully chosen men 
would inevitably be more effective. Another important advantage 
would be a fairer distribution of funds. The entire county would 
be taxed, and the amount distributed equitably according to the 
school population; a poor district, therefore, need not have a poor 
school. Consolidation and the establishment of high schools would 
be a natural outgrowth. Narrow local interests would not be pre- 
dominant and a broader, more democratic relationship would result. Education 
77 
In the same way the length of the school term and the salaries would 
become standardized. 
3. The county superintendent should be appointed by the 
county board and his powers increased. Under the present system 
he has no legal control over the choice of teachers. More authority 
in this matter should be conferred on him, and the board should not 
appoint any teachers unless recommended by him. This would 
make the standards for appointment, efficiency, experience, and 
education, instead of personal "pull." The superintendent should 
have an assistant to relieve him of clerical work and to assist in 
actual supervision. It is impossible for the superintendent to be 
of much assistance to a teacher when he has time to visit the school 
only once in the year, as is usually the case at present. Every effort 
should be made to establish closer relationships between him and 
the local teachers. 
The proposed county board of public welfare (see report on 
Administration, page 251) should select a probation and truancy 
officer who should administer mothers' pensions under this board, 
supervise the taking of the school census, issue work permits, have 
charge of probation work and enforce school attendance. Women 
should be eligible for this office. In counties having cities of 10,000 
or more inhabitants, there should be at least one assistant. The 
salaries of these officers should be fixed by the county board of 
public welfare, and paid one-half from general funds of the county 
and one-half from the county public school funds. 
4. The minimum educational requirement for a teacher in the 
rural schools should be the completion of a normal school course. 
There is not now sufficient opportunity for all students desiring 
to teach to receive this education. Teachers with only one year's 
work might be given temporary certificates, good for a period of two 
years, after which they would be required to complete the normal 
school work. 
5. The annual salary of the rural school teacher should be 
somewhat in excess of the salaries paid in cities located in the same 
county for work of the same grade. 
6. Provision should be made for free high school education, by 
transportation or otherwise, for all students in the county. 
7. As rapidly as possible consolidated schools should be erected. 
It might be wiser at present to have such schools for pupils above 78 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
the fourth grade, devoting the small buildings now in use to classes 
for the younger children. However, no one-room schoolhouses 
should be built and as soon as the present ones are no longer in good 
repair they should be abandoned and the children accommodated 
in consolidated schools, some form of free transportation being 
provided. 
8. Vocational work should be introduced into the country 
schools, special emphasis being placed upon the study of agriculture. 
Provision should be made for practical work and the time devoted 
to this subject increased. 
9. The rural school term should be lengthened and should be 
continuous. 
10. Teacherages should be erected in connection with rural 
schools for the use of teachers as dwellings and each should have at 
least three rooms. 
11. Wherever possible a teacher should be appointed to serve 
not only for the school term but for the full calendar year. In the 
summer this teacher could do community work in cooperation with 
the county farm agent. 
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS 
Cities with Population of 10,000 or Over 
The rapid growth of cities is largely responsible for the con- 
ditions found in independent districts. Overcrowding, inadequate 
buildings, and overemphasis of commercial interests are some of the 
bad effects of this abnormal growth. On the other hand, the in- 
creasing wealth has made possible the increase of funds for school 
purposes. There is also a growing demand for schools worthy of the 
new interests. 
1. Ward school buildings. 
The usual type of building found in the ward schools in most 
of the cities is a two-story, square, brick building situated in the 
center of a good-sized plot of land. These buildings as a general 
rule are in good repair. The school rooms are lighted from the left 
side and back, and. are equipped with adjustable seats for about 40 
children. Unfortunately, they are usually badly crowded and lack 
sufficient workrooms. There are practically no laboratories, and 79 
Education 
very few domestic science and manual training rooms, libraries or 
study halls. 
An interesting exception to this usual form of building is found 
in the Tulsa unit system. The unit buildings, each consisting of two 
individual school rooms with separate cloak and toilet rooms, are 
grouped about an entire block, so as to form a hollow square whose 
courtyard may be used as a playground and athletic field. The 
buildings are placed on the outside of the block, three units on each 
side. Two buildings opposite each other are used for administration 
and vocational purposes. In one of these are the auditorium, the 
principal's office, and the teachers' rest room; in the basement is 
the heating plant for the entire system. In the vocational buildings 
are sewing and fitting rooms, kitchen and pantries, manual training 
rooms, shower baths, and lockers. In addition to these there are 
ten buildings, one used as kindergarten, the others for regular class 
work. These unit buildings have very modern equipment. In 
many of the rooms, movable chairs with arms that can be used as 
desks and with drawers for books have been substituted for the old 
type securely fastened to the floor. This does away with the formal 
appearance of the schoolroom, tends to develop individuality in 
the method of conducting a class, and makes it easy to put aside 
the furniture for any purpose. 
The unit buildings have many advantages: The danger of 
accident from fire is reduced to a minimum; the enclosed play- 
ground keeps the children away from the streets, and makes super- 
vised play possible; there are no stairways or basements so that 
disciplinary problems are simplified and teachers relieved of much 
supervisory work; the younger children can be more easily isolated 
from the older ones; the small unit makes possible more individual 
work; when the building is erected it is not necessary to wait until 
the money for a complete system is appropriated, as one or more 
units can be built and others added as the need grows; and the 
units chosen can be those especially adapted to the peculiar needs 
of the community. 
When considering the advisability of constructing school 
buildings on this plan, the question naturally arises as to the differ- 
ence between the initial operative cost of this system and that of 
the old two-story building. The superintendent of schools in Tulsa 
has worked out this matter very carefully. He reports that the 80 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
initial cost is somewhat less, per pupil, than that of the old type of 
building. On the other hand, the operative cost is slightly in excess. 
He explains that the new Horace Mann School there offers more 
diversified opportunities than the old type and that this accounts 
for the additional cost. This is a practical plan for the building of 
schoolhouses in cities where land values are not exceptionally high. 
2. Teaching staff in ward schools. 
The teachers in ward schools as a rule are well educated, efficient 
and interested in their work. A great many are graduates of the 
state normal schools, others of accredited high schools who have 
taken summer work in the normal schools and have had at least two 
or three years' experience. Unfortunately, one still finds high school 
students appointed immediately upon finishing their course. In 
one of the larger cities the superintendent reported that he was very 
much opposed to the appointment of these younger girls and that 
he did not even consider them as candidates. However, in one of 
the schools of that same city the principal told the investigator 
of three different teachers who were unable to do satisfactory work, 
all of them having come directly from the high school to that 
building. 
In most of the cities the school board has given the superin- 
tendent the power to choose the teachers, and has agreed not to 
appoint any without his recommendation. This is undoubtedly 
one reason why the teaching force is of such high standing. A 
superintendent is closely connected with educational conditions, 
and as the supervision of the men and women who instruct in the 
schools rests upon him he is more likely to choose teachers because 
of their actual fitness for the position than the members of the school 
board who are not necessarily familiar with the qualities essential. 
3. Course of study in ward schools. 
The course of study in the city schools is generally prepared 
by the superintendent and accepted by the board. It is based upon 
the state course for common schools, with modifications, and ex- 
panded to cover a 9-month term. The chief objection is that it 
does not provide adequate vocational work. Very little time is 
given to handwork and where vocational subjects are taught there 
is often little practical work done. 
In McAlester the only work of this type presented is agriculture, 
in the eighth grade. It is theory only, for no effort is made to Education 
81 
cultivate either school or home gardens. Domestic science and 
manual training are provided only in the high school. 
In Muskogee the course in agriculture is practical. Every 
school has a garden where the children of different grades work 
on their own plots. The younger ones from the first to the fourth 
grades rarely raise anything but flowers, but the older children 
cultivate vegetables. Home gardens are also encouraged and prizes 
offered for the best products. Through the cooperation of the 
county farm agent it is hoped that a municipal market will be opened 
where children may have stalls for the sale of their products. The 
greatest obstacle in the way of successful gardening is that the 
schools close at the very time when it is most necessary to do the 
work. In Enid an agricultural supervisor has been engaged to give 
time during the summer months to instruction and supervision. 
Manual training and home economics start in either the fifth 
or sixth grades in Tulsa, and the Horace Mann School is perhaps 
the best equipped ward building for this work in the state. The 
only agricultural work, however, is theoretical and does not begin 
until the eighth grade. The same vocational work is carried on in 
Oklahoma City although the equipment is not so new and the work 
does not start until the seventh grade. 
The course of study shows a serious attempt to introduce 
modem methods of instruction into the curriculum. For example, 
special effort is made to connect the teaching of geography with 
nature study, agriculture, and elementary economics. Attention 
is given to local conditions and their significance. A considerable 
amount of time is devoted to the study of the geographic and 
economic status of Oklahoma. Too little attention is paid to the 
correlation of work. This is especially true of the vocational sub- 
jects which as a rule are completely separated from the regular 
course of study. 
4. High school buildings. 
High school buildings are almost always superior to the ward 
schools and many of them are beautifully equipped. The Okla- 
homa City High School is a large, well-lighted, well-ventilated 
building with an attractive auditorium, a large gymnasium, and 
excellent laboratories and shops. It is little wonder that good work 
is done there. In Enid one of the unique features of the high school 
is the English room. Here effort has been made to abandon the 82 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
old formal classroom. The room is finished in dark wood; there 
are no desks, the students occupying chairs with broad arms for 
use in writing; well-chosen pictures are on the walls; and the 
general effect is similar to that of a room in a college library. There 
are also good buildings at Muskogee, Shawnee, and Okmulgee. 
In Tulsa a beautiful new building is in process of construction. 
There are still a few high schools, however, that are old and hope- 
lessly inadequate. One of these is in Guthrie where the building 
now occupied was originally the high school for Logan County. 
It is old, the classrooms small, and there are very poor facilities 
for work. A fault in all the cities is the overcrowding of the buildings 
which is a result of rapid growth. 
5. High school teachers. 
Excellent teachers are found in the high schools. There is an 
increasing demand for university graduates and very few new 
teachers are appointed unless they hold advanced degrees. Many 
normal graduates are still employed but seldom is a teacher found 
with less training. A large number have received their education 
and experience in some other state and have brought with them 
different ideas and methods which have, of course, tended to broaden 
their outlook upon educational questions. 
6. Course of study and vocational work in high schools. 
As a usual thing five different courses are offered: The classical 
or old Latin college preparatory course; the commercial; the 
normal; the scientific and industrial; and the general course for 
those who wish a rounded education but who do not expect either 
to go to college or to take up practical work. This variety shows 
the tendency to emphasize vocational work and not to uphold the 
Latin course as the sine qua non for all. 
The vocational subjects taught are, home economics, manual 
training, agriculture and commercial branches, and special edu- 
cational topics for the normal training students. 
One of the best courses in home economics is given at the Okla- 
homa City High School under two heads, first, domestic art which 
includes garment making, millinery and house decoration, and 
second, domestic science which teaches food preparation, house 
management, and home nursing. These subjects are presented in 
the most practical way. For example, one of the problems given 
to the class in house decoration each year is the furnishing and Education 
83 
decorating of a small apartment for a small sum of money. Last 
year a five-room house was to be furnished for $300. Lectures were 
given to the girls by decorators, makers of furniture, etc., and 
samples of wall-paper, cretonnes and materials for upholstery dis- 
played. Visits were then made to the various household depart- 
ments of stores. One gave the use of five show-windows to the school 
for one week, to be fitted out with the furniture the girls had selected. 
The experiment was so great a success that it is to be continued each 
year. Another example of the practical application of this work 
is in the course in home nursing. In addition to two recitations a 
week two lectures are given by specialists on personal hygiene and on 
the care of special diseases. For example, a children's specialist gives 
a lecture on contagious diseases of children. One day a week the girls 
are taken to the local hospital where they observe and help in simple 
work preparing bandages, sterilizing, etc. The students are interested 
and the classes are among the most popular in the curriculum. 
With the exception of Oklahoma City, Muskogee, and Tulsa, 
the manual training in the high schools consists of woodwork only. 
The work done is good but is necessarily limited as ironwork is 
omitted. Oklahoma City has an unusually fine machine shop and 
forge. More work of this nature should be added to the other 
schools in the state. 
Everywhere there is a demand for office workers and most 
schools have added to their curriculum commercial courses, offering 
stenography, bookkeeping, accounting, commercial law, industrial 
history, economics of business, including advertising and salesman- 
ship, and in some cases actual practice work. One of the best courses 
noted was that in Muskogee. Three rooms are used, one for lectures 
and recitations, one for typewriting, and one for bookkeeping and 
office practice. This last room is divided into two sections, one for a 
bank where practical business methods are taught. In addition 
to the study of the subject matter, actual work in the offices of the 
city is planned by the head of the department. A vocational service 
bureau has been established with the object of placing the right 
person in the right place at time of graduation, and also of securing 
work for the hours after school and for Saturdays for all pupils 
who need financial assistance to finish the high school course. The 
members of the senior class are expected to do practical work in 
the offices of the city. They are excused from the afternoon session 84 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and school credit is given for office work done without pay. The 
experience secured helps them to find better positions upon gradua- 
tion. The business men of Muskogee have cooperated most heartily 
with this bureau. 
Normal training courses are incorporated in the curriculum 
of all the high schools of these cities. Graduates are given a two- 
year state certificate and secure positions to teach in the rural schools 
and in the cities. The usual course includes, in addition to the 
regular subjects, two years' work in either home economics or manual 
training, one year in agriculture, and in the fourth year special 
work in psychology, pedagogy, and methods of teaching. During 
this last year students are required to observe in the schools of the 
city or the surrounding country and various methods of practical 
teaching are employed. In some cities the students serve as sub- 
stitutes in the ward schools for the regular teachers when absent. 
In other cities the student is required to teach a certain number 
of hours under direction of the teacher in charge of the classroom 
and the principal of the school. The length of time given to this work 
varies but averages about three hours a week for three months. 
In many cases this is the only training that the student is ever 
to receive in preparation for teaching. Where this is the case the 
course is undoubtedly inadequate. It is impossible to give sufficient 
time for technical work in the high school when the student must 
also be taught the subjects of the regular high school curriculum. 
In addition to this, little attention is given to rural problems of 
education although the majority must secure their experience in 
the country school. Only one-half year is given to the study of 
psychology and pedagogy and it is impossible to give more than the 
simplest outlines in that time. Often the students must observe 
and teach in schools not of high standard. For the sake of the 
children who are to be taught by these graduates it would seem far 
wiser not to grant the two-year state teacher's certificate to any 
high school graduates until they have also taken some technical 
training in the normal schools or the university of the state. In 
addition to the inadequacy of the course there is the objection of 
sending so young a boy or girl into the teaching profession. 
It is the theory of agriculture, not the practical work, that is 
emphasized throughout the high schools. One year of this subject 
is given, often with excellent indoor laboratory work; in Chickasha, Education 
85 
for example, there is an exceptionally good laboratory, scientifically 
equipped. But work in gardens and on farms is sadly neglected. 
In Oklahoma City students are urged to have home gardens and 
many respond, but there are few school gardens anywhere. In 
Guthrie students are sent to nearby farms for observation and 
actual work. This could be done in all the cities since they are 
situated in agricultural districts with opportunities for field work 
all around them. More than one year should be devoted to agri- 
culture as it is undoubtedly the most important vocational subject 
for children living in Oklahoma. 
7. Junior high schools. 
For a long time the pupils in the seventh and eighth grades of 
the public schools have been a difficult problem in all educational 
systems. They have reached the age when they rebel against the 
formality and strictness of discipline common to the lower grades 
and when they long for the greater freedom offered by the high 
school. At this period many drop out because of lack of interest. 
Recently junior high schools have been established in various parts 
of the country to meet this peculiar need. 
In Oklahoma two types of these schools have been established. 
In one, children of the seventh and eighth grades are organized 
into a special school. Here departmental teaching is introduced, 
the same hours are maintained as in the high school, and a new 
freedom is given to students to prepare them for the greater freedom 
of high school life. Upon graduation they enter the senior high 
school, which they complete in four years. Other junior high schools 
combine the work of the seventh and eighth grades with the first 
year of high school, making the senior high school term only three 
years. This is known as the 6-3-3 plan. 
In Chickasha a junior high school building has been erected 
along model lines. It is a one-story building with large, light rooms 
which give opportunity for both class and laboratory work. A new 
wing is to be devoted to the teaching of vocational subjects. The 
seventh and eighth grades of all the schools of the city meet here 
and follow the general course for these grades throughout the state. 
The departmental method has been introduced and the school has 
the same hours as those of the senior high school. 
In Muskogee the junior high school is in the Central High 
School building. This plan has not proven as successful as that of 86 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
a separate building as it is inconvenient to have two different sets 
of rules and regulations for children in the same school, and as 
many of the younger children are not prepared for the greater freedom 
the problem of discipline is difficult. In Tulsa a plan is under con- 
sideration to establish district junior high schools, probably three, 
for the entire city. These will be in different sections and will 
draw children of the seventh and eighth grades from the ward schools. 
There is little doubt that this method of instruction is a great 
improvement over the old. With the beginning of the adolescent 
period some effort must be made to meet the new demands and needs 
of children. The establishment of these schools has not only done 
this but has also relieved the overcrowding. 
8. Provision for backward and defective children. 
There is a surprising lack of interest in the study and care of 
backward children, but Tulsa, Enid, and McAlester are awakening 
to the seriousness of the situation and planning special work in 
this field. 
In Tulsa, those pupils who are likely to be retarded are reported 
to the supervisor of primary grades. Investigations are then made 
as follows: 
(1) A study of the teacher's method in the grade where the retarded 
child is placed. Is she by any chance to blame because of lack of 
understanding or interest or sympathy? Is it a case of too many 
pupils for one teacher and therefore too little individual attention? 
What school adjustments can be made? 
(2) The child is then given a physical examination. This is done in 
cooperation with the school nurse. Is the child ill-nourished? Has 
he adenoids or other physical defects? Should he receive medical 
treatment? 
(3) A home visit is then made by the teacher, the nurse or the instructor 
in charge of the survey. What light can a parent throw on the 
child's condition? Is there need of financial aid? Is the fault here? 
(4) After the above investigations, if the child is still unable to keep 
up with the normal grade he is given individual instruction in a class 
of not more than four. In a great many cases this is the only help 
necessary. Last year 93 per cent of children who would have failed, 
passed after this special help had been given and are doing fair work 
at present. Where the coaching had been in one subject only, the 
renewed confidence of the child in his own powers has resulted in a 
decided improvement in all subjects. 
(5) Children who do not respond to this individual work are then given 
psychological tests. This is done in cooperation with the head of the Education 
87 
Department of Psychology in the Henry Kendall College. If the 
child is found to be defective he is allowed to try his skill in shopwork 
whether or not he has reached the grade where manual training is 
usually begun. In several cases the child has made good under the 
new conditions. 
There is good reason to believe that as a result of this survey 
special classes will be formed, taught by teachers trained for this 
work. It is to be hoped that this movement will not be confined to 
Tulsa as there is great need of it throughout the state. 
In McAlester the superintendent of schools, in cooperation 
with the University of Oklahoma, has been giving a course for 
teachers in the study of defectives. Successful work has secured 
university credits. Defective children have been examined by the 
superintendent in the presence of the teachers. This would seem 
most unwise, as it is generally conceded that the child must have 
individual attention and must be free from disturbing circumstances 
in order to respond to the tests. The effect of this course upon the 
teachers, however, is excellent as it awakens in them a recognition 
of the need and must give them at least some skill in recognizing 
children with physical and mental defects. 
Two of the ward schools in Enid have introduced the super- 
vised study room. All children who are not reciting study in one 
room. Each day the principal is given a list of the names of re- 
tarded children and as far as possible he gives them individual 
instruction. This is undoubtedly a help to many of the slower 
children but does not by any means effectively aid the defective 
child. 
9. Teacher-Patron Associations. 
Most of the cities have established teacher-patron associations 
for the purpose of interesting parents in the work of the children 
and establishing closer cooperation between the school and the home. 
Meetings are held five or six times in the winter at schoolhouses. 
The program includes both instruction and entertainment. A 
growing interest on the part of parents in the schools is a result of 
this club work. 
10. Free textbooks. 
McAlester is the only city in Oklahoma where free textbooks 
are provided. They are paid for by the city and the superintendent 
believes this policy has been of great help. 88 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
11. Enforcement of compulsory education law. 
The two-thirds time clause in the compulsory education law 
and the lack of provision for adequate enforcement make regular 
attendance in city schools difficult to attain. While there is with- 
out doubt better attendance in independent districts than in rural 
communities, this is due, first, to the fact that fewer children are 
employed in agriculture and, secondly, that public opinion is some- 
what more enlightened with regard to the importance of education. 
There is still a great deal of truancy and the methods of dealing 
with the problem commonly followed have not been successful. 
The school census is taken in January, usually by three enumer- 
ators appointed by the superintendent or the board of education. 
They are paid three cents per name. The original records are kept 
at the office of the superintendent in books provided by the state. 
Unfortunately, after the census report has been made out and sent 
to the State Department of Public Instruction, the books are seldom 
referred to again unless some emergency arises. There is little 
evidence of comparison of enumeration with enrolment for the 
purpose of enforcing the compulsory education law. One excellent 
exception to this rule is found in Muskogee. Here the census is 
taken, not in books but on cards issued by the city board. A card 
can be used for four consecutive years and a check kept on the 
activities of each child. The cards are filed in record boxes and may 
be referred to at any time. A careful comparison is made between 
the enumeration and enrolment; if names given in the census do 
not appear on the school registers, the truant officer visits the home 
and sees that the child is enrolled in the proper school. On the 
other hand, if unreported children are enrolled the superintendent 
is able to check up the efficiency of the enumerators' work and thus 
secure more accurate returns another year. Another interesting 
innovation found in Muskogee is that the city does not recognize 
the existence of the two-thirds time clause of the law but insists 
upon the attendance of all children between the ages of 8 and 16 
for the entire school year. There has been no difficulty in com- 
pelling parents to observe this local regulation. 
In three out of the ten cities with population over 10,000 no 
truancy officer has been appointed. In McAlester there was at one 
time a truancy officer giving part-time service at $600 per year 
but the work was not successful and the fund was withdrawn. The Education 
89 
reason given for the failure was the impossibility of enforcing the 
law when so little authority was vested in the officer. Unless he 
could have police power the superintendent believed there was little 
use in having one appointed. Guthrie and Chickasha also have no 
officers. This leaves the responsibility of enforcing the law in the 
hands of the teachers and the superintendent. Little can be done 
by them as they have not sufficient time to devote to this work. 
In cities where truancy officers have been appointed there 
seems to be no definite standard of education or experience necessary 
for the appointment. Three cities reported that their officers were 
formerly teachers. One has the physical training director do the 
work, another the recreation director, and the third officer reports, 
"he is just interested in boys." While these men are earnest in their 
efforts to enforce the regulations, they have not had the needed 
training or experience. 
There is no standard method for enforcing the law. According 
to the one usually adopted the principals report daily either to the 
superintendent or the truancy officer all cases of unexplained absence. 
The officer then goes to the home, ascertains the cause of absence 
and sees that the child, if in condition to do so, returns to school. 
No prosecutions are reported in any city, with the exception of 
Tulsa, where the child instead of the parent is usually prosecuted 
and in some cases committed to a reform school, and Bartlesville 
where no penalty is inflicted. Few records of cases are kept. 
Cities with Population of 2,000 to 10,000 
The following cities were visited for this survey: Ada, Atoka, 
Cherokee, Claremore, Dewey, Duncan, Durant, Edmond, El Reno, 
Kingfisher, Lawton, Norman, Perry, Pryor, Purcell, Sapulpa, 
Tahlequah, Tecumseh, Vinita, and Wagoner. It is believed that 
owing to their situation in different parts of the state they are fairly 
representative of the general conditions in cities of that size. The 
schools in these cities are far less efficient than in the larger cities. 
There are as a general rule few school buildings, all badly crowded. 
Poorer facilities are provided for vocational work, the courses are 
formal and not adapted to the peculiar conditions of the individual 
communities, and many of the superintendents are lacking in edu- 
cation or experience. There are notable exceptions, but in these 90 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
cases the superintendents must fight against conditions which make 
a successful school system almost impossible. 
1. School buildings. 
Many of the buildings are inadequate and in bad repair. In 
Wagoner one of the ward schools is a two-story frame building, with 
small crowded classrooms and dark halls. In Atoka the one school 
building is in fairly good condition but is so badly crowded that 
good work is impossible. The high school in Norman also is over- 
crowded, every available space, both offices and workrooms, being 
utilized for recitations. 
2. Teaching staff. 
As a rule the teachers are inferior to those of the larger cities. 
This is natural, owing to the lower scale of salaries and to the fewer 
opportunities for recreation. As a result there is unfortunately a 
constant change in personnel. One superintendent told the in- 
vestigator that he no sooner found a good teacher and trained her 
for efficient work than she left for a larger community. Two distinct 
types of teachers are found, the young inexperienced girl who is 
securing her training and if successful will soon leave for a better 
position, and the older woman who has taught a great many years 
without much success and clings to antiquated methods. The dis- 
cipline is often poor owing to a lack of resourcefulness on the part 
of the teacher. 
3. Course of study and vocational work. 
In the grades the state course for common schools is in use. 
This seems to be followed fairly faithfully, with the exception of 
the provision for vocational work. There is almost no work of this 
kind in the high school, with the exception of agriculture, which is 
merely theoretical. These smaller cities are the very places where 
practical agriculture could most easily be taught for work on the 
farms is easily available. In no case was anything of the kind noted 
while home economics and manual training were found in the grades 
in only a few places. In the high school the Latin college preparatory 
course, slightly modified by vocational work, is the one invariably 
offered. As a very small number of the graduates of these high 
schools go to the university or other schools of higher education, 
this is a most unwise arrangement. One superintendent remarked, 
"We don't need many courses because very few get to high school." 
Another said, "Since we can afford but one course it never occurs Education 
91 
to the board to give us any but the Latin one. We are too poor 
to have any vocational work. If we could strike oil or start a re- 
finery here you would see this work pick up. There is not enough 
available taxable property to provide money for the schools." A 
limited amount of manual training and home economics is taught 
in the high schools but generally both the subject-matter and the 
equipment are inadequate. 
4. Enforcement of compulsory education law. 
There is but little attempt at enforcement of this law in these 
smaller cities. Truancy officers are rarely found and only flagrant 
cases of violation noted. In two cities janitors of ward schools 
investigate the most serious complaints, while in another city the 
"mayor sends the policeman." No prosecutions were recorded 
in any of these cities. In Lawton a serious attempt has been made 
to enforce the law. A truancy officer is appointed and devotes 
mornings to this work. He is a retired physician and is paid $50 a 
month. This salary also includes his work of medical inspection in 
the schools. In Duncan the jailer has recently been appointed to 
give his services as a truancy officer. 
5. Special features. 
An interesting experiment has been tried in the schools at 
Dewey. This is known as the "Dewey System of Individual Train- 
ing." The superintendent reports, "We have proceeded on the 
theory that no two children are alike and have demonstrated beyond 
question that children prove this theory in the fundamentals of 
education as well as in the more concrete manners of growth if 
given an opportunity to do so." The plan is to allow the child to 
work in the grade and in the subjects he can get the most out of 
regardless of what he knows or does not know about the studies in 
the previous grade. In this individual method children are allowed 
to go as fast in their school work as their ability enables them with- 
out reference to the work of others. The pupils meet in classes 
just as in the usual method. If they are reciting arithmetic, each 
child has a different problem and is allowed to take as many problems 
as he is able to solve without waiting for other members of the class 
to arrive at the same point. This is true of all other subjects. 
Children in the same room are often separated 50 or 100 pages. An 
example of the way this method works is found in the report of the 
reading lessons in the first grade. Each child is given a different 92 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
book and is allowed to select the story he wishes to read. He knows 
he can read his story without being interrupted, and the other 
children are interested and listen because they have never heard it 
before. The children are allowed to read as many books as they can. 
A new and concrete method of teaching school subjects, espe- 
cially arithmetic and English, has been introduced into the schools 
at Lawton. The pupils have written food manufacturers asking 
them for samples to be placed in a school grocery. Upon the arrival 
of the material, letters of acknowledgment have been written to the 
donors. Problems in arithmetic are worked out by actual practice 
in these stores. How useful this method will prove is yet to be seen. 
With the exception of the two experiments described above, 
little evidence was found of progressive methods. 
Recommendations for All Independent Districts 
1. A bureau of attendance should be organized in cities of 
5,000 or over with a truancy officer who should receive a salary 
sufficiently large to insure the appointment of the right man. Some 
standard, similar to civil service standards, should be made com- 
pulsory for the appointment. The duties of this bureau would be: 
(1) To enforce the compulsory education law, including attendance 
at continuation schools wherever they have been established. 
(2) To take the census. 
(3) To issue work permits. (See report on Child Labor, page 116.) 
(4) To maintain some form of placement bureau where children leaving 
school can secure positions and from which follow-up work of all 
children in industry can be administered. 
In cities with population of 30,000 or over more than one officer 
will be necessary. In cities under 5,000 this work may be done by 
one man giving part time. 
2. In all cities where children are employed in industry, con- 
tinuation classes should be established. Boys and girls between 
the ages of 16 and 18, regularly employed, who have not completed 
the eighth grade should be required to attend not less than five 
hours a week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the full term the 
schools are in session. 
3. Special classes for backward children, under the direction 
of teachers with psychological training, should be established in Education 
93 
all cities with population of 10,000 or over. In the smaller cities 
one teacher should be appointed who has had some training in this 
work and can give at least part time for individual work with back- 
ward pupils. This should be done in cooperation with medical 
inspection in schools. 
4. It is recommended that before erecting new buildings, some 
plan of construction similar to the Tulsa unit system be considered. 
5. Separate buildings for junior high school work should be 
established in cities with population of 10,000 or over. In the smaller 
cities the seventh and eighth grade work should be concentrated 
in one place, with departmental teaching. 
6. The minimum education required for appointment as 
teacher in independent districts should be graduation from a normal 
school or its equivalent. Increase in salary should be assured all 
successful teachers who obtain credits in higher institutions after 
appointment. 
7. The minimum salary paid to teachers in these schools should 
be $600 per annum. Some arrangement should be made for regular 
increase in salary for a certain period of time on proof of satisfactory 
work. The teachers in the grade schools should be paid as high a 
salary as those in the high schools. 
8. Vocational work should be introduced into the curriculum 
as early in the course as the fifth grade. Some form of handwork 
should be assured for every grade. The course of study should be 
rearranged so that some knowledge of various vocations would be 
imparted through teaching of regular school subjects, especially 
in connection with geography and civics. 
9. There should be in all schools either a school library or 
close cooperation with the public library. 
10. Supervised study rooms should be introduced into the 
grade schools as well as the high schools of the cities. These study 
rooms offer excellent opportunity not only for individual work with 
retarded pupils but for training the normal child in right habits 
of study. 
NEGRO SCHOOLS 
In 1916 six per cent of the enumerated children between the 
ages of 6 and 21 were colored. The great mass of these negroes are 
concentrated in the east central part of the state, in three counties 94 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
in the south, and in one county in the central section. In Wagoner 
County 39 per cent of the children are negroes, presenting, therefore, 
a serious problem. Separate schools for negroes are established by 
law. "The public schools of the State of Oklahoma shall be organized 
and maintained by the complete plan of separation between the 
white and colored races, with impartial facilities for both races." 
Negro Schools in Independent Districts 
These school buildings are usually located in undesirable 
neighborhoods. In Tulsa all schools for colored children are so near 
the railroad tracks that the recitations are continually interrupted 
by the noise of the trains. In Muskogee two of the schools are on 
the edge of the red light district. As a rule the buildings are old 
and in almost every case too small to provide for the great number 
of children enrolled. In the Dunbar ward school at Muskogee 75 
children in the sixth grade are accommodated in an abandoned 
lunch room in an old wooden building near the schoolhouse. There 
are two small windows at the back of the room and show-windows 
at one side. The room is so crowded that often three children must 
use one seat. There is no cloakroom, the clothing being hung on 
hooks at one side of the room. The teacher complains that she has 
great difficulty with discipline as the pupils are constantly restless. 
With incorrect lighting, bad air, insufficient equipment, and entirely 
too many children for one teacher trouble may reasonably be ex- 
pected. In this same school 123 children of kindergarten and primary 
grade age are enrolled in one room, which normally holds 40, under 
one teacher. The day the investigator visited this school the teacher 
said, "There must be an epidemic today, there are only 70 present." 
The colored high school at Tulsa is a four-room building accom- 
modating 80 pupils. At the time of the visit 160 were attending. 
It would have been impossible to provide for them at all if arrange- 
ments had not been made for some to have domestic science work 
in another building while the rest recited. Although the super- 
intendent of schools has recommended again and again that this 
building be enlarged, or a new one erected, the county excise board 
has refused to appropriate the money. The colored schools in 
Oklahoma City are also badly overcrowded and near the railroad 
tracks. The buildings are old and there are too many children for Education 
95 
the space available. However, a new vocational building is being 
erected which will greatly relieve this congestion. 
In practically all the schools there is lack of proper equipment. 
The rooms for sewing, cooking, and manual training are inadequate 
and classrooms are most unattractive. 
The teachers in the grade schools lack technical training, and 
in many cases have but meagre education. It was only rarely that 
the investigator visited a class where the lesson was being taught 
by modern methods. In a fourth grade class a reading lesson was in 
progress and not only were the children mispronouncing simple 
words but the teacher herself was making bad mistakes. Too often 
the lesson consisted merely of questions asked directly from the text- 
book and answered from memory. In the high school, however, the 
teachers are, as a whole, of a surprisingly high standard. Among 
them are graduates of institutions for the colored, such as Hampton 
Institute and Fisk University. These men and women are intel- 
ligently concerned about the difficult problems of their race but 
are discouraged at the conditions they find and many doubt whether 
any change is possible until the people of the state manifest a livelier 
interest in the situation. 
The course of study used in the grades is the state course for 
common schools. This is followed very carefully as far as is possible 
with the facilities provided. There is too little vocational work 
in every school. Manual training begins in the eighth grade and 
continues through high school, though in Muskogee it is confined 
to the high school. This is particularly unfortunate as many of the 
colored children drop out of school before reaching the eighth grade 
and the very ones who most need a practical education are those 
who never receive the opportunity in school. When manual 
training is found it is woodwork only. Three principals told the 
investigator they had urged the board of education to establish 
shops where the boys could learn blacksmithing as there is a demand 
for colored boys in that trade. They had also asked that the boys 
might be taught shoemaking as this means of livelihood would be 
open to many if properly trained, but nothing was done. In Muskogee 
the high school is known as the Manual Training High School for 
Negroes, and is supposed to specialize in all kinds of handwork. 
The actual opportunities for manual training, however, are far fewer 
here than in the high school for white children. Three years ago, 96 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
through the efforts of the principal and one of the teachers, the boys 
were given the opportunity of building a house for one of the colored 
residents of the city. The man provided all the lumber and the 
students did all the work, even helping with the plumbing and the 
electric lighting. This is the most practical piece of work accom- 
plished by the school, and the idea and plan did not originate with 
the school board but with the instructors. In Oklahoma City an 
excellent exhibition of furniture made by colored boys in the grades 
and high school is prepared each year for the state fair. The quality 
of the work done proves conclusively that this course is an excellent 
preparation for the colored boy. The need of shops and forges is 
unmistakable. It is also important that this work begin much 
earlier in the course. 
There is a good course in home economics, which is generally 
well taught by teachers specially prepared. It is introduced too 
late, however, since it does not start until the eighth grade. More 
time is given in the high school for this course than in the white 
high school, as 90 minutes a day are devoted to it. As a rule the 
equipment is inadequate, though a good home economics room has 
been erected recently in Tulsa and the new school for negroes in 
Sapulpa gives excellent opportunity for this work. 
Practically all the work in agriculture is theoretical. The only 
evidence of outdoor work of any kind is found in Muskogee where 
there are school gardens for colored as well as white children. 
Normal training is also being started in Muskogee. There is 
great need for this particular course. When one considers the need 
for more colored schools, and therefore, for more colored teachers, 
and also realizes that the state is making little preparation for 
training teachers, its importance is evident. Unfortunately the 
course commonly given in the high school is the old-fashioned Latin 
college preparatory course which fails to meet the needs of the mass. 
Very few of the graduates can hope to go to schools of higher learning. 
They must earn their living, and the only preparation they have is 
what they secure from the school. 
In the smaller cities the schools are even more inadequate. 
In Tahlequah the negro school is so crowded that only children of 
compulsory attendance age are admitted and pupils must leave at 
16 whether they have completed their work or not. In general 
there is little provision for high school work. The superintendent Education 
97 
in one town, when asked about a high school course for negroes, 
answered, "I suppose there must be one given if anybody wants it, 
but I never heard about it." There is often no vocational work. 
It is little wonder that the colored child leaves as soon as possible 
when the schools are so hopelessly unattractive. 
Negro Rural Schools 
In rural communities the colored school is worse. There are 
usually very short terms and irregular attendance. The buildings 
are in bad condition and there is little disposition in the district to 
improve them. In Creek County the superintendent is unusually 
interested and anxious to provide the best possible facilities for the 
colored schools. One school in this county is held in a schoolhouse 
discarded by whites in that district. Owing to the energy of the 
superintendent and the teacher the building is in fair condition 
but is still most unattractive and far below the standard for even 
the poorest white schools. The inside is painted in dark colors, 
there are a few old-fashioned seats each accommodating two or 
three children, and benches are used to supplement these. The 
teacher, who is exceptionally good, is handicapped by lack of equip- 
ment and the county superintendent who is eager to improve the 
conditions is unable to do so. 
Negro Schools and Compulsory Education Law 
In addition to the ineffectiveness of the compulsory education 
law already mentioned, and the difficulty of its enforcement, there 
is usually in the case of the colored child the disadvantage of lack 
of interest on the part of the superintendent and the truancy officer. 
It is often considered of little importance whether or not the negro 
child attends school regularly. One superintendent frankly said 
that he made no point of enforcing the law for them. In another 
city a special colored truancy officer has been appointed to give part 
time to this work, but two principals report that they can never 
find him when they want him and have given up trying to do any- 
thing. The fact that the schools are already overcrowded is given 
as another reason for the lack of interest in preventing truancy. 98 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Recommendations 
The law for the support of separate schools reads: 
"In all counties where county separate schools for white and colored 
children are maintained, the county excise board shall annually levy a 
tax on all taxable property in their respective counties sufficient to 
maintain such separate school, as hereinafter provided, upon an estimate 
made by the county commissioners, said taxes shall be estimated, pub- 
lished, levied and collected in the same manner as other taxes for county 
purposes, and in school districts where such separate schools are main- 
tained, no white child shall attend a colored school or a colored child 
attend a white school." 
1. All schools for negroes should be supported in the same 
manner as those for white children. The law provides for the county- 
support of the separate school but in almost every city the excuse 
given by the superintendent for the poor condition of the negro 
schools is that under the present law governing financing, it is 
impossible to provide equally good schools for the two races. There 
seems to be no good reason why there should be any difference in 
method of financing the schools. 
2. The erection of sufficient buildings to accommodate all 
colored children in the districts is an immediate need. Provision 
should be made for keeping them in good condition and for necessary 
equipment. 
3. The appointment of efficient teachers should be assured. 
Normal training courses should be introduced in all colored high 
schools. 
4. The curriculum should be changed to include introduction 
of a greater number of vocational subjects, and provision should 
be made for vocational work in the lower grades. Definite trade 
training should be included. The Latin college preparatory course 
should be only one of the courses offered in the high schools. 
5. Special classes and special teachers should be provided for 
backward children in cities. 
6. The compulsory education law should be enforced and the 
same attention given to the truant negro as to the truant white. 
7. All recommendations concerning schools for white children 
apply also to negro schools. Education 
99 
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS 
There are at present 49 schools supported by the Catholic 
Church. As these are privately financed there is no inspection by 
any state authorities, except in a few cases where graduates are to 
receive certificates from the state to enter normal schools or the 
university. There seems to be a very pleasant relationship between 
the church schools and the state officials. One of the priests told 
the investigator that any representative of the state was welcome 
at a school, "provided he does not claim any authority, but they are 
too busy with their own affairs to pay much attention to us." These 
schools represent the work of eight grades and the secondary school. 
A very few have university work, and where these courses are given 
the standard is below that of the state university. 
The buildings are similar to the old type two-story ward buildings 
in the public school system but they are generally in poor repair 
and lack modem equipment. Many have provision not only for 
day pupils but for boarders also. One of the most noticeable features 
is their extreme cleanliness. Little effort is made to beautify class- 
rooms although plants and flowers are sometimes found and religious 
pictures adorn the walls. 
The teachers are Sisters or Brothers who have been prepared 
in Catholic convents or universities. They consecrate their lives 
to the work and secure in return food and a home, and occasionally 
a small sum of money-never more than $20 a month. In almost 
all cases the teachers were found to be kind and considerate and 
especially interested in the physical and religious welfare of the 
children in their charge. 
The state course for common schools is the basis for instruction 
in the grades of these parochial schools. In addition to the regular 
subjects, the study of the catechism and religious subjects forms 
an important part of the curriculum. In the high schools the Latin 
preparatory course is universally found. Occasionally some com- 
mercial work is given but the equipment is usually inadequate and 
the subject not featured. There is practically no vocational work 
largely because of lack of funds and poorly equipped buildings. 
"As we can not do everything we attend to the intellectual life and 
leave the things of secondary importance." Home economics is 
limited to the housework done by the girls boarding in the school. 
There is no vocational work for boys. 100 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
According to the reports given by the superintendent and 
truancy officers, there is even more irregularity of attendance in 
parochial schools than in public schools and it is difficult to enforce 
the compulsory education law. The enforcement is now in the 
hands of the public school officials in the district where the parochial 
school is situated but there is too often lack of interest on the part 
of the local truancy officer in the truants of these schools. Some- 
times it is possible for the school to keep in touch with the family 
through its church affiliation and secure regular attendance. Children 
of the parochial schools often leave as soon as the law allows them 
to go to work. This can be attributed in many cases to poverty 
but undoubtedly the unattractivenss of school buildings and curri- 
culum repel the child as he reaches adolescence. 
Recommendations 
1. There should be regular state supervision over the course 
of study in all schools having children of compulsory attendance 
age enrolled. 
2. Local truancy officers should be held strictly accountable 
for the enforcement of the compulsory education law in these private 
schools. 
3. Vocational work should be introduced into the curriculum. 
STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS 
The six normal schools are situated in different parts of the 
state and had in 1916 a total enrollment of 9562 students, 3533 in 
regular winter courses and 6029 in summer courses. These schools 
prepare students to teach both in rural and independent districts 
but most go into the latter. There are two departments, the normal 
academy which offers four years of secondary work in accordance 
with the curriculum provided for accredited high schools, and the 
regular two-year normal training course. There are many more 
students enrolled in the preparatory department which often serves 
as the local high school for the community in which the institution 
is situated, than in the normal school proper. This is one of the 
weaknesses of the system. The course of study is often adapted to 
the special needs of this group of younger and less advanced students 
to the neglect of the work of the upper years and the school, instead Education 
101 
of being a specialized institution for normal training work, is inclined 
to develop into a high school offering two years of advanced study. 
The course adopted for the normal schools was prepared by a 
council of normal school presidents and approved by the State Board 
of Education. It is divided into five groups of subjects under the 
following heads: the general, the history-English, the science- 
mathematics, the foreign language, and the rural teachers' courses. 
As can be seen from the titles, these courses enable students to 
specialize in what chiefly interests them and to prepare themselves 
for the teaching of particular subjects. They cover six years of 
work with the exception of the rural teachers' course which may be 
completed in four years. All require in the senior year special work 
in observation and teaching, history of education, and the philosophy 
of education and pedagogy. 
Unfortunately, the rural teachers' course is not a popular one 
and only a small per cent of students elect it. The president of one 
state normal told the investigator that at the time he knew of but 
one student in the institution who intended to make rural school 
teaching a profession. The presidents and teachers recognize their 
inability to interest students in the country schools. While they 
are attempting to make these courses more attractive they are 
aware that social conditions in the rural community prevent the 
students from choosing this work. 
Vocational work is provided for regardless of the course elected. 
This consists of home economics, manual training, agriculture and, 
of course, specific normal training subjects. The equipment is 
good and the courses well planned and well taught. In home econ- 
omics some attempt is made to give students not only the actual 
knowledge necessary for understanding and teaching the subject 
but also to arouse their interest in special problems they will meet 
in school work, such as preparation of hot lunches, and special diets 
desirable for school children of different ages. This work is only 
beginning and is still in a somewhat crude form but in the four 
normal schools visited at least elementary work along this line had 
been started. 
There is too little practical work done in connection with 
courses in agriculture. In all schools some attempt at school gardens 
was made but there was no record of either observation or actual 
work on the nearby farms and the knowledge of the subject acquired 102 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
was somewhat superficial. The curriculum provides for three 
different courses in agriculture: first, animal husbandry; second, 
a study of the fundamental principles of agriculture including crop 
and fruit production; and third, crop husbandry. If these subjects 
were given in connection with practical farmwork they would prove 
extremely useful. 
The manual training course includes both wood and metal work. 
An interesting course in rural mechanics is also given as an elective. 
This is a "careful study of rural conditions and general occupational 
outlook and service for the rural child." Methods of helping the 
farm boy and girl in construction work, labor-saving devices, home 
decoration and furnishing are also presented. Unfortunately only 
a few of the students elect this course. 
