The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1920-07-22


them in their beautiful dances and inter-
esting games, and come to understand
that they have many things which he has
lot"
Another benefit is to be found in the
community center. This links itself with
recreation, for there should be a public
recreation hall in every community where
the community forums, pageantry, sings,
moving pictures, dances, and celebrations
may be enjoyed. With regard to this Mr..
Lane, ex-Secretary of the Interior, truly
says:
Each man is approachable in differ
ent way, appealed to by very contradict
tory things. One man reaches America
through baseball game, another through
a church, a political meeting, woman,
labor union, a picture gallery, or some
thing new to eat. The difficulty is in
finding the meeting-place where there is
no fear, no favor, no Interior motives,
and, above all, no soul-insulting patronage
of poor by rich, of black by white, of
younger by elder, of foreign-born by
native-born, of the unco' bad by the unco'
good. To meet this need the schoolhouse
has been turned into community center.
1t is common property, or should be.
All feel entitled to its use."
Then there is the necessity to protect
the immigrant from imposition and ex-
ploitation. He, as Mr.. Butler notes, is
peculiarly at the mercy of the unscrupu-
lous:
"Grafters :. have met him at the
very gate of the steamship wharfs and as
sessed him with fictitious fees. The hack
driver has driven him around block or
two to his destination few doors from
where he started and charged him five
prices Employment agents, land swind-
lers rooming-house bureaus-the immi-
grant has been the prey of the unprin-
cipled of them ALL"
Later the foreign-born needs the assis-
lance of some community legal aid society,
for he does not know what his rights are
or how to get them.
Immigrants are also at disadvantage
in securing employment. Community
workers should create an employment
bureau which will act before the munich
pal, State, and Federal employment
bureaus get into action. Particularly in
the matter of placing immigrants upon
the land the community bureau should be
helpful.
Again, where the immigrant desires
naturalization the community might add
immensely to the honor by holding recep-
tions at which the new citizen should be
presented with his papers. Mr.. Butler
writes:
'Such ceremony may well be held
twice year, or at least annually. Many
COMMUNITIES adopted the permanent
plan of holding a public reception, with
suitable ceremonies, to all new citizens on
the Fourth of July. Heretofore the foreign
born have taken out their citizenship pa
pers with the same lack of ceremony that
accompanies the issue of dog license"
Then there is the principal problem
confronting us-the cost of living: Mr..
Butler notes:
GAS a rule, the better and more depen-
dable stores are not convenient to the for
eign-born. Thus they are left to the mercy
of hucksters and those keepers of small
stores whose prices must necessarily be
high because of the limited amount of
their business. Community committees
may therefore with great profit study
ways and means of bringing the con-
sumers among the foreign-born closer to
the producers"
Finally, there is the necessity for all to
learn English-the language of America.
As Mr.. Butler says, we must make facil-
tiles so easily available to every one that
If will he within the mower Of every Der-