New Britain herald., 1925-10-24


who have been convicted of petty
law breaking. But the Observer be-
lieves that this would be the prop
or method TO use to convince boys
that contempt for authority will
meet with swift punishment.
II 1t be true that the threo In
clineth as the twig Is bent, It might
be good idea to bend the twig with
a bender which will have a perma-
nent effect. Correction of juvenile
tendencies to fiout the laws of home
and state has been one of the great
est problems in the United states.
From infancy, the child Is taught
that this is the land OF the free.
Being mentally incapable Of distin-
gushing the difference between
freedom and license, the youth as
sumes that he is free to do whatever
he chooses He does not realize
that, in order to gain freedom, the
individual must scontrol his will for
1.-THE benefit of all and must RESTRAIN
his inclnations so that his neigh
boris life and property will be safe
from molestation.
1t is amazing to read in the news
papers the daily record of crimes
and then to learn that the larger
part of them are committed by boys
who have not reached. or who have
Just passed, their majority. This
condition emphasizes the need for
enforcing greater discipline during
the period when the child's mind is
plastic. Apparently the home has
lost some of its authority. Whatever
the reason, the child of today is in
clined 10 be more selfish and way
ward. If the home cannot exert the
proper control the state should step
lin and for the welfare Of society in
general apply the rod. In most
families the rod has ceased to exist.
It is considered a relic of a bygone
and barbaric past. Moral suason is
the thing. There is no question that
it is better to reason with a child
than to apply corporal punishment
but whore reason fails the rod must
be applied unsparingly. When par
cnts neglect to dust off the rod and
use it, it is time for the state 10
take a hand.
This leads to the consideration of
crime in general. Justice Maltbie of
the supreme court Of errors is open
Ing in favor of severe punishment
for crimes. He does not believe that
prisons should be turned into club
rooms where lectures on mental up
lift are tho most arduous part of the
program Of confinement. In unjudi-
cial language his idea can be eX-
pressed in three words: Treat 'em
rough" Judge Alling of the local
police court has announced that
pleas for leniency on the ground
that the prisoner is youth will be
UNDECIDED in the future. Many peo-
pie believe there is altogether toe
much leniency in the courts anG
blame this situation for the increase
in law violations.
Within the past few years the
country has been shocked by So
called Crime waves" The court:
continue in rut. No other agency
of the government has such power
or such responsibility. 1t is entirely
up to the courts. They can stop the
crime wave" If they can. VIII
they do 1t?
Chief Harris insistence that mark
ers on automobiles be readable viii
receive public support. Plates are
made to be read. The operator o
an automobile whose registration
number cannot be read, because thu
plate is rusty or covered with dirt
places the public and the authoritie
at disadvantage in case of acct
. dent. If he is the type Of quite
, who evadcs responsibility afte
, striking n person the chance of hi
being captured Is less than If hi
numbers were readable. The pur
, pose of markers is to let the all
+ thorities know that the machin
, hearing them has been registered a
motor vehicle headquarters and III
q foe paid, and TO identify the ma
chine so that the driver can be hel,
Irresponsible for any damage to prop
=, crty or injury or death of person
, When plates are obscured by dirt o
7 rust, the purpose Of having them i
defeated.
3 Even under most favorable Condi
: lions it is difficult to read a mum
Der on a clean plate at a short dis
L tancc. This is not so true Of Con
nccticut markers as those on NeN
Il York cars which have a combina
ton of letters and figures appearin
: like hieroglyphics. Numbers do nc
run so high in Connecticut and tn
, dividing of the state into districts
U each distinguished by pretixed lei
= ter, has its advantages.
There is another angle TO the sii
l uation. Automobile owners hay
C been known to find fault with tn
(, plates issued in Connecticut. Whetl
L. er the material in them or tn
WI III lbOil 80
p is to blame, 1t is true that man
0 markers become dilapidated 500
e after being affixed to the car. tt
enamel flakes or the color fades. i
IT the case Of the former, rust is ce'
d tain TO appear and 1t is difficult
e keep the plate dressed mp. Mote
h vehicle department officials shou
ID give this their attention. The ave
A age motorlst, who is a law abidir
r. citizen and not deserving of ha
le the anathemas heaped upon h
X head, wants 10 cooperate with Il
ID state authorities They, in tur
n. should cooperate with motorists
TX To make a, long story short Il
III tipsy canoe tipped, and they had
I ooNd