El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-12-28
BOY gangs" SHOULD BE FOSTERED
AND TURNED TO USEFUL SERVICE


DOKS and young men, left quite themselves tend to
~ collect IN groups gangs" The latter term Is not
only the but also the scientific for the prob
lens raised By the gang spirit have long been topic Of
study By psychologists socoogsts and cnologstss and
the term OF its idiomatc equivalent Is found IN all
languages
Fl Paso has the problem, and the city grows it VII
become and pressing. Small boys and youths
in The more carefully reared families their gangs but
they take out the gang spirit in normal Fun and games,
or ID harmless miscet5 their H1ckedness Is largely make
believe play acting, and not to be taken seriously.
For the older boys there much provided IN the way
Of school sports school clubs and student activities
C. groups and clubs, Boy Scouts and No normal
boy need be at loss for ongenal company health
ful recreation.
But on the rnge Of the better reared groups Of boys
there boys and youths who have not had the best ad
anaess OF home and school care and training Left
themselves the tendencies in these doubtful groups not
always % me good lew EVIL spirits IN nelghoornooo
corrupt many assacates The idea Of normal tun is
lost and mischief sometimes turns petty crimes and mis-
dsmeznors against the public peace safety and security
Bad habits grow with dleness and boys not trained IN
habits Of industry given proper schooling and hone care
apt to choose idensss than work. and the eond
tons rpen for evil suggestion to take hold. Any boy
youth not attending school and not regularly employed
problem for the entire community, problem likely to
become serious and costly when home influences are not
right
Beyond the nges there are yet other groups Of boys
and youths who have been neglected all their lives who
had neither care community care neither
decent rearing schooling It is hard for those IN better
circumstances to realize how difficult It is for such boys
and youths to improve their lot without assistance
and self eeson they have no resources IN themselves
for self entertainment self betterment They early Learn
to regard society and all its agencies something apart
4ro them and their lives if not actually hostile to them
Uncetzn Of employment because they have little to
tribute 10 the world they live from hand to MOUTH and if
they do not happen to have the money satisfy their de-
srss and needs they get It in the most face way without
much regard fox the right or wrong Of their act
# boys and young men from weltodo families some
times destroy property become reckless with firearms
with other peoples automobiles tend TO hcentious
ness they not often pick pockets rob cash registers
slug persons Ii DARK corners Inc problems OF the gang
become more serious IN the more neglected class Above
that class the problems Of lifting the standards Of boy life
and the life Of youths successfully met by educa
ton home and SCHOOL and church influences, for the
Of really bad small II proportion and the dsgra
dation Of the many is not confirmed AID is often only
apparent
Paso has large and serious problems along these Eaes
Petty crimes and msdemeanors are BY no means confined
the ledans7 Spanish speaking population. On the
boys and youths ron American families Of good standing
and every nehborhood has its bad boy its gang Of
MISCHIEF makers whose snnoyances too often trench upon
the unlawful ana even the criminal
But among the aMexicans" OF Spanish speaking pOpu-
ation Of the classes economically little developed there
gangs that present not only present police prob
len but serious social problem II Is from these groups
less obscure that the rateros" ppockets
recruited the store thieves, the freight raiders
Under present system after youth passes the age
Of 10 OF II be regarded capable Of choosing his
course and # that course be criminal he must take the
lawful consequences Of his acts The suspended sentence is
not seldom applied order to avoid iprIs0nIng boys ana
youths But it must be admitted that there s little PEI
ent and systematic effort to bring about personal char
actsr improvement IN each special that before
the courts.
parent chooses to take his son in hand and sraghten
hin out something may be done, but too often the parent
Is ncqahle Of Fighting the wrongs he himself has done
his offspring by lifetime Of neglect bad example.
Sometimes kindly disposed judge or some friend may take
an interest But too often boy youth VIC reaches
the stage where he is being watched by the police and
ectd Of beng responsible for everything that goes wrong
IN s nejshborhoods Is practically condemned to shady
life
Younger boys who go wrong often TUNED loose with
o. LETT 70 their parents to deal with. This prac
tos nay Be described stupdly humane in many
inasuch the conditions afterwards IN way
over those that produced the delinquent
There IS sensible and practical way TO handle the
gang problem n cities that has not been tested applied
20 the extent It deserves This is, TO acknowledge the
existence Of the gngly definitely and actively promote
them foster them organize them, and turn them good
account Destructive energies Be turned 70 consruc
tive The personal force requisite to make clever criminal
Be developed and trained to be benefit instead Of
to the Community. 1AniaI spirits7 that manifest
themselves n wrong ways Be given outlet through
Organized sports and normal recreation
In cities churches undertake this sort Of work
the cozgaged districts. hall is provided perhaps
church basement snnsx where the gangsD Of the neigh
bs-hood nay oongsgate and hold their p0Ewows Suitable
zussnguts provided includng rough play box
nE bouts esf0ral scrmages, and wrestling while ont
door games organized and material and supervision
gwen There dances and table games IL time moving
snappy talks and debates introduced
IN Fl Paso the Y H. c. A. is the natural agency for the