The most important phase of vocational work is represented 
by the practice school. In each of the state normals a school from 
the primary through the eighth grade is established and children 
living in the city take advantage of the opportunities given here. 
These schools are under the direction of skilled critic teachers who 
supervise and plan the work, assisted by the normal students who 
are receiving their training. All students must observe in this 
school and also teach one hour a day for 120 days in their senior 
year. It is the duty of the critic teachers to train these students to 
observe the important features of school routine, to aid them in 
forming lesson plans and to give helpful and constructive criticism 
of the work done by the student teacher. Each student teaching 
in this school is required to make a weekly outline of the work she is 
preparing to teach. There must also be a definite lesson plan for 
each lesson. These are submitted to the critic teacher before the 
teaching period so that the child will be assured a well-planned 
lesson. Weekly conferences are held at which special problems are 
discussed. As a general rule the critic teachers try to advise students 
to specialize in subjects in which they reveal most ability. 
The summer courses held at all these normal schools have a 
very large enrolment, teachers both from independent districts and 
rural communities attending in great numbers. This results in 
improvement of schools throughout the state. The courses are similar 
to the winter ones but adapted to the shorter term. In addition 
special school problems are presented according to the needs of the 
group enrolled. Education 
103 
The buildings of the state normal schools are for the most part 
modern, well-planned and well-equipped. Most of the teachers are 
graduates of universities and many continue their study during 
the summer terms. The president of one of the normal schools told 
the investigator that he encouraged the teachers to spend one of 
the four periods of the year in study instead of in teaching and that 
promotion and increase in salary resulted from this plan. 
Recommendations 
1. All high school work should be removed from the normal 
schools and the time given to the instruction of graduates of accredited 
high schools who are preparing to teach. If there are not enough 
students to warrant the maintenance of six schools after the prepara- 
tory departments have been eliminated, these six might be so com- 
bined as to form three, giving normal instruction only. 
2. Greater emphasis should be placed on rural school teaching 
and efforts made to show students that the greater need is in this 
field. The students should be trained not only in the subject matter 
to be taught but in ways of raising rural schools to a higher standard, 
such as arousing community interest, beautifying school grounds, 
and developing social centers. 
3. The system of practice teaching should be changed from 
one hour a day for 120 days to four full days a week for eight weeks. 
Under the present system the student-teacher secures good training 
in scientific methods but gains little experience in the actual problems 
of school management. If four days were given to the actual teaching 
and one day to conference and criticism, the student would be 
better prepared to meet the problems of his first school. It would 
also be better for the children in the practice school as under the 
existing system they are under the direction of too many teachers, 
and this is especially confusing to children in the early grades. 
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS 
In addition to the recommendations attached to the several 
sections of this chapter, the following changes in the school laws 
are suggested: 
1. The compulsory education law should be changed to read 
as follows: 104 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
It shall be unlawful for any parent or guardian living in the state of 
Oklahoma to neglect or refuse to cause or compel any person or persons 
who are or may be under his control as children or wards to attend 
and comply with the rules of some public, private or other school or 
schools unless other means of education are provided, during the full 
term the schools of the district are in session, which shall apply to all 
children of the district over the age of eight and under the age of eighteen, 
unless they are prevented by mental or physical disability, the question 
of disability to be determined by the school district board or board of 
education upon a certificate of a duly licensed and practising physician; 
provided, however, that this requirement shall not apply to a child 
between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years who is (1) regularly 
and lawfully employed and has satisfactorily completed the work of the 
sixth grade of the public schools or its equivalent, or (2) who has satis- 
factorily completed the full course of instruction provided by the public 
schools of the district where he resides. 
2. For the purpose of enforcing the compulsory education law 
it should be the duty of the principal or head teacher of each school 
to keep records of the attendance of all children and notify the 
county or city truancy officer, weekly in rural and village districts, 
daily in independent districts, of the absence of every enrolled 
child between the ages of 8 and 18, together with cause of such 
absence if known. It should be the duty of every parent, guardian 
or any other person having charge of any child of compulsory at- 
tendance age to notify the teacher of the school concerning the 
cause of absence. Truancy officer and teachers should be required 
to report to the school health officer all children absent on account 
of illness. 
3. The distribution of the state school funds among the counties 
should be based on the average daily attendance of children for 
the preceding school year instead of the enumeration. The state 
should then require each county to enforce the compulsory edu- 
cation law and in the event of any county's failure to do so that 
county should be deprived of all state funds for school purposes. 
4. The State Board of Education should be authorized to super- 
vise the work of county and city truancy officers and to remove 
such officers upon proof of incompetency or failure to enforce the 
compulsory education law. 
5. All deaf, blind, seriously crippled, incurably diseased, and 
feeble-minded children found through the school census should be 
reported by the county truancy officer to the State Board of Education 
105 
Education, and also to the Commissioner of Charities and Correction. 
The county truancy officer should follow up such children and see 
what disposition is made of their cases. 
6. The State Fire Marshal should inspect public and private 
schools with regard to fire protection, and order and require ne- 
cessary installation. 
7. Free textbooks should be provided for all children in all 
public schools. 
8. All teachers' certificates should be issued by the State Board 
of Education. 
9. The State Board of Education should approve all plans for 
school buildings and no schoolhouse should be built without com- 
plying with the minimum requirements fixed by this board. 
10. Medical inspection should be established in all schools. CHILD LABOR 
Lewis W. Hine 
There is a very complacent attitude toward child labor through- 
out the state and a general feeling that "we haven't any of it here." 
It is true that in stores, factories, and mines its extent is quite limited 
but in street trades and rural work a large number of children are 
engaged. 
This fortunate scarcity of children in most of the industries is 
due to several factors. Oklahoma is a new state and her industrial 
development is just beginning. From now on the further division 
of labor and use of mechanical devices will increase the demand for 
cheap workers and steps should be taken to prevent possible ex- 
ploitation in the future. The progressive attitude of the people 
towards education is helping to develop a rational attitude toward 
child labor which should be cultivated and encouraged in every way. 
Many of the citizens came from progressive communities and be- 
lieve that so far as children are concerned, education should take 
precedence over employment. Another favorable factor is the work- 
man's compensation law which acts as a deterrent because it is not 
to the employer's interest to hire children as they are more liable 
to injury than adults. The 8-hour workday for minors under 16 
years has caused some establishments to employ only persons over 
that age, and the State Department of Labor in endeavoring to 
enforce the provisions of the child labor law has contributed toward 
reducing the abuse of children in industry. But there are phases 
of the problem as yet untouched by law and hence beyond the control 
of any administrative office. 
The statements in this chapter are based upon personal visits 
to practically all the manufacturing and mercantile establishments 
in the state, reinforced by the testimony of social workers, school 
superintendents, teachers, and labor officials whose work is most 
closely associated with these problems. 
Street Trades 
By far the most obvious kind of child labor in the state, and 
probably the most serious, is found in the streets of the larger cities. 
106 Child Labor 
107 
The number of youngsters plying their trades there is very large, 
especially in commercial centres like Oklahoma City where news- 
boys are a prominent feature of street life. Boys begin selling papers 
at four and five years of age, helping their older brothers, who are 
always willing to let the little ones, with their youthful appeal, 
relieve them of much of the labor. Many of the children rise early 
in the morning as some of the papers are on the street by 6 a.m., 
but they are not out late at night except occasionally when one has 
not sold all his copies or wants to spend the evening begging with 
his papers as a pretext. 
In April the two leading papers in Oklahoma City reported 225 
boys from 6 to 15 years of age in their service, 63 of them from 6 
to 10 years old. All of these were selling in the streets. Most of 
the boys having regular routes as "carriers" were older. These 
figures account for only a part of the actual number engaged in this 
work as one paper failed to report and many of the children sell 
intermittently or for only a short period. 
One morning a four-year-old newsboy was seen coming out of 
a lunchroom with 45 cents in nickels which he exhibited proudly, 
saying, "See what I got in there." His brother said that he made 
$1.50 some days. Others about the same age may be found at various 
times of the day in public places, the recipients of much mis-spent 
sympathy. Several hundred from five years upward come into 
contact with the influence of the streets from early morning until 
evening. 
The most patent result of the work is its influence upon school 
attendance. A count of newsboys of school age selling papers during 
school hours was made in Oklahoma City one day in March, and 
21 were interviewed in two hours' time by one investigator. Five 
of these had never been in school since moving to the city; two of 
the five had lived there six months, and three others about a month. 
Another had been out of school three months because he had been 
expelled. One was kept out because he had the "itch," but in spite 
of this was handling papers and selling them to the public. Two 
had measles, another wanted to get a new pair of shoes, one thought 
he had to support the family, and one had been transferred to an- 
other school but rather than report there preferred to work in the 
streets. A 12-year-old boy of an itinerant family that had lived in 
the city for six months, said, "I got to make a livin'. Never been 108 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
to school in my life but I got a purty good eddication-sellin' papers." 
His two brothers, of school age, have also been selling papers daily 
and not attending school. In another family five brothers, from 4 
to 13 years old, had been out of school a great deal in spite of the 
efforts of teachers and truancy officer. The mother said, "They 
can earn more than the charity society sends. We can't live unless 
they sell papers." 
On a smaller scale these conditions are to be seen in the streets 
of the other cities of the state. There is less demand for newspapers 
and fewer temptations to truancy in Muskogee, but a dozen regular 
and a few transient newsboys from 10 to 15 years of age sell papers 
early in the morning, after school, and Saturdays, and occasionally 
are excused from school early in order to handle an "extra." In 
Tulsa a few boys of 8 or 10 years of age and more from 12 years 
upward begin selling at 4 a.m. but do not sell much at night or during 
school hours. Three older "hustlers," similar to those employed 
by metropolitan papers, direct the younger sellers and replace them 
to a large extent, weeding them out for the sake of efficiency. The 
boys reported some very high earnings, among them an 8-year-old 
making $2 a day and upward and a 12-y ear-old who made $5 on 
Sunday. McAlester has a few young boys out early and during 
school hours selling out-of-town papers. The manager of the local 
paper reported no boys selling for him and said his carriers were 
all 14 years old or over. 
Similarly, in Shawnee, Enid, Chickasha and other towns, while 
at various times newsboys from six years upward were seen, there 
was little steady work for them to do. In the very small towns few 
children sell papers at any time but as population increases regula- 
tion and supervision will be needed, as has been shown in the pre- 
ceding paragraphs. 
Some of the boys under discussion are habitual truants, attracted 
by street life and lacking the right kind of family influences, but 
the truancy of a large number is intermittent. Practically all of the 
teachers, as well as others who know the children, testify that the 
bad influences of the street far outweigh any financial help or 
business training that may be derived from this source. They note 
its evil effects not only in school work but still more in the degrading 
of their moral standards. The street environment develops precocity 
and imitation of undesirable adult traits. A common misconception Child Labor 
109 
of the whole situation was shown by a truancy officer who said, 
"We have the cooperation of the newspapers. When extras are 
out, the managers 'phone to school principals and the children are 
excused earlier." If any real progress is to be made along these 
lines, not only the general public but many officials must come to a 
better realization of the dangers inherent in street trading. 
No newsgirls were found in any of the towns or cities. The state 
labor law prohibits such work by girls under 16 years (disregarding 
boys entirely) but as there is no provision for its enforcement their 
absence can hardly be attributed to the activity of the authorities. 
The sale of the Curtis publications {The Saturday Evening 
Post and others) is not attended by the disadvantages referred to 
above because there is no selling in the street. These periodicals 
are delivered at the homes of subscribers, one day each week, out 
of school hours. According to the company's local manager, about 
100 boys from 8 to 14 years old do this work in Oklahoma City and 
are encouraged to save their earnings, one boy of 13 years having 
saved $500 from the sale of these magazines. 
In the larger cities messenger and delivery work also engages 
many boys from 10 to 15 years of age who are seen darting through 
the streets on their wheels on casual errands which are often mere 
excuses for avoiding school attendance. In eight public schools of 
Oklahoma City, 44 boys from 10 to 15 years of age were found who 
had worked for the messenger and telegraph companies in the past 
school term. The managers of these companies reported only 11 
boys under 16 years in their employ and expressed progressive 
opinions on the question of better standards as to age and super- 
vision, but as the actual number delivering messages was much larger 
it was evident that they either misjudged the situation or that some 
of them were not willing to face the facts. 
Regarding night work the officials were still more evasive. The 
manager of one of the largest telegraph companies declared they 
never permitted boys to go to houses of questionable character 
but the messengers themselves who work at night and also many 
of the day boys, all ranging from 11 to 15 years of age, almost in- 
variably testified to having frequent calls that took them to pros- 
titutes in hotels and resorts. Personal interviews with 30 night 
messengers of these ages in the larger cities showed that many worked 
until 1 a.m. and that two of them were in the office ready for calls 110 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
all night long. Furthermore, according to their own testimony, 
the boys are thrown into constant contact with the worst forms of 
vice, have intimate knowledge of the underworld, its gambling, 
drunkenness and prostitution, and some have learned to associate 
with and help the prostitute and bootlegger; all of this in spite of 
the fact that street-walking and other activities of the underworld 
seemed to be fairly well controlled in most cities of the state. So 
long as the messenger can be of use in this miserable business he 
will be utilized either openly or under cover. Juvenile court judges, 
probation officers, teachers, and social workers unite in the demand 
that boys be eliminated from such work for it is the only way to 
stop this education in vice. 
Other boys were found delivering packages for groceries, drug- 
stores, and miscellaneous establishments. The most striking features 
of this service are the irregularity of the work, its temporary char- 
acter, the lack of supervision, the youth and irresponsibility of the 
workers, the small wages, and in some cases the long hours. The 
demands for their services fluctuate even from day to day, creating 
periods of overwork and idleness; most of their jobs last only a 
few weeks, tending to cultivate habits of casual effort; too much is 
left to their own unguided initiative; and the bad influences of the 
street environment frequently prove too much for them, as the 
majority of these boys are only from 9 to 13 years of age and some 
are compelled to work until 9, 10 and even 11 p.m. In most cases 
they earn, when working, from $1 to $3 a week, but their earnings 
seldom compensate them for what they lose; in fact there is little 
to be said in favor of such employment for children and much to 
be said against it if the best interests of the child, the employer, and 
the consumer are considered. 
Another phase of street work in which a few boys are employed 
is that of public chauffeur. The lives of pedestrians and riders alike 
are subjected to extra hazard when boys from 15 to 18 years of age 
are permitted to drive automobiles with little or no supervision as 
to age, qualifications, license and hours. A recent case brought this 
very vividly to the attention of the public when a reckless 15-year- 
old public chauffeur ran over and killed a man. He was imprisoned 
for a short time and then released on account of his youth but within 
a few weeks it was reported that he was back at the same work 
again after the demand for public safety had died down. Child Labor 
111 
Stores and Factories 
At the time this study was made these establishments were 
creditably free from children under 16 years of age. The few in- 
stances of such employment found merely gave point to the general 
feeling that more efficient inspection and enforcement is needed and 
must be provided, especially before the industries become more 
highly developed. There are only two inspectors of factories and 
workshops for the entire state and provision must be made for an 
adequate staff to insure general observance of the labor laws. It 
is absurd for the state to expect two inspectors to do this work. 
Most of the employers in the industrial and commercial centres 
were interviewed and gave the following reasons for not employing 
more children under 16 years: "We do not believe in working children 
so young, they ought to be in school. It is not fair to them to let 
anything interfere with their education." "We do not find it 
economical to work young children. It costs so much time and 
money to train them that we can get much better returns if we take 
children a little older, who are more responsible and efficient." 
"We cannot take any chance of accidents. It is too dangerous to 
have children around the machinery." 
Some of the stores employ young messenger and delivery boys, 
and some of the glass factories, according to common report, had 
used boys in violation of law. The State Labor Commissioner had 
recently obtained conviction on seven counts, four of them for boys 
under 14 years and three for boys of 14 and 15 years, against a glass 
manufacturing company in Sapulpa. The company plead guilty 
and a nominal fine was imposed. When this study was made, 
however, but few boys were seen in such places. 
The chief telephone company in the state employs some chil- 
dren. Operators under 16 years of age are rare and managers say 
that older girls are needed for this work, but that girls 14 and 15 
years old are used as ticket clerks. The manager of the installation 
department for the state reported 10 children under 16 years, most 
of them working out of school hours as janitors and messengers- 
one boy of 12 years getting $2 a day as "cable helper." An assistant 
manager said that the policy of the company is not to employ any 
under 16 years and he thinks this is a fair age limit but cannot 
promise that younger ones will not be hired when the demand for 
labor becomes greater. 112 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
At Guthrie where the only cotton mill in the state is located 
few workers were found under 18 years of age. The absence of young 
children was equally noticeable in the laundries all over the state 
where practically none under 18 years were seen although some of 
the managers said that in summer vacation a few children are em- 
ployed as helpers. Only one manager attempted to justify child 
labor on the ground of its being good training. He believes that 
children should be able to begin this kind of work at 14 years of 
age, but says that on account of the 8-hour law it is not possible 
to employ them. It is likely that the exclusion of children from the 
factories where machinery is used has been due not only to the 
working of this law but also to the operation of the workmen's 
compensation law because of the fear that in case of accident damages 
would have to be paid by the employer if the injured person were 
not legally at work. 
Large car-shops, oil and gas wells, some lumber yards and wood- 
working plants in different parts of the state employ thousands of 
workmen but practically no children under 18 years of age were 
found in them; nor were any under this age seen in any other occu- 
pations where they were exposed to physical danger. 
Most of the child labor problems have developed further in 
Oklahoma City than elsewhere for it is by far the largest commercial 
and industrial centre. A few cases will show what may be expected 
in other cities in the future and point the need for careful planning 
to prevent such exploitation. Glen, a frail anaemic lad of 11 years 
had become so obsessed by the desire to work that he made a practice 
of helping in a bakery until midnight, sleeping on the floor, and 
getting up early in the morning to work before he went to school. 
He was irregular in attendance at school and so poor in scholarship 
that he was graded below his younger brother and sister. On his 
way home from work at 3 o'clock one morning he was picked up by a 
policeman and some stolen articles were found in his possession. 
When taken before the juvenile court he was released as it was his 
first offense but even then no one undertook to correct the conditions 
under which he lived with a view to preventing a recurrence of 
the trouble. Another boy, John, 14 years of age, was carrying out 
a remarkable program. In addition to his school work, he made 
and packed ice-cream cones daily after school and Saturdays, 
working sometimes from 4 p.m. until midnight in violation of the Child Labor 
113 
night work provision of the law, earning $8 a week. In the same 
shop a 12-year-old boy was working all day, also in violation of the 
law. Still another 14-year-old boy was acting as assistant manager 
of a large dance-hall and theatre where he ushered, sold "pop" and 
acted as general utility boy from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. several nights 
a week and at the same time attended school regularly. This had 
been going on for several years. In a McAlester macaroni factory 
were found two boys of 9 and 11 years helping, and a 15-year-old 
boy regularly employed. On account of the machinery used, the 
age limit for employment in such places should be 18 years. 
Mines 
According to the latest available statistics (1915), Oklahoma 
ranked fifteenth among the states in the amount of coal shipped, 
with nearly 8,500 men employed and 94 mines in operation. These 
are located chiefly in the eastern part of the state in Pittsburg, 
Okmulgee, Coal, and Latimer counties. The federal census of 1910 
records 45 children under 16 years employed as coal mine operatives 
but the state labor law passed in that year provides that "no child 
under age of 16 and no girl or woman shall be employed or per- 
mitted to work underground in any mine or quarry." 
The Chief Mine Inspector has three assistants, each in charge 
of a district. The law requires at least four inspections a year for 
each mine but the Chief Inspector reports an average of six. There 
have been no prosecutions of mine operators for child labor violations 
in the past six years. 
During the present year some mines have not been operated 
at all while others have been worked only part time. There was 
therefore less temptation to employ children, but the testimony 
of mine workers, union members, and officials who were interviewed 
shows that boys under 16 years are rarely used. Most of the mines 
are unionized and the unions are strict about the employment of 
children; the contract between the mine operator and the union 
contains a clause covering this point. Furthermore, the compen- 
sation law and the employer's liability companies again act as strong 
deterrents to the employment of children under legal age. It was 
admitted that parents in order to get around the law misrepresent 
ages, but the men keep up the standard and bring offenders to the 
knowledge of the authorities. 114 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
No children under 18 years of age were found working around 
oil or gas wells. 
There are several defects in the law covering this phase of 
child labor. No proof of age is required, either for mining or other 
dangerous occupations, and no provision is made concerning the 
employment of children above ground around mines or about oil 
and gas wells, but only underground in mines and quarries. 
The Labor Inspector has assumed authority over child employ- 
ment above ground in the vicinity of mines but such overlapping 
of effort is wasteful. Inasmuch as the duties of the Chief Mine 
Inspector relate to mines, oil and gas wells, the regulation of child 
labor in and about such places should be in his care. 
One miner voiced the sentiment of many others when he said 
that while he was in entire accord with the law he considered it a 
still greater problem in mining communities to find ways of keeping 
the boys busy after they have lost interest in school because they 
feel too old for it and get into the habit of loafing which they are 
reluctant to give up for work even when past the age limit. 
Administration 
The administration of the child labor laws at present is in the 
hands of the Commissioner of Labor through the Bureau of Factory 
Inspection, the State Mine Inspector (who is not connected with the 
office of the Commissioner of Labor), county superintendents of 
schools, and local truancy officers. The county superintendents of 
schools issue work permits and the factory inspectors and truancy 
officers are authorized to inspect them in places of employment. 
The local truancy officer is in closer contact with the children than 
the county superintendent and it would be desirable to entrust to 
him, under the supervision of the local superintendent of schools, 
the issuance of work permits in connection with his other duties 
of maintaining school attendance and taking the school census. 
The county superintendent of schools is directed by law to 
approve the "age-and-schooling certificates" of children 14 and 15 
years of age working in factories, factory-workshops, theatres, 
bowling-alleys, pool-halls, and steam laundries, and of children 15 
years old in occupations injurious to health or morals or especially 
hazardous to life or limb. Child Labor 
115 
In some of the larger cities various forms of work permits have 
been evolved in the endeavor to meet the need for better supervision. 
One attempted to cover in addition to the usual requirements, 
behavior, industry, and general questions of morality. The trouble 
with these is they are too ambitious in form and ineffective in use. 
The persons in charge soon become discouraged over the amount of 
work involved and the whole thing lapses into neglect. Another 
difficulty is that too much emphasis is placed upon the economic 
status of the family for in many cases no question is raised if there 
seems to be sufficient need for the child's earnings. 
A radical revision, simplification, and standardizing of the whole 
matter should be the next step and provision made not only for the 
present but for the future as well. There are likely to be many 
industrial changes in the next few years and the needs of the children 
must be kept constantly in mind. 
Recent reports from the Commissioner of Labor show that a 
number of prosecutions have been brought for violation of the child 
labor law since August 1, 1917, most of which, the Commissioner 
states, have been settled to the satisfaction of the Department of 
Labor. In Tulsa alone 55 complaints were filed. Convictions were 
obtained and the minimum fine of $10 and costs imposed in cases 
against parcel delivery companies, drug stores, grocery stores and 
laundries. In the disposition of cases against a telegraph company 
for violation of the 8-hour law, there was a misunderstanding so 
that though 15 cases were filed, 13 were dismissed with only costs 
paid. In all other cases where a fine was not imposed costs were 
paid. At Sand Springs, in one case of violation of the night work 
section of the child labor law, a fine of $25 and costs was imposed. 
Similar cases were brought in Oklahoma City and Muskogee. 
Recommendations 
Children Under 14 Years. No boy under 14 years and no 
girl under 18 years should be employed, permitted or suffered to 
work at newspaper selling in any street or public place. 
Children Under 16 Years. No child under 16 years of age 
should be employed, permitted or suffered to work in any mill, 
factory, workshop, lumber yard, store, office, hotel, restaurant, 
bakery, laundry, garage, bootblack-stand, place of amusement, 116 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
bowling alley, delivery, errand or messenger service, nor as a driver 
or peddler. 
Children Under 18 Years. No child under 18 years of age 
should be employed, permitted or suffered to work in or about mines 
or quarries, around oil or gas wells, nor in any of the other occupa- 
tions commonly specified in child labor laws as dangerous or in- 
jurious to health or morals. 
Hours. No person under 18 years of age should be permitted 
to work more than 8 hours a day nor 6 days a week, nor between 
the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., in any of the gainful occupations 
prohibited to children under 16 years. Boys 14 and 15 years old 
should not be permitted to engage in newspaper selling during school 
hours, nor before 6 a.m., nor after 8 p.m. 
Work Permits. Work permits should be required of all 
children under 18 years of age employed in occupations prohibited 
to children under 16 years. They should be issued upon personal 
application of the child and his parent or guardian, by the city 
truancy officer in cities and by the county truancy officer else- 
where, upon receipt of the following: 
1. Proof of age as specified in the Rules and Regulations for the enforce- 
ment of the Federal Child Labor Law; 
2. A written statement from the prospective employer, giving the nature 
of the employment; 
3. Physical fitness of the child for the kind of work to be performed, as 
shown by a certificate of a school health officer or public health officer 
granted only after thorough physical examination; 
4. Educational qualifications as shown by certificate of the principal 
of the school last attended, setting forth that the child has satisfactorily 
completed the work of at least the 6th grade of the public schools or 
its equivalent. 
Three copies of the permit should be issued, one to be kept 
on file in the office of the issuing officer, one forwarded to the office of 
the Commissioner of Labor for filing, and the other to the employer 
to be kept on file in his office so long as the child is in his employ, 
but to be returned to the issuing officer immediately upon termin- 
ation of the employment. These work permits should be open for 
inspection to truancy officers, factory inspectors, and health in- 
spectors. Child Labor 
117 
On application of any employer, the issuing officer should 
require of any person seeking work of such employer and repre- 
senting his or her age as 18 years or over, the same proof of age as 
that required of children under 18 years and upon its receipt should 
issue to the employer a certificate of such person's age. 
For the protection of the employer as well as of the worker 
age certificates should be issued to minors 18 years of age and over 
for occupations prohibited to children under 18 years. 
Vacation work permits may be issued to children between 16 
and 18 years outside the public school term, for occupations for- 
bidden under 16 years, to be valid until the opening of the next 
school term, on the same requirements as to age, physical condition, 
and promise of employment as the regular work permit, but waiving 
the educational qualification. 
Children should be required to return to school within one week 
of the termination of work if another job is not obtained. 
The truancy officer should send to the Department of Labor 
monthly the name, age, and place of employment of each child 
granted a work permit. 
The truancy officer should also issue permits to newsboys 
between the ages of 14 and 16 years and should enforce their use. 
Each permit should be in the form of a badge to be worn conspicu- 
ously by the boy when selling papers. 
No fee for issuing a birth certificate should be charged a child 
applying for a work permit. 
Inspection. 1. Regular inspection of places of employment 
should continue to be made by the state factory and mine inspectors, 
and prosecutions for violation brought by the Commissioner of 
Labor and the Chief Mine Inspector within the fields of their re- 
spective jurisdiction. Penalties should be prescribed for second, 
third, and subsequent offenses, as now only one penalty is fixed for 
violation of the factory acts, and one for the mine acts. 
2. The State Board of Health through its local officers should 
be charged with the oversight of the physical condition of all young 
workers to see that they continue to be able to do the work assigned 
to them. If either the character of the work or the health of the 
child warrants such action, the inspector should recommend to the 
issuing officer that the child's permit be cancelled. AGRICULTURE 
Charles E. Gibbons 
As the welfare of children depends principally upon the economic 
condition of their parents and as this in turn is determined largely 
by the economic system to which families are obliged to adapt 
themselves, it becomes necessary in dealing with our subject to 
examine this system somewhat in detail and to measure, so far as 
possible, the effect of its various elements in their bearing on families 
that seek to gain their livelihood from the soil. Oklahoma's popu- 
lation is chiefly rural and most of the children in the state live on 
farms. To judge the situation as it affects this great number of 
boys and girls not only must these elements be discussed but the 
history of the state's agricultural development be briefly considered. 
Settlement 
The state of Oklahoma comprises what were formerly Oklahoma 
and Indian Territories. In the former practically all the land was 
taken up by citizen settlers under the Homestead Law free of 
charge except for the filing fee of $15 or $20 each. Each settler was 
allotted a quarter section or 160 acres. The first "opening" for settle- 
ment occurred in 1889 and the last in 1906, and this was generally 
regarded by the people as the final opportunity to get good agri- 
cultural land free of cost. Fabulous stories of the richness and 
productivity of the soil had been circulated far and wide and men 
from all parts of the country flocked to the new territory. It was 
a conglomerate group. The honest farmer seeking a home for his 
family, the adventurer craving excitement, the speculator eager for 
riches, and the outlaw in search of pastures new, jostled one another 
in the great rush for the land of promise. 
Here had been the home of the Indian hunter and the buffalo 
but after the subjugation of the former and the extermination of the 
latter in the 'seventies the land had been gradually taken over by 
ranchmen whose great herds of cattle roamed at will upon the 
prairie. None of it had ever before been cultivated except small 
portions used by the Indians. Most of the early settlers were from 
118 Agriculture 
119 
northern states where the soil and farming methods were unlike 
those they were to use in their new homes and to the majority this 
new experience was costly, resulting in absolute failure for many. 
The Indian Territory was settled in an entirely different way. 
About 1830 it was set aside for the Indian by the Federal Govern- 
ment and was held in common chiefly by the Five Civilized Tribes- 
Creeks, Seminoles, Cherokees, Chickasaws, and Choctaws-who 
came from southern states. Its land could not be sold and the great 
numbers of white people who followed and settled there could not 
get title to it. Between 1893 and 1902 a federal commission 
negotiated with the Five Civilized Tribes for the relinquishment 
of their tribal government and the allotment of their land in severalty. 
At first restrictions were placed upon the sale of this land by the 
Indians but gradually these have been removed until at present they 
apply only to full-blood Indians and to a less extent to those who are 
more than one-half of the race, while those whose quantum of 
Indian blood is less than one-half are free to sell all their land if 
they so desire. Of the 101,519 Indians on the rolls, such restrictions 
have been removed from all but 32,005. 
Practically the whole of the Territory belonged to the Five 
Civilized Tribes. Its area is approximately nineteen and one-half 
million acres; about fifteen and three-quarter millions were allotted, 
two and three-quarter millions sold, and one million remain yet 
unsold. It is estimated that of the lands allotted to Indians from 
whom restrictions have been removed, not more than 10 per cent 
is now in the hands of the original allottees. The rest is owned by 
white men. 
Agricultural Development 
Although the methods pursued in settling the two Territories 
were quite different, the problems confronting the agriculturists 
were largely the same. 
By the terms of the Hatch Act of 1887 the Federal Government 
gave each state and territory $15,000 for the establishment of agri- 
cultural experiment stations and this was later supplemented by 
an additional $15,000 from what was known as the Adams fund, 
the Federal Government maintaining supervision of the work. 
Because of the serious problems that had arisen in Oklahoma and 120 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Indian Territories, the experiment station came to the front and 
began developing activity among farmers in the form of institutes, 
the first one having been organized in 1893. These were community 
organizations for the express purpose of studying local conditions 
and helping in the marketing of products. The greatest difficulty 
was that they were not even loosely bound together but were entirely 
local in character and worked independently of one another. Recog- 
nizing the need for better organization, the territorial legislature in 
1901 created a Territorial Board of Agriculture consisting of six 
members and the governor (ex-officio). These six members were to 
be elected annually by delegates chosen by the county institutes. 
Upon the application of not fewer than 15 farmer residents of 
a county the Secretary of the Territory issued a charter for a corpora- 
tion to be known as the Farmers' Institute of that county, and as 
soon as there were nine duly chartered and organized institutes, 
the Secretary of the Territory notified the governor who called a 
meeting of the delegates to elect the members of the board. The 
required number of county institutes was not secured and the Board 
organized until 21 months had elapsed after the passage of the act. 
Aside from the general appropriation of funds to cover the mileage 
and per diem of the Board members no appropriation was made 
to enable them to proceed with their duties until 1903 when the 
legislature appropriated $2800 per year for the secretary's salary 
and contingent expenses for the ensuing biennium. 
In 1862 Congress by the Morrill Act granted to each of the 
states 30,000 acres of land for each representative in Congress to 
provide a permanent fund for the endowment and maintenance of 
at least one college whose main object should be to teach military 
tactics, agriculture, and the mechanic arts without excluding other 
scientific and classical studies, with a view to promoting the liberal 
and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pur- 
suits and professions in life. 
Inasmuch as Oklahoma was not a state at this time she did 
not share in these benefits. However, through the Enabling Act 
specifying the conditions on which statehood would be granted, 
Congress reserved and granted to the proposed state section 13 of 
the Cherokee Outlet, the Tonkawa Indian Reservation, and the 
Pawnee Indian Reservation and also section 13 of all other lands 
opened to settlement in the Territory of Oklahoma, as well as all Agriculture 
121 
lands theretofore selected in lieu thereof, one-third for the University 
of Oklahoma and the University Preparatory School; one-third 
for normal schools; and one-third for the Agricultural and Mechanical 
College and the Colored Agricultural Normal University. 
Section 12 of the Enabling Act provides that "the following 
grant of land is hereby made to said state from public lands of 
the United States within said state for the purpose indicated, 
namely: For the benefit of the Oklahoma University 250,000 acres; 
University Preparatory School 150,000 acres; Agricultural and 
Mechanical College 250,000 acres; the Colored Agricultural and Nor- 
mal University 100,000 acres; for the benefit of the Normals now 
established or hereafter to be established 300,000 acres." This is 
commonly called the New College Fund. 
This makes a total of 1,400,000 acres reserved by the Federal 
Government for institutions of higher education, and the control 
of the income from this land is entirely in the hands of the state 
government. 
In 1890 Congress passed another law known as the Second 
Morrill Act which provided as follows: To each state and territory 
for the more complete endowment and maintenance of colleges 
for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts now established 
or which may be hereafter established in accordance with an Act 
of Congress approved July 2, 1862, the sum of $15,000 for the year 
ending June 30, 1890, and an annual increase of the amount of such 
appropriation thereafter for 10 years by an additional sum of $1,000 
over the preceding year, and the annual amount to be paid there- 
after to each state and territory shall be $25,000 to be applied only 
to instruction in agriculture, the mechanic arts, the English language, 
and the various branches of mathematics, physical, natural, and 
economic science with special reference to their application in the 
industries of life and to the facilities of such instruction. 
By the terms of the Smith-Lever Act passed in 1914 the Federal 
Government gives the state $10,000 and in addition an amount up 
to $50,000, equal to what the state itself gives annually, for 
farmers' cooperative demonstration work. Of all the agricultural 
activities in the state this has undoubtedly done the most good, 
especially through the county agent whose work will be described 
later. The liberal policy of the Federal Government and its deter- 
mination to stimulate agricultural development throughout the 122 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
country are evident in this significant series of acts. The achieve- 
ments of the states in this field are to be attributed mainly to this 
federal impetus. 
While the State University, the Colored Agricultural and 
Normal University, and the Normal Schools all teach more or less 
agriculture, yet it is from the Agricultural and Mechanical College 
at Stillwater as a center that the greatest agricultural development 
proceeds, and this school handles all the direct appropriations of the 
Federal Government. However, early in the history of the insti- 
tution, the Territory did not show much appreciation of the advan- 
tages of such development. From 1890 to 1899, the territorial 
government contributed only $15,000 towards the establishment 
and growth of the college and no provision was made for its running 
expenses which could not be met out of federal funds. In 1899 the 
legislature appropriated $20,000 for buildings and authorized a 
levy of one-tenth of a mill for running expenses, but the same legis- 
lature diverted $15,000 of the accumulated federal funds and $2,500 
per annum to Langston University. The college came out about 
even but it now had money for building purposes and this marks the 
beginning of its real progress. But the state government still does 
very little for agricultural education compared with what the Federal 
Government does. Of the total expense for the Agricultural and 
Mechanical College for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1916, 36 per 
cent was appropriated directly by the Federal Government, 50 per 
cent came from the public lands originally set aside by the Federal 
Government, and only 14 per cent from direct state appropriation. 
The state constitution provides for a Board of Agriculture of 
four members, appointed by the governor, and a president elected 
by the people. The only qualification required for membership is 
that the men shall have had at least five years' practical experience 
as farmers following attainment of their majority. This Board of 
Agriculture is the Board of Regents for all agricultural and mechan- 
ical schools. It selects all presidents, professors, and employees, 
fixes their salaries and prescribes their duties. It has charge of the 
live stock sanitary work such as tick eradication, etc., nursery, 
orchard, and bee inspection, inspection of feeds and management 
of the marketing bureau. 
A careful study of the constitution and of the laws passed by 
the several legislatures shows that the Board of Agriculture was Agriculture 
123 
given broad powers to meet the tremendous responsibility placed 
upon it for developing the chief industry of the state. But when it 
is remembered that all this responsibility was laid on the shoulders 
of untrained men-men of whom the only qualification demanded 
was that they be practical farmers of five years' experience gained 
after reaching the age of 21-we do not wonder at its failure in the 
early stages. The machinery was provided, the opportunity for 
development afforded, and the path of duty clear, but politics and 
graft crept in. Public good was forgotten in the pursuit of personal 
gain, weak and corrupt men were on the Board, and the affairs of 
the Agricultural and Mechanical College sank to a low ebb. Finally 
there was a general expose and the Board was reorganized in 1914. 
Since that time its work has been gradually improving but it is still 
handicapped by the heritage of former days when confidence in 
this vitally important body of public servants had almost been 
destroyed. 
Resources 
From the standpoint of soil, climate, and rainfall few states are 
so fortunately situated. The elevation increases from about 500 
feet above sea level along the southeast border to nearly 4,000 feet 
in the extreme northwest. The greater part of the land is rolling 
but portions of the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw holdings 
and of Comanche, Kiowa, and Greer counties are broken and 
mountainous. 
The Arkansas, Canadian, and Red Rivers with their tributaries, 
the Cimarron, North Canadian, and Washita extend in a general 
southeasterly direction throughout the entire state. The fall of the 
land is sufficient to insure effective drainage with but slight loss 
from floods. 
The soil is a rich red clay or sandstone decomposition. In 
many places it is covered with a black alluvial deposit which makes 
it highly productive. 
The normal temperatures are well adapted to the growth of the 
staple crops. Winters are open and mild and few days of work are 
lost because of inclement weather; preparation for the spring 
plantings can be carried on during the winter months. The mean 
annual temperature in the southeast is between 62 and 63 degrees 124 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and decreases slightly towards the northwest where it is between 
58 and 59. The mean annual temperature for the state as a whole 
is 59.8 degrees. 
The rainfall follows the same general course as the elevation 
and temperature. In the southeast the normal fall is between 40 
and 45 inches per year. This decreases gradually towards the north 
and rapidly towards the west until in the extreme northwest it is 
only 15 inches. It is said that 30 inches of rain, if opportunely 
distributed throughout the growing season are sufficient for the 
staple crops. The growing season is from March 1 to November 1 
and two-thirds of the rain falls in this period. The mean annual 
rainfall for the entire state is 32.10 inches. The extreme western 
tier of counties have only between 20 and 25 inches but the fall 
varies more or less and there have been prolonged drouths when 
crops suffered severely, but no year of general failure. Comparing 
one year with another over a 10-year period, the natural conditions 
are favorable for prosperous agricultural development in Oklahoma. 
According to the annual report of the State Board of Agriculture 
for 1916, the chief crops in the order of their value are cotton, corn, 
wheat, grain sorghums, hay, oats, broom corn, fruits, potatoes, 
barley, rye, and peanuts, their total value being $177,500,000. 
The live stock in the order of their importance are cattle, horses, 
mules, swine, sheep, and goats, their total value being $169,000,000. 
Most of the cotton is cultivated in the southern part and most 
of the wheat in the northern part, the Canadian River roughly 
dividing the state into these two sections. Such marked predomi- 
nance of a single crop is unfortunate in that it tends to prevent the 
diversification so necessary to a complete development of agricul- 
tural resources and to the farmers' independence and contentment. 
Other things being equal, there is more prosperity in a region where 
diversification of crops is intelligently practised than where the 
farmers cling to the one-crop system. This prosperity brings with 
it a train of consequences that make for happiness and a higher 
standard of living-better homes, domestic conveniences, improved 
schools, increased social advantages, better roads and means of 
transport and communication. 
To attain these conditions, more feed and food crops should be 
raised, a greater variety and better grades of live stock, and every 
farm should have a vegetable garden, poultry and at least enough Agriculture 
125 
hogs and cows to supply the family with meat, milk and butter, for 
by raising food for their own families and feed for their stock, farmers 
become more independent of the towns. In general terms, the 
individual farmer's acreage at present sown in wheat or cotton should 
be reduced and the land so released should be used for the cultiva- 
tion of other necessaries, so that a well-balanced diversified system 
may be established. 
Lack of diversification is most pronounced in the region where 
cotton is cultivated, especially among tenants and small land- 
owners, great numbers of whom raise little else and have as live stock 
only a team of mules. Most of them have no gardens, chickens, 
hogs, or cattle. Their one purpose is to raise the cash crop-cotton 
-and they cultivate this largely to the exclusion of everything else. 
Crops other than cotton, and live stock other than mules, are raised 
in the southwestern part of the state, however, where the people 
are more progressive and the conditions better. 
Land Tenure 
Professor Vogt of Ohio State University says: "Increase in 
tenantry destroys every one of the necessary bases of successful 
organization and unless some policy is adopted which will lead to 
permanency, homogeneity, and stability, the outlook for effective 
economic organization in America is not good. . . . The 
experience of the race appears to justify the private ownership of 
land by the operator thereof for the reason that such ownership 
tends to preserve and improve the property held, and to insure its 
most efficient use for society. If the principle is accepted that 
private ownership of farm lands by the operator is desirable for the 
social good, then it follows that constructive measures should be 
taken by the state while the problem is not yet acute to prevent the 
rise of either a permanent tenant class or of a permanent proletariat 
in the country." 
Using the figures furnished by the Board of Agriculture for 
1916, we find that in the north 42.2 per cent of the farms are operated 
by tenants, and in the south 58.4 per cent. With reference to old 
Oklahoma and Indian Territories, we find that in the former there 
are 107,227 farms, 40 per cent of which are operated by tenants and 
in the latter 87,558 farms, 64 per cent of which are worked by tenants. 
Thus it will be seen that the land on the Oklahoma Territory 126 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
side has changed hands in less than 30 years to such an extent 
that at present two-fifths of it is farmed by men who do not own it. 
On the Indian Territory side not only is the Indian being reduced to 
a state of tenancy at a very rapid rate, but the men who are getting 
this Indian land are not the men who are farming it, for almost 
two-thirds of this land is tenant farmed. This becomes all the more 
striking when we realize that the change has taken place in less than 
15 years. Of all the farms in the state, 50.8 per cent are rented. 
The tenant farmer must deal with the following classes of land- 
lords, named in order of increasing importance: 
1. Large corporations and companies. 
In most instances, especially with the lumber companies, the 
men who farm the land are hired on a monthly or yearly basis and 
in addition do other work. 
2. Indian Owners. 
This situation would not be so bad were it not for the fact that 
speculators lease from the Indian much of his surplus land for a period 
of five years, then sublease it to the farmer, usually for one year. 
The prevailing price paid to the Indian is $1 per acre per year. 
The farmer leases it on a crop basis-one-fourth of the cotton and 
one-third of the grain going to the lessor. The margin between what 
the farmer pays and what the Indian gets would improve the land 
very materially but under the present system it is not being used 
for such purposes. 
3. The non-resident owner. 
The land owned by this class has been bought mainly by in- 
dividuals seeking safe investment for their money. However, 
some of it was acquired on pure speculation. It is usually looked 
after by a real estate agent and often is rented on a cash basis, 
frequently for more than one year. 
4. The business and professional men, especially the banker and 
the merchant, living in the small towns. 
This is the largest class and the one that has placed the heaviest 
burden upon the man who farms the land. 
The Tenant 
Tenants constitute the largest class of people living in the rural 
districts. To improve their condition in life is a fundamental Agriculture 
127 
social necessity. Those in the south came largely from the cotton 
states where their people before them were renters. They own 
nothing but what they can put into a wagon and drive off with. 
They have had very little schooling themselves and are indifferent 
about the education of their children. They have never cultivated 
anything but cotton and do not want to raise anything else. Very 
few have vegetable gardens of any description. Their supply of 
meat, milk, and butter they buy or go without-most of the time 
the latter-and a great many of them are actually on the border 
line of starvation. The writer has been in their homes when there 
was not enough on the table for even a smaller family. Much has 
been written and said about the poverty of the people living in the 
congested districts of our cities but little is known of the poverty 
in many of these rural tenant homes. The country has been pictured 
as a beautiful place to live, where all human wants are supplied- 
a picture that never reveals the suffering and privation these tenants 
endure in order to live the barrenest kind of a life. The system 
that shapes their lives has made them hopeless and ambitionless. 
They are disgruntled, suspicious, and antagonistic toward everyone 
and every agency that attempts to work in their behalf. 
There are three factors chiefly responsible for the making and 
perpetuation of this system: 
1. The Landlord. 
Most of the land is rented on a share crop basis-one-fourth 
of the cotton and one-third of the other crops going to the owners. 
Under ordinary circumstances this would leave a fair return to the 
tenant for his labor and the tenant should be able to buy and own 
some land. But very few are passing into the land-owning class. 
