The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-01-20
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Most Complete Line Of Paper and Twine in State

rest boys for gambling, take them to
court and parole them on promise of
good behavior; in fact, 1t will only do
harm. The cooperation OF parents or
guardians in cases of this kind is most
necessary, and if it can't be got in any
other way, fine them.
There would have to be special de-
tectfves, In plain clothes, suppose, to
wage war against sidewalk gambling,
and q. good many of them at that, but
the end am sure would justify the ex-i
pense. AS 1t is, If uniformed policemen
did their duty, things would be different
but in some neighborhoods where
games Of craps are going on In every
block, Sundays as we'll as Saturdays,
policemen stroll along. often. without
paying the slightest attention to them.
ION one occasion when I stopped to
expostulate with some boys, two of
whom were telegraph boys, because
they were pitching pennies, police
man walked up and gruffly advised me
to move along.
!. The boys are not on your premises,
he told me.
1T they would only take the trouble,
IL firmly believe that the policemen Of
the city alone could make it almost
impossible for boys to gamble in the
streets
When the woman principal Of another
crowded East Side school was APP
preached on the same subject she ex-
claimed with interest
why not an hour ago, at the opening
exercises, gave short talk on the
evils Of gambling. for I too, have
found out that gambling among small
boys is tremendously popular.
Marbles a gambling game? Oh, no
Marbles a gambling game? Oh, no,
It takes some skill to play marbles. for
there are certain well-defned rules to
follow. The game is not one of chance.
like pitching pennies or buttons.
but the most serious feature of the
gambling habit is this. In order to in
dlllge in 1t boys are apt to take to
| stealing. They want real money to
play with and they don't stand on the
means to get it.
"The worst of it is don't know of
any good plan for suppressing the vice.
, IL parents would only help us we could
are Indifferent. In fact, I believe some
do more; but most of them down here
of them are rather proud if their boys
make money off anybody without work
ing for it.
We have enough law,heaven knows
( exclaimed the principal of West Side
public School, situated not far from ter
ritory where street urchins would gam
BILE away their fingers and toes if they
were loose.
What we need is not more laws for
the child, but the enforcement of the
laws we already have.
I Then there is a law prohibiting
children under a certain age and who
| do not have a. license from selling news
papers and another which prohibits the
sale of cigarettes to small boys, and
| yet both are constantly violated. 1t is
the same with the gambling law.
'Tt is no new thing for children to
gamble. The propensity dates back al
| most to the Garden of Eden, but I'M
doubtedly it Is much more vigorous in
large cities than elsewhere, and more
vigorous now than it ever was before.
| 1t is in line with the American craving
for excitement, think.
Teachers and principals teach
against gambling and do all they can
to keep gambling out of the schools, but
they can't bar it's influence. 1t is not
bit easier to suggest recipe to wipe
out sidewalk gamblisg than it is to sug-
gest a plan, that will shut up all the
gambling houses in New York and keep
them shut, I believe, though, that If the
fathers and mothers of New York got
! together in conference on the subject
! they might hit on a solution of the
problem New York Sun.