Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-06-01
'HOW TO HANDLE THE BOY"
THIS STORY is FOR YOU

life is lacking or so poor that the
state or society deems 1t advisable for
the best welfare of the community
and the child. We do not believe it
should last too long or the boy will
learn to be dependent and lack de-
sire to make his own way in the
world. Nothing can take the place
of a good home training for the boy
where he will learn to think for him
self and use his individuality. 1t is
difficult to find a foster home which
will give the dependent child the af-
fection and attention it is entitled to.
A suitable home is one where there
is love and congeniality; where the
child is surrounded with an atmos-
phere of refinement and social life;
where he will be trained to use his
eyes, his ears, and his talents, in
whatever direction they may take
Where there is a Christian example
set before him; where he is made to
feel that he is not in the way, but is
one of them and their interests are
his.
The care Of children in institutions
is much better than it used to be,
but 1t still can be greatly improved,
especially In Oregon. Our state has
not made the advances along this line
that older states have. Many now
place the children in cottages, Is or
20 in one cottage, or use the colony
plan, and 1t takes away the institu-
tion feeling, making for more of the
nome associations. Long ago child
rem placed in aims houses, as we read
in Dickens works and old books.
They were abused and mistreated. A
child of seven could at that time be
punished as a criminal. Modern
times have eliminated that treatment
and we all realize the wrong done to
small boys and girls who were left
the victims of circumstance. Then
came the asylums or orphans homes
which still did not fill the want. De-
llnquents were placed with dependent
children and that was not good for
either. In 1871 Michigan took the
step of making the state guardian of
all dependent children, dividing them
into groups and placing the feeble
minded and the deaf and blind awav
IRON the normal children. Since the
organization of Juvenile courts almost
IN all states of the union, the child
question is being better solved.
A few years ago when a boy of 10
made mistake he was considered
and treated as a criminal and Thought
OF In that way by people who having
children of their own, still never
stopped to consider that these boys
We're nothing but children and should
De given a chance to make something
or themselves. 1t is hard to helm a
BOY when he is made to feel that he
Is classed among the bad ones. and
people should be slow with their
criticism If they wish to assist the
dependent children. They should he
charitable instead of condemning
them
The statement was made in a Port
land church this winter, coming from
judge at that, that you could no
more reform a boy in the reform
school than you could reform a con-
Vlct' This was unjust and verv I'M
true, as all workers in institutions
FOR boys are aware. True, you meet
with many discouragements, but Won
nave TO study the situation; there
are many discouragements, but Won
nave to study the situation; there are
many sent to a state school who are
irresponsible owing to mental defect
or moral lack who would never
amount to anything if left to be
menace to society and will be little
benefited by sotourn in any school
A percentage of these are given nm
by their parents and the town thew
live in and when they are placed in
an institution you can do little for
them beside teaching them a trade
that will help them when they 90 ont
put most of the boys are benefited
greatly and make good men. We
nave been at the institution over
eight years and in that time have
dealt with a large number of BOYS
and we receive letters still from bows
who now have homes of their own
and who write and send us pictures
of their families and sweethearts and
who are making good and doing well
Ihey are filling positions of trust
and honor. They still have a feeling
of regard for the place and the peo-
pie who started them to doing we'll
They are filling positions of trust and
honor, They still have a feeling of
regard for the place and the people
VINO started them to doing right and
realize we are their sincere friends
There are some employees at the
school who have been there for over
Ia years and they are always inter
ested in keeping track of the bows
who have gone away from the school |
and hearing how they get along. Anv |
one who does not have the good of the |
boys at heart has no business to work |
In a training school, 1t is hard to
feel that these youth should be
classed with criminals Just for some
mistake of their parents as well as
themselves in the past. The follow
ing statistics of the Massachusetts
school as printed in their last report
VIII apply to this school also: OF
l67 boys who came of age, 100 or GA
per cent are doing well, without |
qeustion; IL per cent not so well, but
honestly self-supporting; 10 per cent
left the state, whereabouts unknown.
seven per cent doing badly, most of
them in penal institutions. Now If
half or even one-fourth of them be-
come good law abiding citizens, it is
doing wonderful work, as these boys
some of them, coming from families
who belong to the poorer classes and
they have had few chances in anv
way When we stop to think of the
surroundings of these children and
how their mothers have to help make