Frequently they are inveigled into purchasing, especially by specu- 
lators, when they are not able or ready to buy and then because of 
their lack of business judgment and of knowledge how to handle the 
land they soon drop back into the tenant class. 
On the whole the landlords are furnishing miserable structures 
for residences. Most of them are mere shacks lacking the most 
elementary home conveniences. No screens are on the doors and 
windows, there are no toilet facilities, and the wells, if any, are un- 
protected. The tenant has no place to store his crop, nor even to 
store his seed for the next year. Consequently he must sell all his 
produce at harvest time-the very time when prices are lowest- 128 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and then in the spring must buy seed, oftentimes the very same he 
sold in the fall. 
The landlords have been generally unwilling for the tenant 
to have much stock. Fences are poor and they do not want to incur 
the expense of building good ones. The landlords generally dictate 
the kind of crops to be raised. In the south they have almost uni- 
versally insisted on the raising of cotton and when asked the reason 
why, a number said the tenants could not steal and eat the cotton. 
In many instances they will not provide garden space, and when 
they do they frequently insist on the cultivation of so much cotton 
that the tenant does not have time to raise vegetables. 
The term of lease is usually one year. This means the tenant 
moves annually. He has no incentive to become interested in the 
land and this constant changing has given rise to a feeling of dissat- 
isfaction. He is always looking for a better place. The landlord has 
been similarly influenced for he is always looking for a better tenant. 
The landlords have generally failed utterly in cooperation. 
Many have been successful farmers themselves and now reside in 
the towns, expecting their tenants to do just as well as they did 
but at the same time demanding more and more money from the 
"old farm.'' They do not see that it is no longer an individual 
proposition and that they must cooperate with their tenants to get 
the best results. 
However, within the last year because of the emphasis laid on 
the national situation by the Federal Government through the county 
agents in the feed and food campaign, conditions in this respect 
have appreciably improved. 
2. The Banks. 
As the country was opened up and settled, there was an im- 
mediate need of capital to develop the land. Most of the land 
especially on the west side was taken up under the Homestead Act 
which practically gave the land to the settler, but he had no working 
capital. The man who had money found eager borrowers and small 
banks sprang up everywhere. Almost anyone who had money 
could and did start a bank. Although the territorial laws fixed the 
interest rate at 10 per cent a year, the commonly accepted rate was 
3 per cent a month. The quality of fitness scarcely entered into 
consideration of what a banker should be, and naturally dishonest 
as well as honest banks came into existence. Agriculture 
129 
In 1907 a law was passed creating a guaranty fund for the 
protection of depositors and all state banks were required to con- 
tribute to it. This forced all the state banks into involuntary 
partnership. The state assumed control but no financial responsi- 
bility. The good banks were made liable for the wrongs of the bad 
banks. There was no investigation as to the standing of individual 
banks. The panic came on and one large bank failed, with a loss 
of about $750,000, which nearly depleted the guaranty fund and 
forced the issue of guaranty warrants. A few years later the law 
was amended so that now the banks have a voice in the management 
of banking affairs. All banks are examined by the Bank Com- 
missioner, and this has served to recoup the loss and put the fund 
on a good basis. 
In the meantime usurers were doing a thriving business. While 
it is true that by the heavy failure referred to the depositors did 
not lose a dollar, yet the banks themselves sustained the loss and 
sought to make it good. The usury question had been up before 
every legislature since statehood but was not acted upon until 1915, 
largely it is said because the banks needed time to recover their 
losses incurred by this failure. There was strenuous opposition to 
the passage of the bill but the situation had become so bad that it 
simply had to be relieved. The rates being charged were completely 
out of reason. The main provision of the law is that when more 
than the legal rate (10 per cent) has been charged the lender may 
suffer a penalty of twice the amount of interest charged. Its chief 
weakness lies in the fact that upon information concerning any 
bank violating the law, furnished to the Governor by the Bank Com- 
missioner, the former "may" direct the latter to bring suit to have 
the charter cancelled. 
In territorial days the farmers generally went to the merchants 
to buy on a credit basis but the latter charged not only exorbitant 
interest on the amount of credit granted, but also an unreasonable 
credit price for their goods so that the farmers then preferred to go 
to the banks and borrow money with which to trade. Especially 
was this true during early statehood days. Since the passage of the 
usury law the tendency has been for the farmer to swing back to 
the merchant. As a general proposition it is unprofitable for the 
banker to violate the letter of the law but there is nothing to prevent 
him from investing his capital in general mercantile business. 130 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Credit in many cases cannot be gotten at the banks but the banker 
can refer the farmer to a store in which he is financially interested 
and where the farmer can get everything he needs. 
However, open violations of the law are not uncommon. One 
banker told the writer he charged one per cent a month. A white 
farmer was paying interest at the rate of 65 per cent per year on a 
small loan, and a number were paying 12 to 15 per cent. 
According to the customary procedure when a farmer needs 
money to "make his crop" or to "grub stake" himself until his crop 
is harvested, he goes to the bank and negotiates a loan, giving a 
mortgage on all his stock, tools and growing crops. The total value 
of the security is always on a safe margin to cover the loan. Notes 
usually run from March 1 to November 1-the general crop season. 
Formerly the interest was deducted from the loan when it was made, 
but now the interest is added to the face of the note and itself bears 
interest from maturity. Many farmers pay the full year's interest 
at 10 per cent for the part of the year their notes run. The system 
has had a very decided tendency to force the farmer to raise a cash 
crop-one that he can turn into money in the fall to pay his debt. 
Many do not break even but carry the balance owed over into the 
next year, thus being in debt constantly. These ignorant people 
often know they are being charged more than the law allows but 
need the money and make a contract to pay so much-feeling honor 
bound to pay it regardless of any advantage the law may afford them. 
It is true that the banks are not entirely to blame for this 
situation, for in many instances the risks have been great. A tenant 
may default and drive off with his "little ole team of spike-tailed 
mules" and all the goods he gave as security, but the system as a 
whole has been decidedly in favor of the banks. The Federal Farm 
Loan Act benefits only those farmers who already have land which 
they can give as security, or who have money to use in the purchase 
of land and can borrow the balance of its price from a federal farm 
loan association, giving this association a first mortgage on it. 
3. The Merchant. 
Not all the farmers go to the banks to borrow in order to tide 
them over until they realize from the sale of their crops. Many go 
to the merchant and give their note for about one hundred dollars 
and in exchange are credited with this amount against which they 
buy the supplies they need. This note bears interest from its date, Agriculture 
131 
although the farmer does not use up his credit for months. The 
farmer because of his ignorance, his indifference, and inability to 
protect himself, is mercilessly exploited. Like the banker the mer- 
chant takes a mortgage on everything the farmer owns and also 
his growing crop. The merchant has an advantage over the banker 
in that he can charge the legal rate of interest on the credit extended 
and in addition sell his merchandise at credit prices which are usually 
20 per cent higher than cash prices. A few years ago the situation 
had become so bad, that the farmers quit dealing with the mer- 
chants except on a cash basis, borrowing the money from the banks. 
However the system is gradually changing, until now many farmers 
are again dealing only with the merchant. Many of the stores are 
run by general mercantile companies selling hardware and imple- 
ments, groceries, clothing, and feed stuffs. Once a man has made 
arrangements to deal with one of these companies, then all his wants 
are supplied from the one store. He has no ready cash to buy 
where he pleases until his crop is harvested and even then he must 
pay his debts before he is free to trade elsewhere. Frequently the 
proceeds from the sale of his crop are not enough to free him from 
debt. Some merchants as well as bankers are the so-called "curb 
stone brokers" found standing about upon the streets of the small 
towns, buying the products the farmer brings to town. In some 
towns especially in the cotton belt there is a general understanding 
among these men whereby each enjoys the exclusive right to do 
business with certain farmers recognized as his particular customers. 
For instance, when a farmer brings a load of cotton to town one of 
them will walk out and place his foot upon the hub of the wagon 
wheel and begin talking to him. This is the accepted sign that he 
is "his customer." 
The price he pays for the products is not always fair. The 
writer recently observed an example of petty swindling. A load of 
cotton was brought into one of these small towns and the buyer 
looked at it and pronounced it of a certain grade. Then the cotton 
was ginned and baled. In the meantime the farmer had taken a 
sample of it to the government grader who declared it to be one 
grade higher than that fixed by the buyer, and this meant $1.25 
more to that farmer for each bale of cotton. Buyers are not inten- 
tionally dishonest in all cases but it is generally conceded that those 
who buy the farmers' products buy on a safe margin. 132 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Thus it is seen that the farmer is compelled through force of 
circumstances to sell his crops at harvest time, oftentimes to the 
very men who sell back to him the things he has brought to town and 
later needs himself. This so-called business through its buying and 
selling process is taking almost the farmers' entire profit. 
The effect of the usury law in reducing the interest rate and 
thereby making business with tenants and small landowners •mn- 
attractive to the banker, is to force these farmers into credit relations 
with the merchant. This involves merely a change of banker. 
Small Farm Owners 
The lot of a great many in this group is little if any better than 
that of the tenant. President Frank M. Gault of the State Board 
of Agriculture estimates that 50 per cent of the farms owned by 
farmers are mortgaged, the average amount of indebtedness being 
about $1,000. Most of this money has been borrowed from farm 
loan bureaus which do a thriving business. Interest rates have been 
as high as 8 and 10 per cent but at present loans can be negotiated 
on a six per cent basis. The Federal Farm Loan Act will help many 
of these farmers, unless, as is often the case, their mortgages are too 
heavy to leave enough of the required security in land. In the latter 
event it is just a step to tenancy, and indeed quite a number of the 
owners of such heavily encumbered small farms are actually passing 
into the ranks of the tenants. The frequent foreclosures reported 
in the local press bear witness to this condition. The small farming 
mortgagor is subject to the same system as the tenant in the cul- 
tivation and marketing of his crops-he deals with the local banker 
and merchant and in addition is prodded along by the agent of the 
loan bureau. 
Work of Children on Farms 
In the report of the National Child Labor Committee's study 
of the causes of absence from rural schools in Oklahoma, we find this 
significant statement: "In the totals for all the groups (of absentees) 
farmwork comes first among the causes-and is far ahead of the 
next cause, illness. The days of absence due to farmwork and 
housework together nearly equal the sum of those due to all other Agriculture 
133 
causes combined. This fact shows how serious a factor labor is in 
the breaking down of rural school attendance especially as the total 
of days absent is much more than a third of the total days present." 
In the springtime we find the children aiding in the work of 
preparing the soil for the planting of cotton, com, grain sorghums, 
etc. As soon as these crops are up, we see them hoeing, weeding, and 
cultivating. Frequently children are found doing work, especially 
in the handling of teams and cultivators, that is unquestionably 
beyond their strength. At harvest time we find them shocking the 
wheat and oats, shucking the corn, and picking the cotton. The 
work is hard and the hours are long. It is no uncommon sight to 
see the whole family-father, mother, and children even as young 
as five years-going down the cotton rows, dragging long bags 
fastened about the neck and shoulders, picking from dawn to dark. 
When one sees the children robbed not only of their schooling, but 
also of their right to normal childhood, where play has its legitimate 
part, it is then he recognizes the injustice of a system that makes 
their exploitation necessary in order that the family may live. 
The Work of the County Agent 
The Federal Government, understanding the need of relieving 
this distress by imparting to the masses of the people the agricultural 
information it had accumulated, began in 1904 what was called 
Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work. The immediate 
cause was the spread of the Mexican boll weevil in the cotton section. 
The Agricultural and Mechanical College had been doing some 
extension work. When the Smith-Lever Bill became a law in 1914, 
the extension work of the Federal Department of Agriculture and 
of the college was made cooperative. A division of extension was 
established as an independent division of the Agricultural and 
Mechanical College, ranking with the experiment station or college 
teaching force. There is a general working understanding between 
the Federal Department and the College. Thus the county agent 
who is jointly employed, stands as the direct representative to the 
people of the Federal Department of Agriculture and the Agricul- 
tural and Mechanical College. 
From the very start the county agent found his most fertile 
field for work in the landlord because not only had the ravages of 134 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
pests cut down returns from the land, but also the system of farming 
was making the soil produce less. The county agent was welcomed 
at first by the landlords and his function was looked upon and rightly 
so, to increase production. But the landlord failed to see that the 
agent had other things to do, things that would strike at the very 
root of the tenancy problem. The county agent's work may be 
fairly said to fall into four divisions, the first three of which are 
well advanced. 
1. The education of the adult farmer. He is not only helping 
by increasing production but also proving to tenant and landlord 
the value of diversification. His program of farming in the south 
is one-third cotton, one-third grains, and one-third feed stuffs on 
every farm. This same program applies to the north by substituting 
wheat for cotton. There has been more feed and food raised in 
the present year than ever before in the history of the state. The 
agent is helping (1) to show the value of live stock, not only en- 
couraging the raising of more stock but better grades; (2) to bridge 
the gap between the interests of the towns and of the rural districts; 
(3) to make the relation between the landlord and tenant better; 
(4) to replace the one-year lease with a long term lease; (5) to con- 
serve the fertility of the soil; and (6) to establish farm loan asso- 
ciations in order that those who own land may take advantage of 
the Federal Farm Loan Act. 
2. The education of the children or the development of the boys' 
and girls' club work. It is in this branch of the county agent's 
work that the most far reaching effects are to be found. Two things 
are being taught the children, the value of ownership, and business 
accounting. They are urged to buy a pig, or a calf, or plant an acre 
of corn, or cotton, etc. If the child does not have the money, or 
the parent cannot furnish it, the county agent usually makes arrange- 
ments for the child to borrow it, giving the pig or calf as security. 
The child is required to keep a strict account of all factors entering 
into the cost of production and at the end of the period he knows 
and appreciates what that pig, calf, acre of cotton, corn, etc. has cost. 
He compares his products with those of other club members and 
the rivalry is indeed very keen especially when exhibitions are held 
at the county and state fairs. 
3. The development of community life. One of the drawbacks 
of rural life is its isolation, lack of social intercourse and wholesome Agriculture 
135 
recreation, and it is to counteract this that the county agent is 
organizing clubs and centering them about the school houses. Here 
the farmers with their families may come and enjoy a sociable and 
discuss the problems common to them all. Cooperation is the 
result. 
4. The standardization and marketing of produce. The farmer 
should have a fair price for produce of standard quality. He now 
receives only an average price. There is no incentive to him to 
raise a high grade product unless he gets its proportionate value over 
the man who raises a medium or poor grade. On the other hand the 
buyer can and will pay more if he knows that what he is buying is 
of standard grade and quality. 
The great difficulty with the work is that the county agent's 
duties are so many and varied and the counties so large that he does 
not come in contact with as many farmers as he should. He should 
have more time to give to the organization of farm loan associations. 
It is only as the county agent is able to get hold of tenants, show 
them how and what to plant, how to save and economize, and in 
general be their adviser, that there is hope of their acquiring owner- 
ship of land. And it is only when they have land or money to buy 
it that the Federal Farm Loan Act can help them. The majority 
of the tenants do not and cannot accumulate anything under present 
conditions. Their lot would be much better if they only knew how, 
and the county agent is trying to teach them. Each agent should 
have several assistants. 
The county agent should be relieved of the club work. This is 
primarily <educational and should be done by the schools. The 
development of these clubs by another agency is itself a charge of 
failure of the rural school system. The rural school authorities 
have turned a deaf ear to vocational education. Many of the county 
superintendents are either too busy politically or too indifferent to 
the value of this work to cooperate in its development. Too many 
of the teachers are unprepared to help. It will remain a part of the 
county agent's work until the school system itself is changed. 
The county agent stands out as the best single exponent of 
what agriculture should be in the state to-day and the Agricultural 
and Mechanical College through this branch of its work is reaching 
more people and doing more to correct the evils of the system than 
through any other of its activities. 136 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Schools 
With regard to special training of teachers for rural service 
the situation is discouraging. The constitution provides that agri- 
culture shall be taught in the rural schools and although this pro- 
vision has been vitalized by law, very little attention has been paid 
to the matter. What is taught is most perfunctory and the require- 
ment is a dead letter-largely because teachers do not know how 
to teach it. 
So long as the higher institutions of learning lay so little em- 
phasis on knowledge of agriculture as a qualification for teaching, 
it is hardly to be expected that second and third grade teachers 
whose education along agricultural lines is at best second hand, will 
go into the rural schools and really teach agriculture. The difficulty 
with the rural school teacher is not so much that she has not had 
training as that she has had the wrong kind of training. Dead 
languages are not suitable standards in preparation for such service. 
But little thought has been given to real development of vocational 
agricultural education. A very small percentage of rural school 
pupils will ever go beyond the eighth grade, and the education they 
are receiving is of little practical value to them. 
The equipment, buildings, and grounds of most of the rural 
schools are anything but inviting. The total value of the 5,951 
school buildings and lots in rural districts is approximately one- 
third that of the 960 buildings and lots in city and village districts. 
In 1916 the lands, buildings, and equipment of the State Uni- 
versity, the Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the six normal 
schools were valued at $2,659,451. In 1915-16 there were 13,245 
students at these institutions, or an investment of $200.77 per student. 
The investment per child in rural schools is $18.56 and this is a 
decrease of $1.18 per child in 1916 as compared with 1915. These 
figures do not show that the higher institutions of learning have 
received one dollar more than they need or should have, but they 
do emphasize the fact that the rural school-the "college" of the 
masses-is not receiving its proper share of the money spent for 
educational equipment. Oklahoma is primarily an agricultural 
state and most of its children live in the rural districts and will be 
found there for years to come. The grammar and high schools 
as feeders for the higher institutions of learning receive most con- 
sideration but there can be no real educational development so long Agriculture 
137 
as the rural schools, the chief factor of the system, are neglected. 
All the parts of a state's educational system from the primary grades 
to the college, must grow and progress together, and no one of the 
parts should be developed out of proportion to the others. 
Taxes 
Schools receive support from three sources, state, county and 
district. 
1. State. The largest part of the income from the state is 
derived from school lands. In the Enabling Act Congress set aside 
sections 16 and 26 of each township for common school purposes. 
This applied only to Oklahoma Territory. In lieu of lands on the 
Indian Territory side, Congress appropriated $5,000,000. Congress 
appropriated in 1916 $275,000 towards the support of schooling for 
Indian children. This is paid directly to the districts on an attendance 
basis-10 cents per day for each child that attends. The state also 
makes a direct levy of one-fourth of a mill for common school purposes. 
2. Each county may levy not to exceed one mill for common 
school purposes. 
3. The district through the school board may levy up to 5 mills 
for the maintenance of common schools. This can be raised, not 
to exceed 15 mills by vote of the electors of the district. Of the 
$9,564,342 spent for common schools in 1916, only 40.4 per cent 
was spent for rural schools although they have 56.1 per cent of the 
total enrollment. The raising of 62 per cent of the money used for 
rural school purposes is in the hands of the boards of rural districts 
and the electors of those districts. These people, often ignorant, are 
not opposed to schools but do not know their value. To them the 
raising of their taxes is almost the greatest calamity that can happen. 
A tax of one-half of one per cent on the gross production of oil 
is also levied for school purposes. This is collected by the state and 
paid directly back to the county from which it came. This extra 
benefit from natural resources makes it unnecessary to levy addi- 
tional local taxes. There is at least one county in the state in which 
not one district exceeded the 5 mill levy last year. On the other 
hand there are many districts, especially where there is much Indian 
land, that levy the limit and still do not have enough properly to 
run the schools. Manifestly in this connection the system of taxa- 
tion is unfair. 138 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
The compulsory attendance law is a failure. As pointed out 
by the National Child Labor Committee in its report on the causes 
of absence from rural schools, "the simple fact brought out by this 
study is that in rural districts, the compulsory attendance law is 
commonly ignored. It is at best a poor law for its purpose but it 
cannot be doubted that attendance would be better if it were en- 
forced. Its weakness lies in its application to only 66 per cent of the 
school term, but as according to figures of Table B, children were 
present in the school year just passed only 59.8 per cent of the time 
they should have attended, it seems that even the meager possi- 
bilities of the law as it is were not developed. The law is poor but 
the attendance is poorer." 
It was not possible to ascertain how long the schools were 
actually attended by the children of families that changed their 
places of residence in the school year because in most of these cases 
it was not known where they had gone nor whether they enrolled 
after reaching their new homes. The following figures are based 
on the complete records of 4,290 children affected by the compulsory 
education law who were enrolled last year in 174 rural schools in 
10 counties. The law requires children between 8 and 16 years to 
attend school only 66 per cent of the time it is in session. Of those 
of these ages whose absences from school were due chiefly to farm 
work, only 51.9 per cent kept within the requirements of the law. 
In other words, 48.1 per cent of the farmworking absentees violated 
it-they attended only 44.4 per cent of the time instead of the 66 
per cent required. 
Of those within the age limits mentioned whose absences were 
caused principally by housework, 68.8 per cent observed the law. 
The 31.2 per cent who failed to observe it were present in school 
only 46.5 per cent of the time. 
The non-working absentees, that is those who missed on account 
of illness, bad weather, distance from school, indifference, etc., have 
a much better record, 80.3 per cent of them having obeyed the law. 
The 19.7 per cent of this group who violated it attended only 40.7 
per cent of the time. 
It is a curious coincidence that only 66 per cent of all the chil- 
dren were present at school 66 per cent or more of the time. One- 
third of the entire group did not comply with this very modest 
requirement of the law. The striking fact is that the working Agriculture 
139 
children make the worst showing. But what can be expected when 
their parents are struggling for a livelihood against such heavy odds? 
Inevitably the boys and girls are kept out of school to aid in the 
work on the farms. 
Consolidated Schools 
The consolidated schools have indeed had a hard uphill struggle. 
This failure to develop is largely due to the fact that the state has 
not held to the program originally made. By the terms of the 
Enabling Act Congress set aside section 33 in each township for 
public buildings, penal and charitable institutions, etc. This was 
commonly called the Public Building Fund. However, Congress 
reserved sections 33 in Greer County "for such purpose as the legis- 
lature of the future state may prescribe." Accordingly the legis- 
lature of 1911 set aside this land amounting to 40,480 acres, the in- 
come of which was to be used for consolidated schools and the 
legislature of 1913 appropriated $100,000 of this accumulated fund 
for these schools. The legislature of 1915 failed to make an 
appropriation from this fund but that of 1917 made $125,000 
available. 
In 1913 the legislature after a bitter fight set aside the residue 
of the Public Building Fund as a union graded or consolidated school 
fund. This was to be for building purposes only. There was some 
question as to the constitutionality of the act (no court has passed 
upon it) and inasmuch as money was needed to build the Capitol 
the legislature of 1917 repealed it. No appropriation for these 
schools was ever made from the fund. It was estimated to have been 
about two million dollars. In lieu of this, and in order to establish 
a precedent with reference to this so-called Building Fund, there 
was secured as a compromise a direct appropriation of $50,000 from 
the general revenue funds for these schools. Thus the state is now 
appropriating $175,000 annually for these schools. 
In the six years that have passed since the consolidated school 
program was started but little progress has been made. The people 
have not fully appreciated their value and at times the state has 
not adhered to the program agreed upon. It is well known that 
these schools cost more than the district schools they supplant but 
the results obtained are far ahead even in proportion to their cost. 140 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Conclusion 
In summing up, we find that the methods of farming and land 
tenure together with the school system fail to overcome the evils of 
poverty and ignorance. The state has by its neglect and by bad 
laws permitted to develop two well-defined groups of people-the 
banker-merchant-landlord class and the tenant-small-landowner 
class. The breach between these two classes has been widening, 
although the work of the county agent tends to bring them to- 
gether. The former class has lived and largely made its money from 
the latter class. This latter class is not only the product of the 
prevailing system but also the product of its own misfortune. The 
state must recognize that here is a large group of people, who, from 
an economic and business standpoint, are incapable under present 
conditions of taking care of themselves. They need not only pro- 
tection against those who have been adding to their burden but also 
protection against themselves. The state provides for its feeble- 
minded, insane, dependent, and criminal wards, and as its economic 
misfits cannot or will not take care of themselves, then why not 
provide for them also? These people do not need cheap money- 
they need to know the simple principles of thrift and economy. 
They must be taught to help themselves. Competence cannot be 
superimposed from without but nust be developed within. Laws 
cannot create better conditions but they can create the opportunity 
for improvement. If the state will develop a wise system of laws 
based on knowledge and sympathetic understanding of these 
unfortunate people, the majority of them can rise up and make 
themselves economically fit. 
The present rural school system has outlived its usefulness 
and should be practically revolutionized. Even as it is, rural 
children have not had their fair share in money spent for buildings, 
equipment, or the training of teachers. The curriculum is furnishing 
them very little that will help them in after life. 
The county unit system should be established and the entire 
school system taken out of politics. Vocational agricultural edu- 
cation should be the leading feature of the rural curriculum. 
If the school will honestly and earnestly do the part it can and 
should do, ignorance will be removed. Until that day comes Okla- 
homa's progress will not be shared by all her people alike. JUVENILE COURTS AND PROBATION 
Mabel Brown Ellis 
Origin and Development of the Juvenile Court Law 
The Juvenile Court Law of Oklahoma was passed in 1909. 
Drafted at the request of the first State Commissioner of Charities 
and Correction by experts familiar with the operation of similar laws 
in older states, its provisions were fully abreast of the most advanced 
legislation of the time. The law made the establishment of a juvenile 
court compulsory upon every county in the state, utilizing the 
already existing county courts of probate for this purpose. It 
embodied the three cardinal principles of juvenile court theory: 
a civil procedure, designed not to punish the child as a criminal, 
but to correct the social conditions which brought him to court; 
the separation of the child from adult criminals, by giving him a 
private hearing and by forbidding his commitment to jail either 
before or after trial; and the establishment of a probation system 
for interpreting the real causes of the offense to the judge and for 
giving friendly supervision to any child who might safely, under 
such guidance, be permitted to return to his home. Unfortunately, 
the juvenile court was not given power to prosecute the adult re- 
sponsible for the delinquency or dependency of the child and such 
an act has not yet been made an offense by the Oklahoma code. 
Neither has the code been influenced by the recent socio-legal move- 
ment which is in certain states gradually transforming the juvenile 
court into a court of domestic relations by extending its jurisdiction 
to cover all cases involving the entire family group, as bastardy, 
desertion and non-support cases, the administration of widows' 
pensions and prosecutions against violators of the child labor and 
compulsory education law. 
In other words, the Oklahoma Juvenile Court Law, excellent 
in its conception, has failed to keep pace with the advancing stand- 
ards of other states. In one respect it has taken a decided step 
backward. For reasons variously stated, the legislature of 1915 
repealed that section of the law which permitted the appointment 
141 142 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
of probation officers. The law originally provided that the officer 
might be appointed by the county judge, "by and with the approval 
of the county commissioners" and the salary was fixed at $50 a month. 
Administrative difficulties arising from the failure of the commis- 
sioners in certain counties to ratify the appointment of the probation 
officer by the judge; dissatisfaction over the arbitrary fixing of the 
salary at $50, which in practice was too small for the large courts 
and too large for the small courts; and misuse of the position for 
political purposes, are among the reasons given. It is said that 
the act which abolished the office was slipped through as rider to 
another bill and that few members of the legislature realized what it 
involved. 
The constitutionality of the law establishing the juvenile court 
was upheld in the test case of Powell vs. State (6 Oklahoma 495). 
A boy under 16 had been sentenced to the State Penitentiary by the 
district court. The State Commissioner of Charities and Correction 
sought his release by writ of habeas corpus on the ground that the 
district court had no right to try any child under 16, unless his case 
had first been heard in the juvenile court and jurisdiction had been 
waived. The question raised was whether the juvenile court law 
thus interpreted was an invasion of the constitutional right of the 
district court to commit for felony. The Supreme Court held that 
far from being a usurpation of powers, it was the duty of the juvenile 
court to handle all such cases and that the action was within the 
constitutional rights of the State Commissioner. 
We have then at present in Oklahoma a juvenile court law, 
the constitutionality of which has been definitely established, which 
is state-wide in application, and which embodies the fundamental 
principles of juvenile court theory, but has for two years deprived 
the judge of his right hand,-the probation officer. How does the 
law work out in practice? 
Method Followed in Investigation 
As a guide to the counties where intensive studies of the juvenile 
court law in operation would be most likely to answer the question 
for us, the reports which the juvenile court judges are now required 
to send quarterly to the State Commissioner of Charities and Cor- 
rection were carefully analyzed. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
143 
Out of the 77 counties in Oklahoma which should have sent 
four reports each during 1916, 11 failed to report at all; 8 made 
one report only; 17 made two reports; and 19 made three. 
Even when the reports are fully filled out, it is impossible to 
check up on them with any degree of certainty. From a statistical 
standpoint, the blank forms now sent out from the office of the 
State Commissioner of Charities and Correction are so arranged 
that it is practically impossible to tabulate the totals. Further, 
the looseness of terminology which our study found everywhere 
clouding the classification of children (see page 145) made it im- 
possible to determine the relative proportions of known dependency 
and delinquency in any given county. 
But incomplete and inadequate as these reports proved to 
be, they were the best available. In combination with the geo- 
graphical and industrial considerations, which would naturally lead 
to the choice of certain counties different in type, they guided our 
selection of the 20 courts which were covered, more or less completely, 
in the study. These courts threw light on the juvenile court situa- 
tion in Oklahoma from three distinct angles. 
Oklahoma, Muskogee, Tulsa and Garfield Counties have as 
county-seats the largest and most representative towns in the state, 
Oklahoma City, Muskogee, Tulsa, and Enid. Industrial and social 
conditions in each are such that juvenile delinquents are brought 
before the courts in larger numbers than elsewhere in Oklahoma, 
and they have a correspondingly large group of dependent children. 
Each one of these cities has an associated charities, humane society 
or other kindred organization, so that the court has an opportunity 
to cooperate with other social agencies. It was natural to expect that 
the most advanced work in the state would be found in these centres. 
On the other hand, Alfalfa, Bryan, Canadian, Custer, Jackson, 
Logan, Mayes, Rogers, Wagoner, and Washington counties repre- 
sent the strictly rural type of community. Geographically they 
extend from Texas to the Kansas border and from the eastern to the 
western tiers of counties. The work done by their county courts, 
it was believed, might fairly illustrate what is being accomplished 
in spite of difficulties by the rural judge. 
Coal and Pittsburg counties are in Oklahoma's mining district 
where the presence of foreign labor and foreign standards of living 
complicates the problems of dependency and delinquency. 144 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Comanche, McIntosh, Pottawatomie, and Stephens counties 
were chosen partly because they had filed no reports at all during 
1916, and it was felt desirable to investigate some of the non- 
reporting counties, and partly because they were convenient of 
access from other centres. All are agricultural counties. 
In general, the plan of work was, first, to copy from the original 
records at the court house, or the county and city jail:- 
1. The number and date of last petition filed. This gave some 
idea of the volume of business handled by the juvenile court in each 
county since its establishment in 1909. 
2. The name, age, sex, charge and disposition of each child who 
passed through the court in the calendar year 1916. Names were 
recorded because it was frequently possible to trace a child from the 
court to the institution, and sometimes to the jail. 
3. The name, age, sex, charge, date of admittance and date 
of discharge of each child held in the city or county jail during the 
calendar year 1916. 
Any unusual cases, or any in which the disposition of the child 
was not clear were noted for further investigation. A few cases, 
chosen at random from the juvenile record, were always checked up 
with the original papers in the files, to find out whether the papers 
were complete and in order. Particular attention was given in the 
study of the records to the forms used, the adequacy of the infor- 
mation they called for and the completeness with which they were 
filled out. 
In the second place, personal interviews were obtained, always 
with the county judge w'ho acted as judge of the juvenile court and 
whenever possible, with the ex-probation officer or person now acting 
unofficially in that capacity, the truancy officer, county sheriff, city 
chief of police, chairman of board of county commissioners, secretary 
of local charity organization society, or any other available persons 
who were familiar with local conditions. They were questioned 
about the method of hearing juvenile cases, the method of handling 
children pending commitment or preceding trial, the conduct of 
the probation work, the actual working relationship between the 
court and state and private institutions, the placing-out work carried 
on in many counties by the judge, and the local causes of delinquency 
and dependency. It was impossible, in the time at our disposal, 
to test the value of such probation work as was being done, by Juvenile Courts and Probation 
145 
personally investigating any cases. Whenever the records showed 
that children had been held in jail, the places of detention were 
visited, to note proximity to adult prisoners, sanitation of building, 
and quality of food provided. 
Extent of Jurisdiction 
The juvenile court law of Oklahoma applies to all children under 
16 who are dependent, neglected, or delinquent. A later addition 
to the code requires juvenile court judges to report "wayward" 
girls to the Governor, "who shall provide for them." In actual 
practice "wayward" is usually interpreted as meaning "delinquent." 
The term is nowhere defined. The statute makes no distinction 
between the terms "dependent" and "neglected." Section 4412 of 
the 1910 code defines a dependent or neglected child as:- 
"any child who for any reason is destitute, homeless or abandoned; 
or dependent upon the public for support; or has not proper parental 
care or guardianship; or who habitually begs or receives alms; or who 
is found living in any house of ill-fame; or within a vicious or dissolute 
place; or whose home by reason of neglect, cruelty or depravity on the 
part of its parents, guardians or any other persons in whose care it may 
be, is an unfit place for such a child; and any child under the age of 8 
who is found begging, singing or playing any musical instrument upon 
the street, or giving any public entertainment, or who accompanies 
or is used in aid of any person so doing." 
A delinquent child is "any child under 16 who violates any law of 
the United States or of Oklahoma, or any city or village ordinance; or 
who is incorrigible either at home or in school; or who knowingly asso- 
ciates with thieves or vicious or immoral persons; or who without just 
cause and without consent of parents or custodian absents himself from 
home or place of abode; or who is growing up in idleness or crime; 
or who knowingly frequents a house of ill-repute or gaming house; or 
who visits public pool rooms or bucket shops, or who idly roams the streets 
at night; or habitually wanders about any railroad yards or tracks; 
or habitually uses obscene, vulgar or profane language; or who is im- 
moral in any public place or about any schoolhouse; or is addicted 
to intoxicating liquors or any injurious drugs or uses cigarettes." 
The distinction between delinquents and dependents is clearly 
drawn in the law, yet children are frequently entered in the juvenile 
record as "delinquents" when a glance at the charge against them 
shows only dependency. 146 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
In some cases this is due to the carelessness of the recording clerk, but 
in one instance a judge who is serving his second term, and who handled 
at least 70 children during 1916, told the investigator in all seriousness 
that there was no difference in the eyes of the law between a delinquent 
and a dependent child, that the two terms meant practically the same 
thing. Later, in conversation with the superintendent of the Oklahoma 
Children's Home Society, it developed that the same judge was sending 
dependent children to this organization to be placed out for adoption, 
but classed them as "delinquent" on the commitment papers. 
In another court, action was brought against a 5-day-old baby as a 
"delinquent." 
In still another court three little colored girls, 12, 11, and 9 years old, 
were committed to the state school for dependent and defective colored 
children as "delinquents," at the request of their mother, on the ground 
that "she is a widow and unable to care for them." 
Provided the child gets to the proper institution he may suffer 
no immediate ill effect from this improper classification, but the 
record stands against him on the court books and may some day 
be used to his discredit. Further, unless a complete record of the 
child is sent with him to the institution, and this is seldom done, 
the superintendent may consider him a delinquent child, he may 
be placed with the wrong group of children, and his chance at being 
placed in a good family home may be correspondingly delayed. 
In practice the terms "dependent" and "neglected" seem to be 
used interchangeably. This is perhaps to be expected since the law 
itself applies the same definition to both groups, but it is a great pity 
that no attention is paid to the decided difference in parental attitude 
which the two terms, when correctly used, imply. Oklahoma has 
no law which provides for the punishment of adults contributing 
to the dependency or delinquency of children, and action is seldom 
begun against the parents who are guilty of neglecting their children, 
unless the neglect involves positive cruelty. 
Since instances of inaccurate classification were found in nearly 
every court visited, the state-wide statistics on delinquency and 
dependency among children, which one should be able to compile 
from the judges' reports on file in the office of the State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction, have no value unless the charge against 
the individual child is known. 
The juvenile court law makes no statement regarding defective 
children but the law establishing the State School for the Feeble- Juvenile Courts and Probation 
147 
minded provides that the admittance of children unable to pay 
charges shall be only on court commitment. Admittance to the 
schools for the deaf and the blind is on voluntary application, with- 
out court action. 
The jurisdiction of the juvenile court, once established over a 
child, continues during minority, which is in Oklahoma 18 years for 
girls and 21 years for boys, or until the child shall have been dis- 
charged on order of the court. The conflict between this section 
of the juvenile court law and the provision which gives the privilege 
of paroling a child from the institution to the superintendent of that 
institution, will be discussed later in the report. (See page 157.) 
The judge of the juvenile court may waive jurisdiction in certain 
cases and turn the child back to the criminal court for trial. 
Only three instances were found in the course of this study where such 
action had been taken. All occurred in the same court, under the same 
judge. All concerned boys of 15, accused of burglary (three different 
cases). In at least one case, there was doubt as to the boy's age; in the 
other two, the details recorded were so meager that it was impossible 
to tell the reasons for the judge's action. 
The fact that boys of 16 and under were found in the State Reformatory 
at Granite (see report on Institutional Care of Children, p. 182) would 
indicate that other judges may also be waiving jurisdiction in cases 
which seem to them to involve serious offenses. 
Organization and Procedure 
It is essential, in discussing the organization and procedure of a 
juvenile court, to have some idea of the number of cases which are 
likely to come before it in the course of a year. Oklahoma has only 
ten cities with a population over 10,000, and the largest number of 
children handled in 1916 by any court visited in our study (which 
included all the largest courts) was 159, an average of 13 a month. 
During the eight years which have elapsed since the juvenile court 
was established in Oklahoma, the largest number of petitions filed 
in any one court was 552 in Oklahoma County. 
The table appended shows for each county visited the number of 
children who passed through the court in 1916 and the total number 
of petitions filed in the court since 1909. One petition, of course, 
may include more than one child but it did not seem practicable to 
check back through all the petitions in the larger courts to determine 148 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
the exact number of children involved. It is also true that some of 
these petitions may represent cases which were never brought to 
trial, because the complainant dropped the matter, or the family 
moved away or for some such reason, but on the other hand, we 
found that many judges do not enter in the juvenile record all the 
children's cases which they hear, so perhaps one element of in- 
accuracy may offset the other. 
COUNTY 
NUMBER OF 
CHILDREN 
PASSING 
THROUGH COURT 
IN 1916 
TOTAL NUMBER 
OF PETITIONS 
FILED SINCE 
ESTABLISHEMNT 
OF COURT 
Alfalfa 
13 
23 
Bryan 
12 
99 
Canadian 
11 
58 
Coal 
21 
43 
Comanche 
22 
89 
Custer 
5 
29 
Garfield 
15 
68 
Jackson 
4 
40 
Logan 
8 
18 
Mayes 
3 
64 
McIntosh 
9 
33 
Muskogee 
73 
353 
Oklahoma 
159 
552 
Pittsburg 
74 
245 
Pottawatomie 
31 
186 
Rogers 
19 
77 
Stephens 
7 
29 
Tulsa 
131 
472 
Wagoner 
1 
24 
W ashington 
20 
79 
Obviously, in courts where only three, seven or fifteen children 
are handled during an entire year, it would be absurd to expect the 
formal procedure necessary in a court which handled hundreds. 
It is not absurd to expect, however, that the transactions of the 
court should be fully recorded and that the spirit of the juvenile 
court law should be preserved in the manner of hearing the case Juvenile Courts and Probation 
149 
and in the attitude of the judge toward the child. It should be even 
easier to attain these ends in the rural courts than in the city. 
The county judges who preside over the juvenile court in 
Oklahoma are elected every two years. To be eligible for office, a 
man must be a qualified voter, a resident of the county and a lawyer 
licensed to practice in any court of record. Judges draw a salary 
ranging from $1350 to $3500, according to the size of the county. 
Aside from their juvenile court duties they must handle all the probate 
work of the county and certain civil cases and appeal cases may 
come to them. 
The short term, combined with the small number of children's 
cases, is peculiarly unfortunate. In only three courts in the state, 
Tulsa, McAlester and Oklahoma City, is the number of juvenile 
cases large enough to present itself at once as a real problem to a 
new man. Elsewhere, these hearings are likely to be regarded as 
incidental to the main business of the court and to receive correspond- 
ingly scant attention. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. 
A few judges were found in the rural counties who are taking time, 
not only to give a thorough hearing to the juvenile cases brought 
before them, but also to do definite preventive work. 
One such judge who is serving his second term attributes the decrease 
in juvenile delinquency in his court to the passage of a curfew ordinance, 
which he says is really well enforced; to a successful effort to drive out 
of town those junk dealers who persisted in buying from small boys; 
and to the personal calls which he made upon every tobacco dealer in 
town after the passage of the anti-cigarette law to give warning that 
he would prosecute to the limit anyone found selling cigarettes to minors. 
A situation peculiar to Oklahoma arises from the large number 
of cases involving Indian lands. Occasionally this business assumes 
such proportions as to occupy most of the judge's time. 
In McIntosh County, over 2,000 guardians of Indian children are said 
to report annually to the court. Muskogee and Tulsa Counties also 
report heavy work of this sort. 
Any reputable citizen may bring action in the juvenile court 
by filing a petition in which the alleged offense is specified. Notice 
is served upon the parents or guardian of the child by summons 
rather than by warrarit, although a warrant may be issued if nec- 
essary. Jury trial is guaranteed on request and the right of appeal 150 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
is established. Cases are to be heard "in a summary manner." 
This clause is usually interpreted to mean a hearing in chambers, in- 
formal and private. 
Out of the 20 counties included in our study, 10 reported that children's 
cases were heard in open court, but six of these added that outsiders 
seldom attended. Six reported that cases were always heard in cham- 
bers. One judge varied the hearing according to the nature of the 
offense. If a "crime" was charged, the trial took place in open court, 
otherwise in chambers. In three counties the information was not 
secured. 
Informal hearings at which the judge discusses the charge with 
the child and the complainant before a formal petition is made out, 
thus frequently saving the child from a court record, were reported 
from Washington, Logan and Garfield Counties. 
No court was visited in which physical or mental examinations 
were made a part of the regular procedure or were even occasionally 
resorted to, except where children were committed to institutions 
which demanded a certificate of health. The juvenile court law 
provides that the judge may order medical treatment for a sick 
child, if it can be secured without expense to the county. No instance 
was found where this had been done. 
Disposition of Child Pending Trial or Commitment 
The juvenile court law of Oklahoma provides {Section 4419) 
that pending trial, the child may be left at home or kept in care of 
sheriff, police or probation officer, but no child under 12 may be 
committed to a jail or police station. A later section (44^) provides: 
"When any child shall be sentenced to confinement in any institution 
to which adult convicts are sentenced it shall be unlawful to confine 
said child within the same yard or enclosure where adult convicts 
are confined or to bring him into any yard or building in which adult 
convicts may be present." He may be permitted to return to his 
home if the judge has confidence in the parents, or he may be cared 
for, as while awaiting trial, by probation officer, sheriff or police. 
The age limit is too low and a penalty clause should be attached if 
the law is to be truly effective but the intention of its framers was 
obviously to establish the right method of procedure. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
151 
In practice, frequent violations of the law take place-how 
frequent, it is impossible to say with certainty, even for the counties 
visited, because not all county jails record age of prisoners received 
and the court records seldom give any indication of the method of 
detention used. During 1916, 13 counties reported to the State 
Commissioner of Charities and Correction that children were at 
times held in jail. They were Beckham, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, 
Cleveland, Craig, Kingfisher, Le Flore, Love, McCurtain, Mayes, 
Pittsburg and Tulsa counties. In addition, out of the counties 
visited, Bryan, Comanche, Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Washington, 
were found occasionally to resort to the jail as a place of confinement. 
MUSKOGEE 
Muskogee has attached a little wooden shack or "hold-over" to the 
rear of the county jail, in which there is a steel cell with six bunks for 
children's use. 
On the day of the inspection, a 15-year-old boy had been for 21 days 
in this cell, awaiting the time when some one from the sheriff's office 
would take him to the Boys' Training School at Pauls Valley. 
The records here showed that between January 1, 1916, and February 
22, 1917, 23 boys under 16 had been held in the county jail for periods 
varying from a few hours to 21 days. 
TULSA 
In the Tulsa County Jail, no record is kept of the ages of the prisoners 
so it was impossible to check back on the number of children held. 
On March 28, the night preceding the inspection, three boys, one 13, 
one 11, and one, age unknown, had been locked up in the "padded cell" 
all night. The cell, which is ordinarily used for the violently insane, 
could not have been more than ten feet square and the only ventilation 
was from a narrow grating at the top. The boys, after their trial the 
day before, had amused themselves by turning on the faucets in an 
adjoining room and flooding the courtroom. Brought up to the jail, 
in high glee, they had attempted to repeat the exploit and an irate jailer 
had put them "where they would be safe." The "woman's department," 
where such culprits are usually kept, is part of the cell block with only 
an iron grating to separate it from the men. 
Ordinarily, all children are turned over at once to the Humane Society 
which carries on the probation work for the juvenile court, and are 
cared for in its detention home. 
BARTLESVILLE 
Only three children were held in the Washington County Jail during 
1916, one for three days, one for four, and one for five. 152 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
McAlester 
In Pittsburg County, nine children under 16 were held in the county 
jail during 1916, and five had been committed up to April 10, 1917. 
