New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-02-20
Children Prefer
Streets to Public
Parks, Says Woods
Declares Roofs and Back
yards Could Be Made
Attractive for Restless
Youngsters of New York

VI CO.. zoo y! uftLCtCS w pOttCS
management and efficiency BY for
1ner Police Commissioner Arthur
Woods. The seventh 1Uas published IN
The Tribune yesterday. The ninth
Wiu appear IN to-morro1U's Tribune.
By Arthur Woods,
Former Police Commissioner of Nc10
York City.
TO help out in the problem OF play,
the Police Department designated as
play streets number of blocks in the
parts Of the city where population
teens, excluding through vehicular traf-
tic from them and providing them with
play leaders, through the generous help
OF the Parks and Playground Associa-
ton and other societies. This has helped
a little, but only very little in COM
parlson to the size Of the problem, for
our parks, Fairgrounds and play streets
all together do no more TRAN make a
good beginning. Added to the fact that
there are not enough Of them are the
ton from some crowded sections, and
the almost universal preference of chill
dren to play in the street in front of
their doorstep rather than go to play
ground. The dislike of parents to let
the children out of their sight empha-
sizes this, so we frequently see we'll
equipped Fairgrounds with only a few
children in them, while the contiguous
streets are filled with romping young
This situation can be bettered enor-
spread of making it possible for chill
dren to play safely on roofs, and of
changing back yards into play spaces
IN districts where there are many chill
drcn there are also acres Of space
available right at the back door step
Tor play, yet useless because chopped
up by fences into diminutive, untdy,
patchwork yards. If the fences were
RACED good space would be yielded
WneTe the boys and girls of the houses
afected could play to their hearts
content, without the danger of being
cut down and manned or worse by
some carelessay driven vehicle, or of
being subjected to any of the un-
wholesome influences that sometimes
are met with in the streets.
Reforms Made Easily
Many boy who has already cot
INTO had company, or already tasted
sweets stolen by his own hand, can
be readily rescued from the usual fate
of such conduct if a wise older per-
son Will befriend him and switch him
over to the right road. Who could
do this better than the policeman? And
whose proper duty is it more than his
to leave no stone unturned for the
purpose Of changing an incipient Grim
inal into an honest man?
To see what might be done in this
way we put into operation the plan
Of designing welfare officers, one
IN each residential precinct, with the
single duty to look for boys who are
going wrong and then try to help
to the city if we can take a boy who
otherwise would become burglar, who
has started to master that profession
and turn him into a self-res pectnp,
self-supporting citizen. That is what
these welfare officers are working for
Here is an example Of the kind of
work they do: On the upper West Side
boy about twelve years old was found
lettering III the streets during school
hours The welfare officer, in citizens
clothes, struck up an acquaintance with
him and found he hadn't been to
school for fourteen months. The prin-
cpal of tie school confirmed this, say
ing that over a year ago she had sent
him to the school physician, who had
pronounced him tuberculous, and she
could not keep such cases. The of
fcer's report goes on:
II then took this boy to his home
and interviewed the mother, who is
janitor of the premises. She has two
other small children-John, eight, and
Francis, seven years old. This woman
is in destitute circumstances She in
formed me that her husband had aban-
doned her and the children about year
ago and she was unable properly to
provide for said children"
Police Helped Family
That report is of the 18th of Janu-
airy. On the 23d the patrolman makes
a supplementary report:
Upon informing the captain as to
the condition of this boy and family
he instructed me to purchase shoes and
stockings for the said William, which
| have done, the above articles amount
ing to $3.50. Also communicated with
the lieutenant in charge of the health
squad, who has instructed me to con-
vey this boy to the tubercular clinic,
where he would be examined. On Janu-
diy q accompanied lHlS DOV 10 the
above clinic. Examined by the doctor,
who said the boy was not suffering
from tuberculosis, but was a case Of
malnutrition. He further instructed
me to return the boy 70 the school and
he would take the matter of his abb
sencc up with the principal"
On January % the report is:
Accompanied William to Public
School , interviewed the principal,
Informed her Of doctors instructions,
obtained the boys transfer card so he
could attend the same school as his
brothers. Accompanied the mother to
the Domestic Relations Court assisted
her in obtaining q warrant rOr her hus-
band for abandonment. The husband
is now resident of Syracuse, and a
representative of the Department of
Charities said she would defray the
expenses of the execution of the war
rant and the Department of Charities
would take care of the family until
such time as the husband was located.
The mother has received to date IS
from the Department of Charities"
Father Was Found
January 27:
william, ST., was brought back from
Syracuse on a warrant issued by the
magistrate, arragned in the Domestic
Relations Court. The case had to be
adjourned until January 20, because
Mrs. was confined to the hospital
suffering from blood poisoning in the
right arm. The three children were
taken charge of by the Children's
Society until the mother returns from
the hospital and is able to take care