New-York tribune., 1908-01-26
FOR CHILDISH OFFENCES.
Methods as Effective and Less Brutal than
CORPORAL Punishment.

That yeyed and unpleasant question. the punish
mont OF children. is the subject OF interesting
article contributed TO Charities by X H. fieeder'
superintendent of the New York Orphan Asylum.
Hastinrs-on- the Hudson. Mr. Reeder finds money
as powerful an influence in the lives Of children as
It commonly is in the lives OF adults
Money is certainly as rational medium with
which 10 transmit moral responsibility other
c,toruaI penaltv may be" says the article 1t
gives the child something to do instead OF having
something done TO him. II lays upon the child
the responsibility for his own deed In earning
money to pay the fne he Furnishes himself In
the orphanage they keep the fines on record I'LL
they are paid Off. II may he for many weeks OF
months but the fact that there IS such a charge
to be met exercises repressns influence over the
child.
An interest in money has also been found TO OBJ
viate the necessity for punishment by keeping the
children busy and happy in earning it. There are
a thousand and odd tasks which the boys
about the Orphanage constantly seeking an
opportunity 10 perform for money
During the vacation" says Mr.. Reeder i cam
scarcely walk across the grounds without from on
TO half a dozen boys striking me for job. 1t is
the cry of surplus energy for profitable outlet Not
70 provide for If means its escape in some forbid
den channel. II keeps one busy finding occupation
for two hundred children but il is pleasanter
task than devising methods of punishment
Next to occupation and money means of moral
training Mr. Rceder places trust The less YOU
trust children the less worthy of trust do they
grow he says. "DtStrUSt and lack OF confidence
beset responsibility and delinquency 1t better
trust and be deceived than trust at all
The sense of moral guilt is much keener when the
child berays abuses than il is if he does
wrong when expected to do If he gets chance.
WTongdoins should be a surprise and a matter
of course
Public opinion has been found to exercise
powerful influence over children. as it does over
grown people. To that end the punishment of
offences against the whole body-crimes as they
are called among adults-is fixed by the children
themselves. The boy who stole radishes from an
others garden was unanimously sentenced by the
other children to forfeit his garden, and one who
defaced the recently decorated walls of bedroom
was forced to sleep in the attic for six weeks
Deprivation is another form OF punishment prac-
tised at the orphanage. and 1t is made possible bv
the fact that the children have things OF which they
can be deprived-skates and sleds bathing suits
and wagons, garden playhOuses and tools with the
privilege of making visits TO friends taking trolley
rides going to town.
Nothing i'll this orphanage" saws Mr. Raedar
gets hold of boy quicker in summer than To be
required to leave his bathing in the office until
his conduct improves. His skates represent aln,ost
child old enough TO require punishment has
some privilege or possession near enough IN his
heart to bring pressure to bear on his conduct n
1t becomes necessary TO Il for that purnosr
The very possession however OF all these priyI
leges and Instruments lessons the need Of nunfsh
ment."