The judge of the juvenile court told the investigator about one Indian 
boy, aged 11, whom he had recently committed to the jail for a few 
days, but the name was not entered on the jailer's book. When ques- 
tioned about the omission, the man said that they did not always enter 
the children's names if the offense was slight and the child was held 
for a short time only. So the figures quoted above may represent only 
a fraction of the whole number of children. They are not separated 
in any way from the other prisoners. 
OKLAHOMA CITY 
The records at the county jail do not give the age of prisoners so it was 
impossible to trace the number of children held, except when the place 
to which the prisoner was sent was clearly an institution for children. 
Five cases were found where it was clear that the prisoner was under 
16. Two boys were held over night, two for eight days each, and one 
for seven. All were destined for Pauls Valley. 
The Oklahoma City jail is not used as a place of permanent detention 
for children. Any whom the city court sentences are transferred to the 
county jail. Yet during 1916, 76 boys and 8 girls under 16 were held 
in the city jail for periods varying from a few hours to nine days. 
Forty-two were released on the same day they were received, however, 
including all but four of the children under 12 years detained there. 
With the single exception of Muskogee, where the children 
are completely isolated from adults in the county jail, no jail was 
visited where detention in the "woman's ward" or the "hospital 
ward" or the "corridors" prevented the children from seeing and 
hearing adult prisoners. It did prevent actual physical abuse. 
The judges interviewed divide themselves into two distinct 
groups on the question of committing children to jail. The majority 
of them believe it to be a bad thing, but necessary, since there is 
"no other place to keep the boys." Girls are so seldom held that 
they hardly enter into the discussion. A few men think the experience 
is wholly salutary, as a warning to others. In the three largest 
courts, there is real need for some suitable place of detention for 
the large boys who need disciplinary restraint and for the really 
immoral girls who should be kept away from the merely wayward. 
As it is, the boys are sent to jail and the girls are released. The 
lack of a probation officer often makes it necessary to hold children Juvenile Courts and Probation 
153 
several days until someone from the sheriff's office can find time to 
escort them to an institution. 
Detention Homes • 
The conditions described in the preceding section would be 
unnecessary if the law permitted the erection of detention homes 
in at least the larger counties. As it is, Oklahoma County uses the 
receiving home of the Oklahoma Children's Home Society for certain 
cases, chiefly dependent and neglected children and Tulsa County 
uses the refuge of the Tulsa Humane Society in the same way. 
Pittsburg County boards out its dependent children and a few of 
its delinquents in a private family home. All pay a per capita charge 
from the county funds. But, as we have seen, each one of these 
counties also resorts to its jail as a place of confinement for delin- 
quent children. 
Chapter 165 of the Session Laws of 1915 authorized counties of 
population between 24,800 and 25,100 by the last census to levy a 
tax of not more than one-half mill for establishing a county home for 
the maintenance of neglected and dependent children. 
The population limits are said to confine the operation of this 
law to the county of Oklahoma, but as a matter of fact, the United 
States Census of 1910 lists no county whose population falls within 
these limits and no county has started such a home. 
It should be possible at least for the counties having cities with 
a population over 10,000, if the number of juvenile cases warrants 
it, to erect and maintain a detention home at public expense. In the 
less thickly settled counties, arrangements can be made for boarding 
the children in well-selected family homes, also at public expense. 
Final Disposition of Child 
If a delinquent child is found guilty of the offense charged, 
four courses are open to the judge: he may release on suspended 
sentence; he may put on probation; he may place out or board in 
a suitable family home; or he may commit to the proper institution 
or organization. "Wayward" girls must be reported by the county 
judges to the Governor, "who shall provide for them." This is 
simply a means of commitment to the Girls' Industrial School which 154 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
has heretofore been a semi-private institution, caring for such girls 
by contract with the Governor. 
Probation 
Probation work includes three distinct tasks, the preliminary 
investigation, the presentation of the case in court, and the super- 
vision of the child after the hearing. Since the legislature of 1915 
abolished the position of probation officer in Oklahoma, only one 
of these tasks is being attempted, except in courts which still retain 
a probation officer under another name. The juvenile court judges 
can, and do, in many cases supervise the child after trial, laying 
down certain conditions which he must observe, and requiring him 
to report to them regularly. But the judge cannot properly go out 
to investigate a case which is to come before him for a hearing and 
he cannot present the substance of such findings to himself as pre- 
siding justice. 
Nine of the 20 judges interviewed had one or more children 
on probation to them at the time and only one judge said he never 
had a case on probation. 
No written reports of the visits of probationers were kept in 
any court visited. It was impossible to tell how regularly they kept 
their weekly or monthly appointments or on what points they gave 
information to the judge. The possibilities of doing constructive 
work during the probation period were seldom realized. 
Besides the probation work of the judges, a probation officer 
was still at work in three of the counties which were visited. 
TULSA 
In Tulsa, the superintendent of the Humane Society, who formerly 
acted as probation officer on salary, continued to give his services without 
pay after his position was abolished by the legislature. 
In 1916, 1,950 calls were made on juvenile cases. 102 boys were placed 
on probation and 21 girls. One hundred and eighteen children were 
admitted to the detention home (this would include a few children 
admitted by other than court procedure) and 96 were discharged, 33 of 
them to family homes for adoption. Nineteen boys were sent to Pauls 
Valley and five girls to Oklahoma City. The juvenile record lists 131 
children as being petitioned against, although in some cases, impossible 
to tell how many, no further action was taken. The officer makes an 
investigation into the family circumstances and reports to the judge 
at each hearing. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
155 
BARTLESVILLE 
Washington County has a bailiff-probation officer who has served ever 
since the juvenile court law went into effect. Only 20 cases passed 
through the court last year, but the officer claims to have settled many 
outside of the court. No record whatever is kept of the probation work, 
except the few notes which the officer jots down for personal reference 
in his own notebook. 
OKLAHOMA CITY 
The "probation files" contained only the duplicates of petition, commit- 
ment papers, and history sheets. The present officer, who was new in 
the position, knew nothing about them. His predecessor claims to have 
sent only five boys to Pauls Valley during his two years in office and 
says he never used the jail for detention purposes. 
Only one other county, Carter, reported a probation officer 
in 1917, but Okmulgee County is said to have a good man at work. 
In two definite ways, the removal of the officer has weakened 
the work of the juvenile courts:- 
(1) There is now no way of touching the recognized delinquency 
against which no one is willing to make out a formal petition. Form- 
erly the judge could send out the probation officer to investigate the 
alleged wrong-doing, and if he thought best, to make out the petition 
against the offender. 
(2) The only person now available to act as escort when a child 
has been committed to an institution, is the sheriff, or one of his 
deputies. A longer time is apt to elapse between the time of com- 
mitment and the time of delivery to the institution than was the 
case when a man was specially employed for the juvenile work, 
and this time the child frequently spends in jail. 
It is impossible to tell whether the loss of the officer has greatly 
increased the number of commitments to state institutions, because 
in 1915 only two such institutions were available for delinquents, 
and both were receiving up to their capacity. The fact that both 
have been enlarged and that training schools for the negroes have 
been added does not necessarily indicate an increase in delinquency 
or inability on the part of the judges to handle the situation without 
the probation officer, but simply a previous lack of adequate facilities 
for care. The court records are too incomplete to form any basis of 
comparison. 156 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Placing-out Work 
No court was visited in which the judge does not occasionally 
place out children for adoption. This function is considered so 
important that a section is given over to it in the chapter on Home 
Finding, page 199) and it will not be discussed here except to say 
that the same lack of adequate records characterizes it, that there 
is practically no investigation of homes before the placement and 
no supervision of the child once placed. 
Commitment to Institution 
Few judges believe in committing a delinquent child to an 
institution for a first offense unless it is particularly serious. Yet 
occasional instances were discovered where commitment seemed 
decidedly premature. 
Two boys, ten and nine years old, broke into a store by means of a 
skeleton key, "with intent to steal." They were caught before they 
took anything and it was a first offense for both, yet they were com- 
mitted to the State Training School at Pauls Valley "for minority, unless 
sooner discharged." 
There can be no doubt that some children are committed to 
institutions as dependents when an adequate investigation would 
produce relatives able and willing to care for them. 
In a Bryan County case, a worthless mother asked for the commitment 
of her son to an institution and it was granted. The boy's father, who 
had been separated from his wife for five years, was not notified. As 
soon as he heard what had happened, he produced evidence of his 
ability to provide a good home for his son and the boy was released 
to him. 
When it is impossible to get children into the proper state 
institutions at once, they are frequently given into the charge of 
private organizations or are occasionally held at the county poor 
farm or placed with private citizens. 
No serious criticisms were heard of the present methods of 
commitment to state institutions. The institutions, however, 
have much to say on the inadequacy of the records which accom- 
pany the children sent them, and the lack of understanding which 
will send a dependent child to an institution for delinquents, or 
vice versa. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
157 
Parole 
Once adjudged delinquent, the child remains a ward of the court 
until he is 21, or until he shall have been discharged on order of the 
court and the court may "during the period of wardship cause such 
child to be returned to such court for further or other proceedings, 
including parole or release from an institution." Ten days notice 
must be given the superintendent of any institution before parole 
hearing for any of his charges, unless his consent to the parole has 
previously been filed in writing. The preceding section (44^, 
Code of 1910) gives the same power of parole to the superintendent 
of the institution, to be granted "under such conditions as he may 
prescribe." This obvious conflict of powers occasionally makes 
trouble. 
There seems to be in the minds of most judges interviewed, 
the impression that they retain their jurisdiction over the delin- 
quents, but in case of dependents transfer jurisdiction to the in- 
stitution or agency receiving the child. This uncertainty about the 
meaning of the law ought to be cleared up. It seems more reasonable 
to expect the superintendent of the institution, who is presumably 
more familiar with the child's actual improvement under super- 
vision, to pass upon his application for parole than to leave the power 
in the hands of the judge, on whom the child's parents can some- 
times exert much pressure. 
Although the superintendent of the institution is supposed to 
notify the judge when a boy who has been committed from his 
county is ready for parole, this is not always done. 
Recently a boy who is a pyromaniac was sent home "on leave of absence," 
without the knowledge of the judge. When he accidently heard of the 
boy's return, the judge insisted that he be sent back to the institution, 
and he went. 
Some judges keep in close touch with boys after their parole, 
requiring monthly reports of good conduct, and helping them to 
find work if over school age. Others feel no responsibility in the 
matter, provided the boy commits no further offenses which bring 
him to court notice. 
None of the training schools has a parole officer. The mere 
fact that the percentage of returns for violation of parole is not high 
means little unless we know what has happened to the boy, and 158 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
unless someone is responsible for him, we have no means of getting 
information. 
Records and Reports 
The juvenile court law of Oklahoma provides that a separate 
docket and record book must be kept for children's cases. Only 
one county was visited which did not comply with this requirement, 
but there was the widest possible variety in the printed form of the 
record. 
In general, the same forms were used for both dependents and 
delinquents, sometimes with blank spaces to be filled in with the 
proper description, and sometimes with descriptions of both classes 
printed and instructions given to cross out the phrases which did 
not fit. Some courts, for instance, print the entire definition of the 
delinquent child, as given in the statute, and the clerk is supposed 
to go over it and cross out those offenses which are not charged 
against this individual offender. Errors are less likely to occur 
when the offense charged in the petition is written out in a space 
left for it. 
Custer, Garfield, Stephens and Wagoner counties use a book 
in which, after the name of the child and the nature of action (i.e., 
dependency or delinquency charge), attorney, etc., are recorded, 
space is ruled off for fees to judge, officers, witnesses. Few courts 
visited make a custom of charging any fees at all for the juvenile 
work, but others charge the full amount allowed by law. 
The printed forms followed in Mayes County were not only 
adequate in their inclusion of the copy of petition, notice to persons 
interested, order of continuance and final order, but suggestive, 
in the provision of space for recording two items on which informa- 
tion is desirable and seldom obtainable: the disposition of the child 
pending continuance, and the date when each case was reported to 
the State Commissioner of Charities and Correction. 
However, the best record forms are valueless unless they are 
intelligently filled out and kept up to date. Mayes County had 
entered no cases since 1912; Pittsburg, none since 1913. To get 
the number of children handled by these courts in 1916, it was nec- 
essary to check through the court papers, and experience in other 
courts taught the investigators that the court papers themselves 
were often incomplete. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
159 
The inadequacy of the records concerning children placed 
out in private homes for adoption or on contract by the county judges 
will be discussed in the chapter on Home Finding, page 200). 
Most of the judges seemed to feel that the records were of 
secondary importance and the investigator could not find that the 
courts which once had probation officers, or still had them, fared 
much better than the others so far as the kind and amount of in- 
formation recorded was concerned. 
There are no written records of probation work in any court 
in the state. 
The law requires the clerk of the juvenile court, or the judge 
acting in that capacity, to report annually to the State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction, upon blanks to be furnished by him, 
"the number and disposition of delinquent children brought before 
such court, together with such other useful information regarding 
such cases and the parentage of such children as may reasonably 
be obtained at the trial thereof; provided that the name or identity 
of any such child or parent shall not be disclosed in the report." 
This information as filed at the office of the State Commissioner 
is neither complete nor clear. The blank form issued by the depart- 
ment is poorly arranged for statistical tabulation; certain questions 
are not clear as they stand; and no follow-up work checks inac- 
curacies or obvious misunderstandings. 
Causes of Juvenile Delinquency and Dependency 
The absence of any reliable state-wide statistics on juvenile 
dependency and delinquency such as these reports to the State Com- 
missioner of Charities and Correction should give, the lack of any 
probation officer's investigation to supplement the petition on file in 
the local courts, no transcript of the testimony given, no record what- 
ever of the family situation, and the petitions themselves often very 
incomplete-such a situation makes it practically useless to attempt 
to classify causes of delinquency by the technical charges brought 
against the children. 
Petit larceny and "delinquency" among the boys and immoral 
conduct among the girls held the same high proportion here as 
elsewhere. Some judges will assure you that all the troubles lie in 
lack of family control. Others think the "broken family" contributes 160 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
more than its proportionate share to the juvenile court docket. 
A few recognized the effect of local conditions which might be 
remedied: unsupervised motion picture shows, cheap dance-halls, the 
custom of permitting young boys to act as "newsies" and night mes- 
sengers, the sale of cigarettes to minors, the operation of pool-rooms 
and billiard parlors, but no one mentioned the need for legitimate 
amusement which is even greater in the small towns and rural com- 
munities than in the cities, and only one man spoke of making the 
public schools more attractive as a means of reducing truancy. 
Illegitimacy causes much dependency in Oklahoma where the 
oil fields attract men of easy morals, and spectacular fortunes are 
made over night. Wife desertion, sickness, insanity, low wages, 
and the bleak poverty of the tenant farmer contribute their share. 
Intemperance is no longer an important factor, since the state went 
dry some years ago. But these factors are all opinions drawn from 
scattering records and from the personal experience of the judges. 
Figures to back them will remain lacking until the juvenile court 
work of the state is made more uniform and complete. 
Causes of Failure 
If we accept the distinction drawn in "Juvenile Courts and 
Probation"* between the juvenile court and the criminal court 
ideas in the treatment of children, namely, that "emphasis is laid 
not on the act done by the child but on the social facts and cir- 
cumstances that are really the inducing cause of the child's appear- 
ance in court," and that "the purpose of the proceeding here is 
not punishment but correction of conditions, care and treatment of 
the child, and the prevention of a recurrence through the con- 
structive work of the courts," we cannot but feel that the juvenile 
courts of Oklahoma on the whole are failing to accomplish the pur- 
poses for which they were created. It is not merely the absence of 
anything approaching the order and system of a city court. That 
could not be expected, perhaps, in the rural counties. Neither 
would it be fair to expect so elaborate a system of record forms as 
city needs might require. But it is surely not too much to demand 
that the court should be able to account for the disposition of its 
* Juvenile Courts and Probation, by Bernard Flexner and Roger N. Baldwin. 
The Century Co., 1914. Juvenile Courts and Probation 
161 
wards, and that the social facts brought out by the testimony of 
the witnesses and by the investigations of a probation officer should 
be made part of the permanent court record. Neither of these 
two conditions is at present fully met by any court visited in the 
State of Oklahoma. 
Three reasons, at least, occur at once in explanation of this 
failure: the lack of any supervising or standardizing agency; too 
frequent changes of judges; and lack of social understanding in the 
state at large. 
It is not at all strange that in Oklahoma, as in other states, the 
very fact of democratic independence makes for that inefficiency 
which need not necessarily, but often does accompany democracy. 
Seventy-seven counties, seventy-seven judges, likely to change every 
other year, each man free to carry out his own ideas in the admin- 
istration of the law, no friendly agency at the top to point the path,- 
is it any wonder that methods lack uniformity, and judges suffer 
from lack of contact with their kind? The readiness of response 
which greeted our study in practically every instance, the desire 
to know "what folks are doing in other places," the real eagerness 
to accomplish the best thing for the children, all evidenced the wel- 
come which a well-trained, tactful worker from a State Division of 
Child Welfare, for instance, might hope to win and gave proof of the 
kind of system he might gradually hope to evolve from the present 
chaos. Massachusetts has had a State Probation Commission since 
1908, New York since 1907. Neither state would claim that through 
it their juvenile courts have attained perfection, but certainly both 
have made more rapid progress than could otherwise have been 
achieved. 
So long as the juvenile court judge remains in office only two 
years, and handles a comparatively small number of children during 
that time, the work of the court will lack continuity. But if a pro- 
bation-truancy officer be appointed as we recommend by the county 
board of public welfare, (see report on Administration, page 282) he will 
be independent of local political changes and can supply the element 
of continuity at present lacking. He will be able to build up a wide 
acquaintance among the children of the county, and will familiarize 
himself with state and private institutions, so that when a new 
judge takes office, he may be able to profit by the experience of his 
predecessor in a way now impossible. 162 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Such an officer will also be a most helpful factor in developing 
the social understanding of the community. It is, after all, largely 
a question of articulating those kindly impulses which are found 
everywhere, and nowhere more abundantly than in the pioneer 
regions of the great Southwest. The establishment of county boards 
of public welfare will give to certain representative members of the 
community their first introduction to the social needs and resources 
of the county and state. They cannot help but grow in breadth 
of vision. They cannot help but pass on to their acquaintances 
some of the new ideas. The experience of other states has shown 
that gradually public opinion can be educated to the point where 
observation of the juvenile court law, and other laws pertaining 
to child welfare will be considered a matter of community concern. 
In the hope of hastening that time, we submit the following 
recommendations. 
Recommendations 
1. A State Child Welfare Division should be created under the 
State Department of Charities, its chief appointed by the Com- 
missioner of Charities and Correction. The duties of this Division 
should be to visit and inspect all institutions and agencies, public 
and private, which care for dependent, neglected or delinquent 
children; and to supervise the juvenile courts, the work of the 
county probation-truancy officer, the administration of the widows' 
pensions and any similar undertakings which directly affect the 
welfare of children. 
2. There should be a county probation-truancy officer in each 
county who will also act as school attendance officer outside of the 
independent (city) districts and have charge of taking the school 
census and issuing work permits through the whole county. He 
should be appointed by the county board of public welfare, sub- 
ject to the approval of the county board of education, and should 
receive pay from both bodies. 
3. The county board of public welfare should act as an advisory 
committee to the judge of the juvenile court. 
4. Counties containing a city of 10,000 or over, should be per- 
mitted to provide county detention homes, supported by public 
funds. Other counties should provide for temporary detention of Juvenile Courts and Probation 
163 
children in suitable family homes specially designated by, and 
subject to, the approval of the State Child Welfare Division. 
Adequate records and reports should be required of each such home. 
5. The age limit for holding a child in jail should be increased 
to 16, and a penalty provided for violation of the law. 
6. The juvenile court law should forbid the commitment of 
any child under 16 to any state reformatory or penitentiary and the 
Commissioner of Charities and Correction should have power to 
prosecute in the name of the state for any improper imprisonment 
of a child. 
7. Provision should be made for physical and mental exam- 
inations of every child brought before the juvenile court. 
8. A woman escort should be required for girls taken to in- 
stitutions. 
9. The institution to which a child has been committed should 
have the sole right to release the child on parole. 
10. All placing-out work now done by the county courts should 
be transferred to the State Child Welfare Division. 
11. The right to commit dependent or neglected children to 
the state training schools should be taken from the county judges. 
12. The now obsolete provision requiring juvenile court judges 
to report "wayward" girls to the Governor "who shall provide for 
them" should be repealed. 
13. New forms should be devised for reporting and recording 
necessary transactions in juvenile courts. 
14. A small manual should be prepared for distribution to 
county judges and probation officers, which would contain informa- 
tion on the juvenile court law of Oklahoma; the various institu- 
tions, public and private, to which children may be sent; the method 
of filling out court records in such commitments and reports to the 
State Child Welfare Division, and similar information. INSTITUTIONAL CARE OF CHILDREN 
Mabel Brown Ellis 
The Problem 
In March, 1917, approximately 2,300 children were receiving 
care in Oklahoma institutions. Nearly 1,550 were entirely sup- 
ported by the state, and about 750 by private philanthropy. Two 
hundred and seventy-two were deaf, 109, blind, 357, feeble-minded. 
Three hundred and nine were in training schools for delinquents 
and 481 in homes for dependents. Nearly three out of every thousand 
children under 20 were in an institution. 
These figures mean little, however, unless we know how many 
other children in the state need similar care. Unfortunately, esti- 
mates are available only for the defectives. The superintendent of 
the State School for the Blind says there are at least 300 blind children 
who ought to be reached. There are 250 known deaf in need of 
education, according to the superintendent of the School for the 
Deaf. Three hundred and fifty-seven feeble-minded and epileptic 
children are enrolled in the State School at Enid. At least 2,000 
more ought to be there if we accept the estimate of the superintendent. 
The State Home for Dependent Children at Pryor has been so 
overcrowded as to compel the superintendent to discontinue ad- 
mittance until the congestion could be relieved. The same course 
should have been followed at the institution at Taft, which has been 
shockingly overcrowded with the dependents of the negro race. 
Juvenile court judges have been compelled to release delinquent 
colored girls in need of institutional care because there has been 
no place where they could be sent, and a training school for colored 
boys has been available less than a year. There is still no place in 
the state, except in private hospitals, where the crippled or the 
syphilitic child can receive proper treatment. 
The legislature of 1917 attempted to meet two of the most 
pressing needs-by creating a state training school for delinquent 
colored girls and by establishing a second state home to be known 
as the West Oklahoma Home for White Children, on the grounds 
164 Institutional Care of Children 
165 
of the former Connell School of Agriculture at Helena. A bill was 
also passed making the Girls' Industrial School which has been 
heretofore conducted as a private institution, receiving delinquent 
girls by contract with the governor, a state institution under state 
management. 
The legislative appropriations for these and the seven other 
institutions for children supported by the state, total $1,050,065 
for the biennium 1917-18. The budgets of the eight private in- 
stitutions, from which it proved possible to get figures covering their 
last fiscal year, totalled $106,512.90. They cared for 463 children. 
The yearly per capita expense would then be approximately $230 
or $19.16 a month. On this basis, it would cost about $65,909 to 
care for the 283 children in the six institutions from which budgets 
were not secured. A rough estimate of the expenditures by private 
philanthropy for dependent children during the next biennium, 
would be about $343,205. With a grand total of $1,393,270 as an 
estimate for moneys to be expended by public and private institu- 
tions for children during the next two years, with a present institu- 
tional population of approximately 2,300 and two much needed 
new institutions to be opened within the year, it is obviously good 
business judgment for Oklahoma to inventory her present resources 
and to test her present methods of dealing with children in insti- 
tutions by modem standards of social efficiency. 
The fifth biennial report of the State Commissioner of Charities 
and Correction, which covers the period from January 11, 1915, 
to December 31, 1916, lists seven state institutions* and 15 private 
institutions devoted wholly or in part to the care of children. Be- 
tween the time when the report was published and the time our 
study began, one private institution, the Nazarene Rescue Home at 
Bethany, had been closed, and one state institution, the Negro 
Training School at McAlester, had been added. 
The list as it stood in March, 1917, follows: 
I. STATE INSTITUTIONS 
Approximate 
™ , , Enrollment 
a. For Dependents 
1. Oklahoma State Home, Pryor (white children) 275 
2. Industrial Institute for Deaf, Blind and Colored Orphans, Taft 
(negro children) 225 166 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Approximate 
b. For Delinquents Enrollment 
1. State Training School for Boys, Pauls Valley (white) 136 
2, State Training School for Boys, McAlester (negro) 50 
*3, Girls' Industrial School, Oklahoma City (white) 123 
c. For Defectives 
I. Institute for the Feeble-Minded, also receiving epileptics, Enid 
(white),. 350 
2. Institute for Deaf, Blind and colored Orphans, also receiving feeble- 
minded, Taft (negro), 225 
3. Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee (white) 109 
4. Oklahoma School for the Deaf, Sulphur (white) 272 
II. PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS 
(All for Dependents) 
a. Orphanages. No placing out done. 
1, Oklahoma Orphanage, Bethany (white) 17 
2. Murrow Indian Orphans' Home, Bacone (Indian) 54 
3, Page Farm, Tulsa (white) 60 
4. St. Joseph's Orphanage, Bethany (white) 73 
5. Oklahoma Odd Fellows' Home, Carmen (white) Ill 
6. Oklahoma Odd Fellows' Home, Checotah (white) 54 
b. Orphanages. Placing out done. 
, 1. Jabbok Faith Missionary Training Home, Thomas (white) 32 
2. Benevolent & Orphanage Association, Cornish (white) 21 
3. Masonic Home, Darlington (white) 168 
4. Sunbeam Orphanage, Oklahoma City (white) 39 
5. Baptist Orphans' Home, Oklahoma City (white) 58 
c. Home Finding Societies 
1. Child Saving Mission, Enid (white) 5 
Note. This number represents average in receiving home. 
Society handled 26 children in 1916. 
2. Oklahoma Children's Home Society, Oklahoma City (white) 14 
Note. This number represents average in receiving home. 
Society handled 172 children in 1916. 
d. Maternity Homes. (Placing out done.) 
1. Holmes' Home of Redeeming Love, Bethany (white). 40> 
* We have included the Girls' Industrial School among the state institutions 
because at the time of our study, it was wholly supported by state funds although 
privately managed and unsupervised by any state board. The legislature of 
191(7 placed the school entirely under state control. Institutional Care of Children 
167 
In addition to this list, the State Reformatory at Granite, was 
found to have received four 15-year-old boys and fifty-two 16-year- 
olds in the 16-month period ended October 31, 1916. It was there- 
fore included in the study. Eleven boys under 16 were received in 
approximately the same period by the warden of the State Peni- 
tentiary at McAlester. 
Since our study deals primarily with administrative problems 
it will be more convenient to separate in the discussion the insti- 
tutions supported by public funds for whose management the state 
can be held strictly accountable, from those supported by private 
funds where its powers are supervisory only. 
State Institutions 
SUPERVISION 
The state of Oklahoma maintains eight institutions for children, 
two of which receive negro children only, and six only whites. The 
dependent and defective children of the colored race go to Taft, and 
delinquent negro boys are sent to McAlester. For white children 
there are the State Home at Pryor where dependent boys and girls 
are sent pending placement in family homes, the Training School 
for delinquent boys at Pauls Valley, and a similar institution for 
delinquent girls at Oklahoma City, and the schools for defective 
children, the blind, deaf, feeble-minded and epileptic, at Muskogee, 
Sulphur, and Enid respectively. 
Six of these institutions have really a triple system of super- 
vision. The State Board of Public Affairs handles their financial 
transactions; the State Board of Education plans their adminis- 
trative policies; and the State Commissioner of Charities and 
Correction is given general powers of inspection with the right to 
make "suggestions," which in practice seem to have been confined 
to the correction of abuses rather than to the creation of standards 
or the collection of data of social significance. 
Over one institution, the Training School for Negro Boys, the 
State Board of Public Affairs was given exclusive jurisdiction, 
probably because it was already vested with the control of the 
State Penitentiary, on whose grounds this school was established. 
This question of convenience will no longer affect the situation when 168 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
the school is transferred to its new site at Taft, and it is extremely 
unfortunate that the new Training School for Negro Girls which will 
adjoin the negro institution for boys has also been placed under the 
State Board of Public Affairs. Since this board is made by law 
responsible for the management of penal and reformatory insti- 
tutions such an arrangement tends to create the impression that the 
training schools for negro children, unlike the similar schools for the 
whites, are penal rather than educational institutions. 
The Girls' Industrial School has up to this time been conducted 
as a private institution, unsupervised by any state department, but 
responsible to the governor with whom the superintendent signs a 
contract for the care of the girls. Senate bill 213, passed by the 
legislature of 1917, transforms this school from a private to a state 
institution, but continues it under the direct supervision of the 
governor alone. This is doubtless due to the arrangement by which 
juvenile court judges are required to "report wayward girls to the 
governor who shall provide for them." There seems to be no good 
reason, however, for relieving this one institution from the same 
kind of supervision as that provided for others similar to it in purpose. 
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction recommended 
in his last report that the schools at Enid, Pryor, Taft, and Pauls 
Valley be transferred to the supervision of the State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction, and that separate boards be established 
for the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind, each board 
to be composed of the state superintendent as chairman, and two 
members to be appointed by the governor, one of them a physician.* 
The plan of separate boards of control for state institutions has 
once been tried in Oklahoma and has been abandoned as unsatis- 
factory. The tendency everywhere is toward unified control. We 
would not favor a return to the old plan for the schools for the deaf 
and the blind, but we agree as to the wisdom of transferring the other 
schools, and we would add to the list which should be placed under 
the State Commissioner of Charities and Correction, or the proposed 
Division of Child Welfare, (see report on Administration, page 284) 
the new Girls' Industrial School and the Training Schools for Negro 
Boys and Girls which are to be located at Taft. The management 
*Sixth Biennial Report, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 
Oklahoma. 1916. Page 17. Institutional Care of Children 
169 
of the financial interests of these institutions, however, should con- 
tinue to be centered in the State Board of Public Affairs. (See report 
on Administration, page 284). 
PERSONNEL OF THE STAFF 
Perhaps in no way would the influence of a State Division of 
Child Welfare make itself felt more quickly than in its efforts to 
secure the selection of trained social workers for institutional posi- 
tions. Except at the schools for defective children not a single 
institution head in the state is a man of special social training or 
experience. If Oklahoma wishes her state institutions to rank well 
she must recognize the value of expert service and be willing to 
pay for it. 
The salaries now offered are only fair-$1800 to $2500 with 
maintenance. No provision is made for vacation or for traveling 
expenses. A State Division of Child Welfare, alive to the quickening 
which comes from mingling with leaders in one's field, would stim- 
ulate visits to state or national conferences of social workers, or to 
well-conducted institutions in other states, and higher professional 
standards might be expected to result. 
At present the whole power of appointing employees rests with 
the superintendent of the institution. Some system of civil service 
examination might well be introduced which would give him the 
privilege of selecting from a list of applicants whose technical ability 
has already been proved to the satisfaction of an examining board, 
the one whose personality best suited the particular position to be 
filled. All employees should have at least two weeks' vacation on 
pay during the year. Their hours of work should be reasonable 
and the salaries paid should be sufficient to attract and hold high- 
grade people. 
The spirit of the state schools with a single exception was ex- 
cellent, but there was not in all cases, evidence of the intelligence 
which must supplement devotion, if the child in the institution 
is to be made ready to return to the community on an equal footing 
with other children and if the underlying causes of his dependency 
or delinquency are to be removed. 
The number of employees appeared to be sufficient to handle 
the work satisfactorily everywhere except at Taft and the Girls' 170 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Industrial School, which were decidedly under-staffed, but more 
teachers could be used to great advantage in the School for the 
Deaf at Sulphur. 
PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT 
The physical equipment* of the state institutions can best be 
described in the separate paragraphs devoted to each. In general 
the housing is on the congregate plan, except at Pryor and Pauls 
Valley, where the cottage system is in use, and all except the Schools 
for the Blind and the Deaf have large farms, adjoining or easily 
accessible, which help to furnish employment for the children. 
Sanitary conditions were fairly good everywhere except at Taft. 
Dormitory space was generally inadequate and overcrowding re- 
sulted, in a few cases, to a very serious degree. 
In detail, the state institutions have the following physical 
equipment: 
1. Oklahoma State Home, Pryor. On outskirts of village of Pryor. Forty 
acres in campus. Farm of 320 acres, a mile from campus; 31 buildings; 
8 cottages and dormitories, 6 of brick and 2 of frame construction; 
school building, frame; one mechanical building used as school-house, 
brick; administration building, used also as dormitory and school 
building, stone; hospital, laundry, commissary, bakery, detention 
cottage, farm residence and farm buildings, frame. Total value of 
buildings, $150,875. Total value of equipment, $29,300. 
2. Industrial Institute for Deaf, Blind and Colored Orphans, Taft. Eight 
miles from Muskogee. 101 acres belonging to institution; 180 acres 
additional rented. Buildings:-girls' dormitory, brick; boys' dormitory, 
frame; superintendent's residence, frame; light and heating plant; barn. 
Total value, farm and buildings, $48,900. 
3. State Training School for Boys, Pauls Valley. Four miles from village 
of Pauls Valley. 400 acres belong to institution; 80 acres additional 
rented. (Institution land poor for farming.) 16 buildings:-4 dormi- 
tories, brick; school building, brick; industrial or trade building, brick; 
hospital, laundry, dining hall and kitchen, administration building, 
heating plant, all of brick; 2 residences, frame; three barns, frame. 
Total value of buildings, $100,000. Total value of equipment, $4,000. 
4. State Training School for Negro Boys, McAlester. On grounds of State 
Penitentiary. Institution owns no land, but the boys work about 100 
*Figures on value of buildings and equipment taken from Sixth Biennial 
Report of State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1916. Institutional Care of Children 
171 
acres belonging to the penitentiary. One building, brick, first floor 
used for storage of farm implements, feed, harness, etc. Boys occupy 
second and third stories. Building adjoins penitentiary stables. 
5. Girls' Industrial School, Oklahoma City. Within city limits, but at some 
distance from other dwellings. 160 acre farm. Three buildings, all 
frame; administration building and dormitory; schoolhouse and dor- 
mitory; isolation cottage. Figures on value of buildings and equipment 
not available. 
6. State School for Feeble-minded, Enid. One mile from city of Enid. 
5-acre campus, 640-acre farm. Number of buildings, 13: 4 dormitories, 
school building, administration building, hospital, laundry and power- 
house, all of brick; farm house, two barns and dairy barn, frame. Total 
value of buildings, $130,000. Total value of equipment, $16,548.30. 
7. Oklahoma School for the Blind, Muskogee. One-half mile from city limits 
of Muskogee. 25-acre campus. 6 buildings; administration building 
and two cottages of reinforced concrete; heating plant, laundry and 
gymnasium, frame. Value of buildings and equipment, $110,000. 
8. Oklahoma School for the Deaf, Sulphur. In outskirts of village of Sulphur. 
74 acres. 5 buildings: school building, two dormitories, dining hall 
and power plant and laundry, all of brick. Total value of buildings, 
$181,347.37. Total value of equipment, $21,809.73. 
HEALTH 
Although each one of the state institutions has a paid physician 
on its staff, only one, Enid, makes a practice of giving a complete 
physical examination to each child on admittance and recording 
the results of that and subsequent examinations in permanent form. 
At the Girls' Industrial School the physical diagnosis and recommenda- 
tions are recorded, together with a running statement of the treatments 
given. But such important facts as height, weight, condition of heart 
and lungs are not entered. 
At the School for the Blind, children are usually weighed soon after 
admittance and again shortly before the end of the school year. The 
attending oculist examines their eyes and prescribes treatment for the 
partially sighted whose vision can be improved, but his records are kept 
at his own office, not at the school. 
No institution in the state has a resident physician. No records 
are anywhere kept of the number of visits which the attending 
physician pays to the school. Without exception he is available 
on call, and no one of the men employed is farther than four miles 
from the institution. 172 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
At the Girls' Industrial School the doctor regularly spends every Sunday 
morning examining the girls. At McAlester the penitentiary physician 
looks in on his daily rounds. Elsewhere, the attending physician visits 
"nearly every day." 
Fifty dollars a month is the salary paid at Pryor, Taft, Sulphur, 
and Pauls Valley. The physician at Taft has to furnish all needed 
medicine for 225 children from this salary. Forty-five dollars each 
is paid the physician and oculist at the School for the Blind. 
Only three of the State institutions provide adequate hospital 
care for their inmates. 
Pryor and Pauls Valley have small hospital buildings on the grounds, 
in charge of a resident nurse. At Pryor she is a "practical nurse," with- 
out hospital experience. Information as to the nurse's training was 
not obtained at Pauls Valley. The legislature of 1917 appropriated 
funds for a hospital at Sulphur. Taft has a so-called "hospital room" 
in which the entire furnishings consist of six single cots, a table and a 
chair. It is in charge of the boys' matron who is much over-burdened 
with her ordinary duties. At McAlester ten beds are set aside in a 
separate room for hospital purposes. The Girls' Industrial School uses 
rooms in the dormitory for minor illness, but has a small isolation cottage 
for contagious disease. The older girls act as nurses. Enid, which is, 
properly speaking, a hospital in itself, has a splendidly equipped building 
with a small training school for nurses under a graduate nurse, and very 
good medical work is being done by a competent man. 
The other institutions must depend upon hospital care in nearby 
cities for seriously ill children and must rearrange dormitory accom- 
modations for slight illness. 
No institution has a dentist on the staff. No institution makes 
a practice of having teeth examined once a year or cleaned by a 
dentist or even filled unless the child has the toothache or the de- 
cayed condition is particularly obvious. 
Tooth-brushes are provided at Pryor, at Enid and at Oklahoma City. 
At Muskogee and Sulphur, children are expected to buy their own. If 
they cannot do so brushes are given them. At Muskogee, children are 
required to brush their teeth after each meal. Information was not 
obtained for McAlester and Pauls Valley. 
No institution has a consulting staff of specialists. The nearest 
approach to service of this sort was an all-day clinic held at Pryor 
during the summer of 1916, when the State Health Commissioner 
brought a group of nose and throat specialists to the institution to Institutional Care of Children 
173 
operate on tonsils and adenoids. Sixty operations were performed 
in one day. 
No mental examinations have been given although in each 
institution where a study of the age and grade statistics was made, 
retardation so marked as to be suspicious was found in many cases. 
At Pryor, Taft, Pauls Valley, and McAlester, children were reported 
to the visitors as feeble-minded in the opinion of the superintendent 
and teachers, but no specialist had ever passed upon these cases. 
It is not customary, anywhere, to isolate children for obser- 
vation upon their arrival. The superintendent or the matron looks 
them over and if anything "suspicious" is observed the child may 
be held for the physician's arrival and examination. This means 
that epidemics and children's diseases must be fairly frequent, but 
how frequent we cannot tell since no records are kept. The mortality 
record is uniformly good, but we must remember that the age when 
most children are receiving institutional care coincides with the age 
when the mortality rate is lowest among children in general. 
Diseases of the skin and eye are of common occurrence among 
the class of people from whom the majority of children in the state 
institutions of Oklahoma come, and it is of extreme importance that 
the spread of infection be prevented at the institution. 
Except at Taft and possibly at McAlester, there was no evidence of 
carelessness in failing to provide separate towels and other toilet con- 
veniences. Everywhere else separate beds were found and hospital care 
provided for severe cases. At Taft one little girl was seen whose hands 
and limbs were covered with open sores. She was sleeping in the same 
bed with three other children. The physician here said he had treated 
50 cases of ringworm among the boys, spread by the one roller towel 
which they all used. 
Sanitary conditions are, of course, of the utmost importance 
in determining health. Except at Taft, modern plumbing was every- 
where the rule, and the legislature of 1917 appropriated money for 
the installation of a modern water system at Taft. 
The reports of menus served and the requisitions of food supplies 
sent to the State Board of Public Affairs show a plentiful supply 
of food and a reasonable variety everywhere except at Taft. There 
can be no question, however, that all the institutions would profit 
by the services of a skilled dietitian. Milk ought certainly to take 
the place of the tea and coffee served daily at some of the schools. 174 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
RECREATION 
With the exception of McAlester all the institutions are so 
located that ample grounds for play adjoin the buildings, and even 
McAlester has a fair-sized baseball field. 
No institution has a playground leader, but Sulphur and Muskogee have 
gymnasium instructors who direct the sports. The boys at Sulphur have 
good football, baseball and basket-ball teams. In these games and in 
track events they compete frequently with outside players. The girls 
play basket-ball and share in other outdoor sports. The pupils at the 
School for the Blind cannot, of course, compete with sighted-persons 
and are deprived of games in which vision is essential, but they enjoy 
themselves with remarkable freedom on their own playground apparatus 
and are required, as part of their school work, to spend much time out- 
of-doors daily. Each pupil must take a half-hour walk every morning, 
winter and summer. Baseball is the chief amusement of the boys at 
McAlester and Pauls Valley, but volley-ball and basket-ball are also 
played. Neither school competes with outside teams. At Pryor, where 
the population is constantly shifting, there is less opportunity for team 
work, but even greater need of well-supervised play, particularly for the 
younger children. The supply of games and toys for this younger group 
was quite inadequate everywhere. 
Small libraries were found at Pauls Valley and Oklahoma City, 
and a few magazines, some bound volumes and some current copies. 
Few beside school books were seen elsewhere. At Pauls Valley 
permission to use the library comes as a reward of good behavior 
and some boys are said to have read every book there. 
Enid has a motion picture machine and gives "shows" regularly 
once a week. 
Holidays are celebrated in the conventional manner. Special pro- 
grams, often with little plays prepared by the children, are given, but 
there seems to be a dearth of outside speakers or musicians and all 
the institutions need more of this sort of contact with the outside world. 
The daily program at each institution provides from two to 
three free hours for each child daily, but it is impossible to tell how 
closely these programs are followed, and free time does not neces- 
sarily mean recreation. 
ETHICAL TRAINING 
It is customary, even in the School for Feeble-minded Children, 
to hold some form of religious service on the Sabbath. Sunday Institutional Care of Children 
175 
School classes are taught in all state institutions by the regular school 
teachers or other employees. Church services are conducted by 
pastors from nearby villages, different denominations serving in 
succession. At Pauls Valley the state pays for these services. At 
McAlester some of the boys are permitted to attend church and 
Sunday School in the city, and a prayer meeting is held regularly 
on Thursday evening at the school. 
The question of discipline naturally arises most frequently 
in the state training schools. Corporal punishment is not forbidden 
by law, but it seems to be seldom resorted to. The emphasis is 
rather laid upon constructive methods of character-building. 
Pauls Valley has an elaborate system of merits and demerits by which 
a boy can earn his parole in 15 months if he has no demerits or when- 
ever he gets 1,500 merits to his credit. Boys with 1,000 merits or more 
are housed in a cottage known as the "Honor Cottage," and this arrange- 
ment is said to have a decidedly stimulating effect upon the general 
spirit of the place. 
At the Girls' Industrial School the superintendent has introduced a semi- 
military organization which divides the children into squads of 15 girls 
each, with a monitor in charge of each squad, a lieutenant over every 
three monitors, and a commander over all, who acts as assistant to the 
superintendent. The appointments are made by the superintendent and 
a shift in officers occurs frequently, promotions being made as rewards 
of merit. The superintendent says that this method of developing 
individual and group responsibility has reduced her disciplinary troubles 
to a minimum. 
The superintendent of the Training School for Negro Boys at McAlester, 
is gradually developing a scheme whereby the boys themselves have a 
part in prescribing the punishment for any infraction of rules. Since 
this school is to be managed under the same law as Pauls Valley, a similar 
system of merits and demerits will doubtless be applied there, but no 
steps had been taken in that direction at the time our study was made. 
Solitary confinement on bread and water takes place occasionally at 
McAlester. The only place where this kind of punishment can con- 
veniently be given is a cage, which was used for prisoners in the peni- 
tentiary. The superintendent has asked to have the cage removed and 
some more suitable method of isolation provided. 
At Pryor and Taft corporal punishment is administered by the super- 
intendent only, and only as a last resort to runaways or other serious 
offenders. Supt. Gardner, at Pryor, has worked out a blue ribbon method 
of rewarding good behavior which he believes stimulates the children to 
better conduct. He has forbidden his employees to deprive a child of 
his meals or to send him to bed as a means of punishment, because he 176 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
believes the former method is bad for the child physically, and the 
second humiliates him unnecessarily before his mates. 
The Schools for the Blind and for the Deaf never employ corporal pun- 
ishment. Expulsion is the penalty for the most serious wrongdoing. 
Reprimands and deprivation of some cherished privilege ordinarily work 
any desired reformation. Infinite patience and kindness are necessary 
with these afflicted children, many of whom are badly spoiled at home 
because of their handicaps, and for whose future welfare, self-reliance 
and moral integrity are more than ordinarily essential. 
EDUCATION 
Everyone familiar with institutional work for dependent and 
delinquent children knows that retardation is common among them. 
Our age and grade studies at Pryor and the Girls' Industrial School 
on the three-year standardization basis showed 65 per cent retarded 
at the former and 85 per cent at the latter. Surely children like 
these are in as great need of a thorough education as the children 
outside the institution gates. Yet what is the situation? 
At Pryor, school is in session for ten months. Children over 
the fourth grade attend only half time, alternating morning 
and afternoon. 
