The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-12-06

den and social degradation in the tomor-
There should be severe child labor and
factory inspection laws IL Is very de-
work In factories. The prime duty OF the
man is 10 work, To be the brea dwinner;
the prime duty OF the woman II TO be the
mother. the housewife. All questions OF
tariff and finance sink into utter insig-
niffcsnce when compared with the tre-
mendous. the vital Importance OF trying
To shape conditions. so that these two
duties of the man and OF the woman can
be fulfilled under reasonably favorable
circumstances. II race does not have
plenty OF children, or II the children do
they are unhealthy In body and stunted
or vicious In mind, then that race IL de-
cadent, and no heapng up OF wealth. no
splend1r .I1 OF mI1omentary m material prosper
The congress has the same power Of
legislation for the District OF Columbia
which the state legistures have for the
various states. The problems incident TO
our highly complex modern industrial
civilization. with it's manifold and per
picking tenderciee both for good and for
the city Of Washington than in most
other cities For this very reason IT -
easier TO deal with the various phases OF
these These prossiems & In washington, and the the
be a model for the other municipal gov
ernments OF the Nation. In all such mat
ters as supervision of the housing OF the
poor, the creation of small parks In the
districts Inhabited by the poor in laws
affecting labor, In laws providing for the
taking care OF the children. In truant
laws, and In providing schools
In the vital matter OF taking care Of
children much advantage could be gain
ed by careful study of what has been
accomplished In SUCH states as Illinois
and Colorado by the Juvenile courts. I've
work of the Juvenile court IL really
work Of character building. IT is now
generally recognized that young boys and
young girls who go wrong should not be
treated az criminals, not even necessar-
lily as needing reformation. but rather az
needing to have their characters formed.
and for. this end to have them tested and
developed by a system OF probation Much
admirable work has been done i'm many
OF our commemorative by earnest men
and women who have made a special
study OF the needs of those classes
of children which furnish the great
est number OF Juvenile offenders.
adult offenders and by their aid. and by
profiting by the experience Of the differ
ent states and cities in these matters.
II would be easy to provide a good code
for the District OF Columbia.
Several considerations suggest the need
for a systematic investigation into and
Improvement OF housing conditions In
Washington. The hidden residential al
leys are breeding grounds OF vice and dis
ease, and should be opened into minor
streets. For a number OF years influen-
ttal citizens have joined with the dis
trict commissioners in the vain endeavor
TO secure laws permitting the condemna-
tion of insanitary dwellings. The Local
death rates. especially from preYentahle
diseases. are so unduly high as to sug-
geSt that the exceptional wholesomeness
Of Washingtons better sections is offset
by bad conditions I'm her poorer neighbor-
hoods.
A special commission on housing and
health conditions i'm the national capi'
tal' would not only bring about the re-
formation OF existing evils, but would
also formulate an appropriate building
code to protect the city from mammoth
brick tenements and other evils which
threaten TO develop here as they have I'm
other cities. That the Nations capital
should be made a model for other muni-
cipalities ls an ideal which appeals 10
all patriotic citizens everywhere. and
such a special commission might map
out and organize the citys future de
velopment I'm lines OF civic social service.
just as Major L'Enfant and the recent
park commission planned the arrange
II is mortifying To remember that
Washington has no compulsory school
attendance law and that careful inqur-
les indicate the habitual absence from
school of some twenty per cent. of all
children between the ages Of eight and
fourteen. II must be evident to all who
consider the problems of neglected child
life or the benefits OF compulsory educa
ton in other cities that one of the most
urgent needs OF the National capital Is
a law requiring the SCnOol attendance OF
all children. this law to be enforced by
attendance agents directed by the board
OF education
Public Fairgrounds are necessary means
for the development OF wholesome citi-
zenship In modern cities. Ii is Inn
portant that the work Inaugural ted here
through voluntary efforts should be taken
up and extended through congressional
appropriation of funds sufficient to equip
and maintain numerous convenient small
Fairgrounds upon land which can be Sc
cured without purchase or rental II Is
also desirable that small vacant places
be purchased and reserved as small park
Fairgrounds i'm densely settled sections Of
the city which now have no public open
spaces and are destined soon to be built
up solldly All these needs should be
met Immediately. To meet them would
entail expenses; but corresponding saw
ing could be made by stopping the build
ing Of streets and levelling OF ground for
purposes largely speculative IN outlying
parts OF the city.
There are certain offenders. whose Grim
inality takes the shape Of brutality and
cruelty towards the weak. who need a
special type of punishment. The Wife
beater. for example is inadequately pun
ished by imprisonment; for imprisonment
may often mean nothing to him. while
~ may cause nunBet anu want 10 tNe
wife and children who have been the
victims OF his brutality. Probably some
form Of corporal punishment would be
the most adequate way OF meeting this
kind OF crime.
AGRICULTURE.
The department Of agriculture has
grown into an educational institution
with a faculty Of two thousand special
lists making research into all the sci
ences Of production. The congress ap-
propriates. directly and indirectly. six
millions of dollars annually to carry on
this work. n reaches every state and
territory in the Union and the islands
OF the sea lately come under our flag
Cooperation Is had with the state ex-
pertinent stations. and with many other
Institutions and individuals. The world
is carefully searched for new varieties
Of grains. fruits. grasses, vegetables,
trees and shrubs. suitable to various To-
cslities I'm our country; and marked ben
eft 10 our producers has RESULTED
The activity of our age I'm lines of re-