Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-12-06

i
for the taking care Of the ildrcn, In
truant laws and In DIVIDING schools s q,
In the vital matter Of taking care of
! children much advantage could be gain
ed by acareful study OF what has been
accomplished in such; states sas Illinois
and Colorado by the Juvenile courts
The work ,of the Juvenile court is real
" work Of character building. It IL
now generally recognized that young
boys and young girls ,rho go wrong
should not be treated as criminals, not
even necessarily as needing reforms
ton, but rather as needing to have
their characters formed, and for this
end to have them tested and developed
by system of probation. Much nd
mirable work has been done III many
Of our commemorative by earnest men
and women who have made special
study OF the needs Of those classes OF
children which furnish the greatest
number of Juvenile offenders and there
fore the greatest number Of adult Of
tenders, anI by their aid and by profit.
ing by the S,criences of the different
states and cities in these matters It
would be easy to provide good code
for the District Of Columbia.
Several considerations suggest the
need for systematic investigation in-
to and improvement of housing condi-
tons in Washington. The hidden resi-
Dental alleys are breeding grounds Of
vice and disease and should be opened
into minor streets. For a number Of
years influential citizens have Joined
with the District commissioners in the
vain endeavor to secure laws permit
ting the, condemnation of insanitary
dwellings. The local death rates, espc-
cdally from preventable diseases, are
20 unduly high as to suggest that the
exceptional $wholesomeness of Wash
ington's better sections is offset by
bad conditions in her poorer; neighbour
hoods. A special Commissioners on
housing and health conditions in the
national capitar' would not only bring
about the reformation of existing evils,
but would also formulate an appro-
PIRATE building code to protect the
city. from mammoth. brick tenements-
and other evils which threaten to de-
velop here as they have in other cities.
That the nations capital should be
made model for other municipalities,
IN an ideal which appeals to all pa
uiotic citizens everywhere, and such
a special commission might map out
and organize the city's future dcvel-
opment In lines of civic social service,
just. as Major LEnfant and the recent
park commission planned the arrange
ment Of her streets and parks. u IN
It is notifying to remember that
Washington has no compulsory school
attendance law and that careful inqui-
ries indicate the habitual absence from
school of some 20 per cent Of all chill,
dren between the ages Of eight and
fourteen. It must be evident to all who
consider. the problems of neglected
child life or the benefits of compulsory
education In other cities that one Of
the most urgent needs OF the national
capital Is law requiring the school
attendance Of all children, this law to.
be enforced by attendance agents di-
rected by the board Of education. tF
> Public, Fairgrounds are necessary
means for the development of whole
some citizenship in modern cities. It H.
important that the work inaugurated
here through voluntary efforts should
be taken up and extended through. con-!
gressional appropriation Of funds suffl-
Client to equip and maintain numerous
convenient small Fairgrounds upon