At Taft, the younger children were apparently expected to be 
in school full time, but the rooms were so overcrowded and the 
equipment so meagre that "some of them" attended half time. 
The difference between the class enrolment reported by the 
teacher and the number of children actually counted in the 
school-room on the morning of our visit indicated that this 
condition was also true in the upper grades, where the children 
are old enough to perform certain institution tasks. 
At Pauls Valley, school is in session eleven months out of the 
year. All the boys attend half time-the first, second, fourth 
and seventh grades in the morning, and the third, fifth, sixth 
and eighth in the afternoon. 
The 50 boys at McAlester attend school for the entire calendar 
year, alternating one day at work and one day at school. 
At the Girls' Industrial School classes are held for nine months. 
The girls combine their school work and institution duties in 
such a way that it is hard to tell whether they are getting the 
equivalent of full-time schooling or not. The two rooms set 
aside for school purposes are not large enough to accommodate 
all the girls at once, so they come in for recitations and do their 
studying elsewhere. Institutional Care of Children 
177 
The following table shows the number of teachers employed in 
strictly academic work for the state schools for delinquent and 
dependent children in March, 1917. It does not include teachers 
giving industrial courses. 
SCHOOL 
NUMBER 
OF 
CHILDREN 
NUMBER 
OF 
TEACHERS 
NUMBER OF 
CHILDREN 
TO TEACHER 
Pryor 
275 
8 
34 
Taft 
225 
5 
45 
Pauls Valley 
136 
2 
68 
McAlester 
50 
1 
50 
Girls' Industrial 
123 
1 
123 
It was impossible in the time at our disposal to attempt any 
report on the quality of the teaching. All the teachers interviewed 
held certificates from the local education authorities, but the county 
superintendent of public instruction seldom, if ever, visited the 
schools, and there was no close relationship between the institution 
teachers and those in the community. 
The school equipment seems fairly adequate everywhere except 
in the lower grades at Taft and at the Girls' Industrial School. 
Music lessons on piano or violin are given free at Pryor by a 
resident teacher who handles all the music work in the grades. At 
the Girls' Industrial School those pupils whose. parents wish to pay 
for piano lessons may receive instruction from a teacher who comes 
out from Oklahoma City once or twice a week for that purpose. 
The situation with regard to part-time schooling, though bad 
in any case, would be less serious if the children in their time out 
of school were receiving vocational training which was truly edu- 
cational. But there is grave danger of letting vocational training 
degenerate into the mechanical performance of institution tasks. 
These are some of the occupations which are called "vocational training" 
in the state institutions of Oklahoma: Sorting the clothing in steam 
laundry; scrubbing the dormitory floor; clearing away stones and 
rubbish from the yard; washing and dressing younger children; cleaning 
the teachers' rooms; washing dishes; feeding stock; mending stockings 
and clothing; polishing the bathroom fixtures; stoking the furnace. 
Pryor and Taft give no other form of training for boys than farm and 
dairy work, except that at Pryor two boys work in the bakeshop. 178 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
At Pauls Valley a tailor shop on the grounds makes all the institution 
clothing. Under the supervision of an experienced tailor the boys are 
taught to operate the power machines and do some cutting, but the 
patterns are plain and all the same. The shop where formerly all the 
shoes were made now does little more than repair work. The machinery 
is incomplete and out-of-date. The manual training department does 
a little repair carpentry work about the institution. 
The boys at McAlester, under the supervision of the matron, make all 
their own clothing such as underwear, shirts, overalls, handkerchiefs, 
and all the bed linen and towels. They do all the cooking and dish- 
washing, cleaning and scrubbing. 
Everywhere, the girls' training consists of the traditional tasks 
of woman-cooking and sewing and cleaning-and nowhere was the 
instruction given by a teacher with any training other than experience. 
There was little or no attempt to correlate the vocational training 
with the academic work, although institution life affords a fascinating 
opportunity for efforts of this sort. There was too little rotation 
of tasks. A child who performed some special piece of work par- 
ticularly well was likely to be kept at it indefinitely. Certain assign- 
ments, such as the preparation of meals, interfered seriously at times 
with the school work. Other tasks, as the feeding of stock, required 
very early rising and some exposure during the winter months. 
The farmwork during the summer often lasted long hours, and with 
no thorough physical examinations of the boys by which to gauge 
their endurance it must occasionally have been overtaxing. 
There was no indication, however, of children being seriously 
overworked at any time. The indictment rather strikes at the 
monotony and lack of valuable training afforded by the work to 
which they have been set. 
When we turn to the state schools for defective children we 
have occasion to wonder how long it will be before schools for normal 
children can hope to attain such excellent standards. 
Quite the most attractive school building visited in the state 
was that provided for the feeble-minded pupils at Enid. Single 
desks, ample floor space, correct lighting, abundant supplies of 
attractive materials for handwork, and three teachers, all grad- 
uates of the Vineland Training School, made a combination above 
criticism. High-grade feeble-minded children can be taught 
to perform certain simple tasks, but the main purpose in 
training them is to keep them busy and happy. They are 
taught to make baskets, to embroider, to make artificial flowers, 
to do simple sewing, and they can be trusted under direction Institutional Care of Children 
179 
to help with farm and kitchen work. There is no danger, 
under the present management at Enid, of these tasks becoming 
heavy drudgery. 
Both the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf 
follow the course of study laid down by the State Superintendent 
of Public Instruction for the public schools of the state and their 
graduates are accredited at the State University without exam- 
ination. Children are in school full time five days a week, for 
the nine months that school is in session. They return to their 
homes during the summer vacation. The teachers are specially 
trained for the work and the technical side of the academic 
courses is very well handled. A delightful spirit of companion- 
ship and cooperation between the teachers and children pre- 
vailed at both schools. 
The School for the Deaf follows what is known as the American 
Combined system of instruction. Each child is placed under 
oral instruction for at least two years. If he shows little or 
no ability to learn articulate speech and lip-reading he is then 
transferred to the manual department where he is taught by 
signs, spelling on the hands, and writing. Each teacher at 
Sulphur has now an average of 14 or 15 children. Ten is con- 
sidered by the best authorities a reasonable number in the lower 
grades. In oral classes in the upper grades 12 to 15 is con- 
sidered the maximum. 
Vocational training for the deaf boys is given in the school 
printing shop where only hand presses are used, a shoe and 
harness shop and a carpentry shop. A few of the boys work 
on the farm and in the garden, but this is not considered a part 
of the regular course of study and the work has never been 
developed as it might be if the school owned more and better 
land and some stock. 
The girls' work is in charge of a graduate domestic science 
teacher. The girls do their own mending, make a few garments, 
and help make the household linen for the school. The cooking 
classes have as yet done no practical work, but the superin- 
tendent plans to utilize them later in the preparation of special 
dishes or meals. 
At the School for the Blind the vocational training department 
offers courses in piano-tuning, broom-making, chair-caning, 
hammock-weaving and basketry for the boys; weaving, sewing 
and domestic science for the girls. The superintendent plans 
to add courses in typewriting as soon as possible. 
Instruction in music receives great emphasis, and good courses 
in piano and organ are offered as well as in voice culture. Several 
students are preparing for professional work and three are 
expecting to enter the State University in the Fall. 180 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
PLACING-OUT WORK 
Only one state institution, the State Home at Pryor, does any 
placing-out work. Its methods are discussed in the chapter on 
Home Finding, page 196. 
PAROLE WORK 
The power of parole or discharge from a state institution is at 
present vested in two persons, the superintendent of the institution 
and the judge of the juvenile court in the county from which the child 
was originally committed. As pointed out in the chapter on juvenile 
courts {see page 157), the current impression among the judges is that 
they transfer guardianship and thereby lose jurisdiction over the de- 
pendent children when they commit them to institutions, but retain 
jurisdiction over the delinquents. We recommend that this uncer- 
tainty as to the exact meaning of the law be cleared up by entrusting 
such powers to the superintendent of the institution alone. 
Of the three state training schools for delinquent children, only 
Pauls Valley has a definitely worked out system by which a boy 
may earn his parole in a stated time. {See page 175.) At McAlester a 
similar system will doubtless be introduced since the law specifies that 
the management shall be in all respects the same as at Pauls Valley. 
Girls pass from the jurisdiction of the institution at 18, boys 
at 21, unless sooner released. 
None of the training schools has a parole agent, although one 
is greatly needed now at Pauls Valley and at the Girls' Industrial 
School and will soon be needed by the Training Schools for Negro 
Children. The work that should be done by a parole agent is left 
undone except in unusual instances where the superintendent is 
able to secure work for a pupil or the judge of the juvenile court is 
willing to look after the child on parole. 
We cannot fairly estimate the permanency of juvenile refor- 
mation accomplished by state institutions unless we know what 
happens to the children after discharge, and this we do not know 
at present unless they chance to be rearrested while still of juvenile 
court age and are returned to the institution for violation of parole. 
RECORDS AND REPORTS 
The records at any institution are of two kinds, those which 
precede the admittance of the child and those which cover his life 
while the institution is responsible for him. Institutional Care of Children 
181 
The state institutions for delinquents and dependents receive 
children on court commitment only, and at Enid all patients unable 
to pay the charges (practically all) are also committed through the 
juvenile court. The law states definitely for Pryor and Pauls Valley 
what records shall accompany the child, and these standards may 
be accepted as applying to Taft, McAlester, and the Girls' Industrial 
School as well. 
Section 7113 of the Code of 1910, provides that any boy sentenced to 
Pauls Valley shall be delivered to the superintendent "together with a 
statement of the offense for which said boy was convicted, also his 
name, age, nativity and a copy of the sentence of the court." Our 
investigator's report on the actual situation showed that the information 
furnished by the various judges was very meager, and by no means 
uniform. In many cases the commitment papers simply showed the 
court's findings and stated that the boy was committed. Frequently 
the child's age is not given or any explanation of his offense, and a few 
cases were found where it was impossible to tell whether the child was 
dependent or delinquent. 
At Pryor the superintendent found it so difficult to secure 
adequate information from the juvenile courts regarding the children 
sent to him that in 1915 he secured the passage of a law which made 
it imperative upon the courts to send 
"a complete copy of the proceedings of the commitment to the superin- 
tendent of the Oklahoma State Home for his records." It was further 
specified that the court should keep as part of the commitment pro- 
ceedings "the names and addresses, if possible, of all the near relatives 
of the children, cause of the death of relatives, stating the disease, if 
knowm, and before said children shall be assigned to the State Home 
the county court shall have them examined by a competent physician 
to determine if they are of sound mind and body." (S. L. 1915, Page 2S2, 
Sec. 1.) 
It seldom happens that a complete transcript of the testimony is sent 
because few Oklahoma courts have a stenographer present at such 
hearings, but there has been some improvement in the care with which 
commitment papers are made out since the passage of this law. It is 
still difficult to get information about the parents and other relatives. 
This is a particularly serious omission when it is a question of studying 
children for placement in family homes, for most foster parents want 
to know something about the heredity of the child they propose to make 
their own. 
At the schools for defective children the only preliminary 
records are the application blanks. We found much more complete 
information on file regarding the children who returned to their 182 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
parents yearly than for those children whose only hope of ever 
gaining any information about their birth lay in the completeness 
with which their commitment papers were filled out. This is a 
great injustice to the latter group. 
All children are expected to bring health certificates from local 
physicians. Some of the forms simply state that the child is of 
sound body and mind, others that he has not been exposed to in- 
fectious or contagious disease within a specified time. None that 
were seen recorded any of the essential physical data which should 
be known to determine the child's treatment. 
The running story of the child's life at the school should in- 
clude records of health, scholarship, and character development. 
No state institution of Oklahoma keeps an adequate health record 
of its children. The scholarship records are kept by the school 
teachers, but are not transferred to the permanent files anywhere 
except at the Schools for the Blind and the Deaf. The character 
record is seldom entered in full, and when found at all deals mainly 
with offenses. 
Delinquent children should have, when they leave the insti- 
tution, an order of parole from judge or superintendent, and the 
ideal, of course, would be to have the reports of a parole officer 
continue the story until the child is discharged. At present no 
Oklahoma institution has a parole officer. 
For dependent children who are placed in family homes there 
should be filed the application blank from foster-parents, reports 
on the investigation of the foster-home, contract or indenture blanks, 
reports of subsequent visits to the home and all correspondence 
regarding the child until its adoption or coming of age. These 
records were in excellent condition at Pryor. Reports of subsequent 
visits to the home were seldom found, however. 
Over the defective child the state institution exercises no 
aftercare. 
BOYS IN STATE REFORMATORY 
The annual report of the warden of the State Reformatory at 
Granite shows that in the 16-month period ended October 31, 1916, 
four 15-year-old boys and fifty-two 16-year-olds were behind the 
bars. The warden of the State Penitentiary at McAlester reports 
11 prisoners under 16 during the same period. The incarceration 
of boys under 16 is unquestionably illegal, as the Supreme Court Institutional Care of Children 
183 
held in the case of Powell vs. State (6 Okla. 495). Theoretically, 
imprisonment in the reformatory might be considered the lesser of 
the two evils but actually the need for strong men to develop the 
chief industry at the reformatory, the granite quarry, has led to the 
elimination of all age or crime distinctions and the class of prisoners 
committed to reformatory and penitentiary is practically the same. 
The boys are not separated from the older criminals on the basis of 
age, but the warden does attempt to keep those committed for 
slight offenses in a separate dormitory. 
No educational or recreational work is carried on at the reform- 
atory. Plans are under way for a school-room and library, a band, 
a motion picture machine and other similar features when the 
addition to the building is completed. However, the introduction 
of such improvements will in no way justify the open violation of the 
juvenile court law which forbids, for reasons universally recognized 
as sound, the incarceration of young boys with older criminals. 
It is a serious matter that such a condition should be permitted 
to continue. 
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS 
The state institutions of Oklahoma which deal with white children 
have fairly good physical equipment. This cannot be said at present 
of the institutions for the negro children. But the appropriations 
made by the state legislature in 1917 will greatly improve conditions. 
Without exception, the state institutions are either filled to 
capacity or badly overcrowded. This may denote the necessity 
for erecting more buildings, as it doubtless does in the schools for 
defective children, or it may indicate a need for developing other 
departments of child care which would tend to reduce the institution 
population. Good probation officers should be able to decrease the 
number of commitments of delinquent children by carrying them on 
probation so long as any reasonable hope could be entertained of 
thus reforming them; and of dependent children by discovering 
new sources of family support and tiding over occasional emergencies. 
A corps of efficient placing-out agents could still further reduce the 
number of children in the State Home by stimulating a demand for 
children in family homes and by a sympathetic supervision of these 
foster-homes, which might reduce the number of replacements. 
Further, our investigation found dependent children in in- 
stitutions for delinquents and vice versa, and children said to be 184 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
feeble-minded mingling with both delinquents and dependents. 
A general sifting and readjustment based on a thorough physical 
and mental examination of each child in the state training schools 
and homes would perhaps still further reduce the population. 
Health conditions, except at Taft, are generally good. The 
ventilation and sanitation of dormitories and dining-rooms are 
excellent at Pryor, Muskogee and Enid; good, except for over- 
crowded dormitories, at the Girls' Industrial School and Sulphur; 
fair in Pauls Valley and McAlester; and very poor at Taft. The 
food served is abundant and nourishing everywhere except at Taft. 
The medical care of children in state institutions is good as 
far as it goes, but it falls far short of modem standards of preventive 
medicine. No institution in the state except Enid gives a complete 
physical examination to every child on admittance. No institution 
makes adequate provision for dental work or the correction of physical 
defects. No institution quarantines a child on admittance. No ade- 
quate records of health work are available anywhere except at Enid. 
Recreation everywhere receives insufficient attention, except 
at the schools for defective children. 
Educational facilities are excellent at the state schools for 
defective children so far as the buildings, equipment, training and 
personality of the teachers are concerned. Sulphur, however, is 
somewhat under-staffed at present. The School for the Blind offers 
vocational training in piano-tuning, broom-making, chair-caning, 
hammock-Weaving, and basketry for the boys; weaving, sewing, and 
domestic science for the girls. The School for the Deaf offers printing, 
shoe and harness-making, and carpentry for the boys, cooking and 
sewing under a graduate domestic science teacher for the girls. 
The delinquent and dependent children of the ages covered by 
the compulsory education law at Pryor, Taft, Pauls Valley, McAlester 
and the Girls' Industrial School, are attending school only part time. 
In the two schools for which statistics were obtained, the percentages 
of retardation were high. 
The "vocational training" with which these children occupy 
approximately half their school time is not so handled as to make 
it highly educational. Pauls Valley is the only institution in this 
class where shops of any sort are found. Here, the tailor shop is 
the only one equipped with really modem machines and provided 
with a trained instructor. Elsewhere, the boys do farmwork and 
the girls perform the household tasks of the institution. Institutional Care of Children 
185 
The record systems are everywhere inadequate but particularly 
so in the schools for delinquent and dependent children. This is 
partly due to the meagre information which the county judges send 
with the commitment papers, partly to the lack of clerical help at 
the institutions, and partly to the lack of realization of the importance 
of records. 
Only one state institution does any placing-out work. The con- 
clusions and recommendations on this point are discussed in the 
chapter on Home Finding, page 196. 
Practically no parole work is being carried on. The institu- 
tions for delinquent children have no parole officer. 
Incarceration of boys under sixteen in either State Peni- 
tentiary or State Reformatory is illegal yet 15 boys under 16 were 
so imprisoned in the 16-month period preceding October 31, 1916. 
The greatest weakness in the institutional care of children by 
the state of Oklahoma to-day is the lack of skilled supervision by 
one highly trained and efficient central body. The present system 
by which some institutions have three state departments exercising 
some supervisory powers, others two, and still others only one, makes 
for confusion. It is impossible under such circumstances to establish 
the uniformly high standards of management that each institution 
desires to attain. Yet the situation is very hopeful because the 
tools are at hand. With the present equipment and the present 
employees it would be possible greatly to increase the efficiency of 
the state work for children, simply by furnishing intelligent direction. 
It is not a question of undoing bad work so much as it is of under- 
taking to establish standards, hitherto unemphasized, of good work. 
This, we believe, would be best accomplished by the creation of a 
State Division of Child Welfare, working under the State Com- 
missioner of Charities and Correction and devoting its whole energies 
to the children who for any reason need the protection of the state. 
(See Administration, page 284.) 
Private Institutions 
Two of the 14 private institutions were not visited, the Baptist 
Orphans' Home at Oklahoma City and the Benevolent and Orphanage 
Association at Cornish. The Oklahoma Orphanage at Bethany was 
visited in the absence of the superintendent and it proved impossible 
to repeat the visit. A brief description of the remaining 11 follows: 186 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
1. The Murrow Indian Orphans Home. Location, 160-acre farm three 
miles southeast of Muskogee. Superintendent, Rev. J. Harvey Randall. 
Purpose: to care for Indian orphan children between the ages of 3 and 
20 and train them for self-support. Present on the day of visit, 54 chil- 
dren. Age limit not closely enforced. Children kept until self-supporting. 
Half-orphans also received. No children given out for adoption. $150 
a year charged pupils with property for full care including school books 
and clothing. Seventeen children paid in full last year; 10 paid in part; 
21 were cared for free. Shares campus and educational advantages of 
Bacone University. Physical equipment, fair. No hospital, no trained 
nurse. Physician's care only in case of illness. Academic work of high 
grade. All teachers but one college graduates. No vocational training. 
Records in good condition but inadequate. Pleasant homelike atmos- 
phere. Supported by the Baptist Church. 
2. Page Farm. Location, large country estate at Sand Springs near Tulsa. 
Head, Charles R. Page, millionaire oil man. Purpose: to be a family 
home for dependent children. Present on day of visit, 60. Children 
adopted by Mr. Page or by Home Farm Association. No age limits 
for admittance or discharge. No special qualifications. Children not 
necessarily orphans. Families of brothers and sisters not separated. 
No children given out for adoption. Physical surroundings excellent. 
Every advantage in education, vocational training and recreation 
provided on most lavish scale. Supported entirely by Mr. Page. 
3. Sunbeam Orphanage. Location, Oklahoma City. Matron, Mrs. Morris- 
son. Purpose: to provide a home for children, temporary or permanent 
as their needs require. Present on day of visit, 39. No children received 
on court commitment. Many children boarded by parents. No age 
limits enforced. Children sometimes placed in foster homes. Appli- 
cations for admittance investigated. Frame building in good residence 
section of city. Children attend public school. No vocational training 
at orphanage. Health certificates required on admittance. Medical 
care only for illness. Records inadequate. Supported by private board 
of women who raise funds by solicitation. 
4. St. Joseph's Orphanage. Location, 40-acre farm near Bethany. Purpose: 
to provide a home for orphans and half-orphans. Present on day of 
visit, 73. No children received on court commitment. No placing-out 
work done. Twelve children paid for by parents. Physical surroundings 
poor. One brick building, unheated. School on grounds taught by two 
Catholic sisters, graduates of Catholic Academy of Oklahoma City. 
Vocational training for boys. Broom-making taught by blind man. 
Carpenter shop and printing shop not in use. Girls taught cooking, 
sewing and music if they show ability. Farm worked by two men and 
older boys. Supported by Catholic Church. 
5 and 6. Oklahoma Odd Fellows Homes at Carmen and Checotah. Superin- 
tendent of Carmen Home, L. C. Madley. Superintendent of Checotah 
Home, I. S. Hanshaw. Purpose: to give a home and education to 
any child of an Odd Fellow in good standing who would otherwise Institutional Care of Children 
187 
be dependent upon the public for support. Old people also received 
at Carmen. Present on day of visit at Carmen, 111 children; at 
Checotah, 54. Seven parents paid part expenses last year. No children 
'received on court commitment. All applications investigated by 
Home Board. No children given out for adoption. Boys discharged 
at 16, girls at 18. Work found for children on discharge. Children 
attend public school. Good study-rooms and fair libraries. No 
vocational training except farm and housework. Health certificate 
required on admittance. Medical care only for illness. Records kept 
at Home Board office. Only ledger lists at Home. Physical surroundings 
fair. Supported by per capita levy on Odd Fellows of State. 
7. Masonic Home. Location, 620-acre farm near El Reno. Superintendent, 
William M. Robertson. Purpose: to give home and education to any 
child of a Mason in good standing who would otherwise be dependent 
upon the public for support. Old people also received. Present on day 
of visit, 168 children. Children need not be orphans but parents must 
sign relinquishment papers and give consent to adoption of children. 
No children received on court commitment. All applications investi- 
gated by Home Board. A few children placed out for adoption. Placing- 
out work to be extended. Investigation and supervision of foster-home 
by local lodge. Boys discharged at 16, girls at 18. Work found for 
children on discharge. Physical surroundings excellent. Generous 
playground equipment. Records adequate and in good order. School 
on institution grounds attended by children of district which shares in 
its support. Supervised by county superintendent. No vocational 
training except farm and housework. Health conditions excellent. 
Hospital and nurse on grounds. Physical examination before admit- 
tance. Physical defects corrected. Fund available for surgical opera- 
tions. Children vaccinated for smallpox and typhoid. Supported by 
per capita levy on Masons of state. 
8. Jabbok Faith Missionary Training Home. Location, large farm near 
Thomas. Superintendent, E. N. Engel. Original purpose to give 
dependent children training as missionaries. Missionary idea now 
abandoned. Present on day of visit, 32. No restrictions as to age or 
sex. Children need not be orphans or dependents. Children seldom 
received by court commitment. A few given out for adoption. Relin- 
quishment papers secured by Board. Boys discharged at 17, girls at 18. 
Older children occasionally hired by nearby farmers for summer work. 
Physical surroundings poor. One brick building. School on institution 
grounds. Not all children attend full time. No vocational training 
except farm and housework. Largely self-supporting by sale of farm 
and dairy products. Aided and controlled by Church of the Brethren 
in Christ. 
9. Child Saving Mission. Location, Enid. Superintendent, Rev. D. E. 
Cripe. Purpose: to place orphans and dependent children in good family 
homes either for adoption or on contract. Present on day of visit, 9. 
Children received by court commitment or from parents. Twenty-six 188 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
received in 1916. Average of five in receiving home during year. Home 
in excellent sanitary condition. Matron not trained nurse but efficient. 
Health work under supervision of Enid General Hospital. Records in 
good order but inadequate. Foster-homes sometimes investigated by 
correspondence. After-care of placed-out children inadequate. Sup- 
ported by Dunkard Church. 
10. Oklahoma Children's Home Society. Location, Oklahoma City. Super- 
intendent, C. W. Putney. Purpose: to find deserted and neglected 
children, receive them into guardianship, and place them in family 
homes for adoption, keeping them under observation until maturity. 
Present in receiving home on day of visit, 12. Children received by court 
commitment or from parents. Home in Oklahoma City used also as 
temporary detention home by Oklahoma County Juvenile Court. In 1916, 
county paid $1,871.87 for such care. Number of children received in 1916, 
172. Placed in family homes, 172. Average number in receiving home, 12 
to 14. State districted. Three agents in field soliciting funds and doing 
child-placing. Some foster-homes investigated by correspondence. 
Records at present inadequate but undergoing revision. Good medical 
staff but no physical examination necessary before placement. Sup- 
ported by general public. Funds largely raised by solicitation. 
11. Holmes Home of Redeeming Love. Location, 80-acre farm near Bethany. 
Superintendent, Miss Anna L. Wittman. Purpose: to serve as a mater- 
nity home for unmarried girls. Dependent old women also received. 
Children sometimes boarded for unmarried mothers. Present on day of 
visit, 7 old women, 22 girls, 14 babies, and 4 children. No cases received 
on court commitment. Seventy girls cared for in 1916; 51, free, 19 
paid part charges. Thirty-three kept babies; 32 relinquished children 
for adoption. Oklahoma Children's Home Society handles all placing- 
out work for home. Records in fair order but inadequate. Physical 
surroundings, fair. One brick building in use, one nearing completion. 
Provision for maternity care inadequate. No resident physician. No 
trained nurse. Delivery room poorly equipped. Supported by general 
public and by farm. Funds largely raised by solicitation. 
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS 
The 14 private institutions of Oklahoma care for dependent 
children only. All are for white children except the Indian Orphans' 
Home. The two home-finding societies are both state-wide in 
operation, but one, the Child-Saving Mission, is very small, handling 
an average of only about five children at a time. The one maternity 
home receives dependent old women and deserted wives as well as 
unmarried girls awaiting confinement. All institutions except this 
maternity home receive both boys and girls. No hard and fast age 
limits are anywhere set, but in general boys are not received after 
14 or girls after 16, and all orphanages except the Indian Orphans' Institutional Care of Children 
189 
Home plan to discharge boys at 16 and girls at 18. The Baptist 
Orphans' Home receives only destitute children under 12. At the 
Murrow Indian Orphans' Home the children are kept "until they 
are ready for self-support," and this with Indians is frequently 
above the usual age limit. Placing-out work is carried on by seven 
institutions. 
Various church denominations are represented in the manage- 
ment of these institutions: the Baptist Church supports the Baptist 
Orphans' Home in Oklahoma City and the Murrow Indians' Home 
at Bacone; the Catholic Church has a large orphanage, St Joseph's 
at Bethany; the Jabbok Faith Missionary School, at Thomas, is 
supported by the Brethren in Christ; and the Child-Saving Mission, 
at Enid, by the Dunkards. The other agencies and institutions 
are non-sectarian in management and support. None of those 
financed by particular denominations requires the children received 
to be of its own faith, but the religious training at such places 
naturally receives a denominational emphasis. 
Three institutions are financed by fraternal orders: the Odd 
Fellows have combination orphanages and old people's homes at 
Carmen and Checotah; and the Masons have a similar institution 
at Darlington. 
Oklahoma has one unique private agency for child care in the 
Page Farm at Sand Springs, near Tulsa. Here some 60 children are 
cared for through the private resources of a wealthy man who is 
said to have legally adopted them. He gives them just such care 
as they would receive in a good family home and there is nothing 
of the institution about the place. Page Farm is entirely inde- 
pendent of public support. 
The institutions maintained by fraternal orders raise all ex- 
penses by a per capita tax upon the state membership. Most of 
the other private agencies depend upon house-to-house solicitation 
to raise at least a portion of the funds for their current expenses. 
Solicitors receive from 40 to 50 per cent commission on what they 
secure. While certain of the agencies, notably the Oklahoma Chil- 
dren's Home Society, keep careful account of moneys received in 
this way and permit only accredited persons to solicit for them, 
similar care is said not to be exercised by all, and indiscriminate 
solicitation for charitable purposes is an openly recognized nuisance 
in the state at large. Unless actual fraud can be proved there is at 
present no legal method of checking this abuse. In Muskogee and 190 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
other cities where the charity organization movement is getting 
under way, social workers are asking the business men of the town 
to refuse to contribute to solicitors who cannot show credentials 
from the local charity organization group. The State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction urged the 1917 legislature to pass a bill 
which would have made it illegal for anyone to solicit funds for 
charitable purposes anywhere in the state without credentials 
from the State Commissioner himself, but the measure failed of 
passage. 
The physical equipment of the private institutions is not, as 
a rule, equal to that of the state institutions. Exceptions to this 
statement are found on the Page Farm and at the Masonic Home. 
All the private institutions use the congregate system of housing. 
Of the 11 visited, sanitation was apparently good at four, fair at 
six, and poor at one. No records of inspection by the State Board 
of Health were available. Fire protection could nowhere be called 
really adequate. Double beds were found everywhere. At only 
one small institution had the dietary been planned by a trained 
person. Little or no distinction was made anywhere between food 
served to babies of two or three years and to older children. 
Health care was inadequate everywhere except at the Masonic 
Home. This is the only private institution in the state where a 
physician gives a complete physical examination to each child on 
admittance as a matter of routine and where his findings and recom- 
mendations are preserved in permanent form, where a special fund 
is available for surgical operations, and a hospital and nurse are 
maintained on the institution grounds. Even here dental work 
does not receive sufficient attention. The two home-finding societies 
have consulting staffs of physicians and their children receive good 
care when ill, but do not necessarily receive physical examinations 
or blood tests before placement. The equipment and the nursing 
staff at the Holmes Home of Redeeming Love are not sufficient for 
the number of maternity cases handled by the institution. 
Three institutions maintain private schools for all the children 
on the institution grounds. In only one of these was the academic 
work of high grade. One institution conducts a school in conjunction 
with the local school district and others beside institution children 
attend. In one village the superintendent of schools sends a teacher 
to the institution grounds to conduct classes for the first four grades. 
In both these instances the schools are practically public schools. Institutional Care of Children 
191 
One home-finding society sends the children from its detention 
home to the public school. The other considers this arrangement 
unwise since the children are likely to be present only a short time. 
One institution pays for a kindergarten and an elementary school 
teacher and sends the older children to the village school. No 
institution except Page Farm makes any provision for educating the 
children beyond the high school 
No vocational training except practical instruction in farm 
and housework is anywhere attempted. The fraternal homes find 
employment for all children discharged on account of age. Little 
after-care is exercised by any institution, however. 
Records nowhere, except at the home-finding societies and at 
the Masonic Home, have advanced far beyond the ledger state. 
We are now fairly certain that an institution which opens its 
doors without question to any child in apparent need is not en- 
couraging the development of that very moral stamina in the parents 
which it should be its first duty to cultivate. Only three of the private 
institutions make any pretense of investigating applications for 
admittance and none of these three employ a trained worker on the 
investigations. Applications for admittance are investigated for 
one orphanage by the women on the board and for the fraternal 
homes by a central state board which investigates through local 
lodges. 
None of the employees interviewed at private institutions had 
received special training for his position, and while some excellent 
work was being done the management in general lacked social 
intelligence. No constructive or preventive work was under way. 
The situation of the private agencies in Oklahoma is much more 
serious than that of the state institutions, because with them it 
is a question of support as well as of supervision. They need, per- 
haps even more than the state institutions, the skilled guidance of a 
strong Commissioner of Charities or a good Division of Child Wel- 
fare (see report on Administration, page 284), but even with this 
supervision certain changes could not be accomplished without money 
and the support of private charitable enterprise is always an uncertain 
thing. The poverty of equipment which characterizes some of the 
smaller orphanages, the lack of recreational facilities, and the 
general barrenness of the life which they offer must make an in- 
eradicable impression upon the sensitive minds of the children who 
grow up there. 192 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Recommendations 
INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC 
Supervision 
All state institutions caring for dependent, defective, and de- 
linquent children except the State Schools for the Blind and the 
Deaf should be under the joint supervision of the State Division of 
Child Welfare and the State Board of Public Affairs, the latter 
handling only business transactions as distinguished from adminis- 
trative work. (See report on Administration, page 284.) The Schools 
for the Blind and the Deaf should be left under the supervision of 
the State Board of Education and the State Board of Public Affairs. 
Education 
All inmates of children's institutions who are within the com- 
pulsory education age limits should have full-time schooling. 
The State Board of Education and the county board of edu- 
cation should have supervision over educational work in institu- 
tions which should conform in every way to the course of instruction 
outlined for the public schools of the state. 
Dependent and neglected children who are normal should 
attend the public schools when possible. 
When children are placed out on contract or for adoption full- 
time schooling should be guaranteed by the foster-home. 
The vocational training in state institutions for dependent and de- 
linquent children should be greatly extended, placed under competent 
instructors, and correlated more closely with the academic training. 
Health 
Better systems of medical supervision and health records should 
be installed by all child-caring institutions. This might include: 
(a) Physical examination of all children on admission to include 
at least the minimum procedure specified by the New York 
Committee on Child-Caring Institutions, this examination to 
be made by the home physician regardless of medical certificates 
from local physicians; 
(b) A physical history record to be filled out and kept on file 
for each child in the home, this card to include recommendations 
for treatment and to have space for recording any diseases or 
operations while child is in home; 
(c) Isolation of all children on admittance for a period of at 
least ten days, Institutional Care of Children 
193 
(d) Wasserman or other similar tests to be given all children 
before placement, and vaccination for smallpox to be given on 
admittance; 
(e) The establishment of a consulting staff of experts on children's 
diseases through whom necessary operations could be secured 
and puzzling cases given expert diagnosis. 
Recreation 
More playground equipment is needed at all the children's 
institutions. In the larger places a recreation director should be 
employed. In the smaller institutions volunteer workers could 
perhaps be secured. 
Small well-chosen libraries and a few good periodicals should 
be easily accessible to the children. 
Provisions should also be made for occasional lectures and con- 
certs by outside speakers and musicians. 
Fire Protection 
Minimum standards of fire protection should be established 
for all child-caring institutions and the State Fire Marshal should be 
required to inspect semi-annually and to report his findings to the 
State Child Welfare Division. 
Sanitation 
Minimum standards of sanitation should be established for all 
child-caring institutions and the State Board of Health should be 
required to inspect semi-annually and to report its findings to the 
State Child Welfare Division, the inspection to include the con- 
dition of sinks, drains and plumbing, ventilation and over-crowding 
of dormitories, adequacy and preparation of food, survey of health 
of children, also tests of water, milk and ice, etc. 
Parole Work 
Parole officers should be provided for the four training schools 
for white and negro boys and girls. 
Survey of Institutions 
An immediate need in the state training schools and the state 
homes is a careful study of the physical and mental condition of the 
individual children and a re-distribution, if necessary, among other 
institutions better fitted for their care. HOME FINDING 
Mabel Brown Ellis 
Oklahoma has officially endorsed the best modem standards 
in her plan of care for dependent children. The state home for 
dependent white children was designed not as a permanent custodial 
institution but as a receiving station where boys and girls whose own 
parents could not provide for them might be prepared for reception 
into other family homes. A state agent was appointed to find such 
family homes and to supervise them after the child had been placed 
there. Theoretically the scheme is sound. 
But the state failed to take the additional steps necessary to 
extend the benefits of this plan to children who might happen to 
fall into the hands of private agencies. No law has been passed 
which requires the licensing of such private agencies, and no statute 
requires that anyone placing out children for adoption shall in- 
vestigate the foster-home or visit the child after disposing of him. 
It is still quite possible for any private agency, any maternity home, 
any humane society, any county judge, any township trustee, or 
any private citizen to hand over a child for adoption without being 
held in any way responsible for its future welfare. 
Supervision 
The State Commissioner of Charities and Correction is required 
by law to "inspect and if found satisfactory to certify for one year all 
. . . lying-in hospitals, rescue homes, orphanages and foundling 
institutions wherever established in the state," and to "examine 
methods and records of all orphanage children's aid or home-finding 
societies and all other similar organizations whether incorporatd 
or not, and formed for the purpose of adopting into families such 
foundlings, orphans, and dependent children as come into their 
hands." He may institute prosecutions for any violation of law 
discovered and he must investigate all sworn complaints made 
against such agencies. But it is not clear how far his power goes. 
If definite charges are made and sustained against the management 
of any institution, the Commissioner may order the place closed, 
194 195 
Home Finding 
but it is not clear whether he may follow so drastic a course when the 
institution continues to operate after having been'refused a certificate. 
Since this is the case, standards of child-placing work in Okla- 
homa are very uneven. A large number of different agencies are 
working at the situation with little cooperation and, indeed, with 
little knowledge of each other's activities. 
Home-Finding Agencies 
The home-finding agencies of Oklahoma may be classified as 
follows: 
1. The State. Placing-out work is carried on by State Agent 
from State Home at Pryor. 
2. The County. Juvenile court judges find homes for many 
children in private families. County commissioners are said occa- 
sionally "to give away children for adoption," but we encountered 
no such instances. 
3. Private Organizations: 
A. Children's Home-Finding Societies. 
1. The Oklahoma Children's Home Society, Oklahoma City. 
2. The Child-Saving Mission, Enid. 
B. Maternity Homes. 
1. The Holmes Home of Redeeming Love, Oklahoma City. 
C. Humane Societies. 
1. Tulsa. 
2. Sapulpa. 
D. Associated Charities. 
1. Muskogee. 
E. Orphanages. 
1. Jabbok Faith Missionary Training School, Thomas. 
2. Masonic Home, Darlington. 
3. Oklahoma Benevolent and Orphanage Association, Cornish. 
4. Baptist Orphans' Home, Oklahoma City. 
5. Sunbeam Home Association, Oklahoma City. 
HOME-FINDING WORK BY STATE-Dependent Children 
Since the state scheme of care was followed out only at the 
State Home, a somewhat detailed study was made of the methods 
in use there. The Home receives only white children under 16 who 
are of sound body and mind. Children come only on court commit- 
ment and that process is considered to transfer guardianship of the 
child from the parents to the governing board of the Home. 196 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
The administration of the placing-out work of the State Home 
has been provided for by the creation of the office of State Agent. 
He is appointed by the Board of Education at a salary of $1500. 
His duties are two-fold: to find suitable family homes for children 
committed to the institution, and to supervise them after placement. 
Children may be placed out by the State Agent for adoption 
or on contract, "the contract to provide for the education of the 
children in the public schools for at least six months of every year; 
for teaching some useful occupation; for kind and proper treatment; 
for payment to the board for the use of the children such money 
as is named in the contract." {Sec. 7001, Code of 1910.) 
Any person may apply for a child, but all homes must be 
approved by the Board and none will be considered where "any 
member of the family is addicted to the use of liquor or engaged in 
the liquor traffic or in any immoral pursuits." The State Agent 
must visit and report upon any home at the request of the Super- 
intendent of the State Home and must investigate immediately 
upon complaint from any source. The county attorneys are re- 
quired to act as his legal advisers when needed. After legal adoption, 
all responsibility of the Home for the child ceases. 
When a child is placed on contract, however, the Home is required 
to secure information "as often as practicable" and written reports 
must be made "at least once in every three months." A system of 
postcard reports has been started which is said to work fairly well. 
So far as the forms and the method of handling them are con- 
cerned, the placing-out work is fairly well done. But the great 
weakness in the whole system is that it is practically all done by 
correspondence. The State Agent rarely visits a home in person 
before a child is placed there, and seldom afterwards. Almost the 
only times when the State Agent actually sees either the foster- 
home or the child in the foster-home are occasions when some com- 
plaint has been made which must be investigated. It not infre- 
quently happens that a child will be returned to the institution from 
a foster-home before the State Agent has visited it at all, with no 
more definite statement from the foster parents than, "Couldn't 
get along with him," or "hard to handle." Such a situation is 
usually too delicate to be covered satisfactorily by correspondence. 
How great the need is for a closer study of the reasons which 
have caused maladjustment in the foster-home or failure to secure Home Finding 
197 
a foster-home, can be seen from two tables made at the time of our 
visit to the State Home. The first covers 51 children who had been 
returned after placement for reasons summarized by the State 
Agent as follows:- 
Lazy or hard to handle 13 
Illness or physical defect 8 
Interference of relatives 6 
Ran away 6 
Changes in foster-home. 6 
Didn't give satisfaction 5 
Miscellaneous 7 
The second table covers 224 children who have never been 
placed in family homes. For seven of these children, applications 
were on file. For the remaining 217, the State Agent gave the fol- 
lowing reasons for failure to find homes:- 
Not chosen 99 
Unattractive 32 
Interference of relatives 29 
Illness or physical defect 16 
Delinquent type 15 
Indian 13 
Feeble-minded 8 
Miscellaneous 5 
The term, "Not chosen," covers the large group of children who 
have no mental or physical defects and who are ordinarily good- 
looking but who for one reason or another have failed to strike the 
fancy of persons looking for a child. They are regarded as dis- 
tinctly "placeable." Of the 30 girls "not chosen," three had been 
in the institution over 18 months; six between one year and 18 
months; ten, 6 to 11 months; eight, 3 to 5 months; and only three 
under 3 months. Of the 69 boys "not chosen," two had been at 
the Home over 5 years; three, between 4 and 5 years; three, be- 
tween 3 and 3 years, 11 months; four, between 2 and 2 years, 11 
months; thirty-one, between 1 and 1 year, 11 months; six, be- 
tween 6 and 11 months; twelve, between 3 and 5 months; four, 
under 3 months. It is a question at least worthy of consideration 
whether these 99 children, all but seven of whom had been cared for 
in the State Home over three months, might not have been placed out 
in good families in the state, had a sufficient corps of well-trained 
state agents been at work. 198 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
The children classed as "unattractive" are also without physical 
defect, but so plain-featured and devoid of personal charm, in the 
opinion of the State Agent, that people are not likely to want them. 
A skillful study of the field would in all probability reveal homes 
where beauty was not the first requisite in a foster-child and where 
perhaps a difference of opinion might exist, if people were given a 
chance to see the children at their best. 
So real a problem did the interference of relatives become that 
in 1915, Supt. Gardner, of the State Home, secured the passage of a 
bill which made it a misdemeanor punishable by fine of not less 
than $100 or more than $200 for any parent "to visit a home 
in which one or more of his children shall have been placed by the 
superintendent of the Oklahoma State Home for Children for the 
purpose of enticing away or causing said child or children to become 
dissatisfied." (L. 1915, Chap. 1^5. Sec. 2.} There have been no 
prosecutions under this law, but the mere knowledge of its existence 
is believed to act as a deterrent. 
Judges sometimes commit children to the State Home on an 
insufficient hearing and before the resources of the child's own family 
have been investigated. No evidence could be found, even in courts 
where probation officers had been appointed, of any effort to com- 
municate with relatives in other cities, although the names and 
addresses of such relatives sometimes appeared on the records. The 
present office force at the Home is not sufficient to permit of such 
work being carried on but a well-trained staffworker capable of 
handling records intelligently could probably find homes with their 
own kinsfolk for some of these wards of the state. 
Children classed as "delinquent type" include a few boys and 
girls who are known to practise self-abuse, some who steal, and 
several who are persistent runaways. A careful study needs to be 
made of these children to determine whether they belong at Pryor, 
at one of the reform schools, or at the school for feeble-minded 
children. 
The Indian children present a special problem. It is practically 
impossible to place them with families of their own nationality, 
according to the State Agent, and no one else wants them. Would 
it not be advisable to transfer them to the Murrow Indian Orphans' 
Home, where they would get equally good care and a better education, 
and leave their places open for children who are really placeable? Home Finding 
199 
The feeble-minded children, of course, should be transferred 
to Enid as quickly as possible, provided that after careful examina- 
tion they are found to be fit subjects for that institution. One 
feeble-minded boy has been in the Home just one month short of 
five years, the others for periods of three years, seven months; 
one year, three months; and ten months respectively. In this con- 
nection it is suggested that all the children now at the Home be 
given mental tests, since it is possible that some of the retardation 
in school may be due to mental defect. 
Since there is no other place in the state where dependent 
crippled children may receive care, the seven boys who are more or 
less disabled will have to remain a permanent charge upon Pryor 
until they become of age to be dismissed. But expert medical 
examination should insure the fact that their condition cannot be 
remedied, and they should be given special training in some trade 
adapted to the handicapped. 
The comparatively small group who are left are suffering from 
conditions more or less temporary or remediable. Good medical 
supervision will probably in time make them fit for placement. 
The only means now taken to stimulate the demand for children 
is an occasional advertisement in the county papers, the use of 
children's pictures on the institution stationery and the distribution 
of cards of appeal to visitors at the State Home. 
HOME-FINDING BY STATE-Delinquent Children 
Under the law by which the legislature of 1917 transformed the 
Girls' Industrial School from a private to a state institution, the 
superintendent is given power to place girls who have done well in 
the institution at service in private families. The superintendent 
of the Boys' Training School has long had a somewhat similar power, 
but it has rarely, if ever, been exercised. Certainly until the state 
provides a parole agent or some responsible person to keep in close 
touch with children thus sent out from institutions for delinquents, 
it will not be wise to undertake such work. 
