The San Francisco call., 1904-02-27
JUVENILE INCORRIGIBLES.


attended the recent meeting of the Charitie:
- and Corrections of this State. and delivered
several addresses that of great interest He de-
veloped and enforced the necessity for such
that which he presides for the number of Juvenile
incorrgbles has increased in the last fifteen years
to present most affecting problem.
In cities like Chicago and New York the boys
aged between 10 and years into the tens OF thou
sands every year SO the juvenile courts created by
law deal only and specially with that class of offend
OF the necessity for such there doubt
but what OF the cause back OF it all? From the record
il appears that have reached a condition in this
country when it is not only misfortune parents to
have children, but society and the State
In of his addresses Judge Lindsey indicated part
of his duty to be finding "jobs" for the boys who
brought before him. work being the best of re-
form Does not this open the door to the of it all
Much blame is put upon parents, but how they
combat the results of ideness for which they are
powerless find remedy? The world is familiar with
the vital subject of child labor. Let it know also that
child ideness burning question At the age of hr-
teen children, and especially boys, begin feel the
promptings of ambition and activity. They to
initiate men, Given the chance to initiate the right
things that men do, the useful work they going on
around them, and they will do it. But deny them this
opportunity and it is perfectly that they will imme-
datey begin to initiate the wrong things that do
and will readily pick up the adult vices under hap
Whenever the experiment of sending boys into the
country work farms has been tried it has proved
successful of turning them in the right path
provided they properly treated and trained The
difficulty does not exist solely in the slums of great
cities 1t is moral disease in the communities that
are not in the slums An inspection of the records OF
State reform schools shows that large percentage of
juvenile ncorrgibes, subjected to their treatment and
control from families in which the difficulty can
be accounted for only by the deness of boys of
"A years to Now in the various industries and occu-
pations ganful in their nature and necessary to
muny life, there is for the employment of such
youth Judge Lindsey says that he has Been greatly
assisted by such business could find jobs for
boys Finding jobs is of temporary assistance but lacks
the value that is in definite training with definite pur-
pose in the acquisition of skill that is be applied for
permanent sefsupporting purposes
We have expressed the opinion that much help is to
be found in the training in Iandicras that is to be
furnished in the polytechnic trade schools In them
boys have the opportunity become finished and skilled
handicrasmen and to acquire knowledge that equips
them for selfsupport and the duties OF good citizenship
1t will be finally found be the policy of the States
to amend the penal reform features of their
form school policy and turn all of their reform schools
into shops for teaching the handcrafts which boys
will be sent not under semipena sentence, but fixed
apprenticeship.
AS the evil of juvenile transgression spreads, it is
There is much indifference its causes and too
little attention to the profound social disease of which
it is the symptom. Treating symptoms cures
nothing. One might well try prevent eruption
of Vesuvius by putting bread and milk poultice the
crater to such alarming social disease by
dealing with its disturbing symptoms only
The extent of the evil may be estimated by reading
the daily press of any large city and noting that vast
majority of the crimes reported therein committed
by boys and under years of age 1t is useless
to rage parents. Few of them want it So but they
cannot be held to for the which lie be-
yond them i'll the restrictions and limitations to which
society assents The State to parents the duty
of supporting domestic discipline by removing restric-
tions upon opportunity for the young
Finally the moral disease under discussion increases
with the tendency abandon rural for urban life Con
tact with the soil and skill in the industries related to it
offer ideal conditions Always when the race has been
cnervated and morally broken down in dense popua-
tions 1t has risen to its feet by with the soil
The lure of great cities should be put less prominently
before the young. and the ideal life of the country
should have its wholesome charms displayed instead