Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-08-26
NEEDS ASSISTANCE
TO CARRY our WORK
All Societies and Public Spirited
Citizens are Asked 10 Aid In
Solving a Vexdtious Problem
and to Save the Youth
of This City

A number of citizens who have be-
come deeply interested in Albuquer-
que's bad boy problem, have organ
ize1 under the title of The Albuquer-
que Auxiliary to the Children's Home
Society, and have undertaken the task
OF caring for delinquent children in
earnest. This organization was per-
fected following the big mass meet
ing held at the Elks theater last
spring and has been quietly working
to secure a truancy officer and a de-
tention home.
BY an agreement between the city
council and the school board a tru-
ancy officer has been provided for,
his salary to be paid Jointly by the
council and the board. The appoint
ment has not yet been made but will
be soon and then the work will begin
il earnest.
The Auxiliary has secured a seven
room house west of Huning Castle,
near the site of the old Huning mill.
and this is to be lifted up as a home.
The request Is made that every So
ciety ana organization of whatever
nature aid in this work, and that citi-
zens who can donate furniture. car
pets, ETC., or money, do so. a., -s-.-
The following communication relat-
ing to this matter was handed The
Citizen by prominent educator:
What shall we do with the bad boy
Something must be done. This
simply won't do. Albuquerque must
not be allowed to get the reputation
hainU hA nf rnh H.
in."
We have heard great many such
remarks in the past few months and
years. Each fresh outbreak of the
ungoverned youngster has reminded
US that New Mexico has no reform
schools, no juvenile courts, none of
the agencies with which other COM
munites try to cope with the problem
presented by the child, who because
of poor home training or inherited
criminal tendency, or sheer, innocent
mischief Inisdirected, is in fair way
to become a curse to himself and a
menace to his town. The awakened
feeling of need for definite action to
save Albuquerque children from the
purpose of becoming tough citizens,
which many of them seem to hold.
found free expression in the big boy
Question" meeting addressed by many
prominent men in the Elks' theater
last spring.
out of that discussion came the Or
ganization known as the Albuquerque
Auxiliary of the New Mexico Chill
dren's Home Society, which hopes to
do much to aid in the solution OF
these knotty problems. After consul
tation with Judge Lindsey of Denver
juvenile court fame, with DR.. Lukens
of the Children's Home Society, with
the city council and the school board
a definite plan has at last been in
augurated.
A detention home, where under the
care of an excellent matron, a delin-
quent child may be detained in pref
erence to incarcerating him in the
company of hardened characters In
the moral and physical filth Of the
city jail, has been secured. A truant
officer. whose wife will act as matron
Of this home, has been employed, and
it is the expectation that by the first
Of the month the home will be ready
to receive it's charges and the truant
officer u undertake his duties.
Do you approve this plan? Are you
ready to do your share in carrying
it out? The well known Albuquerque
spirit, upon which We justly pride
ourselves, permits the possibility OF
but one answer. The school board and
the city government pay the salary OF
the truant officer each assuming half
Of the obligation. His efforts would
be we'll nigh useless, however, with
out the detention home. The salary OF
the matron, the rent of the home. its
furnishing and maintenance is as
sumed by the Auxiliary In the conf
dence that you will back them in so
imperatively necessary an undertake
ing.
1t is hoped and believed that every
lodge, club, society, business firmr
church organization and citizen. ev-
erybody In Albuquerque will contrib
ute. Won't you see that the man or
the woman for whom you are person
ally responsible, the order to which
you belong and with which you have
influence, will contribute 70 this most
worthy OF causes and do 1t now. Fall
ure to make a success OF this under
taking would be a serious handicap
to any future EFFORT along this line.
and certainly We are all ready to
back up our words about this matter
and make good upon It right today.