HOME-FINDING BY COUNTY JUDGES 
In 1916, county judges presiding over the juvenile courts of 11 
Oklahoma counties reported to the State Commissioner of Charities 
and Correction 33 instances where they had placed children in 200 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
homes for adoption. Since reports which covered the full year's 
work were received from only 22 of the 77 counties in the state, this 
is without doubt an understatement of the number of children 
actually thus placed out. It was impossible to tell from the reports 
in every instance whether these children were classed as dependents 
or delinquents, but our visits to 20 county courts found only one 
where it was customary to seek homes for delinquent children. 
In this county the judge calls his jury together during each term 
of court and spends an evening explaining to them the various 
functions of the court, particularly its work with children. He 
thus manages to spread the news that the court has children for 
adoption and so obtains a waiting list of applicants. He feels that 
his greatest success has come with the delinquent boys whom he 
has sent to farm homes. Sometimes they have remained for a few 
months only, sometimes for a term of years. No investigation 
precedes the placement. Most of the farmers are known to the 
judge personally or are vouched for by personal friends. No official 
record whatever is kept of such transactions but "the parents always 
know where the child is." This court occasionally also commits 
children to the Child-Saving Mission for placement. The judge 
could not tell how many homes he had found for children during 
his two terms in office nor how many were being cared for in that 
manner at the time of our visit. He exercises no after supervision. 
In a second county the judge places out on contract. The 
foster-parents must agree to educate, feed, and care for each child 
until it reaches its majority, just as they would treat their own 
children. This judge committed no children to institutions in 1916. 
He placed six children, all dependents, in family homes. One boy 
was returned by his foster-parents to the judge who then sent him 
to the Oklahoma Children's Home Society. Apparently no effort 
was made to prevent the separation of brothers and sisters. 
Another judge who claims to do much placing-out work, chiefly 
with dependent children, keeps no records at all except in adoption 
cases. Only three entries of adoption had been made in his juvenile 
record book since 1913. He insists upon a period of trial before 
adoption can take place. His predecessor in office is said to have made 
a practice of advertising the children in the county papers. 
In a fourth county all dependent children are placed with 
"good farmers whom I know." No adoption or contract papers are Home Finding 
201 
signed. No record is kept of the transaction. The judge did not 
know how many children he had so placed. 
Oklahoma County turns over all its dependent children who 
need family homes to the Oklahoma Children's Home Society, 
Tulsa to the Tulsa Humane Society. The length of time which 
it has taken to secure admittance to the State Home at Pryor, since 
it has been so badly overcrowded, is the reason given by certain 
judges for using the private home-finding societies instead of the 
State Home. They have a feeling, too, that the child is more quickly 
placed by the private agencies and runs less risk of being institu- 
tionalized meanwhile. 
When a baby or very little child is to be found a home, there is 
perhaps less danger in the judges' friendly, neighborly method of 
procedure than is the case when older children go before the court, but 
in any event there can be no excuse for failing to make proper record 
of so important a transaction. The court machinery, however, is 
not fitted for the delicate task of selecting and supervising homes 
and it would much better relinquish the function to the state. 
HOME-FINDING BY PRIVATE AGENCIES 
Home-Finding Societies 
Foremost among the private agencies engaged in home-finding 
work are the two socieites maintained for this express purpose. The 
Oklahoma Children's Home Society and the Child-Saving Mission 
both do a state-wide work, but the former is much the larger of the 
two and is strictly non-sectarian, while the latter is supported by the 
Dunkard Church. It draws no sectarian lines, however, in its work. 
During 1916, the Oklahoma Children's Home Society received 
172 children for the first time. Twenty-one were returned from 
foster-homes for replacement and five were in the receiving Home 
at the beginning of the year, so that a total of 198 children passed 
through the office during the year. The total number of place- 
ments was 235. One hundred and seventy-two children were placed 
in families for the first time and 21 were replaced during the period. 
Three children died. 
The Child-Saving Mission handled a total of 26 children during 
the same year. By March, 1917, 16 had already been adopted by 
foster parents; six were in foster homes on trial; two had died, 
one had been restored to her mother by the same court which had 202 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
previously taken her away; and one was still in the Receiving 
Home awaiting placement. 
The methods used at the two organizations are much the same. 
Both receive many children on court commitment, and both, so 
far as possible, try to secure the voluntary surrender and signing of 
relinquishment papers by parents even when the juvenile court 
has declared them to be unfit guardians. The reason for this ap- 
parent excess of caution is the attitude which the court has taken 
in occasional cases towards the later claims of parents once declared 
unfit. If an abandoned child is brought to the Child-Saving Mission 
and it proves impossible to learn anything of its parentage, the 
superintendent always asks the county judge to declare the child 
abandoned and to appoint him as its guardian. 
The Oklahoma Children's Home Society has divided the state 
into three districts with a field agent in each. This enables the 
workers to make a personal investigation of the majority of the 
homes which make application for children and to keep in fairly 
close touch with children after placement. Unfortunately, lack of 
sufficient financial support compels these agents also to assume the 
responsibility of raising funds in their districts and these demands 
make large inroads on their time. 
The Child-Saving Mission makes all investigations of foster 
homes through the superintendent or his wife. They claim to 
have made personal inspections in most cases but neither their records 
nor those of the Oklahoma Children's Home Society show in just 
how many cases this has been done. The Mission insists on a period 
of 90 days' trial before adoption is permitted. The Children's 
Home Society permits immediate adoption. 
All applicants for children at either Society must fill out blank 
forms similar to those in use at the State Home, and the method of 
handling the application is much the same as at the state institutions. 
The Oklahoma Children's Home Society claims to visit all foster 
homes at least once a year until adoption takes place. Neither 
organization has complete records of children placed out in former 
years. 
Neither organization makes a practice of giving blood tests or 
complete physical examination before placement. The Oklahoma 
Children's Home Society has a consulting staff of physicians in 
charge of its health work. The Child-Saving Mission uses the staff Home Finding 
203 
of the Enid General Hospital in the same way. No health records 
are kept. 
Neither agency investigates applications from parents who 
wish to relinquish children and in general the recorded information 
on parentage and heredity is very meager. 
Maternity Homes 
The Holmes Home of Redeeming Love, the one recognized 
maternity home in the State, entrusts all its placing-out work to the 
Oklahoma Children's Society. Unmarried mothers are always urged 
to keep their babies when there is any possibility of supporting them. 
Humane Societies. 
The Humane Societies at Tulsa and Sapulpa report a few chil- 
dren for whom family homes have been found. In 1916 the Tulsa 
Society placed out 33 children of whom eight were adopted. Many 
of these children came to the Society through the juvenile court, 
a few through hospitals or from private sources. The application 
blank which foster-parents are required to fill out is very brief. 
Name and address, date of marriage, ages of other children, church 
membership and ownership of home are the only points on which 
information is asked. The three persons whose names must be given 
as references are usually consulted by correspondence. The only 
records kept are entered on blank filing-cards and several which 
were seen contained simply the name of the child and the name of 
the foster-parent. No after-care is exercised. 
The Salpulpa Humane Society when visited had just taken 
charge of a new day-nursery building, the gift of a wealthy resident 
of the city, and was planning to carry on some placing-out work. 
Plans were still in process of evolution at the time of our visit. 
Associated Charities. 
A peculiar situation was discovered at the Muskogee Day- 
Nursery which is maintained by the Associated Charities of that 
city. The Nursery gives night as well as day care. When a woman 
brings her children she is required to sign a paper which gives the 
nursery the right to "remove the child from the nursery" if the 
mother fails to make payments when due. The matron interprets 
this to mean that she may give the children away for adoption 
and three or four instances were found where this had been done. 204 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Orphanages. 
Among the orphanages of the state, five make a practice of 
finding homes for their young charges either occasionally or regularly. 
One has a field agent at work. With the others the placing-out 
activities are incidental to the main business of the institution. 
The Oklahoma Benevolent and Orphanage Association which 
supports a small receiving home at Cornish, was not visited and the 
figures quoted are taken from its reports to the State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction. During 1916, 47 children were received 
and 57 were placed in family homes. Twelve to 14 children are usually 
in the Receiving Home. No information was secured as to methods 
of work. 
The second institution which was not visited, the Baptist 
Orphans' Home, near Oklahoma City, placed 13 children in family 
homes during 1916. 
The Sunbeam Orphanage at Oklahoma City occasionally 
places children in foster-homes with the consent of their parents. 
Four children were so placed during 1916. 
The Jabbok Faith Missionary Training School placed one 
child in 1916. 
The Masonic Home where 168 children were entered in March, 
1917, has done a little placing-out work and intends to develop it 
still further. Three children found homes in 1916. Records here 
are excellent, but the weak point is the use of the local lodges for 
investigating their own membership. Local ties are strong and 
often embarrassing, but even where this factor does not enter into 
the matter, the best intentions in the world will not make up for lack 
of information as to sound methods of procedure. 
General Summary and Conclusions 
Home-finding work in Oklahoma is carried on by state, county 
and private agencies. 
The state plan is to place all dependent white children of sound 
mind and body in family homes either on contract or for adoption, 
the homes being carefully investigated and supervised by the state 
agent. One man has been appointed to handle this work from the 
State Home. The numbers are now too great for one person to 
manage and the result is that the Home has become overcrowded Home Finding 
205 
and some children are not having a fair chance at placement. If 
the original plan is to be followed those children who are really 
cases for custodial care should be removed from Pryor and the staff 
of placing-out agents should be increased to facilitate the disposal 
of those who are left. The records at the State Home are in good 
condition but they should be amplified. 
The Superintendents of the State Training Schools for Boys 
and for Girls have now the legal right to transfer children from the 
institution to family homes, placing them at service on contract, 
but no instance was found where this had been done. Such action 
should not be taken until parole agents have been appointed to 
supervise children so placed. 
The placing-out work done by county judges is in practice 
chiefly confined to the dependent children though one county was 
found where delinquent boys had been successfully placed in farm 
homes. The work is characterized by its surprising lack of pre- 
liminary investigations and subsequent supervision, and records 
of any sort, except in adoption cases, are usually lacking. 
Two private agencies devote all their energies to home finding. 
Their records are fairly good but neither is able in every case to 
make a personal visit to the proposed foster-home and after-care 
is almost without exception inadequate. Both agencies are ac- 
quainted with proper standards and are working toward them as 
rapidly as financial limitations permit. 
The one maternity home in the state does all its placing-out 
work through one of these private agencies. 
Two humane societies, one associated charities, and five 
orphanages occasionally give out children for adoption. Only one 
of these agencies employs a field agent. One, the Masonic Home, 
has good records. It investigates and supervises through local 
lodges and its own governing board. In general, the records of 
the other agencies, for which information was secured, were quite 
inadequate and their investigations and supervision were un- 
satisfactory. 
The present system of supervision by the State Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction is unsatisfactory because his powers 
are not clearly defined and cannot in any event be exercised until a 
given project is under way. There is at present no legal means of 
preventing needless duplication in the child-placing field and no 206 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
way of reducing the amount of public solicitation for private 
charitable enterprise of this nature. 
Recommendations 
1. The supervision of all child-placing work in the state should 
be under the proposed State Division of Child Welfare (see report on 
Administration, page 284) whose duties in this regard should be as 
indicated in the following sections: 
2. No placing-out work should be begun or carried on without 
a license from the State Division of Child Welfare; the license to 
be good for one year only and to be granted originally and renewed 
only after inspection of the receiving home, methods, and records 
of the agency and after a report of the work of the previous year 
has been made by the agency to the Commissioner of Charities and 
Correction and pronounced satisfactory; the Commissioner to 
have power to refuse to grant license or to revoke for cause. 
3. Any effort to begin or carry on child-placing work before a 
license has been granted or after it has been refused or revoked, 
should be considered as a misdemeanor and punished accordingly, 
the power of prosecution to be vested in the State Commissioner of 
Charities and Correction, and no juvenile court to have authority 
to commit children to any institution or agency operating without 
a license. 
4. The State Division of Child Welfare should be required to 
inspect at least once a year, the methods, records, and receiving- 
home of each agency engaged in child-placing work, and to inspect 
at any time on complaint, the reports of such inspections to be made 
in writing and preserved in the files. 
5. Each agency should be required to report monthly to the 
State Commissioner of Charities and Correction upon blanks to 
be furnished by him, the name, age, sex, color, names of parents, 
previous address and any other facts which may be desired for each 
child placed out during the previous month, together with name 
and address of family with whom child was placed. 
6. All children placed in private homes by any agency should 
be visited by an agent of the State Division of Child Welfare with- 
in three months of placement, and at least once a year thereafter, 
so long as they remain wards of the agency, and written reports of Home Finding 
207 
all such visits should be made by the state agent both to the State 
Division of Child Welfare and to the agency responsible for placing 
out the child. 
7. No child should be accepted for placement by any agency 
without investigation to determine the ability of parents or rela- 
tives to support, and any facts regarding heredity or relationship 
gained by this investigation should be made a part of the permanent 
record of the child. 
8. No child should be placed in any family home which has not 
first been personally visited by a competent investigator, either the 
state agent or a representative of the agency entrusted with the 
guardianship of the child, and pronounced satisfactory for this 
particular child. 
9. All children in foster homes should be visited by a represen- 
tative of the placing-out agency within three months of placement, 
and thereafter at least once a year, reports of these visits to be 
added to records of child kept by agency, and such records to be 
continuous from date of reception to date of discharge. 
10. The Wasserman or some equivalent blood test should be 
given to any child suspected of venereal disease before he is offered 
for placement. 
11. The State Board of Health should be made responsible 
for a semi-annual inspection of all receiving homes maintained by 
any agency for placing-out children, inspection to cover sanitation 
of buildings and grounds, purity of water and milk supply, general 
provisions for medical inspection and survey of health of inmates. 
All cases of contagious diseases should be reported, immediately 
upon occurrence, to the county health officer. 
12. The State Tire Marshal should be made responsible for 
an annual inspection of all receiving homes maintained by any 
agency for placing out children, to determine the adequancy of 
protection against fire. 
13. When guardianship has been once legally transferred, 
there should be no right of recovery except by the free consent of all 
parties involved. POOR RELIEF 
Eva Joffe 
Material poor relief is available from four sources: 
1. Mothers' Pensions. Monthly allowances granted by county 
judges to women with children under 14 years. Appropriations 
are made by the county commissioners. 
2. Scholarships. Monthly allowances granted by county school 
superintendents to women with children under 16 years. No 
special appropriation is made, the money being supplied by the 
county commissioners from the county fund for the poor and 
insane. 
3. County Poor Fund. Orders for groceries and other necessaries 
are allowed by the county commissioners. County poor farms, 
where such exist, are maintained by this fund. 
4. Organized Private Sources. Charity organization societies; 
churches; clubs and lodges. 
Mothers* Pensions 
A law was passed in 1915 authorizing county courts to pension 
indigent mothers of children under 14 years whose husbands are 
dead or insane or prisoners in any state institution. A woman 
must have been a resident of the county for two years prior to filing 
an application for an allowance; she must be fit morally, physically 
and mentally, to bring up her children, and the children must be 
living with her. The allowance is not to exceed $10 per month 
for the first child and $5 for each additional child under 14 years; 
and it is to be granted only if without it the mother would be obliged 
to work away from home and neglect her children. When a child 
reaches the age limit, the allowance for that child ceases. The 
appropriation made for the purpose by the county commissioners 
is not to exceed $8000 for any fiscal year. The county court may 
discontinue a pension at any time and in case the appropriation is 
not sufficient to pay all allowances, it is to select from among the 
applications only the most urgent cases for award of the relief. 
208 Poor-Relief 
209 
This report is based upon information gathered through per- 
sonal inquiry in the counties of Bryan, Canadian, Cleveland, 
Comanche, Craig, Creek, Custer, Jackson, Logan, Mayes, Muskogee, 
Oklahoma, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Tulsa, Wagoner, and 
Washington. Their appropriations range from $500 to the maxi- 
mum of $8000 per annum, but so far only one, Oklahoma County, 
has appropriated the maximum. 
If there are more new applications than expected, the com- 
missioners sometimes request the county judge not to pass upon 
any of them favorably until the appropriation for the ensuing year 
is made so there will be enough money in the fund for the regular 
beneficiaries during the remainder of the year. But occasionally 
a judge grants new pensions and the appropriation is used up before 
the end of the year, cutting off without warning all pensioners both 
new and old from what is in many cases their only means of sup- 
port. The legislature of 1917 provided for such a contingency 
through a new law empowering the excise board to transfer funds 
from one department to another when the need arises. When this 
study was made, advantage had already been taken of this means 
to cover additional needs, $200 having been transferred in Jackson 
County from the court fund to the mothers' pension fund. 
No child in Oklahoma County enjoys the maximum allowance, 
and indeed the demands are so great that on the average it is im- 
possible to grant it. There were over 80 families there with from 
two to three children receiving this aid and the maximum appro- 
priation distributed equally among them would give to each family 
only $8 per month. As the seventeen other counties studied are 
not so populous it would seem that the beneficiaries there might 
fare better, but their appropriations are very much smaller and 
pensioners seldom get the maximum amount for each child regardless 
of the number in the family. The number of families in the 18 counties 
receiving the maximum allowance was only 57 with a total of 72 
children. Altogether there were 1325 boys and girls who had en- 
joyed pensions in all these counties, but only 5.4 per cent of them 
had the benefit of the full allowance. 
But even if the appropriation in each county were large enough 
to grant the maximum of $10 per month to every worthy applicant, 
a woman with one child cannot live on this amount. The act was 
passed presumably to enable poor women to rear and educate their 210 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
children under normal and healthful conditions and surely children 
who live with their mothers are not less worthy of help than children 
who are sent to orphanages. No institution can shelter, feed 
clothe, educate and give medical care to a child under 14 years for 
$5 per month which is the maximum allowance for each additional 
child, the $10 for the first child including the support of the mother. 
But if it is impossible for a woman to make both ends meet with the 
whole amount, how much worse are conditions when less is allowed! 
Few applications were found that threw much light on the con- 
ditions under which the applicants and their children had been living, 
and the only conclusion that can be drawn from the study of such 
material in combination with statements of judges and county clerks, 
is that nearly all were very poor and depended entirely for support on 
their work or outside aid. Few owned their houses and still fewer 
owned their farms. The word "indigent" is interpreted by some judges 
to mean "destitute of property," and therefore a woman who owns 
the house she lives in is not in their opinion entitled to a pension, 
although such a woman may have several children under 14 years and 
no means of support. When work was unavailable the pension was 
the only resource and yet sometimes a woman with five or six children 
had a grant of but $10 per month, although the object of this aid is 
to enable mothers to stay at home and look after their children. 
The pensions have been administered for two years and the 
experience already gained should lead to an increase in appropria- 
tions in those counties where sufficient money has not been provided 
to meet all needs. But what should be done in a county which has 
already appropriated the maximum, no provision having been made 
in the law for the growth of population? The pensioners can not 
live on a steadily decreasing sum and bring up their children 
properly. The limit of appropriation should be based on the pop- 
ulation of a county according to a sliding scale. The mere institution 
of mothers' pensions is not sufficient; the full purpose of the act 
must be accomplished. Until pensioners are able to provide suitable 
shelter, sufficient food, warm clothing, and proper education for their 
children without breaking down under the burden and without 
recourse to charity, the state cannot feel satisfied with the results. 
A divorced woman or mother of an illegitimate child is not 
eligible for a pension under the present law. This discrimination 
is to be regretted. The aid is granted not as a reward for scrupulous Poor-Relief 
211 
conformity with the conventions, but to enable mothers to rear 
their children properly, and neither divorce nor an illegitimate child 
necessarily makes a woman unworthy as a mother. A woman leading 
an immoral life may be denied by the state the right to take care of 
her children and it is logical for the state to refuse to give her a 
pension as she is not considered a proper guardian. The granting 
of pensions to women with illegitimate children however, would 
in some cases prevent a resort to immoral living, for they might be 
driven to that extreme if other means of support failed them. 
Illegitimate children should be given opportunity to live and de- 
velop normally. They are already handicapped by their illegitimacy 
and when their mothers are needy their misfortune is aggravated. 
A divorced woman, when given the custody of her children, is 
considered by the state the proper person to care for them. Why 
then does the state withhold from such a mother, if she is poor, the 
support it gives to other women in straitened circumstances? It 
is not likely that the granting of pensions to divorced women would 
result in an increase of divorces, but this could be determined only 
through experience and the welfare of the unfortunate children 
concerned is worth the experiment. To avoid any such possible 
encouragement of divorce, the law should provide that six months 
or a year elapse between the granting of the decree and the filing 
of an application for a pension, and relief should be given in such 
cases only when the state is unable to obtain funds for the support 
of the children from their fathers. A mother with an invalid or 
crippled husband also should be eligible. 
The maximum age limit for children entitled to this support 
should be raised to 16 years, especially if the employment of children 
under that age is prohibited as recommended in another chapter 
of this volume. Children are required to attend school until 
16 and poor families should be aided in this way to obey this law. 
Scholarships have been used for this purpose in certain counties. 
They are designed to prevent hardship in the enforcement of the 
compulsory attendance law and are available to children up to the 
age of 16 years, but it is a violation of the principles of good admin- 
istration to have two governmental departments at work on the 
same task. As scholarships are a duplication of pensions they 
should be abolished and pensions made available in all worthy cases 
where children under 16 are in need. 212 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Methods of granting pensions vary in different counties. In 
some there is only a hearing by the court; in others, a hearing and 
an investigation; in others, no hearing, no investigation, no calling 
of witnesses because the judge declares he is acquainted with the 
financial affairs of every family living within his jurisdiction and 
regards this knowledge as sufficient. Two instances serve to em- 
phasize the folly of such complete failure to ascertain the facts: 
In one county, upon the representations of a friend, a woman was 
granted a pension of $12.50 for the support of three children under 
14 years, but as she owned a house and lot, valued at $700 and earned 
as a seamstress from $15 to $25 per month, she did not need such 
assistance and declined to accept it. In the same county a pension 
was granted in another case and a warrant for five months' pay 
was drawn by the county clerk, but no one ever called for the money, 
and at the end of the fifth month it was cancelled. 
A hearing alone is not an adequate investigation for even 
though publicly held it can hardly reveal to a judge just what the 
applicant's needs are and what would constitute proper relief in 
her case, and the award might be based upon the testimony of 
persons present by chance, or through curiosity, or for ulterior 
motives. Even when a hearing is well advertised in advance, which 
rarely occurs, no one attends unless called as a witness, or drawn 
by personal enmity or curiosity, and the hostile and curious are not 
the ones to be consulted in so important a matter. The publicity 
of a court hearing is undesirable in such proceedings but an investi- 
gation tactfully conducted should not be objected to by even the 
most sensitive. As the pension is a public expenditure it should be 
granted and administered in a businesslike way but without ex- 
posing the applicant to unnecessary mortification. 
In only a few of the counties visited is a thorough investiga- 
tion made and the subsequent supervision is usually extremely 
superficial. In two counties humane officers often do the investi- 
gating but as they have a great deal of other work they give their 
time to this task only when they can spare it. 
In one county the judge takes extra precautions to guard 
against foolish expenditure by beneficiaries whom he considers 
incompetent in money matters. At the beginning of each month 
he sends cheques for their allowances to a local grocer and the women 
draw their groceries and cash for other necessaries against this credit. Poor-Relief 
213 
All accounts are turned over for examination to the judge, who 
assured the writer that the grocer was a reliable man and there was 
no fraud. However, the women should not have their choice of 
dealers denied and thus be obliged to patronize a single individual 
for if this method of paying pensions were used widely, the bene- 
ficiaries would sometimes be at the mercy of dishonest tradesmen 
with no way of escape. Supervision of this kind makes the woman 
too dependent and does not stimulate her to exercise the right 
influence over her children. When the beneficiary is lacking in 
judgment and common sense, the administrator should, of course, 
acquaint himself thoroughly with the home conditions and guide 
and help her as much as possible. But even then he should seek 
only to guide, not to direct, and avoid any abuse of the woman's 
confidence. When deemed able to do so, the mother should be 
allowed to exercise her own judgment and to manage her affairs as 
independently as feasible under the circumstances. The investi- 
gation should be made by persons free to devote to it as much time 
as necessary; it might be entrusted to the local probation and truancy 
officer. Supervision should begin immediately after the pension is 
granted. There should be regular visits by the officer to the pen- 
sioner's home and neighborhood to see that no fraud of any kind is 
practised and that the children are not neglected. 
The county judge is elected primarily for judicial duties and 
the administration of pensions is generally considered of minor 
importance. He may not be the best person for this kind of service; 
he may consider such aid a waste, unimportant or even harmful, 
as appears from the manner in which the pensions are administered 
in some counties. A man who does not believe in pensions should 
not be allowed to administer them for as he has the power to inter- 
pret the law as he sees fit he disregards or misunderstands its spirit 
and the women and children are the sufferers. For instance, one 
judge denied a pension to a woman when she declared she would 
not part with her children under any circumstances because he held 
that in view of her determination the family would be kept together 
without such aid. The same judge denied a pension in another case 
because the applicant's older children were working and with their 
meager earnings ought to have supported their mother and brother 
and sisters. Of course, the law may be interpreted in different ways 
but in these as in other cases its spirit was violated. It was never 214 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
intended that a mother who is willing to bear any hardship for her 
children should be allowed to break down under too heavy a burden 
or be obliged to work away from home and neglect her family. 
But let us see how the beneficiaries fare when the county judges 
are not out of sympathy with the system. One judge claims the 
right to cancel the allowance of a beneficiary at any time if he con- 
siders that someone else is in greater need. Another grants a pension 
for only eight months of the year, because he thinks that the bene- 
ficiaries can somehow get along during the four summer months. 
Still another grants a small amount, which is paid during the greater 
part of the year but in the winter months he increases it when he 
thinks more is needed. Thus, in some counties, even where the 
judge is sympathetic, the beneficiaries can never be sure of their 
future allowance but may be deprived of this aid at any time for no 
fault of their own. It is inadvisable to leave the administration of 
so important a matter in the hands of one person who qualifies 
and is elected for other duties. So much has to be left to the dis- 
cretion of the administrator that this feature of the system tends 
to aggravate the conditions. At best the beneficiaries can expect 
to have only barely enough to live on and should be spared all 
unnecessary worry over the uncertainty of their means of sub- 
sistence. The allowance once granted is not something to be 
taken away capriciously. Unless conditions change, or evidence 
is found against her, the beneficiary should not be deprived of 
this aid. 
The administrators often lose sight of the aim of the act and 
in deciding upon the amount to be granted are guided entirely by 
the merits of the parents and forget the needs of the children. In 
one county a woman with two children of 13 and 9 years, the widow 
of a policeman killed in the performance of his duty, is drawing the 
maximum allowance of $15 per month. She collected insurance of 
$2000 of which $450 was used for burial expenses and to pay some 
debts of her husband. With the remainder she bought the house she 
is living in, two cows, and hogs for meat, and has two horses. An- 
other woman with four children under 14 receives likewise $15 per 
month but owns no house, cows, or hogs. Three of her children 
have to go to school barefoot and before the pension was granted 
she had worked four months in a restaurant away from home. In 
another county a woman with one child under 14 and four others Poor-Relief 
215 
over 20 years of age, one of whom gives her $5 per month, has a 
pension of $10 per month, while another woman with ten children, 
two over and eight under 14 years, is receiving only $15 per month 
and her entire property consists of two mules, "heavily encumbered." 
The judge of this county maintains that he grants pensions on the 
basis of "worthiness and absolute destitution." 
As administered at present, the pension has not yet become what 
the framers of the law undoubtedly intended it to be. So far it 
has been only an attempt at relieving the burden falling upon mothers 
of fatherless children. The beneficiaries rarely have enough to 
keep the children well nourished and warmly clad. Often they 
have to work, when work is obtainable, and neglect their children, 
or have to appeal to other agencies for supplementary relief and 
this tends to pauperize them. The county commissioners, as a rule, 
give to beneficiaries no additional assistance save free school books 
for their children and some clothes, so the women have to get along 
the best way they can when there are no other resources. 
In a few counties applications for renewal have to be filed 
before the end of the fiscal year. The reason for this given in one 
county was that the county had no right to pledge any payment 
beyond the end of the fiscal year, and further that it helped the 
authorities to keep in touch with the beneficiaries. This necessity 
of periodically submitting women to the humiliation of a public 
hearing of their cases is another element contributing to their 
possible pauperization. The law does not specify that the pension 
must be granted only to the end of the fiscal year and renewed 
annually. It reads: "Whenever any child shall reach the age of 
14 years any allowance made to the mother of such child for the 
benefit of such child shall cease. The county court may at its dis- 
cretion, at any time before such child reaches the age of 14 years, 
discontinue or modify the allowance to any mother and for any 
child." 
Scholarships 
A law providing for the support of widowed mothers was en- 
acted in 1909 and empowers the county school superintendent after 
careful investigation and upon the recommendation of the local 
board of education to issue a certificate called a "scholarship" to 216 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
any widowed mother who can prove that she needs the wages of her 
children under 16 years for their support. The amount is paid by 
the county commissioners to the beneficiary upon presentation of 
the county superintendent's certificate. No appropriation is made 
for the purpose, the money being taken from the fund for the poor 
and insane. 
In only 6 of the 18 counties visited were scholarships found to 
have been issued, although these 18 counties are among the most 
progressive in the state. In a few there had been no applications 
but in others the county commissioners refused to honor the certifi- 
cates in spite of the fact that the law is mandatory if the mother 
shows that she needs such help. 
The object of the law is to keep poor boys and girls from working 
prematurely and to make it possible for them to stay in school. 
This assistance is available in the school term only, hence the family 
cannot depend upon it for a portion of the year. Moreover, it is 
supposed to be paid only for days of actual attendance at school 
and, as a rule, deductions are made for absences caused by inclement 
weather, combined with distance and bad roads, or even sickness. 
Only in one county are payments allowed for justifiable absences. 
Sometimes there is an understanding between the county school 
superintendent and the county judge whereby no pension is granted 
in addition to scholarships, and vice versa. This arrangement 
operates to the disadvantage of children under 14 years during the 
summer in the one case, and of children between 14 and 16 years 
at all times in the other. 
Every month the child must get a certificate of school attendance 
from the teacher before the money can be collected. This is dis- 
tasteful to sensitive children. One county superintendent told the 
writer that a certain mother with two children wanted to give up 
the scholarship because the children felt humiliated when asking the 
teacher for the record of attendance in the presence of the other 
pupils. In another county the county school superintendent avoided 
this difficulty by arranging with teachers to have the records of the 
children's attendance given directly to the mothers. It was done 
so delicately that the children were beneficiaries for from two to 
three years without becoming aware of it, but unfortunately this 
method was used only in the cases of a few sensitive children, there 
having been altogether 31 scholarships in the one county. Poor-Relief 
217 
County Poor Fund 
The county commissioners are in charge of the fund for the 
poor and insane. If the applicant is considered worthy and there 
is money in the treasury, an order for a specified amount, usually 
for groceries, is given by the commissioners and no investigation 
is made. The poor are also given clothes, medical care, and other 
necessaries. Needy children are supplied with school books paid 
for by the county commissioners upon the recommendation of the 
county school superintendent. In one county a city superintendent 
of schools found it easier and more expeditious to supply the children 
with books himself, instead of applying to the county superintendent. 
He takes the books needed by poor children from the stock kept 
on hand by the Board of Education and at the end of the year, 
charges them to "poverty." At the end of the term they are re- 
turned to the teachers for use by other children. In this way the 
city has on hand about 300 sets of free school books for use by poor 
children of the town. 
Private Sources 
Ten of the 18 county seats visited have made attempts to 
organize private poor relief. In three of them, provident associa- 
tions were found; in two, associated charities; in two, united 
charities; in two, humane societies; and in one, a benevolent 
association. Only five of these societies have offices and employ 
persons who give their entire time to the work. 
In Washington County the county commissioners discovered 
that through lack of cooperation with the local provident asso- 
ciation duplication of work often occurred for one family sometimes 
was assisted by both and others received no help from either. This 
caused them to work out a plan of joint operation whereby the county 
is to bear all expenses of relief and the provident association, whose 
funds are collected once a year by a committee of three, is to pay 
the salary of the investigator who, in addition to his investigative 
work, makes out all records and orders the groceries for the poor. 
Two charity associations maintain nurseries; one humane 
society has a detention home for children and another is helping 
to conduct a nursery. In Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties nurseries 218 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
are maintained by club women. Oklahoma City has another con- 
ducted by the local provident association. The one maintained by 
the women's clubs has been located in the poorer section of the city 
as they consider the one conducted by the provident association 
too far from the neighborhood in greatest need. All the workers, 
save the woman in charge, give their time gratis. 
In Tulsa a nursery has been maintained for two or three years 
by 50 women who pay dues, give public bridge parties or musicales 
for its benefit and help with the work in every possible way. It 
is in charge of a paid trained nurse and assistant. 
Recommendations 
The administration of pensions should be taken out of the 
hands of the county judges and their powers in this field entrusted 
to the proposed county boards of public welfare. (See report on 
Administration, page 251.) After a thorough investigation by an 
officer, this board should determine whether a pension should be 
granted and what the amount should be. 
At present a pension may be granted to a widow, or to a woman 
whose husband is insane or a prisoner in any state institution. No 
other women are eligible. A woman with an invalid or crippled 
husband, a deserted or a divorced woman, or a mother of an illegit- 
imate child should be entitled to one if worthy and in need. To 
avoid any possible encouragement of divorces, the law should pro- 
vide that payment of pension begin only when the divorce decree 
becomes absolute. A deserted woman should be eligible only after 
one year has elapsed since desertion. The relief to deserted or 
divorced women and mothers of illegitimate children should be given 
only in such cases where the state, after due effort, is unable to 
obtain funds for the support of the children from their fathers. 
The maximum age limit for children entitled to support through 
mothers' pensions should be extended to 16 years to conform to the 
present compulsory school attendance law. Scholarships should 
be abolished. The law should not fix the maximum appropriaton 
for a county. The maximum allowance for a child, however, should 
be specified, subject to increase of not more than 50 per cent in 
any case upon authorization of the proposed State Child Welfare 
Division (see report on Administration, page 282) which should have Poor-Relief 
219 
general supervision over the work of the county boards with power 
to review and revoke their grants. One-third of the funds should 
be supplied by the state and two-thirds by the county. 
The law at present does not provide for any local investigation 
prior to the award of a pension nor for any subsequent supervision. 
Such work could be done to advantage by the proposed county pro- 
bation and truancy officer (see report on Administration, page 263) 
and his assistants whose recommendations would be of great 
assistance to the county board of public welfare in reaching decisions. 
Supervision should begin immediately after the award and regular 
visits should be made by the officer to the home and neighborhood 
of the beneficary to see that there is no abuse of any kind and that 
the children enjoy the advantages of schooling and a normal home 
life. 
The allowance for each child should be continued until he 
reaches the age of 16 years, unless a change in the family's condition 
warrants its cancellation. In case of the beneficiary's death the 
aid should be given, if needed, to the relatives who take the children 
into their home. No reduction, increase or canceling of an allowance 
should be made without a thorough investigation under the direction 
of the county board of public welfare. 
There should be uniform methods of administration. Blank 
forms should be drawn up and adopted by the State Child Welfare 
Division for use in all counties and accurate records kept of all 
pensions granted and canceled, amounts paid, and allowances 
reduced or increased, with dates and reasons for such action. Such 
uniform and correct records with data as to the applicants' financial 
circumstances and marital condition would greatly help in deter- 
mining whether the granting of pensions increases divorce, desertion 
and illegitimacy. All of this information is now lacking and greatly 
needed for successful administration. PARENTAGE, PROPERTY AND GENERAL PROTECTION 
OF CHILDREN 
W. H. Swift 
Parentage and Property 
MARRIAGE 
One of the purposes, if indeed not the chief purpose, of marriage 
is to insure the birth and proper care of children. The character 
of the race and of the type of civilization will always be determined, 
somewhat and largely, by the regulations governing marriage. 
Who May Marry 
In the State of Oklahoma, no boy under 18 years of age, and 
no girl under 15 years of age may legally marry, except that the 
court may authorize the marriage of parties under 18 and 15, 
respectively, in settlement of an action for seduction or illegitimacy. 
Where the boy is under 21 or the girl under 18 consent of the parent 
or guardian is required. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3885. 
Marriages of Relatives Forbidden 
Marriages between relatives to the degree of and including 
second cousins is forbidden. Such marriages are void, not voidable. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3884- Fearnow vs State-34 Ok. 694- 
License Required for Marriage 
Before any marriage can be solemnized a license must be 
secured from the clerk of the county court. Such license is issued 
upon application, stating age and residence of the parties. The 
county court may require evidence of the legal capacity of the 
parties for whom a marriage license is sought. All records of mar- 
riage license and of marriage certificates are kept by the clerk of 
the county court. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3886-3897. 
220 Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
221 
The parties seeking a marriage license are not required to 
present themselves before the clerk of the county court. Notice 
of applications for license to marry, or that the parties are about to 
marry is not required. 
DISCUSSION 
Marriage being a contract there seems to be no good reason 
why a girl should be permitted to marry without the consent of her 
parents or guardian at 18, whereas the boy must be 21. The law 
should be changed so as to make the age of majority for girls the 
same as that for boys, namely, 21. 
There are three parties to a marriage, Society being the third 
party. The interest of all demand: 
1. That public notice of ten days should be required before a 
marriage license is granted. 
2. That both parties to a marriage should be required to present 
themselves before the clerk of the county court and answer in- 
quiries under oath before the marriage license is granted. The 
answers should be a part of the record. 
3. That no one who is affected with venereal disease should be 
granted license to marry. 
RIGHTS OF PARENT AND OF CHILD 
The majority of children in any state live with their parents. 
The relation of parent and child occupies, therefore, a large field 
in the law. 
Right of Parent to Protect Child 
Force may be used by a parent to protect his child or by a 
guardian to protect his ward. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2958-5557. 
Damages for the Wrongful Death of Father 
A child may recover damages in a civil action for the wrongful 
death of his father. Even if the child was unborn at the time of the 
death of his father, he can recover. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 5281-5282. Herndon vs St. L. & S. F. Railroad 37 Ok. 256. 
There is no law permitting the recovery of damages for injury 
to an unborn child. 222 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Right to Custody, Services and Earnings 
The father of a minor child is entitled to the custody, services, 
and earnings of the child. If the father is dead, or has abandoned 
his family, or is unable, or refuses, to take the custody, then the 
custody, services, and earnings of the child belong next, to the mother. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4368-4381. 
Earnings of Child Living with Mother Apart from Father 
If the mother with her minor child lives separate and apart 
from the father, the mother is entitled to the services of such child 
and the earnings of the child are her separate property. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3357. 
Custody of Illegitimate Minor Child 
The mother of an illegitimate child is entitled to the custody, 
services, and earnings of such child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4369. 
Liabilities of Parents for Torts of Child 
A parent, as such, is not liable for the acts of his child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4383. • . 
When Parent May be Deprived of Custody of Child 
While the parent is entitled to the custody and services of his 
minor child, the court may deprive him of these for the abuse of 
parental authority. 
A parent may relinquish his right to the services and earnings 
of his minor child. Abandonment is evidence of relinquishment. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4372-4380. Sweet vs Crane 39 Ok. 248. Revel vs Pruitt 
42 Ok. 696. 
Residence of Child 
The parent of a minor child has the right to determine the 
residence of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4382. 
For the application of the Poor Law and of Poor Relief, the 
residence of the child is determined as follows:- 
1. The residence of the father is the residence of the child. 
2. The residence of the father being wanting, the residence of 
the mother determines. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
223 
3. The residence of an adopted child is the residence of his 
foster-parents. 
4. The residence of an apprentice is the residence of his master. 
5. A minor child by living six months in a county acquires 
residence. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4534- 
When Authority of Parent Ceases 
The authority of the. parent over the child ceases 
1. Upon the appointment of a guardian of the person of the child. 
2. Upon the marriage of the child. 
3. Upon the child's attaining his or her majority. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4373. 
A boy is of full legal age at 21. 
A girl is of full legal age at 18. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 879. 
Control of Property of Minor Child 
A parent, as such, has no control over the property of his child. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3327, 4371. 
Power of Parent to Appoint Guardian 
The father of a legitimate minor child may, with the mother's 
consent, appoint a guardian by will or deed. If either parent is 
incapable of consent, the other parent may appoint a guardian. 
A mother may appoint a guardian for her illegitimate child. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3326-3327. 
Duty of Parent to Support Child 
It is the duty of the parent, the father first, and then the 
mother, to support and educate the child. 
7?. L. 1910, Secs. 4367-4368. 
If the parent neglects or fails to support and educate his child, 
the court will enforce the child's rights against the parent. The 
court may order that the child be taken away from the parent, and 
may place such child in its discretion. Relatives of the child or the 
county poor officers may bring the action. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4372. Allison vs Bryant 21 Ok. 557. 
An action may be brought against the estate of a parent for 
the support of his minor child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4374- 224 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
If a minor child has property, the court may order an allow- 
ance out of the same for the support and education of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4370. 
Support of Children-Parents Separated 
A husband and wife may make an agreement for separation, 
and for the support of minor children. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3354- 
Action for Divorce Not Granted 
When there is an action for divorce and the same is not granted 
on account of the guilt of both parties, the court will award the 
children to either party, having a view to the best interests of the 
children. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4966. 
Divorce-Custody of Child 
When a divorce is granted, the court will order the child to 
either party having in view its best interests, and will make provision 
by order for its care, support, and education. This order may be 
modified from time to time. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4968. Bondies vs Bondies 40 Ok. 164- 
Duty of Parent to Support 
A parent must furnish his child with food, clothing, shelter, 
and medical attention. In a criminal indictment of the father for 
failure, the wife and mother may testify. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2434- Owens vs State 6 Ok. Cr. 110. Hunter vs State 10 Ok. 
Cr. 119. 
Liability of Parent for N ecessaries 
A parent is liable for necessaries furnished his minor child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4376. 
Liability of Stepfather for Necessaries 
A stepfather is not bound to support his stepchild. When the 
child is, however, received into the home, the relation of parent and 
child is presumed to exist. The stepfather is entitled to no com- 
pensation for support. Neither is he liable to pay for the services 
of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4378. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
225 
Liability of Minor Parent for Necessaries 
A minor parent cannot disaffirm his promise to pay for neces- 
saries furnished his minor child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 886. 
Insurance for Dependents 
It has been held that where insurance is made payable to de- 
pendents, such dependents may be those other than members of the 
insured's family or blood-kin. 
B. Supp. 1915, Sec. 3486. Woodmen of the World vs Noel 34 Ok. 597. 
Exemptions 
The earnings of a debtor for three months previous to the date 
of execution, are exempt from execution for the payment of debts, 
when such earnings are necessary for the maintenance of his family. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 5501. 
Unborn Child Deemed to be Existing 
An unborn child is deemed to be an existing person in so far 
as it may be necessary for its interests in the event of its subsequent 
birth. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 881. 
Habeas Corpus for the Benefit of Children 
The writ of Habeas Corpus is to be granted in favor of parents, 
guardians, masters, husbands and wives, to enforce the protection 
of, and the rights of, children. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4905. 
DISCUSSION 
1. A parent should have the same control over his girl as over 
his boy. The age of majority for girls should be changed from 18 
to 21, as for boys. 
2. No parent should be entitled to the earnings of his child, 
if such parent is able to work and refuses to work and lives upon 
the earnings of the child. 
3. The law does not give a minor child the right to recover for 
the wrongful death of his mother. This right should be given the 
child when it is shown that the child was dependent upon the mother 
for care and support. 226 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
4. The law does not permit a child to recover damages for 
injury received before birth. Clearly, the child should have this 
right and the law should be so written. 
ILLEGITIMACY 
It should be said to the credit of modern civilization that the 
status of the illegitimate child is gradually, but surely changing. 
Not that we deplore an illegitimate birth less: rather, we deplore 
it more. But the people are coming to see that the sins of the 
parents should be visited, in as small measure as possible, upon the 
unsinning child. 
Jurisdiction 
The county court has jurisdiction in all illegitimacy proceedings. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 1816. 
Who May Begin Action 
Any person may make complaint to the county court that an 
illegitimate child has been born, or is about to be born. A state of 
pregnancy or birth in any county gives the court of that county 
jurisdiction. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4401. Liby vs State 42 Ok. 603. 
Proceedings 
When complaint is made, a warrant is issued for the accused 
and any later judgment of the court becomes a lien from the date 
of filing the complaint against any real property of the accused 
in the county. The property of the accused may be attached. 
The action is in the nature of a civil action. Trial may be had by 
jury, and the issue is guilty or not guilty. The greater weight of 
the evidence is all that is required. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4401-4407. Liby vs State 42 Ok. 603. 
If the accused makes bond and this bond is forfeited, the pro- 
ceeds of the same are held and paid out for the benefit of the illegiti- 
mate child upon the order of the court. 
If upon trial, the accused is found to be guilty, the court, in 
its judgment, will charge him with a sum sufficient to support the 
child. This sum may be changed from time to time. Execution 
will be issued to satisfy the judgment of the court. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4408-4409. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
227 
Where the mother and child are liable to become county 
charges, it is the duty of the county commissioners to bring the 
action. 
L. 1910, Sec. 4411- 
There is no specific allowance for the support of the mother 
at the birth of the child. 
There is no provision for compelling the mother to declare who 
is the father of her illegitimate child. 
