The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-10-06

THE HERALD AND NEWS
whatever: he cannot handle bakery
machines, o. rolling mill machinery
o. laundry machinery. nor be EN-
ployed IN any chemical or plant fac
tory in the mixing rooms, nor as pin
boy in Bowling alleys; nor in theatre:
nor can he work at any employment
where he must stand constantly o.
which may be considered dangerous
to his life or lnabs-a big one. this
last one.
Our COY, then must go to school
when there is school, and is practical
ly barred from working when there is
no schccl. Then, "Whoever. oy men,
ace. profane swearing, vulgar Ian
guage, or any disorder or unusual
conduct. interrupts any assembly Of
people met for the worship Of God.
he shall be fined not exceeding 500
This makes It quite possible for half
dozen people 20 stop Sunday games
anywhere.
This brings US back to the question
Of vocational selection. Every boy
like every man, has in him the incli-
nation TO do some one thing. # the
boy knows-and ne very soon ioes--
do rot approve of that thing. ne viii
?.evar tell them % it, %: VIII ha.f-
hearteGiy 90 about the Ii:;ngs which
nc thinks they approve Of. and they
wonderfully he is not more of sue
cess. The parents, blinded By the
light of their own ambitions and pre-
iudces, seldom take the trouble 10
analyze the situation, honestly be-
licving that in the dual capacity Of
adults and parents theT are pre-em-
inently fitted to determine the boys
future. Why not encourage the boy
to do the things he wants to do?
Your ambition to make your boy a.
lawyer might spoil q good farmer.
Your desire to have him occupy a
good position may keep him from
a ''job" with a future. You- pride
in his SALARY" rlay prevent his
drawing much higher wages"
This prob EN- is one Of parents and
guardians, much less than il is Of
boys. My experience with boys, Of
fetal and personal, convinces me that
back of every bad boy is parental
neglect or con1pulsion. Parents mis-
understand boys much more than
boys misunderstood parents. Why not
try to get little more legislation
along the lines OF providing things
for the boys to do, rather than con-
stantly prohibitory laws? Why not
definitely declare that Fairgrounds
and playground expenditures are
fundamental pars-not only Of the
school system, but Of the general
health laws Of the state? Why not
require that for every thousand chill
dren under 21 in community there
shall be maintained certain number
of supervised entertainment halls and
Fairgrounds and provide for the
maintenance thereof? Why not take
part Of the money now spent in de-
linquent courts and give the boy out
of school something to occupy his
define? And why not use our expen-
sive school plants for children all the
time and let the adults go somewhere
else for their debating clubs and So
cal science circles? Take care of
the children and the grownups will
take care of themselves.
Note: Since writing the foregoing
two years and half ago, boys work
has become one of the most serious
and insistent problems confronting
US. 1t is so important that Bert Ad-
ans said at Champaign, Illinois, on
November Is, 1919, that it is the big
thing for Rotary to undertake in the
condition of the laws of Illinois con-
cerning the live boys, but the laws Of
no state are more favorable, and the
fact is as true in one state as in an
other, that juvenile legislation is
chiefly don't" and mighty little
"do." 1t is through Rotary that the
opposite policy must be inaugurated.
It must be through the agency Of the
great service organization that the
message shall be carried to the
world, that "busyness'' is the secret
Of complete. and happy life. It will
be Rotary that solves this question of
boys work, for Rotary is not content
with saying-it must be doing. So |
submit the brochure dor what it is
worth.