The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1955-02-24

30 many persons who speak or write on the probIeo
od Juvenile delinquency dwell length on socetvs resnon
Solty to provide young people with recreation without
Sg Word TO the value of good od-fashioned work We
nave noted this others have called to our attention and
now comes clipping of an article written hv HeIa NJ
Whfte and published the Peasants County Leader Of
st Marys w. Va, that puts the matter in nrooer f w
Work well play used to be normal actilSitv 5h
growing up but there have developed in recent
years a belief that this idea is outdated
~ 10 be sure, times have changed" Mrs White writes
but oaslc human nature still remains much the same and
restless youths energy must find an outiet S,re % anu anu
citizens worth cannot be fully deveoped on nlay
o swimming pools and ball gameS een-age dances and CLAW
ing Sertany relaxation and play important but to
put them first the list of importance is to raise
uon OF adult delnquents"
She continues: even our laws foster +bo f,n oo,,o
St school of thought today Overgrown boys and retve
@ e ae m & on street corners and loaf in congegang hang
ous At the age their parents ddand expected to doa
certain amount OF useful work whether thew lived in cities
or on farms. But not today
"Now, time consuming red tame must be ,,orr;ad
nTough In order to get them work permits which, when
unay obtained are hampered with SO MANY restrictions
a parents often feel it is less trouble them lust to let
their children loaf out until they come of age In some
instances our income tax law penalties the parents of any
ambitious youth who does work and earn enough +o
pe or some financial help himself
Our child labor laws necessary. But when child
mas grown old and strong enough to club deenseess citizens
to DEATH to steal unoffendng motorists off
the roads or to plan and carry other awess actsthen
ey are hafdy IN the category of children needing protec
ton. F
Certainly we should have some form of child labor
laws but have present laws been helpful or harmful
TO those they supposed to protect? No there are
statistics somewhere which would prove or dsprove their
Vdlu 1ou are young people lost
tive and well adjusted life today through dleness and an
encouraged sense OF unresponsby than destroyed
before we had child labor laws?
Among today's casualties counted high per-
cent OF the huge numbers found swollen public relief
rolls These people who have from childhood found azness
profitable way of living never taught the dignity
and satisfaction of work when they young that
oo OF any KIND IS better than handou Also to be counted
many broken homes which be directly attributed
to an idle adolescence The young couples having been
raised on the popular theory, refuse
face up to the hard fact of steady day and
with their maintenance and uures earned and paid for
by their labors.
we keep them Spooned broth of idleneSs, and the
repeating law breakers codded in anonymous
of reSpectabiiy? Is it not about time that youth be
encouraged rather than discouraged to work. and learn
to accept the responsibility of their acts? And
attempt be made to insti in them the knowledge that
job well done gives more satisfaction than marble well
placed in pin ball machine, coin in juke box in
some planned and paid-for center for dleness?"
The Marietta Times