Evening journal., 1918-05-04
HOW BOYS ARE GOING TO REFORM
AMERICAS WORST BOY
IN TaE MOST SUCCESSFUL BOY IN IITUTI0N IN 1HE woRL
BY l.. G. RODGERS

Special stan Dispatch.
BOYS BROTHERHOOD REPUBLIC.
CHICAGO, April i.-When the worst
boy in America is found, Jack Robins,
supervisor and $50 boy citizens OF the
republic are going 20 make a good boy
out Of him.
When Robins Mayor Joe Willens, A..
and City Clerk Manford Haskell. i5. get
through with their hunt for the worst
boy. they propose TO bring him back
here where other bad boys have been
made into good boys, and this is the
way they'll treat him:
Just Ike a fellow ought 10 be
treatedr'
That's the boy reformation recipe
handed me by Mayor Joe and Jack
Robins. They ought to know for Robins
hasn't been doing anything but helping
boys out OF the wrong path into the
right road, and Mayor Joe once coula
give any ordinary bad boy cards and
spades and beat him to the police sta
tion.
Well" I asked. how should a fell
low be treated?"
Then Robins and Mayor Joe proceed
ed to elucidate They told me oil about
the Big Brother movement, which
Robins started Al yNs ago. and the
Boys Brotherhood lSNlic which he
started four years ago
We are going TO treat the worst boy
we can find the same way we have
treated scores OF other bad boys we
have picked Up on the streets. in pool
halls, police stations and reformatories, "
explained Robins.
when lad comes he is housed in
the dormitory until he has a new out
at Of clothes and SIS IN money Then
the housing committee finds him a
place to board, probably In n house
where other citizens (all boy members
Of the republic are called citizensl live
Before this the employment commit
tee has got a Job picked ont Tor him.
a steady job where there's a chance FOR
him TO learn a trade and get ahead.
The bad boy isn't asked 10 sign any
pledge or make any promise. lie can
leave at any time. When he asks 20
be given citizenship IN the republic
he is accepted and thereafter pays a
tax Of i5 cents a month. He can come
here TO the boys city hall any time he
wants TO. he is appointed a member
Of some committee, housing employ
ment, sport, whatever he Is most inter
I tsitu III
Twice a month the council meets
Citizens attend. Elections are held every
six months. There are certain laws
and a boy court which takes care OF
citizen offenders. One OF these laws
Is that lads under &c shall not smoke
and those over i6 shall not smoke
within two blocks Of the city hall
Boy energy and enthusiasm Is lei
out at debates. elections, council meet
: ings, mock trials. baseball and football
games, plcnics. dances, and IN gym
nasium work.
Most Of the citizens Of the republic
were OF the homeless. friendless type
before they came here. Few OF then
worked and most quit school In thl
early grades. ever half served time II
some reform institution, and few bu
had been arrested at least once in thei
young lives
OF the $50 lads who now are citizen
! 60 per cent. attend night school; q
J support themselves while attending da,
7 school. and i55 others are self-support
ing. Eight boys are attending bot
day and nisht school TO make up 70
time lost. Eighty have bank accounts
all honestly earned by hard work.
i OF this republic Judge Lindsey, th
! famous juvenile expert OF Denver. says
} t"Where fair chance for nobody's bo
prevails"