St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-31
STREET BOY PROBLEM,
TOPIC OF THE ASSOCIATEl
CHARITIES
At the ParlOr difference OF Last
Night Many Good
..-..a.. Speeches..

lis pArtOr conference n6lu Dy IMP
associated charities at the resideuce,Jf
L. w. Pect. on Summit avenue, last
night was one o. the most successful
and interesting meetings that the or
ganizatlOn has ever held. Rev. ii. II.
Hart presided, and introduced the sub.
ject for the evening, namely, Thu
Street Boy Problem. In the course of
his few remarks. MIR. Hart said that in
all probability the next conference
woula discuss the question of 1.-The
Unemployed, and What to DO for
Them" which month hence will he
particularly timely. Rev John Conley
opened the programme with very in
teresting paper, in which he discussed
'The Relations of the Church to the
Street Boy" Mr.. Conley said in part:
Rev. COnley Speaks.
1T is serious question with many
whether we ought 10 have any street
boys. Whether the advantages derived
by the work OF these bays OH the streets
are not much more than overbaianced
by the harm that results. 1t is possible
that my address tonight ought to be an
appeal to the churches to do all in their
power not to save these boys in the
streets. where the odds arc SO fearfully
against them. Tut to save them from the
streets. This meeting tonight recog-
nizes the fact that the street boys are
here, and for the present are likely to
remain. 1t also recognizes the very
patent fact that we are not doing for
these boys as much as ought to be done.
There are really Two classes of street
bUyS-thOSe who Work and those " no do
not. The former is made up almost
entirely of the newsboyS and the boot
blacks. The other of those who have
no proper home restraint and are almost
constantly Oh the streets. mingling with
the other boys, and doing much to give
bad character 10 the whole. 1t is
stated that IS per cent of the criminals
i'll the stale penitentiarleS are under
thirty years of age. Mario estimates
that Al per cent are the children of
drunken parents. And every one knows
that the large majority of such are
graduates from the streets.
The churches are dong magnificent
work for the boys. Look al the Sunday
schools. the missions. the junior So
cieties. the loyal legions. industrial
schools, boys brigades, guilds, clubs
and the like under the direct care of the
churches. The street boy problem would
not for this work OF the churches"
j. Gilpin Pyle Followed
with ''An appeal to the commun ity"
for the street boy. Mr.. Pyle said:
Zone of the lessons that it takes a
community much longer to learn than
any other is that prevention is much
better and great deal cheaper than
cure, but just as soon as people appre-
ciate this fact reform may be con-
sidered we'll under way. The question
of the punishment OF crime has always
been subordinated to that of prevention
of crime. and in the establishment of
refOrmatOry methods the more lmpor-
tant question of prevention has been
overlooked. However, it is only lately
that we have filtered our own water, in
stead of calling in doctor to treat our
typhoid fever. and it is only lately that
we have applied the tiltering process 10
our streets. -
1.-The work of the past in this city has
been largely done by individuals. 1t
has been as the desperate effort of onf
man to snatch and save boy here and
there. The community has taken little
cOgnizance of this work, but its atten-
ton must be arrested. for it is not our
homes that are in danger, but it is the
1uLuIc Vi Ouf Stdl6s lc WOTk lCI tu6
future must receive the financial as we'll
as the moral support of the whole COM
munlty if anything is to be accom-
plished. What is wanted is an agency,
home for the boy"
Judge Kerr Went Into the Question
at some length, but from the standpoint
of the criminal. which during mis- ex-
perience he has had all excellent oppOr-
tuuIty of being familiar with. he. too,
emphasized the necessity of prevention
rather than cure, and spoke very highly
of the three state institutions whose
| character and OBJ ects are Ill this direc-
| ton. He suggested some changes in
| the mode of conducting these inStitu-
| tiOnS. which were practically embodied
| in the proposed legislation.
ID. l.. Wellington, whose experience
| in this work has been most varied one.
| went into the question of yOuth-Saving
| work very deliberately. Miss Cramsee,
who was associated with Miss johnstone
| in her work with the newsies. talked
| Interestingly of the religious work done
among the boys. and Rev. David Nor
| gan, of the Bethel, read paper, in
which he made number of very
| practical suggestions. 8
Miss Grace Johnstone's paper. read
by Mr.. Peet, contained very cOInpre-
hensive view of the work of the News
boys club, all organization which is
! temporarily suspended, during the time
that has elapsed since it's organization
i'll 1885.