The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-05-09
BIG BROTHERS TO
START WORK HERE

The Big Brother movement, which
las taken a hold in the United States,
means that men interested in the work
AXE charge Of one OF two boys after
hey have passed through the court
ind are allowed out on the reporting
'ystem. The boys have to report TO
heir Big Brothers AZ regular intervals.
The men who take up this work look
lfter the boys and endeavor to win
heir confidence and do what they can
o help them out in their fight.
During his speech Judge Whitney re-
erred to the case of the little twelve.
'ear-old mother who hid her shame
lnder the sidewalk in the Magoon
block. He also illustrated the case of
mother girl, an orphan.
Matter of Environment.
"The child of tender years. said
Judge Whitney, "ean not be said to
rave any real criminal character and
n nine cases out Of ten it is a matter
If environment. Under these ciscum-
stances there is no need for detention
IN all of the cases. Instead of being
sent to the reform school the child is
Daroled and has to make a report to
,he probation officers as to his prog
-ess. The idea of sending them to the
'eform school is not for punishment
ior the Offense, but rather as a means
If trying to reform them.
1.-THE report of the last legislature
rs to the reform school was ninetyt
nine per cent. for the benefit of the
srandstand. The boys are well cared
ior and fed. They come out of the
school better physically, if not other
wise. AS to. the mental knowledge
hey acquire, that is certainly not
much. 1 remember on one occasion
asking a boy who came back from
here some questions. l read him a
that had been made by
Roosevelt and asked him if he knew
what it meant. 81 never see, was
MS answer. l did not expect him to
know, but asked for idle curiosity.
was President then, and L
asked him who the President was, men
tioning him by name. The same answer
was given. The boy did not even
know what or where the United States
is. There is certain something
about a big boarding school that is
bad. The boys at any school always
learn a certain amount of cussedness.
This can not be helped, however.
Had Glimmer.
81 have seen $50 of those boys sent
out for swim without anyone in
charge of them, and they have all re.
turned back to the school again, They
also go to their work sometimes with
out anyone in charge of them, and al
though they are out of sight they work
well and all return home again at night.
l have something more to add about
that boy. He was Hawaiian, and
later secured him job at n concrete
building that was being put up. His
work was to switch a board over from
plank to plank as the workmen came
down with their wheelbarrows.
"When ] first made inquiries he was
getting along well. The next time
went along he was sitting down and
had a rope attached to the planls
Then the last time I went there he
was still sitting down, but he had a
rope attached so that when the man
crossed with his load the strain ON the
rope pulled the plank across. l might
add that he lost his job, as there was
no work for him to do. This goes to
show that though they are not over
brilliant in the schools, there is a glim-
mer of something if you can only get
at it.
Parents Grateful.
"The boys are allowed ten credit
marks a day, and when they have 5000
they are free. AS matter of fact,
this is generally shortened when they
have been put out there some ten or
twelve months, but it all depends on
the boy. There are any number of cases
that can not be handled that way, how
ever. The Hawaiian parents are par
ticularly grateful for any help and are
always ready to meet you half way in
doing anything for their children. They
are well meaning, but weak, and the
one thing that they can not stand is
temptation.
"When the boys are let out of the
school they have to report to an officer.
The periods at which they have to do
this are according to the boys; some
come every week and others once a
month. They generally. bring report
from the school filed in on blanks sup
iiiNh ny tue HouIl anu winch tue cHll-
dren have charge of themselves.
Probation Long One.
"The main object of having them
call in is to try and get at them and
find out where you can reach them 1t
is a hard battle sometimes, but you
have to keep at it until you can find
something that interests them. The
minute you find that, then the boy gets
an interest in you and the hardest part
of the fight is over. Some of the boys
have been reporting for about two
years. The theory is that the probe
tion never finishes until the child has
reached his majority.
81 have handled some 5000 children
since the work was started In the police
court. We do not keep more than about
1850 boys reporting at the one time, how
ever We have TO shift them about SC
that as they seem 10 be improving their
times for reporting can be lengthened
out, until they are allowed 10 stay ava,
Tor three months or 80. We have about
two fresh eases come in on an avcag,
every day n they are not living uT
Go scratch, then they have 10 begin re-
UuTt IuH aNaFe Nuu