The herald., 1898-03-06

ling of the merely dull and mentally
feeble children-a training which they
may not be able to secure in the public
schools, and to secure which they ought
not to be subjected to the evil influences
Of the truant school, with its enforced
captivity, degrading associations and
baleful influences.
There is a dark side to the truant
school phase of compulsory education,
as experience has amply proved, and
nothing is gained by trying to ignore it..
The ignorant and the depraved and the
criminal classes contribute to it, and the
mere assembling of these elements, how
ever strict the discipline, does not Gre
ate a wholesome atmosphere. Progress
toward reformation is possible, but mir
acles are not to be expected. The patrol
men in the large cities, who are in
structed to keep the boys moving along
and to prevent lettering, have better
opportunity, perhaps, than any other
class for observing the results of COM
pulsory attendance upon the schools.
and one of these officials, on duty in
Brooklyn, offers this testimony regard
ing the truant schools in that city:
I never send boy up there unless
have to, for that's just making GRIM
inal of him out and out. 1 always
give a boy three chances before send
| ing him even to the truant school,
First 1 send him back to school; then
/ take him and hand him over per-
sonally to the principal; then I go to
| see his parents. If that fails to set
him straight, then, of coSse, have to
commit him. 1t isn't any fun arrestng
them, either; they slip through your
fingers like eels-hear you coming and
run through the house and out of back
window, and down the fire-escape be-
fore you know it, Some of them that
are born TO it are really dangerous
characters. l served through the war,
| but I was never so near death as ar
resting a miserable, little n-year-old
| cripple. He was such a poor specimen
that l didn't have my hand on him;
| was just walking on one side of him,
with the officer that helped me take
| him on the other. All of sudden, 1
| saw this man draw off and hit the
little rascal a clip that sent him tum-
bling in heap in the gutter. What do
YOU mean' said 1, hitting little fell
| low like that?"" He'd a-done for you
| if I hadn't" said he. and showed me
a fve-inch dirk that the rascal was
about to plunge into my stomach.
Schools for truants may before long
become a necessity for Los Angeles.
The desirability for them is already at
| tested by the superintendent of the city
schools. whose opportunities for Judg-
ing are excelled by no other person.
But the departure should be made. If
at all, with the fullest information as
| TO the results achieved in other large
municipalities where the plan has been
in practical operation: nor should the
suggestion of the wisdom of an inter-
mediate ungraded school, born of the ex-
perience of the Brooklyn authorities.
be lost sight of.
Los Angeles is a city of homes. Il
has more children of school age than
many places a third larger. The dis
proportion of children to total popula-
tion is likely to be steadily maintained,
for obvious reasons. The most enlight-
ened methods must be adopted for the
training of this constantly increasing
multitude We should never be content
with mediocrity in any branch of the
service. The people cheerfully provide
the funds, and have a right to be exact
ing in their demands.