The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-09-24
Cities in the United States
Adopting it.
EFFECT UPON CERTAIN CLASSES.
Possible for thezPolce 10 Handle the Hoodlum
Element-Not Directed at Well Behaved
Children Regarded by Some People as
Paternalism- Popular West of Mississippi.
Ladies Home Journal

1t looks very much as if during the
ensuing autumn and winter months we
should, in all the States, be confronted
keep children off the streets at night.
Last winter such an ordinance was
passed in number of cities. Thus far
the movement has been confined to the
cities west of the Mississippi river but
gradually it is spreading toward the
East, and the effort made in the New
York Legislature to make similar or
dinance a law is significant. The cur
few ordinance may be explained in
few words. 1t differs in details in some
of the cities where it has become law.
But it's main idea is to keep children
under fifteen or eighteen years of age
off the streets at night after certain
hour, unless accompanied by parent or
guardian This hour is generally fixed
at p. M, although in some towns it
is as early as 8 o'clock. At the stated
hour curfew is sounded by tolling nine
strokes on the fire bell, the city hall
bell or the principal bell of the town.
If a child is found on the streets after
the tolling of the curfeW, unaccOmpa-
MED by guardian, it is arrested, and
upon the first offense is taken home to
the parents and cautioned To the Sec
ond offense is attached a fine ranging
from So to $40, or the child may be i'm
prisoned, as the magistrate deems best
This is the simple ordinance, although,
as l say, it varies in respect to the cur
four Ion Of oh md 40
penalties.
When the curfew idea for children
was first suggested in Minnesota town
year or so ago, and the fact published
in the newspapers, it was received with
ridicule. But other towns and cities
took it up, and when the idea began to
spread, more serious views of it were
taken and direct opposition was ar
Fayed 1t was denounced in one city,
for example, as rank paternalism, the
argument being advanced that the or
dinance delegated duties to the munich
pality which rightly and solely be-
longed to the parents, and should be
carried out only by them. This argu-
ment was found to be inadequate, how
ever, because it was shown that the or
dinance was mainly aimed at the young
hOOdlum element which, existent in all
towns, congregateS on street corners
and in public places after nightfall not
only to its own detriment but to that
of other children, and to the annoyance
and very often the disgust of pedestri
ans. The fact was also proven that
these hOOdlumS exercised considerable
influence in causing orderly, Well-be-
haved children to become unruly, and
that through these young corner loafers
children of another kind were often
persuaded to be out at night when 9th
erwise they would be content to re-
main at home. 1t has been shown, too,
that the curfew ordinance, instead of
taking any power away from the par
ents, is a distinct help to- them, particu-
larly to those parents who failed, for
some reason or other, to exercise proper
supervision over their children. To
these parents the curfew law has come
as distinct help. In fact, wherever
opposition has been shown to the cur
few ordinance it's greater advantages
have been shown, understood and ac-
cepted.
The proof of the pudding lies always
in the eating, and wherever the curfeW
ordinance has gone into effect it's adj
vantages have been conceded. This is
true now of over three hundred towns
and cities, some as large in population
excellence of the law has become ap-
parent, opposing parents have conceded
its wisdom, and even children are said
to be pleased with it. 1t has placed in
the hands of the police most effective
weapon for clearing the streets of hood
lums at night, and in many cases where
disorder reigned at street corners, quiz
etness, law and order now prevail. So
well has the ordinance worked that re-
ports gathered from not less than forty
of the towns where it is a law show
that the fine or Imprisonment penalty
has not been inflicted in a single case.
The first caution has served the pur-
pose. These reports show, too, that the
ordinance is not enforced in any OPP
pressive manner In the case of even
ing winter or summer entertainments,
which would keep the children out later
than the curfew hour, authority is
easily obtained and readily granted by
the mayor or town official for an extern
sion of the time. Its rigid enforcement
is applied most strictly to the hOodlum
element, and with this class the police
claim they have never been able to deal
so successfully.
1t will be at once obvious to all right
minded parents, | think that they
should give the weight of their inf1u
ence to the curfew ordinance wherever
it may be presented. 1t does not imply
paternalism in any respect. On the con-
trary, the law is aimed to help the pa
rent in carrying out his duties, and it
does this most effectually when, for
some cause or other the child gets be-
yond home influence. 1t is an allied
force for the protection of all children.
More than that, the curfew ordinance
aims most directly at the hoodlum ele-