The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-07
. JUNIOR REPUBLIC"
AN EXPERIMENT IN sELF-G0vERx-
MENT AMONG STREET BOYS.
A Summer Vacation Camp which was
Organized On n Business and Po-
Iitfcal Basis-Young Citizens.
Review of Reviews.

are destined TO give IL an immense expan-
sion and popularity within a very few years.
Such camps for tenement-house lads may
well result more decisively in the formation
OF good character than all the school ex-
priences of the rest of the year in town.
But it Is not to Switzerland or France that
We must now look for the best model of a
vacation camp, but TO our W country. The
most attractive and promising experiment
in this direction that has ever been tried is
known as the George Junior Republic, and
IL belongs to New York city. 1t has now
been developed into a regular association,
with an Incorporated society to sustain ii
with money and other kinds of help; but
1t has grown altogether out of the practical
experience and admirable good sense OF one
young man. William R.. George.
Mr.. George began In 1890 and took twenty
two children for a two or three weeks vaca-
ton to a farm rear Freeville, Tompkins
county, New York. He had himself grown
up as a country boy in that region and his
sympathy with the children of the slums
in New York led him to try in a small way
the plan of showing them what life in the
country really meant. Mr.. George has
strong religious convictions and his summer
vacation camps have always had a decidedly
religious character. The first experiment was
so satisfactory that in 1891. with the assist
ance of several helpers, BIO children were
taken to the Freeville farm for two weeks.
Besides religious instruction, they were
taught patriotism and the duties of citizen
ship. The next summer, 265 children were
taken land about the same number in 1893
and 1s94.) At length Mr.. Georges expert
ence had prepared him for the evolution
IS tha oAr,Dla-0 ;I1a ~ hf- min frrro
public; and his young commonwealth-des-
tined. as 1 believe, to take its honorable
place in the history of education-was duly
launched last summer with a membership
of about two hundred children. who re-
manned in the camp for a period Of two
months. This republic is not for the smallest
children, and the average age is perhaps
about fifteen, the limits being from twelve
TO seventeen The keynote OF the plan in
trodUced by Mr.. George Is perfect liberty,
under a reign of s~elf-imposed law. When he
is asked how he makes the JUNIOR Republic
work, Mr.: George replies that he does not
try TO make Ii work, that the boys and girls
do that for themselves; that ne does not
impose any laws, because his republic is not
a monarchy; and that the laws OF the repub-
lie are made by its Congress, composed of
representative citizens. OF course, Mr..
George has provided at the outset a certain
general framework for the guidance Of his
United States and our familiar everyday in
stitutions supply the model upon which the
miniature republic at Freeville proceeds to
work out its deStinies.
THEY ALL WORKED.
AS a social organism, 1t must of course
have its industrial and economic basis.
Every member of the community IS assumed
to be a worker and a self-supporting citi-
zen. The citizens are divided into three in
dustrial classes. namely, the class of un-
skilled workers, the middle class and the
class OF skilled workers. Each citizen Is al
lowed to exercise his own judgment and
preference in the selection of his work. He
may select farming, landscape gardening or
carpentery; while in the case of the girls.
cooking, millinery or sewing may be chos-
en-. The triple classification Gas to skilD ap-
plies to each kind of work. The different
kinds of work are of course carried on under
the direction of Mr.. Georges adult help
ers; and the classification Of the workers is
made upon very strict standards. in accord
ance with which fidelity and conscientious
effort count for more than natural aptitude.
The pecun.ary advantages of promotion
from the lowest to the highest srade are
very considerable. Thus % cents IL day Is
rae pay for unskilled labor, 20 cents for work
in the middle grade and 80 cents for work DIN
the highest grade. The working hours are
from $3.50 until II. The afternoons are de-
voted to recreation No member of the
community is obliged TO work during the
regular morning hours or at all; but il he
is off duty he draws no pay, while IL he
loses time mis- pay is diminished pro rata.
1t must be explained that wages are paid in
the paper scrip or currency of the repub-
lie, and not in regular United States money.
But so long as a lad sojourns as a citizen
of the George Junior Republic, his money
goes
In fact. the money of the republic is quite
Indispensable; for nothing is provided free
of charge. All meals must be paid for, and
lodging daSO mas Its price. InaSmuch as
each ordinary meal costs 10 cents and the
same price is exacted for a nights lodg-
ing, while the taxes of the republic amount
to about 3 cents a day per capita, ii is evil
dent that unless the unski.led laborer is
regular and faithful he Is not gong to be
able to pay his bills. If he has been tempted
TO Idle away his morning hours, or to spend
his money upon extra apples or cakes or
unable TO meet the cost of regular meals
and lodging. The republic maintained its
bank and wages were pail no Sftener than
cumulate savings in the bank and they were
allowed an interest Of 3 per cent. a month
The training in citizenship and political
methods vas only less valuable than the
training in practical thrift and industrial
economies. The several Industrial classes
were allowed to be represented IN the two
chambers of the republics Congress. Each
industrial class elected one member of the
House of Representatives for every twelve
persons and elected one member of the Sem
ate. Representatives were elected for a
term oil one week ana senators Tor q peTlOu
OF two weeks. In the course of the summer
out of perhaps two or three hundred bills
introduced in Congress some fifty-five or six
ty were enacted into laws, while seven or
eight more failed to become laws through
the exercise of the Presidents veto. 1t was
a matter OF practical necessity which needs
no defense or explanation that Mr.. George
himself should fill the chair OF the Presi-
dent Of the republic.
BOYISH AMBITION.
A leading ambition of almost every boy
in the opening days of the republic was to
| become a member of the police force, but all
applicants were subjected to a rigid civil
service examination, the justice and reason
ableness of which they soon came to per-
| ceive and admit. Their respect for reading
and writing and other attachments which
some of them had formerly regarded as
superfiuous, became nightly enhanced
when they understood In how many prac-
teal ways these intellectual requirements
were Of advantage. The policemen draw the
full pay of the highest class Of labor. Their
| duties were real and were exercised with
| remarkable firmness and moderation. The
office of the judge OF the police court, who
combined in his person all other Judiciary
functions. was filed by one of Mr.. Georges
adult helpers; but trial by a jury Of his peers
was granted to every boy accused of any