The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-04
City May License Small
 Army Of Shoeshine Boys
Board of Aldermen Com mittee Studying Plan
 of Miss Crowley

A special aldermanic committee today began study of Q plan rccom- mended by Mss Kathleen Crowley, juvenile probation officer, whereby all shoe shine boys in the city would be licensed, placed under supervI- sion and work on alternate weekly shifts. Miss Crowley set forth her plan in Q letter to the board of aldermen last night, and Chairman Peter Grimm appointed Aldermen George Guilfoile, Charles Sciullo and Joseph Wilhelm as . special committee to study the plan and to confer with Police supt. Roach on It's adoption.
 Miss Crowley suggests that the boys pay c nominal fec for their licenses. One daily shift would work from Q c. m. to 2 D. Tn., and tho other from 2 p. ra. to ' p. m. After working hours, the boys would re- port to Supervisor William Johnson of the Boys club, and their recrea- ton would be supervised.
 Her plan has the approval of NMWyOK HKbkhk kAuJVDl oudku VVtiIl ~, Mc0rath and Edward MaScolo of city court, and Mir. Johnson, as well aS supt. Roach.
 Miss Crowley claims that her plan would eliminate from the shoe shine ranks boys who insist on mak- ing nuisAnces of themselves. The license of any trOubicmakers would be suspended temporarily or per- manentiy.
 August 3, io30. To tho Honorable Board of
 Aldermen:
 Waterbury, Conn.
 0entlemen:--
 The question, how to prevent crime, like other social questions, is one which confronts me daily in my work as probation officer of tho juvenile court.
 It seems to mo that one aspect of tho prevention of juvenile de. linquency in this city, or any other city, is how to control tho itiner. ant shoeshine boy. We cannot af- ford to ignore it, nor grow senti- mental over 1t. These boys, for their own protection, should be taken off the streets entirely or some measure of control worked out and applied, such aS licensing them by the superintendent of DO. lice.
 This matter of licensing iS ap- proved by the greater number of shine boys themselves. Several of them have written personal letters to me, asking for . licenSo and recommending applying this plan to all Bhoo-Bhine boys.
 Into our court have como Sorno fragrant cases of behavior which are directly tracoable to lessons learned on the street by the more daring of tho boys. In our proba- ton office files, I have reports from parents who arc quite frank in stating exactly how much money their children earn and how much, if any, of their earn- ings are brought home. Tho probation officer has of- ltEuU botlbhttNu pHtiiI WIiCH tlun the approval of Mayor Hayes, the judges of juvenile court, the sup- erintendent of police, supervisor of recreation and MT. Johnson, the superintendent of the Boys club, as well A8 Of citizens who are genuinely interested in the welfare of boys and girls. This plan includes licensing at q noms inal fec. certain specified hours to work--ono group from 0 to 2, another from 2 to 7--th0 sched- ule alternating each week. At tho end of the work period, each group is to report to tho Boys Club for Q swim and c shower, and then go home. With this plan, any boy found on tho streets after ' O.. clock is to Do brought in by tho police and his parents notified to call for him
 It is hoped. by this method, to get thos0 youngsters interested in