The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-07

bugs and microscopes and give the Cor nell professors half holiday % lar as . score of student teachers can do. This is to bs . half day of laboratory study of boys, and of bad-taught boys at that. It 'is an sxpectant party that sets out from the University to learn if possi- ble . new lesson for teachers. the les son of how boys and girls manage . miniature republic of their own. We the seated in tally-ho bound for the George Junior Republic, one of the latest experiments in sociology and government.
 This institution SO widely known be- cause of it's novel methods of dealing with bad boys and girls. has its home near the little village of Freevilie. New York, on a branch of the Lehigh alley Railroad.
 Tn aim and purpose the George Junior Republic is . juvenile reformatory. In methods and appearance 1t studiously avoids everything that savers of re- formatory. and takes the shape of ''play-like" republic Its home Is tract of 800 acres of fertile farming land. equipped with necessary buildings to accommodate about 160 wayward ings. all of wood. are dormitorfes and oottagss for both sexes. schoolhouse. chapel. library, bakery. store, laundry and barn.
 At the time of our visit the number of young people domiciled there was about 1So. The age limit for entrance 10 between 14 and n years and an tn- mate may remain until 21. The faces Of the children were better than one maGht expect from inmates of the slums of the cities, whence most of these come These boys and girls are sent by courts. by institutions, even by parents. and in the language of the founder, MT. Will HD AA v>rfvr Ntn tnoI msnt for admission is proficiency In badness" Seriously. some come with better records and for other reasons.
 The interesting feature In which the George Junior Republic differs from other reformatory agencies is in the fact that the children govern themselves and play at being presidents. judges. policemen and jailers. The children constitute the citizens. and every boy. and girl as well. has a vote in making laws and electing officers. There is one exception Those found guilty of mis- dsmeanors by jury Of their juvenile peers lost their vote. and no longer wear the valued name of cftfzens.
 The Idea in this plan of self govern ment is to place responsibility on every one and to educate the children in the actual forms under which the govern mont of our country ia conducted. The government of the George Junior Re- public consists of the executive. the IegisIative. and the judicial branches. ali elected by the citizens. Indeed. the loRislative branch consists of the entire body of citizens. meeting monthly These elect a president. vice-president, secretary of state and secretary of the treasury. These act as a board, ap- pointing the judges, the policemen and failers. also discnargfng the dutfes or a board of health
 From the decisions of the court pre- sided over by the young citisens. appeal may be made to the supreme court, which in this case is a prominent law yer representing the board of trustees of the institatfon. It Is thus. and through the seldom exercised veto power of the founder, MT William R. : George, who gives his whole time and the unmeasurabie power of his own personality, that real but hidden gov ernment is maintained.
 After MT George had given our party 6 cordial greeting, he reminded us that he and his institution have no kinshfp of views and practice with Henry George. 'The incentive in our system. he said, "is the ownership of personal property by the young citixens. We put all inmates on the platform of self support. paying them for their work and requiring them from their earnings to pay for every meal. for lodgings. and 
 work goes for few me Is without food, and then thinks better of it. If his refusal to work is repeated, he fs ar rested by a youthful policeman for va Krancy and then is forced to work as a member of the republics chaingang. While enjoying the hospitality of the taii, he is the guest of the State of New York: at least. the board bill for his eurtailsd menu while in jail is paid by the State. From this fact we get some light on the pu~ling question whether the government by minors has any of- fcial standing or recognition by the or dinary civil authorities. In this con- nection I note that while there are no confining walls for citisens in good standing, the juvenile police force has the legal right to recapture and bring back deserters. This exercise of police and detective duty fs doubtless one Of the most prized privileges of the boys who before they left the slums figured chiefly as the hunted, and who have now become the hunters. initiating the "cops" whom they once so greatly feared.
 Court meets every Tuesday night. We chose court day for our visit. knowing that it's proceedings would give us the clsarest clue to the strong points ana the weak points of the novel system. That seif-governmsnt he'd been most educativs and helpful, at least to the ieaders. there could be no doubt after witnessing a session of the weekly court. Our optimism receives some what of blow when we flnd that about one-fifth of the juveniles are serving time in the chain gang by day and in jail by night and that the criminal docket for this one week contains about a dozen cases. Optimism flares up again ct the thought that these jail sentences are awarded by judge and jury of them selves, that many of the offences are breaches of trivial regulations and not of morals, and that these boys are &C., tuaily accomplishing results of which q their elders would despair, for exam 7 pQe the banishment of tobacco and harmful pictures and vicious reading 1 was especially interested in the trial of several cases of "accomplices. These turned out to be simply boys who knew of some infractioR of law and kept the matter quiet. It Is one of their laws that no Idea of honor or dread of tale bearing shall excuse such silence. He who fails to report violation of rules . 4s4 here an accomplice.
 A session of the coutr was rapid succession of tragedy and comedy Ev- cry procedure, from grand jury indict- mont to imposition of sentence and Ju- dicial warning. was regular and seri- ous One boy pleads guilty to grand larceny, having sold programs on some athletic occasion and having retained 20 cents when making a settlement His sentence is four months in jail the full limit. incurred by reason of previous bad record
 To the charge "accomplice fin grand
 Nk.A