The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-09
The Boy Problem In America
By PHILLIP DAVIS

Another eastern town views the prob- lem industrially, especially from the angle of the working boy. "Our great mass of working boys" it says, "are like sheep without a shepherd" The profane foreman and the loose tongued fellow workman are bitterly scored. What tc do with these boys between IA and 20 and how to steer them away from the rocks of dishonesty immortality, vice, is a tre- mendous problem which few towns seem to have seriously thought about"
 POOR ENVIRONMENT
 Most cities however, describe the prob- lem in terms of environment. The in- fluence of the saloon, poolrooms, cigar store, public dances is strong. Motion picture shows come in for their much deserved share of criticism. All cities and towns suffer from them. Some cities are still suffering from houses of pros- titution sandwiched in between homes and doing business in the presence of street boys of all ages.
 Next to poor environment, lack of re- creation is most often referred to as the cause of it all. It is comforting to know that even the most backward cities rec ognize that the boys greatest heritage is This play time, because 1t Is his building time"
 The third question: What are the first
 
 meeting the problem" is characterized "the burning question of the day. by one city which hastens to add that fin spite of this it burns and burns without furnishing any light on the problem Speaking negatively, one city cautions us mot to take the wrong steps, such as doing something for boys rather than at-is-ther-in-it-for-me state of mind which is altogether too prevalent an American characteristic.
 Another city Is anxious to disabuse us all from the notion that the solution lies in money or gifts for work with boys. we need men and women of under standing, primarily. Money is a secondary issue" Still another cautions us against what is characterized as "retail'' work with boys. There is quite too much of the pitiful little retail business in the rescuing of boys" The writer in ques- tion is obviously a mass boys club en- thusiast. He insists that boys are gre garious and must be handled in groups that the solution of the only boy in the family is few more boys in the family, so that each boy can help the others along.
 Mark Hopkins on log with boy at the other end might make an ideal uni versity if the boy on the other end would stay put, but he won't" He would leave the moment he heard the call of the fel- lows in the wild, which is the call of the gang. He might return, but he would bring the gang to join Mark Hopkins and then there would be university in- deed.
 Most cities, however, are not satisfied with a negative answer. They present 8 complete programme as the only safe solution. The universal need of a com. munity programme for work with boys so well under way in few cities Is the outstanding lesson of this survey. The proposed programme everywhere calls for the things necessary to complete il which the particular town is without This may be a juvenile court, a boys club, a compulsory education law, con. tinuation schools, parole officers. boys workers councils, big brother movements Some cities which have these agencies jr whole or in part emphasize the need oi co-ordinating them all
 Outside of the socialization of condi. tions and agencies in the main, emphasis is on character building or those influ. ences which organize the ego" The ap peal everywhere is for the enrichment oi