The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-03-29
STEERING BOYS AND GIRLS RIGHT.

Restrictive legislation has by many been deemed
the for social ills in this country. Do boys
stunt their physical and mental growth by smoking
cigarettes? Pass law prohibiting the sale of
cigarettes Do high school boys girls organize
snobbsh fraternties? Pass law. Do feminine styles
OF dress outrage your of propriety? Pass a
law.
Yet If there is fact which has been finally
demonstrated by history it is the weakness of re-
strctive legislation preventive of viciousness.
But still go cheerfuly on, adding prohibition to
prohibition, until blue books cluttered with
useless and forgotten statutes and doing little more
Drive nature out Of the door, said Horace, and
she will fly in at the window You cannot legislate
human instincts out of existence, can you yet
prevent their expression in perverted and unwhole-
some ways by saying: Thout shalt not.
You pass laws until you are black in the
face, and there will still be places of undesirable
amusement for boys and girls Prohibit and
restrict you WILL the men who make profit
in providing perncious satisfaction for the youthful
craving for fun and recreation will find evasions
and substitutes faster than you legisate
A few Of enlightened communities are
beginning to learn this. Instead of passing more
ordinances against the purveyors of amusement for
gain, they putting them out of business by beat
ing them at their game
Empora, Kas, is one of the towns which has
shown remarkable degree of civic intelligence Like
other communities of its size about 10000 it has
tried to keep its young people out undesirable
places by regulation and prohibition and it has failed
Now it is attacking the problem by building a high
school which will be from early morning until
late at night and which will only offer the
traditional of instructions, but will be the
center of civic recreation.
In addition to the usual school equipment the new
building will have bowling alley in the BASEMENT
with ample space for spectators. It will have a
gymnasium, with full size basketball court, extern
sve equipment and shower baths. will prob
ably be fitted for billiards and pool. In the school
library will be a study room for pupils who wish to
90 their evening preparation there moving picture
machine in the auditorium will be used not only to
supplement the regular work in science and geography
but for evening lectures art, religion and
other subjects.
The most significant thing about this is the ex-
tenslve preparation made for of the facilities
at night. Besides the gymnasium and library work,
students in chemistry and physics will be allowed
to do laboratory work at night, and there will
evening classes in domestic science. Oratory debat-
ing, music and art will also be among the evening
subjects.
In thus making their school building a. center for
recreation and social activities as we'll as for in
struction, the citizens Of Emporia have taken
momentous step. The most important problem which
faces society is the problem of making its young
people good citizens The degrading influences of
the streets and vicious can do far more to
demoralize the boy and the girl in few hours at
night than the school do to make them vrtuous
during the day. and the only effective way yet dis
covered to defeat those evil influences to provide
children with so opportunities for the right
sort OF activity that they will have neither the time
nor the inclination for the base sorts.