The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-03
Mothers and Fathers Accused
of Failure to Enforce
Home Discipline
ALMOST 1000 WERE JAILED
Present. -day-Mother, Mrs,
Henri Says, Does Not AL
ways Set Good Example
BY JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN.

20 years or age, ana 80 per cent OF
whom we're less than 80 years OF
age, were taken into the custody OF
police in Tulsa during the past year
according to Mrs. Margaret Henri
police matron.
What are the conditions that con-
trihute most to delinquency among
women. particularly young girls,
and what are their causes? Are
these conditions. whatever they are,
remed!able by the individual efforts
OF persons interested in such worl;
or is the moral status of a nation
but the product Of that nations phil
osophy and to be remedied only
through n gradual alteration in the
fundamentals of tEat philosophy ?
In short. where is the solution and
what are the remedies.
These questions have been widely
agitated in connection with prac-
tically every variation in the social
landscape and have been dealt with
diversely through every available
medium of public information, too
often by persons whose observations
were made from respectable" dis
tance and whose preferred "solu-
tons" were therefore the result of a
warped perspective and failed to IL
illuminate, much less to provide, any
path by which society might reach
higher plane of moral cleanliness,
even though society needed and even
though there be such a path.
Solution of Problem Sought.
No doubt. in the broader opinion.
neither the solution nor the remedy
are in the power of any individual
TO achieve. Perhaps little can he
accomplished through propaganda
other than an attempt at general
enlightenment on the various angles
Of the situation as they are viewed
by persons whose actual experience
entities them to voice their opin-
ions from a position of authority.
II is the purpose of this article to
present the observations of a wom-
an who spent. several years OF her
life in daily contact with girls who.
for whatever reason, have drifted,
from good homes and bad. into tho
'unrecognized" strata OF society
where they have lost whatever orig
inal identity they may have had and
are classified by the police, whose
unwelcome wards they have become.
under the general head of "delin-
quents."
Mrs. Margaret Henri. who ac-
knowledges her own life to have
been the result of her mothers
training, and who. in turn, succeed
ed in guiding daughters Of her own
away from life's treacherous cur
rents and saw them established in
happy homes of their own, has
turned her attention toward girls
who were not so fortunately mas
coted. and become the mother of
the waywarI girls who come under
her care as Tulsa's police matron
"Of the number turned into my
care during the past years" says
Mrs. Henri "a trifle over so per
cent were charged with some form
or Iewd conduct. A startling danger
10 posterity and to social moral well
rare is evidenced in these statistics.
a danger which, OF course, is not
merely local but is general and or
which the local situation is but rep
fesentatlve. A portion of these girls
are repeaters and old offenders, but
the majority are young girls, flap
pers, who are victims of Joy riding
pad associates and lack of proper
nome discipline. IL is the conditions
which involve these last that present
the more serious danger to our home
hte and public morals. Officers who
4HNANH " NiIt III all as puttStS
and aspects are moved to pity as
tthey see and realize the large num-
Der or girls in their teens who sink
70 the level and degradation OF the
hardened offenders and the social
outCasts.
Home Neglect Primary Causes.
me causes for delinquency
among young women that are
brought to my attention most fire.
Quently are: Neglect in home dis
cIplne and training, lack OF church
or other moral associations, the Hb-
ertles of the new-fangled dances
ana automobile Joy riding"
=, with reference to the latter Mrs.
henri says: THE dangers and pit
ia!!s OF the erstwhile wineroom have
Seen supplied in an aggravated form
~ modern Joy riding. Whatever may
" responsible for the first misstep
an sstonlshingly large number of
oasts on delinquency are the results
pi the use and abuse OF the automo-
O'is among the young.
Lack OF parental attention and
control Is evident in nearly every
Sase with which have had contact.
No' infrequently the church, the
seHool or the law has been depended
Spoh by the parent TO teach and en-
iGrce industry. self control and obe-
u.ehce that should have been taught
uuu pracuced in the home. Idleness
vi tne part of the adolescent youth
girl Is a prevalent evil in many
NN,Dlhes from which vice is recruited,
S.nety per cent OF the girls and
nuIhen who pass through this de-
partment are totally ignorant OF the
moAt simple OF domestic accomplish
ehs; They cannot mend their
vyWn nose. nor do they have any
anowiedge OF how to cook o. do
awning In connection with home
hansgement."
~ tAs large majority OF tho girls
ne law has to deal with are not, az
generally supposed, OF the poorer
asses where poverty, meager So
MA" .Sl advantages, or the lack OF op-
potlunlty to live wholesome lives
hsell' Girls who have trsining for
nj, Isihess occupations, and girls
se conversation and manners
SiT'e their knowledge Of good So
90 s' usage. are not infrequent vlolat-
NJ OF the legal and moral code.
Icy come from homes where par
'"'s' control is lax. they were al