Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06

| of washington than in most other ci.ies,
For this very reason 1t Is easier 70 au,.
| with the various phases of these problems
| in Washington, and the District OF 20
lunbia government should be a model lor
| the other municipal governments OF the
| Nation in all such matters as supef'isiois
| of the housing of the poor, the creation OF
small parks in the districts inhabited py
the poor. in laws affecting labor. IN laws
| providing for the taking care or the cnli-
| dren in truant laws, and IN proViolns
schools.
| In the vital matter of taking care OF
I children much advantage could pc gaineo
| by a careful study of what has oeen ac,
! complished in such States as Illinois anu
Colorado by the juvenile courts. Inc Work
! of the juvenile court is really work OF
| character building. 1t is now generaly
| recognized that young boys and young silis
| who go wrong should not be treated as
| criminals, not even necessarily as neeuinS
| reformation, but rather as needing 10 hdVs
| their characters formed. and for TINS emo
| to have them tested and developed by d
| system of probation. Much admirable work
/ has been done in many of our Common
| wealths by earnest men and women VINO
| have made special study of the neeos
| of those classes of children which furnish
/ the greatest number of Juvenile Offenders
/ and therefore the greatest number OF adult
| offenders; and by their aid, and by Fronting
| by the experiences of the different states
and cities in these matters. 1t would pc
| easy to provide a good code for the District
| of Columbia
Several considerations suggest the nced
/ for a systematic investigation into and i'm
| provement of housing conditions in Wash
/ ington. The hidden residential alleys are
| breeding grounds of vice and disease, ana
| should be opened into minor streets For
a number of years influential citizens nave
| Joined with the District Commissioners IN
! the vain endeavor to secure laws permit
| ting the condemnation of inSanitary dwell
| lings. The local death rates, especially
| from preventable diseases, are so unauly
| high to suggest that the exceptional
| wholesomeness of Washingtons better Sec
| lions is offset by bad conditions in her
| poorer neighborhoods. A special ''ComTnis-
| sion on Housing and Health Conditions In
| the National Capital" would not only bring
| about the reformation of existing evils, but
| would also formulate an appropriate build
| ing code to protect the city from NAM
moth brick tenements and other evils which
| threaten to develop here as they have IN
| other cities. That the Nations Capital
should be made a model for other munich
| palities is an ideal which appeals to all
| patriotic citizens everywhere. and such q
| special commission might map out and or
ganize the city's future development IN
lines of civic social service, just as Major
| LEnfant and the recent Park Commission
| planned the arrangement of her streets and
! parks.
| 1t is Notifying to remember that Wash
| iEgton has no compulsory school attend
ance law and that careful inquiries indicate
| the habitual absence from school of some
20 per cent of all children between the
| ages of eight and fourteen. 1t must be
| evident to all who consider the problems Of
| neglected child life or the benefits of COM
| pulsory education in other cities that one
| of the most urgent needs Of the National
| tendance of all children, this law to be en-
forced by attendance agents directed by
| the board Of education.
| Public Fairgrounds are necessary means
| for the development of wholesome citizen
ship in modern cities. 1t is important that
| the work inaugurated here through volun-
| tary efforts should be taken up and ex-
tended through congressional appropriation
of funds sufficient to equip and maintain
| numerous convenient small play grounds
upon land which can be secured without
purchase or rental. 1t Is also desirable
that small vacant places be purchased and
| reserved as Small-park play grounds in
| densely settled sections Of the city which
| now have no public open spaces and are
destined soon to be built up solidly. All
| these needs should be met Immediately. TO
| meet them would entail expenses; but a
| corresponding saving could be made by
| stopping the building of streets and level
| ing of ground for purposes largely Specula-
| tive in outlying parts of the city.
| There are certain offenders. whose crini-
| nality takes the shape of brutality and cru
| city towards the weak, who need special
| type of punishment. The wife-beater. for
| example, is inadequately punished by i'm
| prisonment; for Imprisonment may often
mean nothing to him. while 1t may cause
| hunger and want to the wife and children
.
Probably some form of corporal punish
| ment would be the most adequate way of
meeting this kind of crime.
Department Of Agriculture.
| The Department of Agriculture has
| grown into an educational Institution with
| faculty Of two thousand specialists making
| research into all the sciences Of production.
The Congress appropriates. directly and in
| directly six millions of dollars annually to
| carry on this work. 1t reaches every State
| and Territory in the Union and the islands
| of the sea lately come under our flag Co
operation Is had with the State experiment
stations. and with many other institutions
| and individuals. The world is carefully
| searched for new varieties Of grains fruit,
| grasses, vegetables, trees and shrubs, suita-
| BILE to various localities in our country; and
marked benefit to our producers has result
| ed.
The activities of our age In lines of re-
search have reached the tillers Of the soil
and inspired them with ambition to know
more Of the principles that govern the forces
OF nature with which they have to DEAL
Nearly half OF the people Of this country
| devote their energies to growing things
from the soil. Until a recent date little has
| been done to prepare these millions for their
| life work. In most lines Of human activity
college-trained men are the leaders. The
farmer had no opportunity for special train
| ing until the Congress made provision for It
Iorty years ago. During these years prog
ress has been made and teachers have been
| prepared Over five thousand students are
In attendance at our State agricultural col
| leges. The Federal Government expends
ten millions Of dollars annually toward this
education and for research in Washington
| and In the several States and Territories
The Department Of Agriculture has given
| facilities for postgraduate work to five
| hundred young men during the last seven
| years, preparing them for advanced lines OF
work In the Department and in the State
| institutions
The facts concerning meteorology and its
relations TO plant and animal life are being
| systematically inquired into. Temperature
ana moisture are controlling factors in ali
agricultural operations The seasons of the
cyclones OF the Caribbean Sea and their
paths are being forecasted with fncrea sing
accuracy. The cold winds that come from
the north are anticipated and their times
and Intensity told to farmers pardeners
and fruiterers In all southern localities
We sell two hundred and fifty million dol
lars worth Of animals and animal products
to foreign countries every year, in addition
10 supplying our own people more cheap
and abundantly than any other nation Is
able to provide for its people, Successfnl
manufacturing depends primarily ON chean
| food, which accounts to a considerable -ex
tent FOR our growth in this direction. The
Department of Agriculture, by careful in
spection OF meats guards the health of our
people and gives clean bills of health ia
deserving exports; it is prepared to deal