Omaha daily bee., 1912-01-21

y ITH the opening Of public school build
m ings In Chicago to dancing and other
NM amusements tending to create social
centers to which young men and
women will be attracted from the
streets and public dance halls come editorials from
the press of the country denouncing the step as
retrogressive in the ultimate object sought-that
of substituting good for bad influences over the
future men and women Of the country which the
home has failed to give. .#.H-. as
These editorials deplore the fallacy Of all
schemes that seek to give the influence by means
that lead the growing child away from home. That
there Is a weakness in the influence of the homes
Of the land is admitted The home as the unit of
civilization holds the key to the situation, but this
failure of the home is a reality nowhere better
illustrated than by the inmates Of the home pro-
vided by the state of Nebraska for boys that have
passed beyond the pale of home influence and
restraint This membership has gradually in
creased in the last tweny-six months from seventy
eight to 1873 inmates.
This great family OF possibilities is made up of
individual members adjudged and committed to the
care and keeping of the commonwealth, thus
thrusting on the shoulders Of the state proteges
that cannot be guided and controlled by parental
discipline or mothers care or II denied these, is
true in many cases, then that of relatives or
guardians.
State Long Ago Took Heed of Boys Needs
Nebraska's home for boys, established thirty
three years ago, and made the Nebraska State In
dustrial school, but popularity known as the reform
school, has within the last few years made marked
advances toward attaining the desideratum for
which 1t was founded. Today the creed of the in
stitution is stated in the trinity-character build
ing. first; education useful in business mechan
ical career, second; and the mastery of a useful
trade. that the young man may become a self-sup-
porting citizen, third.
The policy is changed from the objective point
of securing sufficient merits to cancel all dement's
SO that the boy may be paroled that of complete
mastery of trade. Many instances of boys with
an honor" month to their credit asking to remain
a month, six months a year longer that they
might complete their training in the trade they are
learning. or that they might receive further in
struction in their music. serve as proof of this
change.
Each inmate when committed is given to under
stand his equality in every respect to every other
boy in the institution. His past record is in
quired into, nor are, questions asked concerning
it. However, record Of that is secured for the
superintendent's reference. The boys no longer
assigned to different grades Of punishment by re-
ceiving different number of dement's to work off
The principle Of the indeterminate sentence is
worked out by giving all boys enrolled an equal
number of dement's; the only classification made
being one Of size. This is necessary for the mill
tary drill 1t is useful in that the young boy who
is oyergrown is found better able to associate with
fellows CT his size than those of his age. and the
older boy diminutire in size, is found lacking u