The Washington herald., 1915-04-18


| aIways interested me- / have been glad
that The Herald has given space TO rec
ords of its progress. but in reading the
Iappeal of the scoutmaster. asking the
public to be careful how they refused the
| contribution demanded. the Thought IN
stantly came to me, aren THESE oo!s
being made little beggars! what are
they giving the public in return Tor thls
Itax? Isn't It getting to be haolt oil
mind with them when money Tor 'helr
| personal movement is necessary 10 go
out and hold up the passers-py LOT d
dime each?
| II is a dangerous tendency. and one
that will react unfortunately on the DO!
themselves. The public will no doubt
continue good-naturedly and unth!nkinS-
Ily to donate the dime whenever asked,
but how about the boys themselves as
thew come to take their places in the
| world? VIII the hold-up habit be eilml-
mated? Won't it be easier then TO beg
than to work?
| l was reminded of little family | once
knew Of seven youngsters growing up
| in an isolated spot in the country. ihelr
parents, though well to do, compelled
the children to earn all their spending
money and much for their clothing and
personal needs besides.
| There were none OF the easy ODportunl-
| ties found in cities, but these ingenious
children devised all sorts of means for
| earning money, and when some years
! later by a turn of fortune all the family
| property was suddenly swept away these
| childrcn-then just ready To De sent ID
school and college-were compelled every
one to 20 to work Immediately. And
how fortunate then became the early
| training in hard work. NJ matter how
| severe and unnatural it had seemed To
| them before, the day came when they
| felt grateful for it. and their earlier
/ friends watched with surprise the prog
ress of those children, who rose as rap
! idly and successfully as did their COM
rades whose station had permitted of eX-
| tended education. Theirs had been an
| education of hard work-with some play
too-but they had learned how to make
| themselves valuable wherever they We're
| placed. They were too proud to Deg
they gave value for value. And the
| character development of those seven
children, now grown and scattered in the
| world and all still living. might be traced
very definitely to the busy early years.
| The Boy Scout movement is an impor-
| tant one far-rcaching down the future
! in it's effect on the lives of its boy MEM
bers. and for that reason any flaw IN
method should be pruncd. When hushy
young u or I6-year-old in scout uniform
holds up a woman walking to office on IA
fare, it is not strange perhaps that he
should flush bit with shame at asking
her for money, but with the scout mas
ter's words of caution in her mind how
can she refuse? Yet how about the boy!
viii he always flush with shame at hold
ing up a woman for money in this way:
G. K. BRIGHAM.
Mothers Congress Conventions.
Through your columns | would Ike
to ask a question with the hope that
satisfactory answer may be OBJ
tanned Why did the District Con-
gress of Mothers hold an all-day State
convention last Saturday just ten days
previous to an annual election of off,
GERS of that body and only two
months preceding the appointment OF
three members Oh the Board OF Edu-
cation?
Within my observation the usual
purpose of an organized body for hold
ing a convention is TO bring the bust
ness, work accomplished or aspired
to- before the body and its friends,
with speakers representing similar IN
terests and larger experience. bringing
messages from which the body as
whole might profit. At this conYen-
ton / did not hear word of the
of Mothers, nor was there an address
or message by or from any one of It's
officers since il was founded.
| did notice that every speaker OF
the day suggested to the audience
something TO be done and emphasized
the suggestion by presenting channels
for activity.
And could you wonder. For no re-
port of Accomplishments of any char
he brought
forth. Likely the speakers were i'm
pressed with the idea that the con-
yeution was held for the purpose OF
harvesting suggestions.
School interests were magnficently rep
resented and ably presented, rs WAS also
the great theme, vocational training,
which question is coming to the attention
of the most unobserrant OF school inter
ests in general. We enjoyed good music,
good readings. beautiful suggestions from
the life experience of a business man;
there were messages from those engaged
in mother craft and baby craft. and there
also was "A sublime message from the far
away Persian mother and child, all or
these making a wonderful program. but
still I must ask. where was the Congress
of Mothers work and why this state con-
venton? d. \. MITCHELL.
Says II should he ..Busscs."
Editor of The Washington Herald:
/ noticed in The Herald and other
local papers that "jitney bus" is reg
ularly pluralized as "jitney buses.
Now, | am not posing as a member OF
the society for the prevention OF
cruelty to spelling. but am inclined
to think buses is not strictly ortho-
dox. Webster's latest unabridged. and
also Funk and Wagnalls' standard
give the plural 'busses." II may be
that as the jitney bus has for It's
object the cutting of passenger rates.
there must be corresponding cut"
in spelling. A little light on this
dark subject will greatly oblige.
FRANK NJ OTTINGER.
Deuunciation of Prize Fights.
Editor of The Washington Herald:
1I.ls., ..IaciM Iahnsn the hlark MI