Evening star., 1914-03-29
Much Opportunity for Inter-
vention to Better Conditions
In Underworld. O.,
MISS BIGELOW OF BOSTON
SUGGESTS OBSERVATION
Mrs. F. T. Du Bois Predicts Mini
mum Wage Law Here-Schools
Not Right, She Says. r.

Watch over the boys or girls who
have fallen into unfortunate ways o.
life. Give them advice and help them
out of the rut.
This was the sentiment expressed hy
speakers at mass meeting at the
Cairo last night of '.the big brother
and sister movement"
Inc meeting was tho first held by
the big sister" workers. Mrs. Fred
T. Du Bois. leader of the movement in
this city. declared that the workers had
been so busy looking after individual
cases that they did not have time to
attend meetings of any organization.
The wish that every woman In Wash
ington could see what is happening ali
around her was expressed by Miss T.
Bigelow of Boston
Places Of Vantage.
Just go in some OF the restaurants and
watch" she said. TT viii educate Won.
20 to the moving picture shows where
some fine educational film is advertised
to be shown, and you will find that before
and after this fine film will be shown ones
that you would not want your boy or girl
to see. There is an opportunity for some
big sister work there
Put on plain clothes and visit some
boarding houses where rooms are adver-
tised for $500 month. Ask to be shown
the rooms; ask if men are allowed to
room in the house. and see under what
conditions girl rooming there may re
ceive company. Go to the dance halls and
learn what the big sister ought to do
You will find plenty to do
Predicts Minimum Wage Scale.
Predicting that a minimum wage law
will be passed in Washington, Mrs. Du-
Bois declared that the big sister work
ers were now preparing for il by finding
out how many would be thrown out OF
work, and planning to take care of them.
Isn't that preventive work. she
asked.
She deplored the expenditure of $780,
100000 more annually in this country for
police and courts than is expended for ed
ucation.
TT is time the cities were finding out
just what is wrong. and taking steps to
prevent it," she declared.
She also urged those present to go
out and see for themselves what is
going on.
You will not need to read any
French books. You will find actually
existing things worse than you can
read in such books" Mrs. Dubois as
serted.
AS for the boys. she said. the mother
must be made to understand them As
for the girls, she said. as soon as they
can be made to know that some one
cares for them they will be all right.
They just want somebody to care.
Then there is something wrong with
the system of schooling. For girls.
there is everything except that which
fits them for motherhood. For the boy
there Is everything taught him in tho
schools except that which prepares him
therhood.
Record Of One Boy.
An example of the work being done
in connection with the big brother and
sister movement was cited by Mrs.
Dubois She had the record card of
boy as he was one year ago. He had
been charged with larceny, according
to the card. He belonged to a bad
gang, smoked necessarily. His father
as plumber.
'One year has elapsed" said Mrs.
Dubois land what do you think has
happened to that boy? Where do you
think he is now? Well. he has left the
bad gang. has given UP smoking and
is supporting his mother and brothers
on a one-acre tract, near this city.
which he tills between times when he
is not doing his plumbing work in this
city. He is president of Christian
Endeavor chapter.
And one of his old gang informed
me that it is real religion that he has.
This is only one of the many instances.
"One of the troubles here" continued
Mrs. Dubois. lis that the parks are
made to be beautiful, and not for the
children to play in, where they can
work off some of their surplus energy
If window is broken the first thing is
to cal, a policeman and have the boy
dragged into the Juvenile Court, where
he gets his first criminal record. We
are fighting to have these records de-
stroyed instead of being kept on file.
why BABIES are being dragged into
the court But there is going to be
better condition; there are going to be
fewer arrests of children.
A musical program. which was fea-
ture of the meeting, was participated
in by Misses Evans and Hambly and
the Nevin Ladies' Quartet.