THE MAKING OF CITIZENS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 265, 5 August 1919, Page 4

THE MAKING OF CITIZENS

TWO INTERESTING INSTITUTIONS. In a lecluro del'vered at the Alexan- 4 dru }M, Abel smkh Street, 011 .Sun- j day evening, under tint iiu=i>icc3 of the V Social' lkinocratic Parly, Mias M. Bug- ' land dweribed the method of dealing with adolescent delinquents as worked out by .Mr. George in the Ooorgo Junior ltepublic of I'lccvUle, New !tork, and by Al'r. Homer Lane'm the Ijittlc Commonwealth, Sherborne, England, Tlio fundamental principle of the colonies was the swne-i.e., soif-govornmcnt and self-support. Mr. Georgo iounded his republic iu 1895 as an ouleome of ibo .years' experience of work_ among the friendless boys and girls 01 New York City. During that time Mr. George had regularly taken charge of summer camps and in this way learnt to understand thoroughly tlio icmptations and characters ot such children in 'heir consequent inclination to law-breaking. Ho recognised tJiat a boy or girl may ureas a law or commit a crimo and yet not ba ijiecessKriiy i'reciuieiuly such youths possess many of the qualifies— courage, leadership, self-reliance — which, rightly directed, produce the best men and women; and to develop these qualities and at the same' tiiuo sellrespect and self-control, ; required more than rigid discipline and wrb-trary control. To separata an "unmanageable" child from the normal environment of social life,and to commit him or heral lie impressionable ago to an institution whero.they came into contact with mwa hardened criminals—wlißro fdl individuality is lost—does nothing to prepare them to meet the problems of life when t'ney are released. To develop a sense of re- . sponsibility tho. youth must bo fi'on responsibility; to overcome a tendency to pauperism he must have self-suppuft. Tho George Junior Kepublio was founded as a practical means of Droving tho truth of Air. George's theories. - It- was now. recognised by the Stale m h reform. colony, <ind children bo sent to it by piior law officials, juvenilo courts, societies, and parents, lint no ono might bo sentenced to tho republic. It wn's not a criminal institution. Miss England laid particniav emphasis ou' this point, and compared it with the Now Zealand ' Education Department s iiKontioii of handing over tnuir school for delinquent childreu—i.e., such cases as could, bo boai'dod out to . tho lrisons Department.' The lecturer considered that, howbver carcfuily .these children wero separated from con-fact with tho criminals, tho very fact taat tlioy were in charge of tho officials of the law, and not, like other childreu under the ciiro of the Education Department, would do moral harm.' Tho most ei-scntial. principle upon which Mr. George, worked was that his charge were citizens, treo to develop all that was good in tliem for every post of responsibility. o\cr 20 years of successful work had proved the strength of this appeal' te tno latent self-respect of these youths, ibo speakei felt strongly that W Zeahnd psopo should pause before allow.ng . tlio oil system of branding the still »d--ptablo and sensitive delinquent as it piosp-ctiio member of the'■criminal'ctnss to be a -. tinned, and to see whether it not ■1)0 in every way more to the bUtO* advantago to establish a S l,J, 'i a 1... governing"' colony, in spite o:E l' luiowledged heavy expense to the taI payer. All classes of. uojs ana g>rl> wlora admitted to the George Jniuoi 'Republic, but neither mental dekcUvw nor cripples and none mighu eiitci fore the age' of 14. On *lmi«i«« citizou's first business was to find' cm ploment either on the farm of tho shops or. .cottages. JVng« *«• paid on a fixed scale, and viorkeis were graded into four classcs, a ", or f ( ' l ® to ability, and might be P r «">» lctl pljiaq tlio liisti'i.-.tois. lno school,'. Which', had. both a secondary division,.-.was m 11 ,?*. hours, a .day, but pupils morning, or; afternoon- sessioib, floiking at their 'trades' during-tne rest.'ot thb day Tho farm was tho most proimnen activity but furniture-making ,and the Sin» o ; f a special biscuit were. both employments which absorbtd a good manv of tho "citizens, and hih-soma way 'towards.', meeting tha republic, Tho government was, of °onrsc, governing, all over 15 tangentl^ 32"Fr%S^i boy and girl judges,, il .itloinejs, asSsift-'-ci for eucli enactments.

Art Oriental Boom. ■ . -Dance-booms, although y® l T and tango are but memories anil now the iazz is threatened. Jan hands, which vera introduced into the programmes of CuSalle and the revues, have already disappeared, and although 4ill to bo found in tho ni*ht clubs and in the West End ballrooms, it is evident tliat tlieir days are numbeied. X tiiuiK. that the'next boom wilb be p Orienhd ono" Mr. Hormnn Darewski ,tho coiri posor and publisher, told a Daily News representative. "Already there is a brisk demand for music witli haunting, ceiio, and languorous tunes, and there is e\eiy skn that it will succecd the jazz, the popularity of whicli is waning. Typiwtl numbers of tho Oriental typo are lndianola,' 'By the Camp I'ire, and Hindustan' which are already on tho market. Those numbers will be> heard all over tho country, played by the Guards bands downward," during tho next few months.