The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-03-03
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THE EDITOR

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munications are published by
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EDITOR ....
Editor, The Times-News:
Have you stopped to think that
Judge J. Will Pless thought a big
thought when he thought Of q bet
! ter plan for furnishing youthful
! first offenders of the law? Judge
Pless says that these boys in their
early teens should not be placed
in prison with those who have
graduated in the school Of crime.
He would have them placed in
camps, or Industrial schools man.
aged by teachers especially train
ed in handling upderprivileged,
! delinquent, and incolrigable boys.
These schools would not be pris-
ons in the sense of keeping boys
, behind iron bars or brick walls.
They would be training canDs
where these youngsters, who find
nothing in the standard school
room that they want, could be
taught a trade that would enable
them to earn living. These boys
don't mind working with their
hands, but they have set their
faces like 4 flint against the kind
of stuff we are forced to teach
in our standard schools.
Under skilled agriculture
! teacher, these boys would be hap
Ply in learning how to farm, how
to grow larger and better apples,
how to improve field crops and
live stock. Under skilled car
pcnter-mcchanic, they could be
taught how to build houses and
repair machinery. They would
study books, bulletins and maya
zines that relate to the subject
they are interested in. These boys
think in terms Of concrete things
and not in terms Of abstract ideas.
They don't care whether the
earth is round or flat; whether
Caesar crossed the RubicOn CT
not: whether Rome sat UPON her
seven hills and ruled the world
OF not; whether Washington cut
the cherry tree or not; whether
this nation is drifting toward So
cialiSm, radicaliSm or pure democ-
Iraey or not; whether the old
should be pensIoncd, or the wealth
should be shared, the farmers
subsidized, laboreIs should be sat
isficd, the unemployed should be
employed, the IVA should sue
coed and the French Broad be
damned OF not. lie simply does
not fit into our present education
al system and you can't make
| him fit. He IS thing thinker and
not a book worm. Lindbcrg was
such q boy; Thomas Edison was
such boy. The woods are full Of
them. Let Judge Pless' idea have
Il chance and thus give these
thing-thinking boys chance.
Our schools are hog-tied by
traditions and our boys are re-
belling against them. During this
severe winter, time and again l
have seen boys leave their books
and a warm room just for the
privilege of taking an axe and
cutting wood for an hour at a
time. Those boys evidently felt
that thcil teacher was not able to
give them any information or the
subject was not what they want
ed or they preferred an axe and
zero weather to the grind of
school life. 1t reminds one OF the
preacher who was earnestly ex-
horting mourncrs to the bench at
very late hour. He marched
down the walk way and came to
tough-looking boy who was sit
ting near the aisle and he yelled,
"Son, do you want to 90 to hell?"
Anywhere to get out of here"
was Toughy's reply.
Yes, Mr.. Pless, we are with
you. Let our colleges educate
those capable of taking it, and
then let. our state provide schools
for the imbecileS fnd the feeble
minded, and schpals for the thing