The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-21
EFFECT OF THE CURFEW
COL. ALEXANDER HOGELAND TALKS
IN INTERESTING FASHION OF 1T.
Not Likely to Interfere with Appren-
tices-"Kids" Find Refuge
In Woodruff Place.

Colonel Alexander Hogeland, president of
the Boys and Girls National Home and
Employment Association last evening
talked of the curfew ordinance recently
adopted by the City Council and now being
enforced.
MANY persons seem impressed with the
idea that it will work hardship in many
cases, especially among apprentices, errand
messengers, bell boys at hotels, Christian
Endeavorers and students at night schools,
etc." said he. II will say that have not
heard of single case where the police in
terfered with this class of young people.
The police, as a rule, are a bright, manly,
intelligent class of men, Nearly all have
families of their own. They have been ac-
customed to judging between the rude, dis
obedient and wayward class of boys and
girls before the ordinance passed and they
are not likely to be deceived now that the
ordinance is in force. In a recent letter
from Mrs. Jessie Benton Fremont she pays
the curfew reform a high compliment and
says, Children want to be good and it seems
cruel to deny them the benefit Of the cur
few" A chief reason why nearly all chill
dren obey it is they are accustomed to obey
ing the bells over the public and parochial
schools and that educated habit makes
is not the slightest danger of any sensible
policeman using the curfew simply to vex
and worry youths. Then again, if any boy
or girl seeks to willfuliy disregard the signal
they are first taken home to ascertain the
parents wishes.
I'm cities with curfew it is almost an
effectual cure for truan " in the schools.
have before stated that 30 per cent. of the
boys apprenticed in factories are Germans,
i5wedeS, Danes, CanadianS and NorwegfanS.
When We understand that five out OF six
of the youths in the country are American
is is time TO call halt and ask why this
discrimination against American boys when
it comes TO learning trades. The fact is
made plain when we understand that these
foreign nationalities by fixed rule of So
ciety keep their children at home
away from the streets at night and when
the children are out the parents are
with them. There will be no more
of this statement, that 10000 men and house
coachman and apprentice. and qualifying it
by saying Swedish. German. and other
nationality preferred am fully convinced
that in a few years, under curfew and at
home of nights, that many American boys
will be called INTO business houses, manu-
factories and numerous trades which is now
denied them on acc cunt of their willful ma
ture, made such by all hours of the night
in the streets, and will again stand equal
chances with the boys of foreign parentage
for trades and professions indianapolis is
a gem of CITY, and under the banner of the
curfew, capital and solid business men will
locate here Hocdlums and hold-ups and
taxes will decrease. There is no good rea-
son why Chicago. st. Louis, Cincinnati
Philadelphia and Greater New York should
not at once adopt the curfew. So far every
city that has curfew and made an honest
effort to enforce it has witnessed decrease
of so and rs per cent in arrests and COM
mitments of youths. Where is the liberty
loving, conscientious city councilman, even
in Chicago or New York, who can look these
figures in the face and vote against the cur
few?''
The curfew has had an unexpected effect
upon Woodruff Place. 1t took the kids
of that section of the city just one night
to realize that Woodruff is a separate cor
poration, and the city police could not both
er them there. Last night they made things
lively in the usually quiet park, and the
trustees of the town are likely to enact q
curfeW ordinance in self-defense.