Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-09
The CARE OF CHILDREN
PROBLEM OF KEEPING LITTLE
ONES OFF THE STREETS.
Trouble the Police Experience and the
Remedies That Have Been
Suggested.

To keep the children from wandering in
idleuess about the streets is one Of the prob
lens with which men and women with fam
| Hes are called to deal. and Major Sylvester,
| in his annual report Of the police depart
ment, recognizes this as one Of the impor-
tant features Of the citys government.
| Can you find my boy?' has been fire.
| Quent inquiry made Of the department in
| the twelve months just closed" he states.
Many inquiries came from parents in the
| District, many from non-residents; in fact,
! there were more complaints Of this char
| acter received than during any previous
period. Local calls for assistance numbered
| 212; outside complaints, 100. Most OF the
| youngsters who left their homes here were
/ returned through the action OF the depart
! ment This unusual condition is no doubt
| the outgrowth of good times, the demand
| for help as advertised and stories related by
| the boy at work to the boy who had no ex-
| perence in providing for himself. In some
| instances the boy follows the circus or a
| string Of race horses and occasionally falls
| into the service of the oyster dredger of
| Chesapeake bay, where harsh treatment
often follows and the lad returns home
| more nearly dead than alive.
| Some of the boys left good homes be-
| cause discipline was invoked of a kind that
| did not please, and others because there
was no OlSclplne, out II is 10 Inc circuit VI
| the District that disappearance were more
| general elsewhere than here. There is no
! question but what under conditions that
| prevail it would be better for the commu-
| nifty If provision was made for keeping the
younger boys within bounds in the night
| time and from entering places where liquors
| are sold.
Protecting the Children.
1.-The police department has a member OF
| the force detailed with the Humane Society
| as agent in looking after the welfare Of chill
| dren who may be badly treated or main
| tanned under improper influences. and in the
| conduct Of this work he has saved many
! child's life and corrected evils for the indl-
| vidual and public good. While this officer Is
assigned to cooperate with the Humane So
cety, under the law the scope of his duty
| is limited to that of member OF the force.
| During the year he investigated 20 cases
| which were brought to his attention, either
| by the department the society. These
cases involved 449 children. The department
| recommended that Al be placed in the care
| of the board of childrens guardians. and
80 were so committed. In POI cases the Of
| ficer assigned adjusted matters with par
! ents, or others, by warnings against i'm
| proper treatment, enlightenment as to legal
| requirements, or otherwise effected better
| ments. Arrangements were made for the
| proper care of children by parents in 1O4
| cases, 2 children were placed in the reform
| school, in the Junior Republic, and in one
| case parties are awaiting trial by jury for
| employing a minor to sell LIQUORS. In u
cases where charges were made they were
not sustained.
while on this subject might state that
child life in the District of Columbia, from
a police view presents many features not
found in the larger cities Of the country, and
these must be carefully considered in deal
Ing with this most delicate subject, which
so much concerns the public welfare No
one has a better opportunity and learns
more of this question than the guardian OF
the peace, and his practical experience with
the classes, and parent gives value to
his opinion as against the partially inform
ed. When this departments representative
years ago ventured to propose public play
grounds for the children he realized that
such improvements must be extensive in
area and equipment and so conducted In de-
tall as to be drawing cards or attractions
for children who patroniZed the public
streets in order to relieve the police Of the
attention demanded by complaints about
children and Of the danger which continual
ly threatened them there. The department
was of the opinion then, and Is now, that 1t
Is best to provide a means so elaborate as
TO make 1t generally effective.
Other Means Needed.
But it cannot be entirely so, even with
the extensive scale of Fairgrounds as sug-
gested because there are several classes of
children for whom provision must be made
There is one class who are restrained by
home influences and private schooling for
whom recreation Is already provided; an
other would avail themselves of play
grounds during the school year, and still
another who would be glad to patronize the
grounds all the year. Then there are those
who work through the vacation period, and
those who work all the year. and, last
many who neither work go to school
While the streets alleys and other places
would be deserted by a large number OF
children for the Fairgrounds, the two last
named classes move about in the night
ir1a q
places which are disturbed from day to day
by the police. These are the ones who pa
troniZe the theaters, pool rooms, excursions
and other places after the sun goes down
and who subjects for police attention.
LAS has heretofore been reported by the
department during the intense heat of
summer 1t would be difficult, If not hard
ship, to require these children to remain
continually In heated tenements, but there
should be some law to regulate their move
ments IN quarters where the influences
not for good and where their presence Is
neither necessary nor desirable. With play
grounds of large proportions, equipped and
properly differed, with public baths and
boys clubs and law to limit the age of
boys who may attend theaters and pool
rooms and ply their vocation in barrooms
evils and annoyances now existing will be
in measure reduced.
Sympathy Misplaced.
THE officials of this department are con-
vnced that in many cases the sympathy
extended boys found guilty of committing
violations of law of felonious character
has been misguided, and the proper rem
edy to correct has not been applied. The
release o nprobation or promise of youths
who have repeatedly given cause for arrest
Is discourag ing to the officials charged
with preventing and detecting crime The
reformatory or Institute of correction
should not be lost sight of in the treat
ment of Juveniles who belong to the class
for which such treatment is intended
probation officers should be members
of the regular police establishment where