The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-07-11

Recently The Survey sent out call For statement on the boy problem As it exists in representative cities and towns of the United States. The oc- casion for this request was the na- tionwide study of the boy problem elnder the auspices of the National Federation of Settlements which IS .!sew nearing completion and on which D lay opinion was desired. The let ter of inquiry was sent to. the entire Survey Press Service from San Jose, Cal.k, to Lewiston, Me, and Duluth, Minn., to Galveston. Tex. The fol- lowing queries were put to the editors 1nd newspaper men.
 6 |. Is there boy problem in your fown?
 3. How would you describe it?
 3. What are the first steps that phould be taken toward meeting t?
 The answers to the first question naturally vary from i've do not know of any boy problem apart from the human problem to ''well, rather. There are 10000 of them, a problem For every boy"
 How Different Cities Feel
 1t is interesting to note how. differ
 
 of them are asweetly unconscious. The problem exiaks for them "more or less." Others call it "most serious" gtill others are full of problems. To quote from a ,central state: i've have . boy problem.and girl problem and Ea man. problems and a woman problem and. always will have" Some blame it on the parepts. others on the fathers 1n particular or on men in general. A southern citys says wherever a sufH- lciont number of men gather together ithere exists q boy problem" Most ci- ties Gowns in particulat) blame it on the environment.\ One New England ltown cries out "tliere is nothing here for boys to do." Another one Is more specific: "our problem is to give our boys some place and opportunity for the expression of their physical force aud to afford them healthful recrea- ton
 Tn answer to the question ''how would you describe it.'' one city says Four problem fs almost entirely that of the messenger boy and the hews- boy" These cities thus remind us that the problem of street trades is by no meGus universally solved and that while one state may have standard child labor laws, another state. not 3nr off either. tnay still be very far from the standard. Tn the language of southern city "our child labor law does not regulate street trades at .al. The adverse conditions of our negro children complicate the prob nem still further" Many more towns roemplain that while they have plenty Of child labor laws. sney can't get ',them enforced. Here is a complaint 'even moro significant. One town aeyg you know we have not compuf- soFy education law" .
 Backward Towns
 Other towns are backward tin many other respects While Bostonf may be, in the language of Edward Everett Hale. ''the most institutionalized place .!tn the univeyse," 1t is worth remem- lbering that other cities are suffering rom lack of any Institutions. even oe the most okement1ry sort. One of khem says tour problem Is that We have no institution for the dependent br delinquent children" Others describe tt tin terms of weak or no homes at all. Another southern city says. I've have . large transient s,population. . great number of them ibeing boyE" Still others describe 1t In terms of weak schools or no schools. An sastsrn town says 'ewhat shall our boys do -aftsr school or work ing hours q" A Canadian city com plains that its night schools are emp Ity. "the boys seem to lack ambition to study Query: is 1t tho fault of the school or the boy or both?
 A California city describes the prob lem in terms of loose ties. "On the Pacific coast home ties are not as htnding, nor discipline as rigid" we are told, ''as farther east" The East would thankfully acknowledge the