Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-21
Delinquency probers
Hear Msgr. Schneider
And YounqdahI

=. Those interested in the well
fare of youth must be more
bvociferous in opposing unwhole-
some entertainment and read
ing, a Catholic youth leader told
: the Senate Juvenile Delinquency
subcommittee today.
80 The Police Gazette. once
pretty much Stunned by society
as indecent, "is a nursery tale
book compared with some
present day magazines, said
Msgr. Joseph E. Schneider. direc-
tor of the youth department of
the National Catholic Welfare
8 Conference.
Judge YOungdahl Testifies.
Among today's other witnesses
= was Judge Luther Youngdahl of
the U. S. District Court for the
District of Columbia. who de-
Ioclared that if there were a pSy-
J9ehiatric social worker in every
ssSchool of the country, the need
ssfor mental institutions would
sldrop impressiyely.
;" Msgr. Schneider expressed the
view that society has become less
, courageous in speaking out
against the things it finds Of
fensive.
n Besides magazines with pic
lures and titles leaving nothing
to the imagination, the high
school youth can see sex and
glorified crime as the order of
the day at movies, he declared.
While. there is a trend toward
improvement in movies. televi-
sion and radio are moving in
the opposite direction. he went
on. He expressed the hope that
the committee might come up
with a strong recommendation
that commissions governing tel
evision and radio improve the
situation.
Basic Causes Listed.
Msgr, Schneider listed three
basic causes for many of youths
r difficulties: Lack of religion,
modern trends in education and
working mothers.
He struck at progressive edu-
cation, which he said considers
discipline as oLtmoded-where
child in a classroom is not to
/. be reprimanded for fear that in
later life he will be the victim
of some inferiority complex"
Graded in this sort of edu-
cational atmosphere, it is diff
cult for me to conceive how a
youth in his leisure hours is
going to- curb his passions or
thwart his irlclinations to be dis
honest" he declared.
Cfiticizes Working Mothers.
OF working mothers, the youth
Leader said: $50 m
g Too late. too many niOtl1ers
are waking up to the fact that
on their wedding day they were !
entrusted with the serious obli-
cation of rearing the children
God would bless them with; then |
later, prompted by a selfish de- |
Skfre to keep up with the J6neses, !
to have a, car, to wear a mink |,
coat, they have bartered the well |
fare Of their children for a
f1eeting bit of happiness.
Judge Youngdahl said that
while having psychiatrie social
workers in each school to get at
schild problems in the first and
second grades would cost money,
he felt it would be Sound econ
only when you consider the cost !
OF our mental institutions to-
day." /
4 He said also that he thorough
" believed in the profession of
social work and felt there is a
greater need for it now than
ever before. He praised the
committee and its perspective
Fin mot agreeing that these |
youngsters Gin trouble) should |
be simply thrown in jail"
He cited a need for more
voluntary work by agents such /
as the Big Brothers of America,
Inc. in which he has been active
for many years.