Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-21
Says SChooIboys Must Obey
Rules or Be Suspended.
FEELS DISGRACE OF TECH
Has Not Yet Finally Decided PEN
alties for Joy Riders.
USE OF TOBACCO COMMON
Boys Smoke Pipes and Cigarettes
Within Sight of School Build
ings-After Saloons.

A tightening of discipline "A promise
10 see that the anti-smoking rules of tho
board of education are strictly cnforead
and a recommendation to the police de-
partment to enforce the law forbidding
the sale of liquor TO minors will be the
quick outcome OF the disclosures made
at Mckinley Manual Training School.
Following the Joy ride" taken by five
Tech boys I'm Representative David J.
Fosters automobile several days ago
This disgraceful drinking and Joy rid
ing affair will be investigated to tho bot
tom. Ii more boys have to be suspend
ed or expelled they Will be- IL Ii takes
every boy from the high schools An
occurrence of the kind, In which Rep
resentative Fosters automobile was
wrecked, and which divulges the fact
that high school boys could buy wine
| at "A harroom In plain violation OF the
law, always disgraces a school,
Supt. Stuart Stirred Up.
Supt. Stuart said this today He is %
grieved over the disgrace to one of his
schools and SO plainly angry at a civic
and police condition that Will allow a
fifteen or sixteen year old high school
cadet to buy enough wine to drink on a
joy ride of five passengers that he prom
ises to see that the very last detail OF
| the conditions in the high schools, par
| ticularly the Mckinley Manual Training
| School and Central High School, Is laid
bare.
"As to the boys the joy ride I'm
| Representative Fosters automobile" he
said, Il have not made any further
port, nor have l received one. | have
told them l would wait to see whether
they made the necessary repairs to the
automobile. l am going to find out for
myself who is the ringleader Those
| boys who make the necessary reparation
and who make good in other ways will
| be allowed TO return to school.
| 'As to whether this occurrence will
cause the lines of discipline to be tight
| ened up. | will say it certainly will. But
| the question that arises there is. Where
| does the school authority end and where
does the civic authority step in?' A lot
| of the trouble will be blamed on the
teacher. Some people will blame il all on
! the teacher. They do not remember that
the teacher or principal Is a busy person
| Yet a teacher principal undoubtedly
| has influence with boys.
Saloons Have Made Trouble.
we have had a lot of trouble with
saloons and other resorts in the neigh
| borhoods of schools. Sometimes our pro-
tests have availed nothing. If places OF
that sort exist and the police are lax
| enough To allow saloonkeepers to sell
wine to children, | fear that the possi-
blity of tins kind of immortality will be
with us always. However, | am going to
see to il that the schools do their part.
I'm spite of the rule of the board of edu-
cation that pupils of the public schools
| shall not use tobacco in any form going
| to or coming from school an investisa-
| ton by "A Star reporter showed that with
i'm al ils4 a. Ia
| Training School and the Central IliSn
School this rule was asrantly violated
yesterday. \ most conspicuous example
of the breaking of this rule was seen at
recess time in a poolroom within a few
yards of the schools. Twenty-Five high
school boys broke the anti-smoking rule
at once i'm this poolroom, and the strict
| embargo against profanity was shattered
| to pieces.
Care was taken in most cases that be
| fore leaving the room all evidences or
smoking We're destroyed, cigarette stubs
being thrown away and pipes being put
| in the rockets while several boys chewed
gum vigorously. with the obvious intent
of destroying the odor Of tobacco
No Effort at Conceaiment
In A lunchroom within stones throw
of the Business and Mckinley High
schools boys We're seated al tables ana
standing smoking cigarettes, pipes or
cigars. There was no effort on The part
of the lunchroom propretors to stop the
prac ctice by displaying profibitory signs.
or in any other manner. Tn attitude Of
the boys was such as 10 Indicate that
there was little danger of their discover.
by teachers or principals of either of the
three schools in the vicinity OF the lunch
room.
In the streets there were several bo,s
who made no attempt to hide the fact
that they were smoking In one case
smoker was corporal in one of the High
School Cadet companies, wearing his fun
uniform, minus cap.
This matter WAS brought to the attcn-
ton of "A member Of the board of edo.'-
ton who has strong ideas on the s''.'-
iert of enforcing the rules of the schools
and the discipline, but who is not = mem
ber of any COMMITTEES having that matter
i'm charge. Consequently he refused 10
allow the use of his name for publica-
ton. He said, however:
Thinks Principals to Blame.
IF / were the principal of a nigh
school | would either break up that sort
of thing or resign. The whole matter
of the conduct of high school boys in and
out of school is an enormous problem.
and reaches back to the fundamental
problem OF the American home. However.
/ do not believe there is anything vicious
" wrong with the majority OF our boys
They come 10 the age of fourteen or SO.
and wear long trousers, like to emulate
the sporting tendencies of some of the
Older Young men, take to wearing bright
hat hands. stand on the street corners
and believe il is the sporty thing to
smoke 1t is their little fling Ii forms
had habits, though: habits that may be
dangerous to them.
.As for boys in poolrooms, | think pool
ia the finest game I'm the world for young
men. / would have every boy play pool.
IN was boss. but I'd thrash any one /
sau Ioafng in a common ordinary pool
room OF course, it's the free and easy
loafine habit they get there which is bad.
oh there's a tremendous lot to be studied
In this High School problem. i don't pre-
tend TO know 1t all, but It strikes mo
that much of the things We see on the
street and which reflects discredit on the
high schools is the fault of the modern
American home. For five hours a day
for five days a week only do the schools
exert an influence on boys, and the rest
of that time they are in great measure
allowed to do what they please. Then
the parents blame the schools for bad
habits acquired by the youngsters. Only
a small portion of the waking hours Of
the boys are spent in the influence OF the
schools.
Easy to Buy Drinks.