Evening star., 1942-02-26

Nu4 DdhCh away
from them, by lsw II necessary, and
be forced to get around on their
own power for the duration OF the
war or the rubber emergency.
In California the movement has
moved along to a point where Gov.
Olsen has been requested to have
the Legislature consider a bill which
would take the youngsters from be-
hind the wheels Of their cars and
make them get to school and to
their dates by street car, bus or
walking.
This campaign Is certain to meet
stubborn resistance from the youth
bloc of the country. Modern-day
youngsters graduated from perambu-
lators to tricycles, from tricycles
to bicycles. and from bicycles to
automobiles.
The average high school parking
ground looks like a used-car lot,
and the average college campus re-
sembles gigantic auto salesroom.
Walking isn't an entirely lost art
with the boys and girls Of 1912, but
1t certainly is despised one.
n y &*
1t Is going to be tough on Junior
Teen to have to walk up to the door
Of his girls house and ring the
doorbell instead of scraping his
white-wan tires along the curb in
front Of her home and blowing
his horn. 1t is going to be tough
on Junior Miss to have to stand
on the street corner and wait for
the trolley to pick up her and her
beau for the party across town.
1t Is going to be agonizing for
both of them to have to walk to the
corner drug store for their sodas and
sundaes, and hop bus to reach the
juke box salon for an evening OF
dancing.
1t will be Furnishing for them to
have to do their hand-holding in
the front porch swing instead Of
driving down by the river where
there is no chance of a wandering
parent popping in and out OF the
front door,
can sympathize with them.
There is nothing that so tries the
soul Of 17-year-old, deeply in love
and wearing his brothers smartly
cut-down dinner jacket, than to
board a crowded street car and
brave what he feels to be the critical
stares of every one from the motor
man to the conductor.
But there will come a time, II the
cars are taken away from the
youngsters, when they will be CRATE
ful for the sacrifice they had to
make. This will come when they
have children of their own and can
bore the dayhghts out of their
progeny by telling them how far
they, mother and father, had to
walk to school when they were
children.
1t really would be a shame for
modern youngsters to grow UP with
out ever being able to enjoy this
delightful pastime. My parents
never ceased to believe that we
children thrill to the tales of how
they got to school. Through rain
and sleet, through hail and mist,
they trudged valiantly down appar-
emily never-ending roads. The be-
ginning of this conversation is al
ways the same.
"Why, when I was your age, 7
used to have to get up at 5 in the
morning in order to get TO school
by $780,"
have known Of parents who
would look their children straight
In the eyes and tell of marches to
school Of anywhere from IS to Is
miles. The more I think about
some Of the tales that were told me.
the more I wonder why people in
the 8os and COS never thought Of
building a schoolhouse anywhere
near where anybody lived.
So. youth of today, cheer I'D IL
they take your cars away. Remem-
Der what fun you are going to have
later.
distributed By McNausht Syndicate, 1ne)