The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-26

life we may ascribe the majority of the
evil OF the young people. There is no need
to emphasize the fact that every healthy
child is going to find some outlet, right
or wrong. for his purely animal spirits,
which wise providence has given him.
In the language of Jacob Riis, we can
either put a safety valve on these little
boilers or we can let them blow up when
the pressure becomes too great After a
boiler bursts, the arch patcher, in the form
Of law, appears. To a limited extent,
law is effective, but to be of real value
the work must be preventive. Julius
Moersch Of the state labor bureau, who
has been conducting an investigation of
conditions at Red Wing, has expressed
his doubts of the considerable reformative
effects of that institution. A principal
of large school in neighboring city re-
Gently stated that truancy cannot be
cured by any legal enactment
Inc great wave of preventive measures
now sweeping over the country in the
form of public parks, Fairgrounds and
gymnasia, seems scarcely to have touched
Minneapolis. In Chicago, as in some
other cities, they have taken the easiest,
which Is also the best method, Of attack
ing these various evils. The great ex-
pensive school buildings which are used
only 1,050 hours out of the $3.50 hours in
the year, are now being utilized, out of
school hours, for social and more expan-
sive educational uses. At the Washington
school in that city a reading room is
open five nights in the week. The teacher
in charge is paid by the Merchants club.
Books are furnished from the school
library and the public library. The aver
age nightly attendance is about forty. A
mothers club was organized at the school
with an average attendance of thirty.
Machines for the sewing school were sup
piled by the West End Woman's club. The
Merchants club inaugurated cooking
school and the board Of education supplied
the teacher. At the cooking school, which
was open five nights a week, the average
attendance was twenty-five each night the
ages varying from IA to So A choral So
ciety meets once a week under the leader
ship Of a public school supervisor Of mu-
sic, and the board of education further
furnished teachers for classes in construc-
ton work, the material being furnished
by the Merchants club. This, it will be
observed. is entirely aside from the regu.
| lar school work
| In addition to using the schools fol
social purposes, New York has organized
| a Social Halls association for the expires:
| purpose of meeting this demand Of thu
young people.
| Why should we not support the schoo
board Of Minneapolis in more expansiv,
use Of our public schools, as most othe
cities are doing? Mr.. Moersch also stated
Persons interested in the problem Of chile
truancy, any evening may find children
loating on the streets until 10 and
o'clock Why should not the school build
ings be open to these children? Let tn
street tough organize his gang into a clu
and meet at the schoolhouse instead of il
some back room where the time is spen
, in gambling and shooting craps. To over
look this demand for recreation and en-
i joyment, which is justly SO strong an
fundamental in our nature, is to invite
to find it's expression in the brothel, tn
low saloon, the low dancehouse, the gam
bling den and the wineroom. It is simpl
the answer of human nature to the neglec
on the part of moral leaders. M. o.