The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1946-10-03
Improving Human
Race Is q Slow and
Tedious Job
BY Charles D. Rowe

What to do with a l5-year-old
criminal has a Spokane judge, a
prosecuting attorney and defense
lawyer puzzled, according to a story
in a Saturday daily. Despite at
temps to lead the boy into a useful
life, he seems possessed with a
determination to follow a criminal
career. The youths choice need
cause no wonder
His parents separated when he
was at the tender age of FIVE years.
the father being given the care of
his small son. What sort of father
he was is shown by the fact that
he soon tired of the boys care and
placed him, at the age of seven, in
the state training school at Chehalis
Wash From there the usual and
expected pattern in this unfortunate
boys life is followed. He finally
landed in a Colorado reform school
1t is said his years from Z to is
were spent in three state inStltu-
tiUns.
He finally joined his mother in
Spokane, later got into trouble with
the law, was turned over by the
juvenile court to a kindly couple
who hoped to help the boy out
with kindness. He repaid their
kindness by continuing his lawless
life. Now the court wonders what
is to be done, wondering if there is
some way whereby he can be won
over to an honorable and useful life.
During these years from z to Is,
the father had thrown the boy over
and said he would have nothing to
do with him.
All of which merely again empha-
sizes the fact that there are people
who are unfit to become parents.
If there is some means by which
they could be prevented from bring
ing children into the world and
then abandoning them, that means
should be enforced. Just what
chance has this boy had? From 7
to Is years in three state institu-
tionS, one at least a reform school,
Is it any wonder he is a criminal?
This job of improving the human
race IS a slow, tedious and some
times diScouraging process.
Now and then Libby people have
driven into Canada on pleasure or
business bent. They invariably re-
port on their return that they found
the Canadian restaurants serving all
kinds of meats and the meatmarketS
literally stocked with beef, pork
and mutton. This was at a time
when meat had almost disappeared
from u S. tables.
Sundays Spokesman-Review had
a news item of the same general T
tenor. 1t stated that Meat cuts
load Canadian tables. 1t also said +
that meat is rationed there, but "the
system is generous" No one there
of a meat shortage.
And again meat is an exceedingly Il
scarce article on this side of the
border. For some reason they seem
to manage such matters much bet
ter north of the international line
For l3 years we have been laboring
under planned economy" that
only seems able to create scarcity
in this land that had always here
-oiore been known as a land of
luperlotlNe abundance And the
more the planners plan, the greater
apparently grows the confusion and
ne acknowledgement.
No wonder more and more people !
lre saying there will be no improve 7
nent until there is a complete p,
.hange of those who do the plan :
ing.
There is more than one thing to
blame for our mounting accident
oil on the highways. Says a recent
lumber of a trade journal:
The accusing finger of statistics
'laces the blame for nine-tenths of
ur automobile accidents on driver
rouble, but "old cars" with their
Mechanical ailments, are a definite
contributing factor When we say
old cars" we are not referring to
he chain-drive or gas headlight
models of the early 1900's. We
re talking about rundown cars of
airly modern vintage, in i'll repair
kept that their motors run and
heir wheels still turn-usually at
Excessive speed
Recent test checks reveal con-
itions typical throughout the coun-
ry: Nashville, Tennessee, police
gently checked 1900 automobiles, /
out of 10 had major mechanical
Effects and were unsafe -epera-
ion except at slow speeds. Defects
lithin. or burned out headlights.
o horn, and the brakes out of
rider.
At Tacoma, Washington 5.636
ere checked during one NORTH this
pring. Of this number l.l54 were
elected for brake trouble. AL
Dgether 4,972 were rejected and
ad to be repaired before they could
leet minimum requirements. Only
"a were approved,
The International Association Of
hiefs of Police made a traffic safety
heck. Based on the reports from
states, out of every 8 vehicles \