Evening star., 1916-01-05
URGES CHILDREN
TO TRUST POLICE
W. S. Shelby of City Force Ad-
dresses Pupils Of Morgan
Public School.
SAYS PUBLIC GUARDIANS
ARE FRIENDS OF YOUTH
Young People Admonished to Obey
Laws and to Aid in Maintaining
Good Government.
Our friends. the policemen


That expression might. be used to
characterize the feeling existing in the
Morgan School this afternoon. The
reason is that the children of that
school this morning heard from the
lips of Policeman w. S. Shelby that the
peace guardians of the District are the
friends Of the children, and Policeman
Shelby told of that friendship in such
an interesting, sincere and tactful man
ner that the youngsters could not put
reciprocate the attitude.
Mr.. Shelby was sent to the Morgan
School by Maj. Raymond w. Pullman
Superintendent of police, to make the
first of a series of addresses which are
to be delivered to school children
throughout the city in conjunction win
the police superintendent policy OF
bringing his force into closer toucn
with the Young people. The speaker
took I'M briefly various laws affecting
the schools Of the District and urged
his hearers to assist in promotihs
safety first. ..l -
He explained that beginning with To-
day. certain portions of the street near
the Morgan building would be closed 10
traffic during recess periods.
Beginning with the days OF saVasery'
Mr.. Shelby outlined the grown OF con
ditions which necessitated the e1npivy
ment Of police He constantly kept pc.
fore his young auditors the thought
that the policeman was the 1rleno VI
society. employed for the protection Oh
children, men and women.
Represent the Government.
"we want you to look upon US as
representing government ana as tne
embodiment of authority. but we 90
not want YOU to lose sight of the TACT
that we are, after all. just human be-
;pps like yourselves" he said ihe
noIiceman has all the human attributes.
He works and breathes ana ioves anu
an unfortunate though some"nat pop.
.ha contrary notwithstanding, he also
thinks. III. nol;ce-
man az YOUR friend and TO remember tnat
wber he tells you that you must not oo
certain things he speaks with tne x9.se ;..,
of a. power that IS greater IMAM ~
self realizes.
"Jf You and I-or rather, if the people
,pd the authorities-can strike the proper
attitude toward each other they VIII eacn
have a better observation OF the ID" anu
a greater appreciation of its manifold
blessings. s...;.
"And now, something as to the duties
of the policeman The first and most I'M
portant duty of the policeman Is the pro-
lection of life and property
MANY Of the laws and regulations
enacted for the government Of a big city
are esneciallv repugnant to the school
child, but are made necessary partly py
reason Of the fact that in cities like ours
the playing space for children is very lin
tied | refer to such laws as forbid the
flying of kites, the throwing of stones,
the playjng of ball in the streets, catching
t,,Il - streets.
use of slung shots and air rifles, ETC.,
and it is in the enforcement OF these laws
that the policeman comes most often in
contact with the school child.
Admit Children Must Play.
"All Of us grown-ups realize. however,
that children must play, and we realize
also that the streets of great cities make
poor Fairgrounds. They are more or less
congested with traffic. and in the midst OF
that traffic there is no natural place for
the many children who live in the tall
buildings that stand all about.
Trolley cars run through the thick
ly populated sections. and no street,
however remote from the busy centers,
is free from the automobile. and In this
city statistics show that the automo-
bile is the worst enemy OF the child
who plays in the street.
my being here today is partly the
result of great movement that was
born of the horror that men have felt
over the vast number of children
MANNED and killed each year because
of the fact that they had no place but
the streets in which to play"
Refers to Street Accidents.
He told the children of the large
of street accidents in Washing
ton during the last fiscal year and
urged them always to be alert when
crossing. He gave them several spe-
cific rules by which. he said, the per-
centage of accidents and fatalities on
the streets could be lessened. He also
urged them to assist young children
in crossing the streets and to prevent
them from crossing improperly.
In closing. he said:
"A great many men can trace their
failure in life or their getting into
serious trouble to the fact that when
boys they failed to heed the friendly
advice of some policeman.
Il had intended to say a great many
more things regarding proper and i'm
proper conduct, but somehow or other,
in looking at you children, the things
| had intended to say do not seem just
appropriate, because ] am sure you are
all good children.
You have your future in your lown
hands. See that you mold it well. You
are the coming men and women OF this
'1n future years, in times of storm
and stress. the country will look to
you to uphold its honor and it's dig
nifty. and if in these, your youthful
years. you can be made to feel that
respect for law and constituted author
ity which should be the heritage OF
every American child you will not fail
when your years have multiplied.
Urged to Obey the Laws.
"Observe the law. Live clean and
wholesome lives. Be respectful to your
elders. Be charitable in thought, word
and deed. Your conscience Is the best
guide to the right path of living. Do
nothing that your conscience tells you
is not right.
First, last and always remember that
the policeman is your friend; that he
has children of his own and is as in
terested in your safety as are your
parents. He will not bother you il you
behave properly. and I ann sure that 1t
is the wish of every child here to do
that which is right. When you see the