Where it is shown that any one of several persons might have 
been the father of the child, there is no provision for compelling 
all of these to support the child. 
Presumption of Legitimacy 
It is presumed, that all children born in wedlock, and all chil- 
dren born within ten months after the dissolution of marriage are 
legitimate. Even where there is no direct evidence of the marriage 
of the father and mother, the presumption rules, but this presump- 
tion may be overcome by evidence. The question of legitimacy, 
however, can be raised only by the husband or wife or their 
descendants. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4364~4366. Locust vs Caruthers 23 Ok. 373. 
Effect of Marriage of Parents of Illegitimate Child 
The subsequent marriage of the parents of an illegitimate child 
makes the child legitimate. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4365. 
Adoption of Illegitimate Child-Consent of Mother 
The consent of the mother of an illegitimate child is required 
for adoption, but the Court has the authority to take the child from 
the mother and place it elsewhere, when it is for the best interests 
of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4369-4388. Allison vs Bryant 26 Ok. 520. 
How Father May Adopt Illegitimate Child 
The father of an illegitimate child may adopt and legitimate 
such child by receiving it into his home and treating it as his child. 
The consent of his wife is required. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4399. 228 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Inheritance from Illegitimate Child 
But this does not give the father the right to inherit from such 
illegitimate child as against the mother. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 8420-8421. Templeman vs Bruner 42 Ok. 6. 
When Illegitimate Child Inherits from Father 
An illegitimate child will inherit from his father, when the 
father has acknowledged in writing in the presence of competent 
witnesses that he is the father of such child, or has adopted it into 
his family. The acknowledgment in writing must be direct, un- 
equivocal and unquestionable. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 8420-8421. Holloway vs McCormick, 41 Ok. 1. 
Dissolution of Marriages-Issue Legitimate 
The issue of all marriages null in law or dissolved by divorce 
are legitimate, but this does not apply to the issue of second cousins 
or of persons closer akin. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 8420-8421. Fearnow vs Jones 34 Ok. 694- 
DISCUSSION 
1. A woman, whoever she is, must have support during her 
period of confinement and necessary physical incapacity for work. 
The father of an illegitimate child should be required to provide 
support for the mother during this period. In illegitimacy pro- 
ceedings, in addition to provision for the support and education of 
the child, the court should in its discretion have the power to compel 
the father to support the mother during the period as stated above. 
2. Every mother of an illegitimate child should be required 
to declare who is the father of such child. The court should deter- 
mine who is the father of the child and a public record of this fact 
should be made. 
3. When the court is unable to determine who is the father of 
an illegitimate child because of the fact that any one of two or more 
men may have been the father, the court should have the power 
to find that two or more men had opportunity to become the father 
of the child and to compel all men so found to care for the mother 
and to provide for the support and education of the child. 
4. For the father of an illegitimate child to leave the state to 
avoid being declared the father of the child and made to comply Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
229 
with the law, should be made a felony to the end that he may be 
extradited. Funds should be provided for bringing him back. 
5. Legal means should be provided in order that the court 
may investigate and declare who is the father of an illegitimate 
child at any time during the minority of such child. But no person 
not living should be declared to be the father of an illegitimate 
child after one year from the birth of the child. 
6. After the court has formally declared who is the father of 
an illegitimate child, such child should be made a lawful heir of the 
father, so declared. 
FOSTER-PARENTAGE-ADOPTION 
It is now generally believed that in most cases, the best place 
for a child is with his natural parents. There are times, however, 
when it seems to be wise to create a parentage by law. The tendency 
is toward making any transfer of the child from the custody and 
care of his natural parents to foster-parents a formal legal proceeding 
of which a public and permanent record is made. In adoption as 
in marriage, there are three parties: the natural parents, the adopting 
parents, and Society. Society should not permit a change of parents 
without the approval of the proper public official. Adoption, 
therefore, is coming more and more to be a court proceeding. 
Meaning of Word Children 
The word "children" under the laws of the State of Oklahoma 
means children by adoption as well as by birth. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2914-2920. 
Who May Adopt a Minor 
Any adult person may adopt any minor child, except that the 
person adopting must be 10 years older than the minor. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4385-4386. 
Consent of Husband or Wife Required for Adoption of Child 
Either husband or wife may adopt a minor, but the consent 
of the other must be had, unless they are legally separated or one 
of them is incapable of giving consent. 
R.L. 1910, Sec. 4387. 230 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Consent of Natural Parents of Child Required 
A legitimate child cannot be adopted without the consent of 
his parents, if living, and an illegitimate child cannot be adopted 
without the consent of his mother, except where the father or mother 
is deprived of civil rights or guilty of cruelty and adultery, and divorce 
is granted, or is an habitual drunkard, or where the court for cruelty 
or neglect has deprived the parent of the custody of the child. 
R.L. 1910, Secs. 4388-4389. 
Proceedings in Adoption 
The husband and wife jointly petition the court for the right 
to adopt a child. The petition may pray a change of name. It 
must be shown to the court that the lawful consent of the natural 
parents of the child has been obtained. All the parties come into 
court and an agreement is entered into, in which it is stipulated 
that the adopted child is to be treated by his foster-parents as 
their own child. 
R.L. 1910, Secs. 4390-4392. 
The Court upon the hearing may decree adoption and a change 
of name. The result in law of this adoption is to create the relation 
of parent and child between the foster-parent and the adopted child. 
R.L. 1910, Secs. 4393-4396. 
Adoption by Father of an Illegitimate Child 
In addition to the method set out above, the father of an 
illegitimate child may adopt such child by receiving, with the con- 
sent of his wife, such child into his family, and treating him as a 
member of the same. This is really legitimating an illegitimate 
child rather than adoption. 
R.L. 1910, Sec. 4399. Allison vs Bryant 26 Ok. 528. 
Inheritance 
An adopted child inherits from his adopting parents just as 
if he were a natural child, except that he cannot inherit property 
limited to the heirs of the body or take by representation of lineal 
or collateral kin of his adopting parents. 
R.L. 1910, Sec. 4397. 
Adopting parents and their heirs inherit from an adopted child, 
just as if the child were natural, except that the foster-parents Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
231 
cannot inherit property taken in any manner from the blood-kin 
of the child. 
R.L. 1910, Sec. 4397. 
Rights of Father and Mother of An Illegitimate Child 
Even if the father receives his illegitimate child into his family 
and thereby legitimates such child, the father does not inherit from 
such child. The right of inheriting from an illegitimate child be- 
longs to his mother. 
Templeman vs Bruner 4% Ok. 6. 
DISCUSSION 
The laws relating to adoption in the State of Oklahoma are 
largely in conformity with the better standards. It is wisely fixed 
in the law, that adoption is to be always a court proceeding. 
GUARDIANSHIP 
The courts which administer the law in the State of Oklahoma 
very properly hold themselves to be the special protectors of the 
rights of minor children. A child often does not know how to care 
for either his person or his property. His inexperience and his 
innocence may make him an easy dupe. Knowing this, the courts 
deal with him as the special ward of the court and keep watchful 
eye upon any one who undertakes to care for his interests or welfare. 
What Court Has Jurisdiction 
The county court has jurisdiction and control in all matters 
of guardianship. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 311-324- 
Classes of Guardians 
Guardians may be of the person or of the property of a minor. 
Both may be combined in one person. A General Guardian has 
care of both person and property. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3321-3325. 
Appointment of Guardian by Parent 
The father of an infant may, with the consent of the mother, 
appoint a guardian for his minor child by will or deed. If either 232 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
parent be dead or incapable, the other may appoint. The mother 
of an illegitimate child can appoint a guardian for such child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3326. 
Appointment of Guardian by Court 
If an infant have property in the county, the county court 
will appoint a guardian. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3328-6522. 
Control of Property of Infant 
No person has control over the property of an infant except 
by appointment. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3327. 
Person Not to be Appointed 
No person who is already guardian for five minors may be 
appointed guardian of another minor. 
B. Supp. 1915, Secs. 6522a-6522b. 
Guardian Ad Litem 
The Court will, when need arises, appoint a guardian ad litem, 
who is guardian for the purposes of the action and none other. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6538. 
Parents as Guardians 
Either father or mother may be appointed guardian of their 
minor child if the other consents. In the case of dispute, the court 
determines for the best interests of the child. If the minor be 14 
years of age, he may with the consent of the court, select the parent. 
B. Supp. 1915, Sec. 6530. 
While neither parent has prior rights, the court, considering 
the best interests of the child, will prefer the mother for younger 
children, the father for older. In the appointment of a guardian, 
the court will prefer: (1) the parents; (2) wishes of deceased 
parent; (3) trustee of fund for child; (4) relatives of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3328-3332. 
Selection of Guardian by Child 
A child over 14 years of age may with the consent of the court 
select his guardian. If the child is under 14, the court selects. Where 
a guardian has already been appointed for a minor child, such Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
233 
child may, with the consent of the court, at the age of 14, select 
a new guardian. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 6523-6524-6529. 
Children in Institutions 
Managers of paternal and charitable institutions having a 
minor child in care may select the guardian of such child. The 
court must prefer the selection. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6525. 
Care of Child-Guardian of the Person 
Guardian of the person has the custody of the child, and must 
look to its support, health, and education. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3334. 
A guardian must see that the child complies with the com- 
pulsory education law. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 7930-7931. 
Custody of Child-Parents Wanting 
If a minor child has neither father nor mother, the guardian 
takes custody of the child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6531. 
Care of Property-Guardian 
Guardians of property must preserve the same and account 
for it in full. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 3335. 
Bond of Guardian 
A guardian must file a bond binding him: 
(1) To inventory the estate and make return to the court; 
(2) To manage the estate for the best interests of the child and 
for the performance of duty in care and education of the child; 
(3) To account in full to the ward. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6532. 
Court Will Enforce Care of Children 
If the guardian neglects, fails or refuses to maintain, support 
and educate the child, the court will order and enforce the guardian 
to do so. The bond of the guardian insures these. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 6542-6545. 234 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Special Provisions for the Care of the Child 
The court in appointing a guardian may make special provi- 
sions for the care, treatment, education and welfare of the child. 
The guardian's bondsmen are bound to the observance of the 
provisions. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6533. 
Removal of Guardians 
A guardian may be removed by the court: 
(1) For abuse of trust; 
(2) For continuous failure to perform duties; 
(3) For incapacity; 
(4) For gross immorality; 
(5) For adverse interest. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3337-6189. 
Fund for Maintenance of Child 
The income of the child's estate is to be applied to the support 
and education of the child. If this be not sufficient, the guardian 
may, upon order of the court, sell the real property of the child for 
this purpose. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 6535-6542-6545. 
Power to Lease 
Guardians have the power to lease the lands of their wards 
including both oil and mineral lands. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 6546-6547. 
Termination of the Power of Guardian 
The power of a guardian is terminated: 
(1) By the order of the court-removal; 
(2) By the ward's majority. 
(3) As to person, by the marriage of the ward. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 3336-3341. 
DISCUSSION 
No transfer of the custody of a child from his natural parents 
should be made without investigation and the approval of the 
juvenile court. A record of such transfer of the custody of the 
child from his natural parents should be made. No opportunity 
should be given for farming out children. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
235 
DIVORCE 
The laws of the State of Oklahoma are liberal in permitting the 
dissolution of marriage. The statutes bearing on the subject of 
divorce show clearly that the law-makers realized the fact that the 
children of the parties seeking to be divorced are most vitally in- 
terested. The law gives to the court ample power to deal with 
children of parties coming into the divorce court, so as to promote 
what appears to the court to be the best interests of such children. 
Grounds for Divorce 
Divorce may be had for: 
(1) Abandonment for one year; 
(2) Extreme cruelty; 
(3) Gross neglect of duty; 
(4) The commitment of a felony and imprisonment in the 
penitentiary; 
(5) Habitual drunkenness. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4962. 
Any unjustifiable conduct on the part of the husband which 
outrages the woman's feelings, and destroys peace of mind so as to 
impair health or endanger life or destroy the legitimate end of 
matrimony, is extreme cruelty. A false charge of adultery con- 
stitutes extreme cruelty. 
Hilderbrand vs Hilderbrand 41 Ok. 306. Lyon vs Lyon 39 Ok. 111. 
Jurisdiction in Court Proceedings 
The district court has jurisdiction in all matters of divorce. 
Custody of Children-Divorce Pending 
If an action for divorce is pending, the court may make an 
order for the custody and care of the minor children. The property 
of the defendant may be attached. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4967. 
Custody and Support of Minor Children-Alimony 
When a divorce is granted to mother and the custody of the 
minor children awarded to her, the court will allow alimony for 
the benefit of the mother and care of the minor children. 
Hilderbrand vs Hilderbrand 41 Ok. 306. 236 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Where a wife is at fault and divorce is granted, the court may 
set apart to the husband and for the support of minor children, a 
part of the wife's separate estate. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4969. 
Liability of Father-Child Awarded to Mother 
If in case of divorce, the court has awarded the minor child 
to the mother, the father will not be liable for necessaries furnished 
such minor child. 
Bondies vs Bondies, 40 Ok. 164- 
When Decree of Divorce Becomes Absolute 
A decree of divorcement does not become absolute until six 
months from date. It is unlawful to marry again until the decree 
becomes absolute. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4971-4972-4973. Barnett vs Frederick 33 Ok. 49. 
Action to Declare Marriage Void 
Any parent or guardian may bring an action to declare the 
marriage of a minor child or ward under age void. But the children 
of any such marriage declared void are legitimate, except the children 
of an incestuous marriage. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4974- 
DISCUSSION 
What are proper grounds for divorce is not for discussion here. 
If the district court will but exercise its powers where parties come 
before it in divorce proceedings, minor children should be well cared 
for. Whether an action for divorce be pending, be granted, or be 
denied, the minor children are in the care of the court to be placed 
and provided for at its order made in its discretion. That feature 
of the law which permits the court to modify its orders relating 
to minor children from time to time as circumstances may change 
is good. 
INHERITANCE AND OTHER PROPERTY RIGHTS OF CHILDREN 
Under the laws of the State of Oklahoma a legitimate or adopted 
child is held to be the lawful heir of his parent and entitled to share 
with the father or mother and other children in the distribution 
of the property of a deceased parent. The basis of the law is that Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
237 
the child is entitled to take a part of the property left by his parent, 
and even an illegitimate child, if legally recognized by his father, 
may inherit from such father. 
Homestead and Other Exemptions for Benefit of Family 
A homestead is not more than 160 acres of land not in a city 
or town, or not more than one acre of land in a city or town. 
The following are exempted from execution for the payment 
of debts:- 
The homestead whether the title lies in the husband or wife; the house- 
hold and kitchen furniture; the cemetery or burial lot; the implements 
of husbandry on the homestead. 
Apparatus or books of trade or profession; library; pictures and wearing 
apparel of the family. 
Five cows with their calves under 6 months old; one yoke of oxen; 
two horses, and one wagon; one carriage or buggy; one gun; ten hogs; 
twenty sheep; all saddles, bridles and harness; a year's provision for 
all stock on the homestead and all wages for 90 days. 
These exemptions do not apply as against the payment of the 
wages of a clerk, a mechanic, laborer, or servant. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 6328-2635. 
Payment of Money Into Court for Minor 
If any money in probate proceedings is paid into court for a 
minor, and there is no guardian, the court will hold the money 
in trust for the child until the appointment of a guardian. Search 
must be made for absent minors. 
B. Supp. 1915, Sec. 6488a-c. 
Income and Inheritance Taxes 
Inheritance from a father to a child up to the amount of $10,000, 
is exempt from income taxation. 
B. Supp. 1915, Secs. 7523a-f. 
Descent and Distribution of Property 
If a husband or wife die with only one child or lawful issue 
thereof, the husband or wife and the child share equally in the 
property of the deceased. If more than one child be living or one 
child and the issue of deceased children be living, the husband or 
wife takes one-third of the property of the deceased and the re- 
maining two-thirds is divided equally between the children or issue 238 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
of the children. If no husband or wife is living, the children or 
issue of children share equally in the estate. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 8^18. 
Inheritance by Illegitimate Children 
An illegitimate child is heir of his father if such father has 
properly acknowledged in writing that he is the father. Where an 
illegitimate child has been received by his father, with the wife's 
consent into the family, and thereby legitimated, the brothers and 
sisters of such illegitimate child inherit from him just as if he were 
legitimate and the child likewise inherits from his brothers and sisters. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 8^20. 
CAPACITY OF MINORS UNDER CIVIL LAW 
Under the laws of the State of Oklahoma children who have not 
reached the age of majority and upon whom the rights of majority 
have not been conferred by the district court are deemed to be 
incapable of making contracts or of transacting their own business. 
Whatever power any minor may have comes, therefore, under the 
statutes specifically enacted. 
It is the policy of the law, however, to preserve whatever rights 
or powers the infant would have if he were at the age of majority 
and to appoint some one to exercise the power until he shall have 
reached his majority. The law will not however permit an infant 
to speak or act for himself in a civil action. A guardian must always 
be appointed to speak or act for him. 
Rights of Majority Conferred 
The District Court has the power to confer the rights of 
majority upon a minor. When such rights of majority have been 
conferred, the minor may make binding contracts as if of full legal age. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. ^7-1^0. 
Minor as Executor 
No person under the age of majority can act as executor. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 623^. 
If a minor be named as executor, another executor acts until 
the minor reaches majority. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6238. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
239 
A dministration 
Children next after father or mother are entitled to letters 
of administration. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6245. 
Where a minor child is entitled to letters of administration, 
the guardian of such minor takes the letters of administration. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6248. 
Delegation of Power-Contracts as to Real Property 
A minor cannot delegate a power. A minor under 18 years of 
age can make no contract relating to real property. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 883. 
Capacity to Make a Will 
A minor over 18 years of age has the capacity to make a will. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 8338. 
Minors as Witnesses 
A child under 10 years of age who appears to be incapable is 
incompetent to testify. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 5050. 
Civil Actions For or Against an Infant 
A civil action for a minor is brought by his guardian. A civil 
action against a minor is defended by his guardian. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 4686-4688. 
Service of Summons on Infant 
If a minor is under 14, service of summons is made on him and 
on his guardian or father or mother. If neither parent nor guardian 
is to be found, or if the minor is more than 14 years of age, service 
on such minor is sufficient. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4721, 5365. 
Pleadings of Guardians in Civil Actions 
When a guardian pleads a general denial, every allegation is 
put at issue. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 4752. Sims vs Hedges 32 Ok. 683. 
Every presumption is in favor of a minor. The guardian must 
use every available defense. If the guardian fails in this the court 240 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
will protect the rights of the minor. An infant cannot waive issuance 
and service of summons. 
Bolling vs. Campbell 36 Ok. 671. 
Modifications of Judgments 
In any case where judgment is given against a minor, cause 
may be shown why such judgment should be modified or vacated. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 5142. 
Infancy Shown-District Court Reviews 
When the fact of infancy did not appear at a former trial, but 
where infancy could have been shown, the district court will 
review its judgment and may modify or vacate the same. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 5267. Sawyer vs Ware 36 Ok. 139. 
Powers of Minors in Contracts 
Minors, unless given powers of majority by the court, are not 
capable of making contracts and have only such capacity as is 
given by statutes. A minor may disaffirm his contract. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 877-879. Webb. vs. Harris 32 Ok. 491. 
An action brought by a guardian to cancel a lease made by a 
minor is a disaffirmance of the contract. 
Bryan vs Morrison 40 Ok. 49. 
If an emancipated infant has contracted, he can enforce his 
contract. While the minor may plead infancy, infancy cannot be 
pleaded against him. 
Webb, vs Harris 32 Ok. 491. 
Negotiable Instruments 
A minor has the power to indorse a negotiable instrument so 
as to pass property in the same. 
R.L. 1910, Sec. 4072. 
Real Property 
A minor may take and hold title to real estate. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 1178. 
Torts of Infants 
Minors are civilly liable for wrongs, but cannot be held liable 
for exemplary damages. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 891-892. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
241 
Child Born After Will 
Where a child is born after a will made by the father or mother, 
the child will share in the property of the deceased as if no will 
had been made. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 8371-8374. 
Building and Loan Association 
A minor above the age of 14 may hold shares in a building and 
loan association. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 1317. 
But no minor under the age of 15 can be a member of a mutual 
accident or sickness insurance company. 
B. Supp. 1915, 3580h. 
DISCUSSION 
The age of majority for girls should be changed from 18 to 21. 
General Criminal Laws Enacted Altogether, or in Part 
For the Benefit and For the Protection of Children 
When we come to consider the criminal laws of any state as 
they relate, not only to children, but to everybody, we soon come to 
the point of basing our estimate of the life of the people upon these 
laws. A people who are striving to do the best for all, will write 
their laws so as to insure, as far as may be, care and protection to 
the young. Children will often be the subject of laws especially 
directed to the prevention and cure of evils incident to child life. 
It is, in fact, the duty of the state to see that no one does 
conscious or unconscious hurt to a child. Neither personal liberty 
nor the natural rights of parents should be permitted to be exercised, 
if when so exercised a child is robbed of any part of his birthright, 
or is in any degree held back from what he might be and ought to be. 
Whether the child is the normal one who should be at home or in 
the public schools, or a feeble-minded one who should be under 
institutional care, the rule is the same. The law should protect 
not only from physical abuse, but from that lasting harm which 
may and often comes through neglect. 242 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Abandonment of Child Under 6 
It is a crime for a parent or any person to desert a child under 
6 years of age, with the intent wholly to abandon the same. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2433. 
Abandonment of Wife and Children under 12 
It is a crime for a husband to abandon and neglect, and refuse 
to provide for his wife and to abandon minor children under 12 
years of age, and to neglect or refuse to provide for them. The wife 
is a competent witness against the husband. Upon conviction, a 
husband may be fined and ordered to pay to the wife or guardian 
of a minor child, stated sums at stated times for a term of one year. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2434a-b. 
A bandonment-V agrant 
Any habitual drunkard who abandons, neglects, or refuses to 
support his family, is declared to be a vagrant. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2515-2516. 
Failure to Provide for the Child 
It is a misdemeanor for any parent to fail to furnish food, 
shelter, clothing, and medical attention for his minor child. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2434- Owens vs State 6 Ok. Cr. 116. Hunter vs State 10 Ok. 
Cr. 119. 
Abuse of and Cruelty to Children-Married Woman 
Duress of husband is not presumed as a defense for a married 
woman charged with the abuse of a child or cruelty to a child, or 
with abortion, concealing death of an infant, producing false heir, 
seduction, keeping a bawdy house, or with aiding in case of rape. 
Actual duress may be shown. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2099. 
Protection of Child 
One has the right to use sufficient force to prevent an offense 
against his family. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2958-5557. Ex Parte Torens 6 Ok. Cr. 246. 
A bduction-Kidnapping-Child Stealing 
In an indictment for kidnapping, the consent of the child 
under 12 years of age is no defense. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2374- Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
243 
The abduction of a girl under 15 years of age from her parents, 
guardian or any other person, for the purpose of marriage or im- 
morality, is made a felony. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2422. 
It is a felony to steal a child under 12 years of age. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2435. 
A bortion-Procuring 
Killing an unborn child by injury to the mother, is man- 
slaughter in the first degree. To cause the death of an unborn child 
or of the mother in an attempt to destroy the child is likewise man- 
slaughter in the first degree. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2322-2324- 
It is a crime for the mother or any other person to aid in pro- 
curing an abortion. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2436-2437. 
If any physician aids or abets in any criminal operation or 
advertises medicines for the prevention of childbirth, the certificate 
of such physician is revoked, and his right to practice medicine 
taken away. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 6905. 
Admittance to Pool-Rooms 
It is unlawful to permit any child under 18 to resort to any 
pool or billiard hall, unless accompanied by his parent or guardian. 
For violation, the court will revoke the license upon five days' 
notice. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2511c. 
Obscenity 
It is a misdemeanor to use obscene language or exhibit obscene 
pictures in the presence of children. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2403. 
Prostitution 
It is unlawful to procure girls for a house of ill-fame, or to 
permit acts of prostitution to be carried on in one's house. The 
fact that the defendant is a married woman is no defense. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2425-2430. Emmonds vs State 9 Ok. Cr. 603. 
It is a crime to keep a house of ill-fame. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2467-2469. Emmonds vs State 9 Ok. Cr. 603. 244 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Sale or Gift of Cigarettes to Minors 
It is a misdemeanor to sell or give cigarettes or cigarette papers 
to minors. 
B. Supp. 1915, Sec. 2532a-b. 
Sale or Gift of Weapons to Minors 
It is unlawful to sell or give to any minor the weapons ordinarily 
used in fighting. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 25^-2550. 
Sale of Intoxicating Liquors 
It is unlawful to sell intoxicating liquors to any person in the 
State of Oklahoma. 
Seduction 
It is unlawful to seduce a woman under promise of marriage. 
The marriage of the parties is a defense, but where a man seduces a 
girl or woman and marries her to settle the case and then within two 
years deserts her or by his treatment forces her to leave him, he is 
guilty of abandonment after seduction and marriage and may be im- 
prisoned for a term of ten years. The wife is a competent witness. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2^3-2^^. 
Rape 
A boy under 14 is presumed to be incapable. Where the boy 
is under 18 and the girl is over 14, and consents, the boy is not 
guilty of rape. 
Where the man is over 18 and the girl is under 14 and consents, 
it is rape in the first degree. 
The age of consent for rape in the second degree is 16, or 18 
if of previous chaste character. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 241^-2^19. 
Wrongs Against Personal Relation 
It is a wrong against the personal relation to seduce a daughter 
or orphan sister. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 2957. 
Seduction Under Promise of Marriage 
In an indictment for seduction under promise of marriage, the 
woman must be corroborated as to promise of marriage and inter- 
course, but not as to previous chaste character. 
R. L. 1910, Sec. 5886. Cheek vs State 8 Ok. Cr. 580. Parentage, Property, and General Protection 
245 
Production of False Heirs 
It is unlawful to produce a false heir or to substitute one child 
for another. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2290-2291. 
Concealing Death of an Illegitimate Child 
It is unlawful for a woman to conceal the death of an illegitimate 
child under two years of age or the stillbirth of a child that would 
have been illegitimate, if bom. 
R. L. 1910, Secs. 2438-2807. 
DISCUSSION 
1. There is no law to prevent blindness. It should be made a 
crime for any physician or midwife to fail to use preventives against 
blindness at childbirth. 
2. Midwives should be required to procure licenses from the 
county superintendent of health. 
3. Before any one who abandons, neglects or refuses to support 
his family can be declared a vagrant, it must be shown that he is 
an habitual drunkard. The law should be changed so that anyone 
who abandons, neglects, or refuses to support his family may be 
declared a vagrant. 
4. The law relating to the abandonment and failure to support 
minor children should be changed so as to include all minor children 
under the age of 16. 
5. It should be made a crime for the father of any illegitimate 
child to fail to support such child. 
6. It should be made unlawful for the parent, guardian or any 
other person to contribute to the delinquency of a child. 
7. The abandonment of a pregnant wife or a wife with minor 
children under the age of 16, or of a minor child under the age of 16, 
should be made a felony to the end that the father may be extra- 
dited. Funds should be provided for bringing the deserter back. 
8. It should be made criminal for any husband to permit his 
wife to be employed within 30 days before or 30 days after child- 
birth, and it should be declared unlawful for anyone to hire, employ 
or work any woman for 30 days prior or subsequent to the birth 
of a child. ADMINISTRATION 
W. H. Swift 
Whoever reads with care the Constitution of the State of 
Oklahoma, adopted in 1907, will be impressed by the fact that 
much thought was given to childhood by the people of the State. 
Although a young people, they were deeply conscious of the now 
accepted fact that progress in any state is determined on the one 
hand by the provisions made for its boys and girls and is measured 
on the other by the care provided for those unable to care for them- 
selves. 
The words of the Constitution and the powers conveyed by 
them are evidence of the vision of the people at the time the Con- 
stitution was adopted. These powers are ample for giving proper 
care to every child. There need be none overlooked, and it was 
evidently the intention that none should be overlooked. 
In studying both the plan of administration and actual con- 
ditions in the state, one finds himself wondering, now and then, 
whether or not the original high ideals still prevail. They ought to 
have become none the less exalted. Each year of statehood ought 
to see them somewhat more fixed in the life of the people. 
Definition 
Children are normal, dependent or neglected, delinquent or 
defective. By normal is meant the ordinary child who will not be 
classed as a dependent or neglected, a delinquent, or a defective, 
but who will live and move as the majority of children live and move. 
By dependent is meant a child who has not for any reason the means 
of support. In Oklahoma a neglected child is a dependent child 
by reason of the neglect. By delinquent is meant a child who has 
either violated some of the laws of the state or who is found in such 
circumstances or under such conditions as indicate that he is liable 
to become a lawbreaker. Both dependent and delinquent children 
are defined by the law of the state. A defective child is one -with 
any handicap, physical or mental, sufficient to call for special care, 
training, and attention. 
246 Administration 
247 
Under a proper system of administration, the state will, through 
its administrative officers, have an eye upon every child. It will 
know every child's condition, and if need arises and it appears 
that the child is not in a proper place or not receiving proper care, 
will come to its aid immediately. 
Children are directly affected by the following administrative 
departments of the state government: 
(1) The Department of Public Health. 
(2) The Department of Public Education. 
(3) The Department of Labor. 
(4) The Department of Charities and Correction. 
The Governor of the State, the judges of the different courts 
and especially the judges of the county courts who are judges of the 
juvenile courts, prosecuting attorneys, peace officers, the State 
Commissioner of Agriculture and Industrial Education, the State 
Board of Agriculture, the Pure Food Commission, the State Dairy 
Commission, the State Board of Vocational Education, and the 
Board of County Commissioners also have functions which affect 
children. 
Department of Public Health. 
The Constitution of 1907 makes it the duty of the Legislature 
to establish a State Board of Health and Pure Food Commission 
(Article V, Sec. 23, Const. 1907.) A Department of Public Health 
has been established and has the oversight of all matters relating 
to public health. A State Commissioner of Health is appointed 
by the Governor for a term of four years. He is the State Board 
of Health. No provision is made for other members. 
The office force of the State Board of Health, as provided for 
by the Legislature of 1917 consists of the following: 
The State Commissioner of Health, an Assistant Commissioner 
of Health, three clerks, one bookkeeper, one record clerk and stenog- 
rapher, two clerks in the Department of Vital Statistics, two chemists 
and two bacteriologists. In addition there are eight inspectors. 
The State Commissioner of Health has full power to quarantine 
and isolate in order to prevent the spread of disease. He supervises 
all matters relating to the public health and has power to make 
and enforce all regulations necessary to prevent, cure, and stop the 248 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
spread of disease. He may remove whatever endangers the public 
health and condemn impure food. He is to take cognizance of the 
interest of life and health, make sanitary investigations relating 
to the cause of disease, of epidemics, of the sources of mortality, 
and the effect of location, employment, conditions and circum- 
stances. He is to investigate the condition of schools, prisons, public 
institutions, mines, railroads, street-cars and all buildings and 
places of public resort. He is to supervise and cooperate with county, 
city, and township boards of health. He is charged with the duty 
of enforcing all laws and regulations relating to food, drugs and 
medicines. He is, in fact, the Pure Food and Drug Commissioner. 
He compiles vital statistics under the Vital Statistics Law enacted 
by the legislature of 1917. The clerks in the Department of Vital 
Statistics and all other officers and employees in the Department 
of Public Health are appointed by the Commissioner of Health. 
No examinations are required for appointment. 
The powers as well as the duties of the State Commissioner are 
wide. In the enforcement of health laws and of rules and regula- 
tions promulgated by him, he may call to his aid all peace officers. 
He has even the power to call the state militia. 
COUNTY DEPARTMENTS OF PUBLIC HEALTH 
The State Commissioner of Health appoints county superin- 
tendents of health for a term of two years. The county superin- 
tendents must be regular practising physicians of good standing and 
character. They are paid $5 a day for their services for time 
actually and necessarily served. The amount which they may be 
paid in any one year varies for different counties, being determined 
by the population of the county and the board of county com- 
missioners. 
The county superintendents have the power to abate nuisances 
dangerous to health, to isolate in case of contagious disease, and 
to do such other things under the direction and with the approval 
of the State Board of Health as may be necessary for the preserva- 
tion of the public health. They have the same power and aid in 
enforcing public health rules and regulations as the State Board of 
Health. Administration 
249 
There is no county board of health or any other county organi- 
zation corresponding to a board of health. There is no provision 
for employment of a full-time county health officer. 
The county superintendent of health has nothing whatever to 
do with county jails, poorhouses, or indigent sick persons. The care 
and control of these county institutions and of the inmates belong 
to the board of county commissioners in the first instance and then 
to the State Commissioner of Charities and Correction. 
TOWNSHIP BOARD OF PUBLIC HEALTH 
The board of directors of each township in the state constitutes 
the township board of health. These boards act under the county 
superintendent of health and State Board of Health and are governed 
by the laws of the state and the rules and regulations of the State 
Board of Health. 
CITY OR TOWN BOARDS OF HEALTH 
The mayor and common council of any city or town constitute 
the board of health of that city or town. These boards are under the 
state laws and the rules and regulations of the State Board of Health 
and the direction of the county superintendent of health. They 
may, however, make additional sanitary regulations not inconsistent 
with the laws of the state or the rules and regulations of the State 
Board of Health. Cities have the power to employ a city superin- 
tendent of health and pay him reasonable compensation. 
GENERAL 
Physicians must report to the county superintendent of health 
all cases of infectious and contagious disease. City physicians report 
all such cases to the city superintendent of health. 
Power is given by the laws of the State to the county and city 
superintendents of health to compel owners of property to abate 
nuisances, sources of filth, and causes of disease. 
Under the act of 1917, each city, incorporated town and town- 
ship, constitutes a vital statistics registration district. A local 
registrar is appointed by the State Commissioner of Health. Pro- 
vision is made for the appointment of sub-registrars whenever needed. 250 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
A permit from the local registrar must be had before the body 
of any dead person may be buried, cremated or otherwise disposed 
of. No burial permit may be issued until a proper death certificate 
shall have been filed with the local registrar. 
All births must be reported within ten days by the physician, 
midwife or person acting as midwife, or by the parent of the child 
or the owner of the property where the child is bom. 
Every physician, midwife, and undertaker is required to register 
in the registration district in which he or she resides. 
All hotels, lodging and rooming houses, drug stores, restaurants, 
soda fountains, manufacturers of food and bottlers of soft drinks, 
confectionery stores, fruit-stands, bakeries, and meat-markets, are 
required to be licensed by the State Board of Health. The annual 
license fee is from one dollar to five dollars. The license is issued 
upon the payment of the fee without inspection. 
The Legislature of 1917 gave the State Board of Health the 
power to preserve the purity and to prevent the pollution of drinking 
water but this law does not become active until September 30, 1918. 
There is no housing code in the State of Oklahoma. Neither 
the State Board of Health nor any other department of the govern- 
ment has authority to condemn or close up improper living quarters. 
OVERLAPPING OF AUTHORITY 
The authority of the State Board of Health to investigate and 
control, as it relates to milk, dairies, creameries, and cheese factories, 
is shared with the State Dairy Commission. As it relates to stores 
selling and plants manufacturing food and drink, the authority 
of the State Board of Health to investigate and control is shared 
with the Department of Labor. 
There is no law or regulation requiring vaccination against 
smallpox or typhoid. Neither is there any law or regulation to 
compel the treatment of the eyes of infants at childbirth to prevent 
blindness. There is no provision for the medical examination of 
public school children nor for a certificate of good health for teaching 
in the public schools. Persons with tuberculosis may attend the 
public schools either as teachers or pupils. There is no provision 
for the licensing of midwives nor for a division of child hygiene or 
child welfare. Administration 
251 
DISCUSSION 
A State Board of Health 
The law of the State of Oklahoma contemplates a State Board 
of Health and the Board should be created. It should consist of 
the State Commissioner of Health, the president of the State Medical 
Society, the president of the State Board of Agriculture, a member 
of the faculty of the Oklahoma School of Medicine selected by the 
faculty of the school for a term of four years, and one member, 
not a physician, appointed by the Governor for a term of four years. 
The State Commissioner of Health should be the paid secretary 
of this Board. The Board should serve without compensation but 
actual travelling expenses of the members should be paid. 
A County Board of Public Welfare 
There should be in each county a county board of public welfare. 
This board should act as the county board of health and perform 
certain other functions hereinafter set forth. The members of this 
board should serve without compensation. 
The county board of public welfare should consist of the fol- 
lowing: the county judge; one member selected by the board of 
county commissioners; one member selected by the county board 
of education; these three should select two other members one 
of whom should be a reputable physician. Women should be 
eligible for election as members. The county superintendent of 
public instruction and the county superintendent of health should 
be non-voting members of this board. The members should be 
selected so as to make the board a continuing body. 
The county board of public welfare should be empowered to 
employ at reasonable compensation a county superintendent of 
health for full-time service. He should be a regular physician 
and should be approved by the State Board of Health. 
The board should have charge of all public health matters in 
each county. It should administer the county poor fund. All 
health inspection work should be done by, or under the direction of 
the county superintendent of health. This should include all jails, 
poorhouses, public and private schools, and all other buildings 
and places named in the public health act and located in the county. 
The county superintendent of health should give medical attention 
to the indigent poor. He should visit and inspect public schools 252 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and examine public school children. He should examine and certify 
yearly to the health of public school teachers. He should be the 
local food and milk inspector. 
Reports of every examination or inspection should be kept in 
the office of the county superintendent of health and filed with 
the State Department of Health. 
Whenever any institution under the care of the Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction is inspected, a report should be made to 
the Commissioner who should have authority to call for reports 
at any time on any institution under his care. 
City Boards of Public Welfare 
In cities and towns with population of 5000 or over, similar boards 
of public welfare should be composed of the following: a physician 
appointed by the mayor for a term of two years, one member selected 
by the city or town council and one member selected by the city or 
town board of education. The members should be selected so as to 
make the board a continuing body. Women should be eligible. 
City superintendents of schools and city superintendents of health 
should be non-voting members of the city boards of public welfare. 
A city board should have duties and powers in the city corresponding 
to the duties and powers of the county board in the county. 
Township boards of health might well be abolished. 
All county or city penal and charitable institutions should be 
visited and inspected once a month by the county or city super- 
intendent of health. 
All state, county, and city institutional buildings and all private 
institutional buildings under the care of the Commissioner of 
Charities and Correction should be approved by the State Board 
of Health and by the State Fire Marshal. 
All powers of the State Dairy Commissioners to inspect dairies, 
creameries and cheese factories to insure pure food, should be taken 
away and placed with the State Department of Public Health. 
The power which the Department of Labor now has to inspect 
bakeries and other places manufacturing food in order to insure 
pure food, should be taken away. All this should be left with the 
Health Department. The Labor Department should inspect to 
insure safety, care of employees, proper working conditions, and 
the observance of all labor laws. Administration 
253 
The number of state inspectors under the State Department of 
Health should be increased from 8 to 15. Every state institution 
and every private institution under the care of the Commissioner 
of Charities and Correction and certified by him should be inspected 
by the State Board of Health semi-annually. 
Treatment of the eyes of new-born infants to prevent blindness 
should be obligatory. Provisions should be made for preventing 
tuberculous persons from attending public schools as teachers or 
pupils. There should be medical inspection of all school children, 
whether in public or private schools. Public school teachers should 
be required to present each year certificates of good health from 
the county superintendent of health. 
Department of Public Education 
In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution the 
legislature has established a system of public education. 
STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION 
Public Education in the state is under the joint control of the 
State Board of Education and the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction. 
The State Board of Education is made up of the State Super- 
intendent of Public Instruction, who is president of the board, and 
six members appointed by the governor for a term of six years each. 
The State Board of Education is the Board of Control of the 
following state institutions: the State University, the two University 
Preparatory Schools, the six State Normal Schools, the State College 
for Women, the State School of Mines, the State Training School 
for Boys, the two Homes for White Orphans, the Institute for the 
Feeble-Minded, the Colored Orphans' Home and the Colored Agri- 
cultural and Normal University. 
The State Board of Education also has the following duties: 
Supervision of public schools, formulation of courses of study for 
public schools and state normals, formulation of rules for granting 
certificates to teach in the public schools, preparation of questions 
for county and city examinations of teachers, examination of appli- 
cants for state certificates, preparation of questions for graduates 254 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
from the eighth grade of the public schools, classification and 
accrediting of high schools, formulation and adoption of courses of 
study for reading circles, preparation of an educational budget, 
and control of business colleges. 
The members of the State Board of Education are paid travelling 
expenses. The secretary of the board is paid for full time. 
State Superintendent of Public Instruction 
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected for a 
term of four years. The educational interests of the state are under 
his supervision and management. He gives notice of the semi- 
annual state appropriation for public schools. In conjunction with 
the Attorney General, he construes the school law and compiles 
and publishes the school laws with all forms and instructions. He 
issues a two-year state certificate to graduates of properly accredited 
high schools and district agricultural schools, and life high school 
certificates to graduates of properly accredited colleges. He col- 
lects educational data and publishes the same in a biennial report. 
The office force of the Department of Public Instruction con- 
sists of a State Superintendent of Public Instruction, an Assistant 
Superintendent of Public Instruction, one chief clerk, one agri- 
cultural assistant, and two stenographers. All officers and employees 
are appointed by the State Superintendent. 
State Board of Agriculture 
The State Board of Agriculture controls the State Agricultural 
and Mechanical College and all of the district agricultural schools. 
The president of this Board of Agriculture is elected for a term of 
four years. The other members are appointed. 
State Board of Vocational Education 
The legislature of 1917 created a State Board of Vocational 
Education. The board consists of five members: the chairman of 
the State Board of Education (the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction), the president of the State Board of Agriculture, the 
president of the State University, the president of the State Agri- 
cultural and Mechanical College, and one member to be appointed 
by the Governor. The last one named is to be the full-time paid 
secretary of the board. Administration 
255 
State Commission of Agricultural and Industrial Education 
The State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the president 
of the State Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the president 
of the State Board of Agriculture constitute the State Commission 
of Agricultural and Industrial Education. This Commission must 
see that the elementary principles of agriculture, horticulture, stock- 
feeding, road-building, domestic science, and the elements of 
economics are taught in the public schools. A course of study on 
these subjects is to be prepared and examination in them is 
required for certificates to teach in the public schools. 
The State Agricultural and Mechanical College is made the 
head of the State Commission of Agricultural and Industrial Ed- 
cation. 
COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION 
There are no county boards of education. The county superin- 
tendent of public instruction is elected by the people for a term of 
two years. 
His duties are: To visit each school; to correct any deficiencies 
in the same; to confer with teachers; to examine school plants and 
report to district boards; to encourage teachers' associations and 
to attend their meetings; to attend county institutes and teacher 
training courses and to keep records of and to inspect the same; 
to hold at least one public meeting in every district; and to hold 
county examinations. He is to keep a record of all candidates for 
certificates and of every certificate granted or endorsed by him, and 
a record of the apportionment of state and county public school 
funds. Within certain well defined limitations he divides the county 
into convenient school districts. He makes an annual report to the 
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. In the larger counties 
the county superintendent may and does employ a clerk. 
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS 
Provision is made in the law for five kinds of local school dis- 
tricts and for what is known as a county separate school. In every 
case the district board is a corporate body, having the right to sue 
and be sued and to own both real and personal property. The 
members of the district boards are elected in every case. 256 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Common School District 
This is the ordinary public school district. An annual meeting 
of all electors including women is held and one member of the 
district board is elected every year. The board consists of a director, 
a clerk, and a member, each of whom holds office for three years. 
The district board controls the school and all school property. 
It contracts with the teacher, purchases supplies, and provides for 
taking the census of all children between the ages of 6 and 21. No 
relative of any member of the district board may be employed to 
teach. The district board reports to the county superintendent. 
As keeper of the district school house, the district school board 
may open it for the meetings of religious, political, literary, scientific, 
mechanical, or agricultural societies. There is no provision for 
social meetings. 
The board makes the annual estimate of the amount needed 
for the school. 
Joint School District 
This is simply a common school district comprising parts of 
two or more counties. As in all other districts, the territory embraced 
must be at least nine square miles. The joint district is controlled 
by the superintendent of the county having the largest territory in 
the district. 
Independent Districts 
Each city of the first class and each incorporated town main- 
taining a four-year high school fully accredited under the require- 
ments to the State University constitutes an independent district. 
The board of education in cities of the first class consists of a treasurer 
and one member from each ward, all elected. In independent dis- 
tricts, not cities of the first class, the board consists of three members, 
elected. Women are eligible for election. Provision is made for taking 
in outlying adjacent territory. 
The board determines what tax levy is needed. If more than a 
five-mill levy is needed, the excess must be voted by the people. 
The board may make provision for recreational places and play- 
grounds in its annual estimate of funds needed for the schools. 
If the board refuses to provide for these an election may be held 
to compel the board to provide them and to make a special levy. Administration 
257 
Boards are authorized to establish such grounds for both adults 
and children. They may receive and expend public funds for this 
purpose. 
Consolidated Districts 
A consolidated school district is formed by the vote of the 
electors of two or more adjacent districts. The board consists of a 
director, a clerk, and a member, all elected. Free transportation 
for children under ten years of age may be voted and must be 
provided for children living two miles or more from the school 
building. 
No consolidated district may have an area of less than 25 square 
miles, or a property valuation of less than $300,000. Provision is 
made for giving state aid to consolidated districts which have com- 
plied with the standards fixed by law. 
