The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-09-27
YOUNG GAMBLERS.

Some half dozen small boys of vari-
GUS nationalities were before Judge
wilcox yesterday for gambling. They
were all of school age, had kept away
from school for the purpose of continu-
ing their game, and had somewhere
near two dollars in nickels and dimes
which they were playing for. They
were caught by the school policemen,
who, of course, could only deal with
children of school age. The remainder
of the gang, who were above school
age, escaped capture, one being carried
off triumphantly by a car driver who
whipped up his spawned mules to save
his friend.
This question of the continued in
crease of gambling especially among
the very young grows more serious
every day. Gambling is one of the
worst vices that can seize upon a peo-
pie. 1t leads to more crime, and causes
more widespread disaster than almost
any other vice. Indeed it carries all
other vices in its train. We deprecate
the vice when we see it engrossing the
full grown members of the community,
how much more must we feel its bale
fulness when we see it taking hold of
our youngest boys.
The gambling outfit of children which
appeared before Judge Wilcox yester-
day had it's headquarters at the tram
car terminus on Nuuanu Avenue. Its
operations were watched with interest
by the drivers who occasionally would
take hand, between whites, during the
time the exhausted mules were resting.
1t was in full view of the cars, but the
small boy has learned that the ordinary
car passenger will not interfere with
him. If, however. there is anything
suspicious, there is spy or guard out.
and the game is instantly converted
into an innocent one of marbles, the
crap outfit being promptly pocketed.
How to meet this very serious phase
in the life of the community is one of
the problems which it is so difficult to
solve. There are a number of boys
over school age who do nothing but
loaf. They are the friends of the tram
car drivers, ride on the platforms with
them, puff their cigarette smoke into
the cars, and ingratiate themselves in
to their good graces by moving the
mules, altering the switches, driving
part of the way, and so forth. These
oyergrown louis undoubtedly lead the
small boy to vice. one never sees a
group of small boys playing craps, but
=
of these loafers taking an active and
leading part in the ~Ime. Such hobble
dehoys ought to be given a little hard
work on the roads or in the stone
quarries. Their parents are in nine
cases out of ten hard working, they
are supplied with all necessary food,
and probably get little money from
their mothers, this they use as capital
in their gambling transactions.
The small boy who has taken to
gambling now will grow into the loafer
above described, and the loafer will
airy criminal will grow into the des-
perate criminal There is no doubt
about our prospective danger. 1t is /
danger and it is one to be met. There /,
is not a part of the town which is not |
infected with the nuisances alluded to.
We are slowly and steadily allowing a
larrikin or hoodlum class to grow UP
amongst us, and some of these days
it will be out of our control
Besides Furnishing there should be
some legal alterations. and there sho'''7 ]
be some executive alterations. Neither
can be made until we have a legisla-
ture which will give its attention to
broad lines of reform and not devote
itself to petty squabbles about the sal
aries of policemen and janitors. We
need a penal farm upon which prison.
ers for light offenses should be put to
work, 1t would be very much better
to have lads of sixteen to twenty work
ing upon such a place, than herded in
TO road gangs as at present. Another
thing that is necessary is a OBTAINING
school for truants, a very different
thing from the Industrial School which
will soon be commenced at the north
end of the Island.
These things have been pointed out
again and again. A few see them,
think about them for an hour or a day,
and then the idea is laid aside. But
every now and again something hap
pens and the public wants some reform
made right off. Reforms cannot be
made right off, and the reforms The
star speaks of require legislative enact
ment and money.