Smyrna times., 1922-12-06

Are mothers and fathers responsible
for wayward girls and boys? Are
the parents doing their duty towards
their children by permitting them to
be upon the streets without mature
and capable persons accompanying
them, before and after school hours?
"In each city and town in the coun-
try, says the Milford Chronicle in dis
cussing this important subject, "the
newspapers report escapades of young
girls from assaults after having ac-
cepted riding trips in automobiles
driven by young men, whose hunt for
easy victims seem never to cease.
Right here in Milford we have the
same conditions prevailing and the at
tention of parents generally is called
to the dangerous conditions surround
ing their children from 'adolescent
boys, from young men who should
know better than to take dangerous
chances of heavy punishment by the
courts, when such cases are brought
up after discovery, and most danger
Gus of all from the men who practice
enticing girls in automobiles, for the
sole purpose of accomplishing their
ruin.
"In the public schools of Milford
several cases of truancy Investigations
have brought out the fact that girls
from twelve to fifteen years old, were
absent from school without authority
and were riding of afternoons into the
rural districts with young men un-
known to parents or friends. In an
other case, bright girl whose parent
supposed she was attending school and
remaining overnight in town with girl
friends, was absent from home two or
more days. Investigation revealed
that she was driving late at night in
autos with young men and harboring
at night in house where the morals
of the people is suspicioned to be unfit
for virtuous girls to associate. The
girl was restored to the parent in this
case.
"In other cases, girls are seen to
enter autos along the main business
street of Milford and drive away with
young men, even in the school period
of the day, when they should be in
school. The mothers in these cases
have permitted their girls liberty with
out investigation, and the result is
trouble. In the adolescent period of
human life, all children will be inclined
to misrepresent their comings and go
ings-and for that reason they should
be carefully overlooked regardless of
personal statements to parents. "Bet-
ter be safe than sorry" in all matters
pertaining to the child. Milford is no
better than other cities OF towns in its
morals. 1t is only the cases that are
found out that we know about.
GLOW many others happen that are.
never discovered or are made public,
which brings disgrace to the girl or
woman, occur in the towns and cities;
only surmise can account,-but they
are many more in proportion to those
who are found out. Let's have a
home beginning in moral training, en-
forced by the parents. Police or laws
will not meet the situation-for this
comes after the damage is done-only
the moral control and physical re-
straining of the parents in the homes,
will get the results desired-and even
then, only few cases will have been
saved from degradation.
parents of Milford, and all of Del
aware, will you accept the response
bility of bringing your children
through the dangers of uunrestrained
freedom? Will you do it before it
is too late. You may think that this
does not affect your son or your
daughter, but that is exactly what the
4.