Union Graded Schools 
A union graded school is established by a vote of the electors 
of adjacent districts for children from the sixth grade through the 
high school. It has the usual board of three members who are 
elected. Free transportation may be voted. 
COUNTY SEPARATE SCHOOLS 
Negroes are not permitted to attend any school or other edu- 
cational institution with other races. When negro children and 
other children live in the same school district a county separate 
or minority school is established for the race having the fewer public 
school children. This school is supported by the county and con- 
trolled by the county superintendent of public instruction. 
PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OTHER THAN PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS. 
A. The State of Oklahoma maintains and supports the following 
educational institutions under the control of the State Board of 
Education:- 
(1) Two University Preparatory Schools located at Tonkawa 
and Claremore. 258 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
(2) Six State Normal Schools located as follows: 
Central Normal School, Edmond. 
Northwestern Normal School, Alva. 
East Central Normal School, Ada. 
Southeastern Normal School, Durant. 
Northeastern Normal School, Tahlequah. 
Southwestern Normal School, Weatherford. 
(3) A State School of Mines located at Wilburton. (The 
Governor disapproved most of the appropriation for the 
School of Mines for the years 1917-18 and 1918-19.) 
(4) A Colored Agricultural and Normal University located at 
Langston. 
(5) The Oklahoma College for Women located at Chickasha. 
(6) University of Oklahoma located at Norman. 
(7) Oklahoma School for White Deaf located at Sulphur. 
B. The State also maintains and supports the following edu- 
cational institutions under the control of the State Board of Agri- 
culture :- 
(1) Five State District Agricultural Schools located as follows: 
Haskell State District Agricultural School, Broken 
Arrow. 
Panhandle State District Agricultural School, Goodwell. 
Cameron State District Agricultural School, Lawton. 
Murray State District Agriculture School, Tishomingo. 
Connor State District Agriculture School, Warner. 
(The Legislature of 1917 converted the Connell State District 
Agricultural School at Helena into the West Oklahoma Home for 
White Orphans.) 
(2) The Agricultural and Mechanical College at Stillwater. 
TEACHER TRAINING COURSES 
The county superintendent of public instruction may hold a 
teachers' training course every year. The term is two to four weeks 
and the county appropriates $200 to pay for instruction. A fee of 
$2 for each certificate goes to support the training school. All 
teachers in the county are required to attend. The rules and regu- 
lations are promulgated by the State Superintendent of Public 
Instruction. Instruction must be given in these teachers' training Administration 
259 
courses in school law, government, civics, sanitation, methods of 
teaching, child psychology, and primary methods, including the 
fundamentals of all common school subjects. The county superin- 
tendent employs the conductors and instructors, both of whom must 
be certified by the State Department of Education. Colored 
teachers must attend separate teacher training schools. 
CERTIFICATES TO TEACH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
The kinds of teachers4 certificates are varied and many. 
County Certificates 
The county superintendent of public instruction and two other 
persons holding first grade certificates or graduates of some state 
university, normal school or agricultural college, and who are 
appointed by the county superintendent, constitute the county board 
of examiners and four examinations are held a year. Candidates 
for certificates to teach must show ability to teach and govern 
children. 
Three grades of county certificates are provided for: first grade 
certificates good for four years, second grade certificates good for two 
years, third grade certificates good for one year. County certificates 
of any grade may be renewed under conditions prescribed by law. 
All first grade certificates must be endorsed by the county superin- 
tendent of any county. All second grade certificates must be en- 
dorsed by the county superintendent of any adjacent county. The 
county superintendent may grant a temporary certificate. Certi- 
ficates are required for all public school teachers. Any certificate 
may be revoked for immorality or any other cause which would 
have prevented its being issued. Provision is made for city superin- 
tendents to grant certificates for teachers in the public schools of 
the cities but there is the same requirement for a county or state 
certificate. 
State Teachefs Certificates 
The State Board of Education grants the following on ex- 
amination :- 
(1) Primary certificate authorizing the holder to teach in the 
first to the fourth grades inclusive in any school in the state. 260 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
(2) Elementary certificate authorizing the holder to teach 
in any rural school of the state, in the primary or grammar grades 
(first to ninth inclusive). 
(3) General high school certificate authorizing the holder to 
teach in any school of the state in any grade from the first through 
the high school. 
(4) A special certificate is issued authorizing the holder to 
teach or supervise the teaching of a special subject. This is issued 
to graduates of departments of special work of approved schools. 
The applicant must pass an examination in special and professional 
subjects. 
All the above are granted upon a satisfactory examination 
for two years. At the expiration of the two years they may be 
renewed for five years provided the holder has taught successfully 
for at least 40 weeks. Provision is made for granting certificates 
to graduates and holders of certificates of other states. 
General Requirements for State Certificates 
The applicant must be 21 years of age unless a graduate of an 
approved school or has completed the required work in an approved 
school. He must show two years of successful teaching. All certi- 
ficates expire when the holder has been out of school work for two 
years. Any state certificate may be revoked for immorality. 
State Certificates Granted to Graduates and Students 
(1) Graduates of the State University, of the State Agricultural 
and Mechanical College, of the State Normals, or of the approved 
colleges are entitled to life certificates. 
(2) Students of any of these institutions who have earned 
credit for two years' work with courses in psychology and education 
may be granted a certificate for two years equal to a county first 
grade certificate. 
(3) Graduates of accredited high schools who have a credit of 
15 units in any of the above named institutions and who have done 
full work therein for one year or three summer sessions may be 
granted a state grammar certificate valid for two years. 
(4) Students 18 years of age who have finished the first four 
years' work in any state normal and had courses in psychology, 
school management and observation, may be granted a common Administration 
261 
school certificate valid for two years equal to a county first grade 
certificate. 
(5) Grammar and common school certificates herein provided 
for are not renewable unless the holder attends one of the institutions 
named above for one full year after the certificate is granted. 
TEXTBOOK COMMISSION 
The State Board of Education is the Textbook Commission. 
Uniform textbooks are adopted for all grades of the public schools 
from the first grade through the twelfth. The adoption lasts for a 
term of five years. The retail price of every book is fixed by contract 
between the State Board of Education and the publisher. 
SCHOOL CENSUS 
A census of all children between the ages of 6 and 21 is taken 
in January of each year by enumerators appointed by the district 
school boards. The census shows the name, color, sex, and age of 
every child, and also whether the child is deaf or blind. 
There is no entry for feeble-minded or crippled persons. 
The census report is sent to the county superintendent. He in 
turn transmits the corrected county census to the State Superin- 
tendent of Public Instruction. The apportionment of state and 
county school funds is made upon the census of all children between 
the ages of 6 and 21. 
COURSE OF STUDY IN THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS 
Agriculture, orthography, reading, penmanship, grammar, 
physiology and hygiene, geography, U. S. history, civics, arithmetic 
and such other branches as the State Board of Education may 
determine are to be taught in the district schools. The nature and 
effect of alcoholic drinks and narcotics must also be taught. 
GENERAL 
The public school term in any district must be at least three 
months. If any district fails to have as much as a three-months 
school in two years it may not receive any part of the state school 
funds. 262 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Compulsory Education 
Parents and guardians must keep their children between the 
ages of 8 and 16 in school 66 per cent of the local school term unless 
other means of education are provided. This does not apply to 
children declared by the district board to be physically or mentally 
disabled. 
It is the duty of the district board to make complaint to a 
justice of the peace of the failure of any parent or guardian to comply. 
It is the duty of the teacher to ascertain whether any child is out 
of school without a proper excuse, and if so, to report the fact to the 
county superintendent of public instruction. The county superin- 
tendent reports to the county attorney who files a complaint in any 
magistrate's court. 
Free Textbooks to Indigent Children 
If any district school board finds any parent or guardian unable 
to provide school books for his child and recommends to the county 
superintendent that books be furnished such child, it is the duty of 
the county superintendent to furnish them, to be paid for out of 
the county funds. 
County Scholarships 
If any widowed mother makes affidavit that the wages of her 
child or children under 16 years of age are necessary for her support, 
the county superintendent is to investigate and may upon the 
recommendation of the district board allow the widowed mother a 
scholarship. This scholarship is paid by the board of county com- 
missioners out of the county funds for so long only as the child or 
children attend school. 
DISCUSSION 
Control of State Charitable and Training Institutions 
All of the state institutions now under the control of the State 
Board of Education and subject to the inspection of the State Com- 
missioner of Charities and Correction except the schools for the 
deaf and blind should be taken from the control of the State Board 
of Education and placed directly under the control of the Depart- 
ment of Charities and Correction. Administration 
263 
County Board of Education 
County boards of education should be created. These boards 
should consist of three members, one elected every two years, and 
each for a term of six years. Women should be eligible. This 
county board of education should appoint the county superintendent 
of public instruction. 
The county board and the county superintendent should have 
jurisdiction in all school districts except independent districts. The 
county should be made the educational unit. The length of school 
terms in the counties should be equalized. 
The district board should have the right to employ teachers 
only upon the recommendation of the county superintendent of 
public instruction and to hold and care for school property in trust 
for the county board of education. 
The county board of education should have the right to approve 
or disapprove and reject the appointment of the probation and 
truancy officer selected by the county board of public welfare. 
In larger counties when probation and truancy work is placed in 
the hands of different persons, the county board of education should 
select and employ the truancy officer. 
In counties large enough to demand a school health officer for 
the medical examination of school children other than the county 
superintendent of health, such school health officer should be selected 
and employed by the county board of education. He should be 
certified by the State Department of Public Health. 
Provision should be made for the medical inspection of all 
school children, and for yearly certificates of health to all public 
school teachers. 
The probation and truancy officer, or the truancy officer in 
counties large enough for the work to be divided, should take the 
school census, enforce the compulsory education law, issue work 
permits, and see that every defective child is properly cared for. 
The jurisdiction of the probation-truancy or truancy officer should 
extend throughout the county except in cities of more than 5000 
inhabitants. 
In cities of more than 5000 inhabitants there should be a bureau 
of attendance with the same jurisdiction and duties in the city as 
belongs to the truancy officer in the county. 264 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Educational Requirements for Teachers 
The minimum amount of education required for teaching in 
the public schools should be graduation from one of the state normal 
schools or its equivalent in accredited schools. 
Free Textbooks 
Provision should be made for furnishing free text-books to 
every child in the public schools. 
Compulsory Education 
One of the most noticeable defects in the laws of Oklahoma 
is that the compulsory education law and the child labor law do not 
harmonize. The following changes should be made:- 
(1) Continuation-schools for children working in industry 
should be established in the independent districts. Children be- 
tween 16 and 18 years of age working with permit who have not 
completed the eighth grade or its equivalent should be required to 
attend these schools at least 5 hours a week during the public 
school term. 
(2) The compulsory school attendance period should be from 
8 to 18 years, except (a) a child who is physically or mentally disabled, 
this to be determined by a physician; (b) that any child between the 
ages of 16 and 18 who is at work with a permit may be excused from 
attendance; and (c) that any child between the ages of 16 and 18 
years who has completed the sixth grade of the public schools or 
its equivalent and who is regularly and lawfully employed may be 
excused; and (d) that any child who has completed the public school 
course in the district in which such child resides may be excused 
from attendance. 
(3) The compulsory period should be for the full public school 
term. 
(4) The truancy officer should be notified weekly of absences 
from school. It should be his duty to enforce attendance by prose- 
cution. 
(5) The truancy officer should see that mentally and physically 
disabled children are cared for. He should report the list of all such 
to the State Board of Education and to the Commissioner of Charities 
and Correction and should follow up each case in his county. Administration 
265 
(6) The State Board of Education should supervise the work 
of both county and city truancy officers and have authority to remove 
either for failure to enforce the compulsory education law. 
Appropriation of School Funds 
The appropriation of state school funds should be based upon 
the average daily attendance of the preceding year and not upon 
the school census. 
Public School Buildings 
All plans for public school buildings should be approved by the 
State Board of Education. The buildings should be inspected by the 
State Fire Marshal for safety and by the county superintendent of 
health or school health officer for sanitation. 
Teachers' Certificates 
All certificates should be issued by the State Board of Edu- 
cation. 
Private Schools 
All private schools should be required to report to the county 
superintendent of public instruction to show whether children 
within the age limits are complying with the compulsory school 
attendance law. 
Department of Labor 
The State Department of Labor is under the Commissioner of 
Labor who is elected for a term of four years. It is his duty to 
carry into effect all laws relating to labor. He appoints all officers, 
clerks and employees in the Department of Labor except that the 
Chief Inspector of Factories is appointed by the Governor. 
The office force of the Department of Labor consists of the 
Commissioner of Labor, an Assistant Commissioner of Labor, one 
statistical clerk, one stenograher, and two factory inspectors. There 
are also four superintendents of free employment bureaus. 
FACTORY INSPECTORS 
It is the duty of the factory inspectors to visit and inspect all 
factories and manufacturing establishments at least once a year. 266 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
They have the right of entrance into any place where labor is being 
performed. It is unlawful to hinder or obstruct the work of the 
Commissioner of Labor or of anyone under him. • 
The Superintendent of the State Board of Health (the State 
Commissioner of Health) the Commissioner of Labor, and the 
Chief Factory Inspector are to formulate, publish, and enforce 
rules for the sanitation of manufacturing plants. 
Factory inspectors have the right to require proper safeguards 
for machinery, proper elevators, lighting, doors, and stairways, 
separate toilets for men and women, and fire escapes. They are 
charged with the duty of enforcing proper sanitation of plants where 
food is manufactured, canned, packed, pickled or preserved. This 
includes inspection for light, ventilation, sanitary plumbing, and 
the health of employees. No one with tuberculosis or a skin disease 
is to be permitted to work in such plants. No cellar is to be used 
as a bakery. 
Any factory inspector may declare any building used as a 
manufacturing plant unsafe and enforce its repairs to make it safe. 
GENERAL LABOR LAWS 
There is to be no contracting for convict labor. Eight hours 
constitute a day's work in all state, county, and municipal work 
and in all employment underground in mines. The employment 
of children under 15 years of age in occupations injurious to 
health or morals, or especially hazardous to life or limb, is forbidden. 
It is made a felony for any employment agent to send any female 
help or servant to a house of ill-fame or home kept for immoral 
purposes. 
CHILD LABOR 
It is the duty of the Commissioner of Labor to see that all 
laws relating to the employment of children are obeyed. 
It is unlawful to employ or permit to work:- 
(1) Any child under 15 at occupations injurious to health or 
morals, or especially hazardous to life or limb; under 15 under- 
ground in mines; or under 16 in any work except agricultural or 
domestic service more than 8 hours in one day or more than 48 
hours in one week. Administration 
267 
(2) A boy under 16 or a girl under 18 in any factory, workshop, 
theatre, bowling alley, pool hall, or steam laundry at night. 
(3) Any child under 14 years of age in certain named occupations. 
(4) Any child under 16 years of age in certain named dangerous 
occupations. 
(5) Any child under 16 years of age in any of the occupations 
named in (3) above unless said child is able to read and write and has 
attended school the required period of the year previous. 
Seats must be provided for female employees. 
Before any child under 16 years of age can be employed in 
those occupations in which children under 14 are forbidden to be 
employed, the employer must get and keep on file an age-and- 
schooling certificate for such child. The employer must post a list 
of the names of all children under 16 employed and also the number 
of hours of work permitted. The time of opening or closing, for 
meals, and the hours for shifts, if there be more than one shift, 
must be posted. 
The age-and-schooling certificate is granted by the county 
superintendent or by some school officer designated by him. Power 
to administer oaths is granted to the grantor of age-and-schooling 
certificates. 
The age-and-schooling certificate is granted under the fol- 
lowing conditions:- 
(1) A certificate from the teacher of the school which the 
child attended must be presented. This certificate must show that 
the child has attended school the year previous. 
(2) The child must appear in person with his parent or guardian 
before the county superintendent of public instruction or school 
officer authorized by him. Proof of age must be required and pro- 
duced in the following order:- 
a. A birth certificate, or transcript thereof, issued by a registrar 
of vital statistics. 
b. A certificate of baptism showing the age of the child. 
c. A bona fide record kept in the family Bible, a certificate of 
church confirmation or other church ceremony at least one year 
old showing the age of the child, a passport or a certificate of arrival 
in the United States, or a life insurance policy one year old. 
d. A certificate signed by two physicians, one of whom must 
be a public health officer or public school medical inspector stating 268 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
that they have examined the child and that in their opinion he is 
14 years of age. 
The grantor of the age-and-schooling certificate must be satisfied 
that the child is physically able to perform the work which he 
intends to do. The child must sign the certificate in the presence 
of the grantor. 
A duplicate copy of the age-and-schooling certificate must be 
forwarded to the Commissioner of Labor. 
DISCUSSION 
Work Permits 
The county or city truancy officer should be charged with the 
duty of following up the working children in his county or city. 
He should issue all work permits. Before issuing the work permit 
the truancy officer should be informed of the nature of the employ- 
ment. A certificate from the county health officer or public school 
medical inspector that the child is physically able to perform the 
work which he intends to do should be required. Work permits 
should not be issued to any child who has not completed the sixth 
grade in the public schools or its equivalent. Work permits should 
be required for every child under 18 years of age employed in occu- 
pations forbidden to children under 16 years of age. 
Three copies of the work permits should be issued, one to be 
kept on file by the truancy officer, one to be kept on file by the 
employer of the child and returned to the truancy officer when the 
employment ceases, and one to be forwarded to the office of the 
Commissioner of Labor for filing. 
Provision should be made for issuing permits to children be- 
tween 16 and 18 years of age for work during vacation, the edu- 
cational requirements only being waived, which should not be valid 
after the opening of the following public school term. Children 
working with permits should be required to enter sqhool within 
one week after the termination of the work unless new employment 
is obtained under a new work permit. 
The county or city truancy officer should forward immediately 
to the Commissioner of Labor a copy of every work permit issued 
by him. He should also visit and inspect all children working with 
permits and should report immediately to the county health officer Administration 
269 
or school medical inspector any changes in the physical condition 
of the child or character of the work. The county health officer 
or school medical inspector should have authority to order that 
any work permit be cancelled on account of the nature of the work 
or the health of the child. 
The following changes should be made in the law relating to 
employment of children:- 
(1) No boy under 14 years of age and no girl under 18 years 
of age should be employed or permitted to work at selling news- 
papers on the street or in any public place. No boy under 16 years 
of age should be permitted to sell newspapers during school hours or 
before 6 a.m. or after 8 p.m. A permit badge issued by the truancy 
officer should be required for boys between the ages of 14 and 16 
to sell newspapers in the streets. 
(2) No child under 16 years of age should be employed or per- 
mitted to work in any mill, factory, store, office, hotel, restaurant, 
laundry, garage, bootblack-stand, place of amusement, or in mes- 
senger or delivery service. Work permits should be required of all 
children under 18 years of age employed in any occupations named 
in this section. 
(3) No child under 18 years of age should be employed or per- 
mitted to work underground in mines or quarries, or in any occupa- 
tion dangerous to health or morals or hazardous to life or limb, or 
more than 8 hours a day or 6 days a week in any gainful occupa- 
tion, or between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. in any gainful 
occupation. 
The county probation-truancy or truancy officer, as well as 
factory inspectors, should be required to prosecute for violations 
of the child labor law. He should report all violations to the Com- 
missioner of Labor who should aid in the prosecution. 
Department of Charities and Correction 
STATE DEPARTMENT 
A Commissioner of Charities and Correction is elected by the 
people for a term of four years. The Commissioner may be a woman. 
No person under 25 years of age is eligible for election. (Article VI, 
Sec. 11 and 27, Const. 1907.) 270 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
It is the duty of the Commissioner of Charities and Correction 
to investigate the entire system of public charities and correction, 
to examine into the condition and management of all prisons, jails, 
holdovers, reformatories, reform and industrial schools, hospitals, 
infirmaries, dispensaries, orphanages, and all public and private 
retreats and asylums which derive their support wholly or in part 
from the state, county, or municipality. The officers of all the 
above named institutions must furnish information to the Com- 
missioner on demand. The Commissioner has the power to summon 
and examine persons under oath and to compel the production of 
papers. A report of each investigation must be made to the Governor 
{Article VI, Sec. 29 Const. 1907). 
The Commissioner makes a yearly report to the Governor with 
such suggestions as he may deem suitable and pertinent. 
The legislature has the power to alter, amend, or add to the 
authority of the Commissioner of Charities and Correction. 
The Commissioner of Charities and Correction must visit and 
inspect all state penal, reformatory, and correctional institutions 
at least once a year, and likewise all eleemosynary institutions and 
also all county penal, correctional, and charitable institutions. 
He makes recommendations concerning all such county institutions 
to the Board of County Commissioners. He has the same duties 
and powers in all cities and makes his recommendations to the 
mayor and council. 
It is his duty to visit and inspect all hospitals, rescue homes, 
infirmaries, dispensaries, retreats, lying-in-hospitals, orphanages, 
foundling and home-finding institutions or societies. Upon such 
inspection, examination and approval, he issues a certificate author- 
izing each to operate for one year. This certificate may be revoked 
after due notice. He may prosecute in the name of the state in 
the county where the institution is located for any violation of the 
law. He may ask that the charter of any institution be revoked. 
On sworn complaint, the Commissioner of Charities and Cor- 
rection must investigate any county, city, or private institution. 
He has the power to order abatement of wrongful conditions. In 
case of refusal, he may prosecute the officers of the institution. 
He must appear as next friend for all minor orphans, defectives, 
delinquents, and dependents, inmates of any state, county, city or 
municipal institution. He asks that legal guardians be appointed Administration 
271 
for such children when it appears that they have an interest in 
any estate, legacy, or property. He has the power to prosecute, 
defend, or institute an action in any court for any such child. He 
has the power to intervene for any minor child in the state when 
it appears that the estate of such minor is being mismanaged or 
dissipated. 
The office force of the Department of Charities and Correction 
consists of the Commissioner of Charities and Correction, an 
Assistant Commissioner of Charities and Correction, one inspector 
and a stenographer. 
DEPENDENTS 
County Poor 
The board of county commissioners are the overseers of the 
county poor. The board may build or rent poor homes, or they 
may contract for the care of the poor. If there is a poor home, the 
board appoints the superintendent and a committee to visit it 
once a year. It is within the power of the board to give outdoor 
relief to parents of helpless children who are unable to provide for 
such children. 
Legal residence for the benefits of poor relief is acquired in 
six months. For children, residence is determined as follows:- 
(1) Residence of father, determines residence of child. 
(2) Residence of mother, father wanting, determines residence 
of child. 
(3) An adopted child takes the residence of foster-parents. 
(4) An apprentice takes the residence of his master. 
(5) A child acquires residence in 6 months. 
Outdoor relief may be given in the following cases:- 
(1) To parents of idiots or helpless children whom such parents 
are unable to support. 
(2) To mothers with dependent children under the mothers' 
pension act. 
(3) To widowed mothers of school children under the scholar- 
ship provision of the school law. 
(4) To strangers by the board of county commissioners for 
temporary relief. 272 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
CARE OF COUNTY PRISONS 
The board of county commissioners is charged with the duty 
of keeping clean and sanitary all county poor homes, jails, and 
prisons. The mayor and city council are similarly charged in cities. 
MOTHERS' PENSIONS 
It is the duty of the board of county commissioners of every 
county to provide each year a sum not to exceed $8000 to be used 
for the support of indigent women whose husbands are dead, insane, 
or confined in any state institution, when such women are mothers 
of children under 14 years of age and reside in the county. If there 
is but one child under 14 the amount to be paid can not exceed 
$10 a month. If there is more than one child under 14, the amount 
can not exceed $10 a month for the first child and $5 for each addi- 
tional child. 
The allowance is made by order of the county judge upon the 
following conditions:- 
(1) The child or children must be living with the mother. 
(2) The allowance is made only when without it the mother 
would have to work away from home, but with it will be able to 
remain at home. 
(3) The mother must, in the judgment of the court, be a proper 
person to care for her children. 
(4) The amount must be necessary to save the child or children 
from neglect. 
(5) Two years' residence in the county is required before the 
application for the pension is made. 
STATE INSTITUTIONS 
The Commissioner of Charities and Correction investigates 
and makes an annual report to the Governor on the following state 
institutions having the care of minors:- 
(1) Oklahoma State Reformatory (for white and colored) at 
Granite. 
(2) The State Training School for Boys (white) at Pauls Valley. 
(3) The Russell Industrial Home for girls (white) at Oklahoma 
City. Administration 
273 
(4) The State Training School for Boys (colored) at McAlester. 
(Moved to Taft by the Legislature of 1917.) 
(5) The State Institute for Feeble-Minded (white) at Enid. 
(6) The State Institute for Deaf, Blind and Orphans (colored) 
at Taft. 
(7) State Home for Orphans (white) at Pryor. 
(8) West Oklahoma Home for Orphans (white) at Helena. 
(9) Oklahoma School for Blind (white) at Muskogee. 
(10) Oklahoma School for Deaf and Dumb (white) at Sulphur. 
The Girls' Industrial School at Oklahoma City has been a 
private institution caring for white girls placed within its charge by 
contract with the Governor when such girls were committed by the 
juvenile courts to the care of the Governor. The Legislature of 
1917 provided for the erection of a girls' industrial school as one of 
the state institutions and appropriated money for its equipment 
and maintenance. 
Institutions for Criminal and Delinquent Minors 
The State Reformatory for men located at Granite, is under the 
control of the State Board of Public Affairs. The Board has the 
right to transfer convicts from the reformatory to the penitentiary 
or from the penitentiary to the reformatory, whenever in its judg- 
ment it is necessary to do so in order to separate confirmed and 
incorrigible prisoners from other prisoners, if the efficiency of neither 
institution would be impaired. Judges may sentence persons con- 
victed of a felony to either the reformatory or the penitentiary. 
Whenever either the penitentiary or reformatory becomes self- 
supporting, the Board of Public Affairs may provide for payment for 
work done either to the convict or to persons dependent upon him. 
The Governor has the power to reprieve, commute, parole or 
pardon any person confined in the reformatory. The Eighth As- 
sistant Attorney General is the State Pardon and Parole Officer. 
No power is given to the State Board of Public Affairs or to the 
superintendent of the reformatory to parole or pardon. Neither 
is any provision made for the recommendation of parole or pardon. 
Provision is made for credits. 
Judges may in their discretion suspend sentence and parole 
to themselves under orders of the court any person convicted of 
a crime. 274 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
Training Schools 
a. State Training School for White Boys located at Pauls Valley. 
b. State Training School for Negro Boys located at McAlester. 
(This institution will be moved to Taft.) 
c. Industrial Home for White Girls located at Oklahoma City. 
(Established as a state institution by the Legislature of 1917 
and known as the Russell Industrial Home for White Girls.) 
The Training School for White Boys is under the control of 
the State Board of Education. The Russell Industrial Home for 
White Girls will be under the direct control of the Governor. The 
State Training School for Negro Boys is under the control of the 
State Board of Public Affairs. 
d. There is now no training school or industrial home for de- 
linquent negro girls but the Legislature of 1917 made provision for 
the establishment of one at Taft. This school for negro girls will 
be under the control of the State Board of Public Affairs. 
The inmates of each of these schools or homes are committed 
or should be committed only by the juvenile courts. 
No child under 12 years of age can be legally confined in any 
prison or in any prison yard or with adult prisoners. 
JUVENILE LAW OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
The judge of the county court, who is elected by the people of 
each county is the judge of the juvenile court. A special juvenile 
record is to be kept. There is no provision for private hearings 
and the practice varies in different counties. 
DEPENDENT AND DELINQUENT CHILDREN 
A dependent or neglected child is, by legal definition, any child 
under 16 years of age who for any reason is destitute, homeless, 
abandoned or dependent upon the public for support, or who has 
not proper parental care or guardianship, or habitually begs or 
receives alms, or lives in a house of ill-fame or in any other dis- 
reputable place, or whose home by reason of neglect, cruelty, or 
depravity is an unfit place for a child, or who, if under eight years 
of age, begs, sings, gives or aids in giving public entertainment. Administration 
275 
A delinquent child is, by legal definition, any child under 16 
years of age who violates any United States, state, city, or town 
law or ordinance, or who is incorrigible at home or at school, or who 
knowingly associates with thieves or vicious or immoral persons, or 
who without just cause and without consent absents himself from 
home, or who is growing up in idleness or crime, or who knowingly 
frequents homes of ill-repute, policy shops, gambling places, pool- 
rooms, or bucket shops, or wanders about the streets at night without 
lawful business, or habitually wanders about railroad yards or 
tracks or habitually uses vulgar and improper language, or is guilty 
of immoral conduct in any public place or at any school house, or 
is addicted to the use of liquors, drugs, or cigarettes. 
Any person may under oath petition the juvenile court to deter- 
mine whether or not a child is delinquent or neglected or dependent. 
Summons may be issued requiring whoever has the child in 
charge to bring him into court within 24 hours. Summons may be 
served upon someone appointed by the court to produce the child, 
and also may be issued against the child himself. In any case, a 
jury trial, if demanded, may be had. Pending a hearing the child 
may be kept by the person having him in charge or in some suitable 
place under orders of the court. 
Dependent or Neglected Child 
If the child is found to be dependent or neglected, the court 
may commit him to some suitable person or a suitable state insti- 
tution, to a training or industrial school, or to an accredited asso- 
ciation, which cares for or obtains homes for neglected or dependent 
children. The court may commit the child to a private hospital 
or institution provided there are no charges. 
If the child is committed to an individual or association, he 
becomes the ward of such individual or association. Either has the 
authority to indenture the child or to consent to his adoption. 
Delinquent Child 
In case of a child declared delinquent, the court may continue 
the hearing from time to time and allow the child to remain in his 
own home, or in the care of some person, or in some suitable home 
other than his own, or boarded out in a home where provision is 
made for such children. The court may commit the child to a 276 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
training school or duly accredited child-caring institution. No 
child over 16 can be committed to an institution. The superintendent 
of the training school to which the child has been committed has 
authority to parole him. 
A child adjudged delinquent remains the ward of the court 
until discharged or until the age of 21 if a boy and 18 if a girl. The 
court may recall the child for further order including parole or 
release. The superintendent of the institution must have 10 days' 
notice before the recall of the child. 
The court may in its discretion order a child under the age 
of 16 to be proceeded against for the commission of a crime. 
The juvenile court act was construed and applied by the Supreme 
Court in Powell's Case 6 Oklahoma Cr. 495. The Court held: 
(1) That a child under 16 can not be guilty of a crime unless 
it is shown that the child knew the wrongfulness of the act. 
It is only an act of delinquency. 
(2) Before any child under 16 can be proceeded against in 
any court other than the juvenile court, the juvenile 
judge must find that the child knew the wrongfulness of 
the act and certify the same to the district court. Even 
then the burden is upon the state to prove that the child 
knew the wrongfulness of the act. The effect of this is to 
lift the age of discretion from 14 to 16. 
(3) The act takes away none of the jurisdiction of the district 
court. 
(4) The act is constitutional and in conformity with the State's 
duty. 
(5) The juvenile court has sole and exclusive jurisdiction of 
every child under 16 until the juvenile judge shall have 
held that the child is to be tried by the district court. 
(6) The district court cannot sentence a child under 16 for a 
term of years in the state training school. 
There is no probation officer. The law creating the office of 
probation officer has been repealed. 
State Training School for Boys, Pauls Valley 
The State Board of Education controls the State Training School 
for White Boys. Administration 
277 
The same laws and regulations apply to the Training School 
for Negro Boys and the Industrial Home for White Girls, except 
that the State Board of Public Affairs controls the school for negro 
boys and the Governor controls the home for white girls. The 
State Board of Public Affairs will control the industrial home for 
negro girls when it is established. 
Commitment is made to any one of the state training schools 
by the judge. Boys are committed until they are 21, girls until 
they are 18, unless sooner reformed and discharged. Under the 
Juvenile Act neglected or dependent children may be sent to these 
schools. A parent or guardian may indenture his child to a training 
school. 
The Board of Control may give to any inmate absolute dis- 
charge when release will not be harmful to society or the inmate. 
No other application for release or pardon is to be considered. The 
Board of Control may place any inmate with the head of a family, 
if of good moral character, on such conditions and stipulations as 
the Board may establish. The Board may bind any inmate by 
articles of indenture to any suitable person. Provision for three 
months' schooling each year must be made. 
The inmates of the training school are to receive education 
and to be instructed in industry, agriculture, mechanics, etc. 
State Institutions for Dependent, Neglected, and Defective Children 
(1) State Home for Orphans (white) at Pryor. 
(2) Industrial Home for Deaf, Dumb and Orphans (colored) 
at Taft. 
(3) West Oklahoma Home for White Children at Helena. 
(This was established by the legislature of 1917. The 
Connell School of Agriculture was converted into the 
West Oklahoma Home). 
(4) State School for Deaf and Dumb (white) at Sulphur. 
(5) State School for Blind (white) at Muskogee. 
(6) Institution for Feeble-Minded at Enid. 
The State Board of Education controls all these institutions. 
The laws and regulations of the State Home at Pryor apply to all 
these institutions except where noted. 278 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
State Institutions for Dependents 
1. State Home for Orphans (white). 
This home is for white children under 16 years of age sound in 
body and mind and dependent upon the public for support. The 
Board of Control may admit neglected and dependent children 
regardless of physical condition. No child found guilty of a crime 
or to be incorrigible may be received. 
Dependent and neglected children are taken care of temporarily 
in the Home until they can be placed in permanent homes and may 
be retained until they are 18. Children may, however, be declared 
to be self-supporting at 16 and released. The Board of Control 
is the guardian of the estate of any inmate during his minority or 
until discharged. 
Power is given to and the duty imposed upon the Board of 
Control to place children in suitable family homes under written 
contracts which must provide for six months' schooling a year, 
for treatment as a member of the family, and for payment to the 
Board for the use of the child a stated sum of money. When the 
child is over 16 and not indentured the contract may be for wages 
and kind treatment. The institution retains always the right to 
modify or cancel the contract. All earned money must be turned 
over to the child when the guardianship terminates. When the 
parent of any child becomes able to support and educate it the 
Board may certify that fact and return the child to his parents. 
The Board returns a child to his county:- 
(1) When by reason of vicious habits or incorrigibility he cannot 
be placed or kept in a home. Notice is given to the county 
and the returned child becomes a charge of the county. 
(2) When the child is unsound in body or in mind. 
When the home is crowded admissions are prorated to the 
different counties. It is unlawful for the board of county com- 
missioners to retain and support in their county any child admissible 
to the State Home. 
The Board must keep informed as to placed children and see 
that contracts are observed. It is authorized to employ a placing 
and visiting agent. There must be a written report every three 
months from the family and state agent. If the child is not properly 
cared for the superintendent may cancel the contract. A dministration 
279 
Application for adopting an inmate is made in writing. There- 
upon the superintendent or agent investigates. On the recommenda- 
tion of either, the Board approves indenture or adoption. No child 
is to be placed in a family, any member of which uses liquor, or is 
engaged in the liquor traffic or an immoral pursuit. In case any of 
these is found the child is to be removed from the home. 
2. Institute for the Deaf and Blind and Orphans (negro), Taft. 
The same laws and regulations apply to the Institute or 
Orphan's Home at Taft as apply to the State Home at Pryor, except 
as they are modified by the laws and regulations relating to the deaf 
and dumb. 
The purpose of the institute is declared to be to train colored 
deaf and blind, and orphans in rudiments of English and in practical 
industries to fit them to be self-helpful. 
3. The West Oklahoma Home for White Children, Helena. 
This is really a second State home for white children of the 
western section of the State. The same laws and regulations prevail 
here as for the State Home at Pryor, except that the State Board 
of Public Affairs is given somewhat more control of the institution, 
and that provision is made for the transfer and for the payment 
of the public school money for each child from his home school 
district to the institution. 
State Institutions for Defective Children 
1. Oklahoma School for White Deaf, Sulphur. 
This institution is controlled by the State Board of Education. 
All white deaf persons of the state are to be admitted, provided 
they cannot be educated in the common schools, are of suitable 
age and capacity and of good moral character. Every deaf child 
6 to 16 years of age must be sent to a suitable school six months 
every year. 
The purpose of the school is declared to be the physical, intel- 
lectual, and moral training of the deaf to make them self-sustaining 
citizens. The superintendent is selected by the Board of Educa- 
tion. He must be an experienced educator of the deaf. The Board 
must visit and inspect the school and report yearly to the Governor. 
Parents of inmates must furnish transportation, clothes, incidentals 280 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
and support during vacation. If the parents are unable to do this 
it is charged to the county in which they reside and is paid out of 
the poor fund of that county. The Board of Education may allow 
up to $300 a year for higher education to not more than 10 pupils 
a year. 
2. The negro deaf and dumb are to be cared for at the school for 
the Deaf, Blind and Orphans at Taft, already referred to under the 
head of State Institutions for Dependent or Neglected Children. 
3. Oklahoma School for the Blind (white), Muskogee. 
This school is controlled by the State Board of Education. It 
was established for the purpose of providing academic, musical and 
industrial education for the blind. All persons between 6 and 21 
years of age whose vision is so defective that they cannot attend 
the public schools are admissible if they are physically, mentally 
and morally fit. The Board may admit persons over 21 years of age. 
4. The negro blind are provided for at the Industrial School for 
Negro Deaf, Blind and Orphans located at Taft and heretofore 
referred to. 
Institution for the Feeble-Minded, Enid 
The Institution is controlled by the State Board of Education 
and all feeble-minded children under 16 must be admitted. The 
purpose of the Institution is declared to be to support, train and 
instruct feeble-minded children and to control female imbeciles 
between the ages of 16 and 45. Special care is to be given to physical 
conditions. Two departments are provided for: (1) the training 
department for the capable; (2) the asylum department for the 
incapable. 
Feeble-minded children between the ages of 5 and 16 are to be 
received on application, by father and mother if living together, 
by the parent having the child in custody, by the child's guardian, 
by the superintendent of an almshouse, by the superintendent of 
a child-caring institution, or by the trustee of any township. 
If the parent is unable to pay for the child, the board of county 
commissioners certifies to the fact and then the state bears the 
expense. Children may be admitted by the board without pay. If 
parents are unable the county pays transportation and outfit charges. Administration 
281 
Anyone may bring an action in the county court to show that 
a feeble-minded girl or woman is not being cared for. It must be 
shown, that the female is between the ages of 16 and 45, that she 
is not pregnant, that she is in good health, that she is feeble-minded, 
and that she is a legal resident of the state. 
The county court may commit such feeble-minded female to 
the institution. The county pays transportation and outfit charges. 
There is no school for negro feeble-minded. All the above- 
named state institutions for reformation or for dependent, neglected, 
delinquent or defective children which are controlled by the Board 
of Education are in some measure financially controlled by the 
State Board of Public Affairs. 
DISCUSSION 
In addition to all the institutions enumerated above as visited 
and inspected by the Commissioner of Charities and Correction, 
the Commissioner is required to visit, inspect and report on the 
State Penitentiary, three hospitals for the insane, the Confederate 
Home at Ardmore, all county prisons, almshouses, hold-overs, 
and private charitable institutions which care for either adults 
or children. 
With the force provided for the Department of Charities and 
Correction it is impossible to do the work effectively. The responsi- 
bility for the sanitary condition of state, county, and city jails, 
almshouses and hold-overs should be lodged in the hands of the 
county or city superintendent of health under the county or city 
board of public welfare as provided for in the discussion under the 
Department of Health. He should be required to report to the 
Commissioner of Charities and Correction the sanitary conditions 
of all these city and county institutions in order that the latter may 
know that all persons who have a right to look to him for care are 
being housed in proper quarters. 
All state penal, charitable, and training institutions should be 
under the care of the State Department of Health to insure proper 
sanitary conditions. A report of these should be filed with the 
Commissioner of Charities and Correction to the end that he may 
be informed as to the sanitary conditions of all state institutions 
to be visited and inspected by him. All child-caring institutions, 282 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
whether public or private, should be approved by the State Board 
of Health and the State Fire Marshal and should be inspected 
semi-annually. 
Probation Officer 
It is to be regretted that the legislature repealed the law creating 
the position of probation officer. Any effective juvenile court law 
must provide for a probation officer in every county of the state. 
The work of this officer should be combined with truancy work under 
the county board of education so that he would be a combined 
probation and truancy officer. He should be selected by the county 
board of public welfare on the approval of the board of education 
and employed for full time. He should do all probation work and 
should make investigations when mother's pensions are asked for. 
When a mother's pension is granted, he should visit the family 
from time to time and report on the same to the board of public 
welfare. Such pensions should be granted by the county board of 
public welfare, and only after full and careful investigation by the 
county probation officer. 
Women with invalid or crippled husbands, deserted or divorced 
women, and mothers of illegitimate children should be entitled to 
mothers' pensions as well as widows and wives of insane or convicts. 
In case of divorce no application should be allowed until the decree 
becomes absolute. Deserted mothers should not be eligible until 
one year after desertion. Relief should not be granted to divorced 
or deserted mothers or mothers of illegitimate children as long as 
the State, is able to compel support by the fathers of the children. 
Mothers should be entitled to pensions for children up to the 
age of 16. 
The maximum amount allowed as a mother's pension should 
be fixed by the State Child Welfare Division of the Department of 
Charities and Correction. The State Child Welfare Division should 
have general supervision of mothers' pensions with power to review 
and revoke grants. 
When a mother's pension is not granted because the mother 
is not a fit person to care for her children, the children should be 
taken from her and placed as dependents. 
As the law now stands, there is no assurance that the distinction 
between the penitentiary and reformatory will be observed. Nothing Administration 
283 
controls the discretion of the judges and there is very little to 
control the discretionary power of the State Board of Public Affairs. 
Under the law it is possible to confine a child under 16 years of age 
in either institution. The law should be amended so as to make 
it impossible to send any person under 18, or better 21 years of age, 
to the penitentiary. 
There is no very great probability that any substantial pay- 
ment will be made either to the convict himself or to those dependent 
upon him by the State Board of Public Affairs. For the benefit of 
the convict's family as well as for himself, arrangements should be 
made by which the convict while at labor for the state will either 
contribute to the support of his dependents or will accumulate for 
himself a sum of money. 
Where the judge in any county suspends sentence upon a convict 
and paroles him, he should be placed in charge of the probation 
officer of that county. 
The juvenile law permits the juvenile judge to commit dependent 
or neglected children to a training school. It is unwise to have 
dependent or neglected children thrown with delinquent children 
and the law should be amended so as to prevent this. 
It is unfortunate that the State of Oklahoma still permits 
children to be apprenticed. Where children are placed, they should 
be adopted after it has been determined that an adoption is proper 
or else placed under specific contract. The apprenticing of children 
should be abolished. 
There is a conflict of authority between the Superintendents 
or Board of Control of the state training schools and the judges 
of the juvenile courts. The law should be so written that once a 
child is committed to a state training school, all power of parole 
or release should lie with the institution and the judges should not 
have the right of recall and discharge. 
A study of conditions indicates that sufficient effort has not 
been made by state agents to place dependent children from the 
state orphanages. Instead of building additional orphanages it 
would be better to provide additional and efficient state agents for 
placing children in proper homes. 
The facts brought out in the investigation also lead us to 
believe that there is not sufficient attention given to the placing of 
defective children in the different state institutions. Provision 284 
Child Welfare in Oklahoma 
should be made for having a census taken of all defective children 
in each school district and for the transmission of these reports 
from the county to the State Department of Charities and Cor- 
rection and thereafter it should be made a part of the duty of the 
county probation and truancy officer to see whether or not such 
children are placed in proper institutions or are properly cared for. 
Provisions should be made for confining all female feeble- 
minded until they are clearly beyond the child-bearing age. It 
would be better to place all feeble-minded in well managed in- 
stitutions. 
There is no institution for the care of negro feeble-minded. 
This should be provided at once. 
The training schools for negro boys and for negro girls are 
placed under the control of the State Board of Public Affairs. 
There is no good reason why the Board of Control of these should 
be different from that of the other child-caring institutions. Neither 
is there any good reason for placing the Industrial Home for White 
Girls under the care of the Governor. He will not be able to give 
it proper attention. 
Control of Institutions 
Whatever financial control the State Board of Public Affairs 
now has over state penal, reformatory, charitable, and training 
institutions should be continued. The state schools for the blind 
and deaf should be left under the control of the State Board of 
Education. All other state institutions for dependent, delinquent, 
or defective children should be placed under the control of the 
Department of Charities and Correction. 
Full-time schooling should be given every child whether in 
an institution or placed out. If possible the children in the different 
institutions should attend the public school, but if this is impossible 
the courses of study should be those of the public schools. 
Full-time, efficient placing-out agents should be provided for 
the state homes. Parole officers should be provided for the state 
training schools. 
Changes in the State Department of Charities and Correction 
A State Child Welfare Division should be created and placed 
under the Commissioner of Charities and Correction. This division Administration 
285 
should inspect and supervise all child-caring or child-placing 
agencies, public or private, and supervise the probation officers 
in the administration of mothers' pensions and probation work. 
A license to care for or place children should be granted only- 
after inspection by the State Child Welfare Division. The juvenile 
courts should place children only with institutions licensed or 
persons approved by the State Division. The State Child Welfare 
Division should visit and inspect annually all homes in which 
children are placed. 
Changes in Juvenile Law 
The county board of public welfare should select the probation- 
truancy officer who should be approved by the county board of 
education. Larger counties should have the right to build detention 
homes for children. Every child brought before the juvenile court 
should be given a mental and physical examination and no child 
under 16 should be imprisoned in any jail or committed to the 
reformatory or penitentiary.