The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-12
USES STRONG LANGUAGE
Juvenile Court Judge Paints Dark
Picture of Conditions in
the State

| During the past week or two consider
able agitation has been going on in Og-
den against the skating Kinks. The last
person to denounce the amusement is Ju-
venile Judge V. c. Gunnell, who is of the
opinion that the Kinks should be closed,
In communication yesterday Judge
Gunnell says:
i think two facts are plain: That if
parents and others having control of
girls will allow, or fail to prevent, their
going to those places without proper es-
cort; and that results are bad in so many
cases, the only safe course is to condemn
the institution.
1T seems to be the nature of a skating
rink, and the purpose of the owners and
managers, to attract girls-away from
nome, onto the street. into places to eat
and drink-into the great hall crowded
with delighted and frenzied pleasure and
excitement seekers-hours pass, hours of
stirring scenes, startling eXhibi tions,
physical and mental rapture-then-onto
the street again., late at night, tired.
| hungry, thirsty. Where then? In whar
company
Enough young and old-eeople have
learned to their sorrow how to answer
these questions to justify strong words
of warning to others who should have
learned, and would have if sufficiently
vigilant, and still others who will learn
III sadness II JH6y 90 not lessen activities
along the paths indicated.
ut is not fair to say that a person
speaking of these things is accusing all
persons who attend. the skating rink of
being evil in act or in purpose. but it
should be understood that all persons who
cry out the warning mean to tell all that
the road to and from the skating rink is
of a certainty dangerOuS-nOt adequately
guarded-and that the fact that no other
place draws so many unattended and I'M
irlG iE Of r0r1Q of
that others will flock there with the pur-
pose and ability to lay snares and accom-
plish harm.
1T is a wonderful thing to note how
much money can be found to build. equip
and run institutions calculated to do
harm, and of no possible use or benefit
to anybody but the promoters, and the
vast sums contributed by the people I'm
their patronage when men and women,
boys and girls. and whole families. hour
Iy suffer the need of Institutions. of
places. of equipment, for a chance to at
tain to bearabe existence
Go to the city jails the police stations;
look on the streets; go to the many homes
in the city; investigate the life the labor.
the prospects. the hopes and fears. the
discouragements and despair. of young
and old, and see the need Of places TO
employ. teach. tain. encourage. redeem,
help and start rightly people who will
surely go down to deeper degradation and
destruction unless rescuedl Such loss
Is a loss to the state, ana all Sucn us
tressed and DISCOURAGED people are men
ace to the state. Yet few stop to take
notice of these conditions; no effort is
made to stay the hand of onrushing
fate.
"The state penitentiary and other in
stitutions. including schools now In opera
ton are insufficient. and building more
institutions of the same kind will not
fill the measure of the public wants
have indicated. There are hundreds and
thousands of men and women. boys and
girls. on the down grade. and their ranks
will grew in number until different ar
rangements are made for handling them
and directing them after a star of hope
which they can and will follow with
laughter and determined spirit"