Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-05-09
PARENTS ARE AT FAULT.
Ihey Are Usually Responsible Whe
the Children Go Wro,y

They Are Usually Responsible When
the Children Go Wrong
Nlne-tenths Of the parents who have
incorrigibie children are responsible
for that condition themselves"
Van B. Prather, probate judge Of
Wyandotte County. who is in charge
OF the Juvenile Court in the West Side.
mad this 10 say recently when sked
whose tault it was that children or
9 years old We're sent to the reform
school at Topeka almost daily. says
the Kansas City Star.
A mother and father come into this
court with a boy" he continued. They
say they can do nothing with him. He
refuses to go to school. he stays away
from home until late at night. he sreals
from the neighbors and sometimes from
stores. They ask me to send him to
the reform school.
Now, l hate to send a boy to jail
That is what it amounts to. So | ask
the boy a few questions. He is usual
ly bright little chap Does he smoke?
No. Does he drink? No. Do his par
ents ever ask him where he goes at
night? No. Would he take chance
to be good if some one would take an
interest in him? Yes, he would They
all want to do better, but don't know
how.
Il then parole him. He is put under
the charge Of a probation officer. This
officer sees that he is put into school,
lie gets a report from the teacher con-
corning his attendance and behavior
In addition the boy must report here
to me each Saturday morning.
But the parents are the most tan
taliZing people to deal with They will
not take the proper interest in the vel
fare of their children. A mother, in
the evening, is tired. She allows the
without even asking where they have
been. Very likely the father is away
from home, too, playing poker in some
saloon and drinking. Pretty soon the
child gets into mischef-is bound to
do so under such conditions. Then the
parents cry here in court and say they
have done their best, but failed. Bah,
L haven't the slightest patience with
them. Why, not long ago there was
boy in here because he shot a bullet
from a target rifle through a window.
His parents had given him the toy.
Show me the child who won't play
with any article which a parent gives
to it."
children, as a rule" Judge Pratner
said, ARE easily handled if only one
can get their confidence. Most of them
wish to be good. But they can't be-
cause they have never been taught how.
AS to the facilities for handling in
corrigible children" Judge Prather con-
tlnued, there isn't much to encourage
me in a work in which I have grown to
take much interest. 1t Is either to
send a child to the reform school, to
jail or to put him on parole to live
with the same old shiftless parents. We
have no homes of detention, no grassy
spots, no farms provided by the State
where we can send these unfortunates.
| tell you it makes my heart sick some
times to see them begin the downward
journey with nothing in sight to help
them up. But | have nothing to back
me up if l wished to make a fight to
redeem these youngsters. The people
of the county seem to take no Interest
in the reclaiming of these young
rOplIeS If | cOuld convince tham that
it would save them all money in the
long run l am sure they would find
some WAY to helm me ont"