The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-01
BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS.

The first duty OF a Government lis the
development Of good citizens. And the
qualities that make for good citizen
ship are chiefly implanted in the soul
during childhood. Instances are rare
where reformation Of criminals has oc-
CURED after the period Of adolescence,
and the reason is not far to seek. Just
as impressions come TO. the brain cells.
which. send forth thought, just so the
cells develop-and just so the thoughts
formulate and acts result. Then come
habits. Hence. as We think. we act. AS
We act, we form habits. All this is the
A 3 c OF psychology, but, singularly
enough, the city, the State and the ma
ton are slow TO act in the matter Of
implantings in the children the seed Of
good character-which is, OF course.
synonymous with good citizenship.
AS a matter OF fact, a large proper
tOn OF men and women who become
parents are totally untitled, mentally,
morally, physically or financially, 10
have and rear children. The very eie-
ments Of such a production are absent
and q natural law exists which
makes certain elements necessary TO
certain results. Then what may a
coTllnOnWe alth 90 10 protect itself from
the ravages Of its own product
Just What other civilized communities
have done. and what san Francisco has
,rst begun 20 do-to establish a CEN
soIship over the boys.and girls Of the
..-tE. with properly trained Iruant Off
GERS properly equipped probation Off
GERS whose business 1T is TO visit the
homes of the ciTlDE tykes. and juven-
i.a co-Et with Il humane Judge on the
hench-one who was once a bow him
self and who hasn't forgotten the queer
workings OF a bows mind. Now. all Of
these essentials have been secured TO
san Francisco during the last fifteen
months, owing 10 the tireless efforts Of
the. California club. tie WOmen's
council. the Associated Charities. the
Merchants Association. the Teachers
Grub and uIanE unalied humane
American citizens. And during that
period more than 1900. children have
p been rounded Up for not attending
school, for playing craps; for petty
stealing. for INSTRUMENTATION at hOIne
and Cor various other preliminaries TO
crimiua.i<Y-au urchins under a years.
The disposition Of the: offending chill
6ren lies entirely in the hands Of Judge
Nurasky, who possesses an intuttive
insight into the texture Of the lads
or character. and who disposes
OF each case as best BELTS the delin.
Quent. =
But here arose a. handicap TO the
success OF the patriotic labor. Where
would the lads be sent who had be-
come chronic truants2 And chronic
.tTuancy. be IL known. is but the kim
dergarten Of the penitentiary. This
has come TO be an axiom. The Board
Of Education has at last partially
solved the civic DrOblem-the greatest
problem before the people tQ-day--the
trusts. the industrial wars and the
sol Hr-r "a a.
ing entirely subsidiary TO the quality
Of the embryo men and. women. who
must soon meet the, great problems of
government. 80.
on Wednesday last the Board"of Ed
ucatiCn took action upon a COMMUNE
cation from School superintendent
LanEdOu in relation to- the establish
ment Of a parental school. such as in
vogue in all the large Eastern cities
and in quite a few Western ones. The
Superintendent came before the de-
partment Of education fortified with
.strdng arguments and facts and fig
Ures .tO prove the necessity Of a pa
rental school, as cOrOllary TO the WORK
.. - the Juvenile Court-sOme Of the
facts. bE the way. having been cleaned
by Mrs ". J. Angelo Of the civic sec
ton " the California Club.
So brave 2 stand did the energetic
Superintendent make that the board
just up and acted" On the spot was
P parental school established, the cid
school AZ. Eighth and Harrison streets
know m in its dehutante days-forty.
I'VE years ago-as the Stanford being
chosen. as the site J. D.. Faulkner
former principal Of the Franklin Gram
mar School. was placed at its head
and the school viii really become ar
enlarged duplicate Of the "Vngraded
class in the Washington Grammar
which, by the way. has become a IA
nous success since its organization.