Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-01
SAYS coUNTRY's TREATMENT
OF CHILDREN is SHOCKING

LOS ANGELES, May 27.-[Editor
Herald: Under date of the 9th APP
peared an article in the Los Angeles
Herald which would indicate the eX-
istence of a most deplorable condition
in the management of our detentlon
home. l, consequently, made the
rounds to the receiving station, the
parental school, the French hospital,
Orphans home and Concord terrace.
The receiving station is shockingly
located, considering the purpose for
which it exists, being in the heart of
the factory district. Noise, dust and
dirt were most in evidence. The archi-
tectural plan of the building makes
segregation absolutely impossible, and
in view of the fact that children of
tender years, whose only fault Is their
parents are totally unfit cor their GUS
tody, are forced to mingle with boys
of is, who are deliberate offenders, 1t
seems to be a scandalvd5 waste of the
county's money as well as. cruel ne
glect Of the children, who, with proper
environment and capable care, could
easily be made happy, normal chill
dren.
The French hospital, as reported in
The Herald, was built in 1863, is
blessed with dungeon-Iike rooms and
innumerable hosts Of microbes, insufti- :
cient light and air, shocking lack OF
modern plumbing and surrounded by
Europe's scum. The coarse, loud
voices OF the French women and the
broad stolid faces of che SlaVonians
seen N the neighborhood still CRATE on
my mind AS citizen and a taxpayer,
[ protest against the action of the
committee in attempting to perpetuate
it's ubiquitous treatment Of children.
For years the old county jail was
the only shelter Of these helpless
waits. Imagine children of tender
years gazing out at busy, throbbing
life through prison windows, passing
in and out of bolted and barred doors.
Imagine the shock to all the ideals of
childhood and the suggestiVeness of
the criminals life. 1t is an outrage,
in view of the fact that these women
are representative members Of society.
They are either hopelessly incom-
petent, failing to understand the
hearts and failings of children, or alb
solutely callous. Is this county i'm
poverished? Was it with an eye to
economy which made such conditions
possible. or was it incompetency
Why did that board fail to act until
the construction of the Hall of Rec
ords made it necessary to abandon
that old bastle or was it that they
thought it good enough for our chill
dren? Such must be the case, if they
WillISlN lace WCI0C fpllbAliVho VI 90
fairs and unanimously vote to pur-
chase what is no longer good enough
for the French Hospital association.
begin to fear the interest usually at
htached to offices possibly exists among
the members. Have they no conscience
at all? If they claim to nave, why do
they not make amends to childhood
and the long suffering public by pur-
chasing something fit for the habita-
ipr of oitiZpnCp
If nothing suited to their particular
needs already exists, Why not purchase
sufficient grounds in at least neigh
borhooG above question and construct
a building with every modern< facility
for segregation and the development
of the child mind and heart? To do
so would be fulfilling the duties in
cumbent on them by virtue of their
office and win for them the public
confidence and respect. There is no
reason why a child should be degraded
in order to be reformed, and in the
past the committee has failed hope
| lessly to place these children in en-
Vironments which were not IN them
selves the most degrading. If the
! committee will not or cannot act, the
| public must demand designations OF
/ that the board of supervisors act in
| dependently of such unqualified in
/ competency A further delay on the
part of the committee or the super
visors is ineXcusable and unpardon-
able. WILBUR PRIME.