The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-05
Men and Religion in Kansas City
CAMPAIGN NOW IN FULL SWING GETS AFTER THE BAD BOY
PROBLEM AT ONCE

forgery. 5; gambling, 40; murder, .;
child abandonment, ,.
The report does not include the nine
members of the negro gang, arrested
since October 1. for the killing of a
veterinary student on the night of the
p. O. p. parade.
The handling of juvenile delin-
quents,' Chief Griffin said, lis one of
the big problems Of the police depart
ment. 1t is. perhaps. the most deli
cate work that an officer is called up
on to perform. The fact tina in the
been arrested. charged with crimes
ranging from vagrancS to murder, is
n that Should not pas without COM
ment and action. There must be. Il
reason for that condition. AS d whole,
those juveniles arrested have been
normal American boys and girls. and
if they We're taken hold of would. in
women But we must take hold soon.
The blame of the neglect should.
in my opinion, rest in the proper
place. Tho delinquent juvenile should
be handled by the parent, not by an
officer who knows nothing of the mat
ter except that the boy has disobeyed
the law. Boys shouldn't receive cor
houses or reformatories. Those
should be the last resort. What will
help one boy may not do 1t for an
other. \ rule that is meant for an
incorrigible will break the heart of a
boy that has merely been a little med
dlesome.
ITO. correct a boy you must have
natural thai the parents understand
some thing Of the child n use that
kn0wledge.to make Il good boy out of
him. Certainly it can't De done in the
~reformatory, for although the authors
ties there arc competent they are
hardly psychologists. In my opinion
then if any progress is to be mad it
not the police or justice courts. The
parents must do their duty to their
children"
OF all persons under t%wenty-one
years old arrested from April Is to
October /. 1911, 26a were sent to the
Juvenile court. where "a were placed
on. parole, so were released II q
were sent to farms. asylums, etc, and
five were turncd over to parents.
While this startling report as to
juvenile dclinquents in Kansas City
was being put in type, II of the
strongest members of the men and re-
ligion battalion was speaking in a
Kansas City church or that same sub
iect--J. a. Whitmorc, of New York,
who has spent fifteen years of special
study concerning the problems of boy
life.
The city boy of today has nothing
to do. You will not even send him to
the grocery store for sugar because
you are afraid he will stop and play
ball. You telephone instead. You will.
have to direct the play life of the boy.
see the time when the churches will
direct the Fairgrounds. There are
things going on in high school which
are not right because there is no n
to direct the social life. The boy has
Il right to think his own thoughts, and
to know facts. Most fathers lose their
sons when they grow older because
they have not been frank with them.
The hoy has 4 right to be religious
and will be if you give him Il chance.
IIe has /; contact point which you must
reach. There never has bee Il hoy
who has gone so far that someone
could o bring him back. The church
must deal with a fourfold hoy. You
must direct him physically, socially.
Ementally and spiritually"
Is Mr.. Whitmnre concluded with an
appcal. to each n TO pick out some
,youngstor and he n big brother to- him.
The big brother idea is one If the
finest things in the world" said Mr..
"Whitniore.