Show RESULTS OF CURFEW LAWS atla ata national convention of the boys and girls home employment association held at indianapolis indiana in 1894 a discussion was had of the great increase of crime among the youth of american cities and curfew legislation was strongly advocated as a remedy to the agitation thus begun the chicago news attributes the rapid spread of such legislation among the cities and important towns of the country which has been in progress since the news says that over of them have adopted curfew ordinances within about three years and adds an effort has been made to t 0 get a consensus of opinion from the authorities of towns in which the law has been enforced as aa to its value from a moral aspect and in no instance has there been an unfavorable report the mayor of lincoln neb says that the law has been a complete surprise to both parents and police that there has been a decrease of 76 75 per cent in the number of youths arrested and that no increase crease in the number of police has been necessary he says a decided improvement pro in the youth of the city m orally morally and socially is also noted the superintend erit ft of the nebraska reform school says there has been a marked decrease in the number of commitments to that institution from those cities in which the curfew ordinance is in in force I 1 the chief of police of st joseph mo says that after a seven months enforcement of the curfew ordinance it has been instrumental in keeping hundreds of children off the streets and that there has been a reduction of fully 50 per cent in the commitments to the reform school from that city the mayor of another city says that for two years before the adoption of the ordinance fourteen boys were I 1 committed to the reform school but in the two years Tol following lowing its enforcement not one had been committed the chief of police of omaha says that there has been no occasion to make an arrest under the ordinance for he adds when 9 comes the children i make it a point to go home it is now an easy matter for parents to enforce home rules while some of the authorities are more enthusiastic than othere regarding the operation of the tat Is there is not one who is adverse in hia hi criticism of the working and effect ot the ordinance how such a law would operate la in a city of the size of chicago can be decided only by experience but baat the interests involved are sufficiently sufficient lv important to make it worth while to test teat ita it efficiency it might be a little mos mops difficult to enforce such an ordina noW in chicago than it Is in kansas cit city I 1 1 or omaha but this argument to is rather in favor of its adoption than in opposition to it the progress and results of cu curfew legislation comprise an in interest terell it hiA phase of sociological development czi in the united states at the present time tim they show how the duties and function of parents are being transferred to ana assumed by the police power of the state in other words they show them th growth of paternalism in government of the most pronounced kind government ownership of public would not affect the domain of person I 1 al duty privilege and responsibility to tc I 1 a degree that compares with the ex 4 s tent to which that domain Is in affel affected by government control of the children of 0 the household I 1 it seems to be quite true that A large proportion of parents in american cities have lost or are failing to cap arcise control over their children anif this being so curfew legislation to is not only justified but made necessary the children must be cared for and con na tooled and if parents cannot or win will not perform this duty the police must but what sort of men and women will the boys and girls make who receive their early training from the police iab tto stead of their parents what kind of at citizens will be produced by a systems system that impels boys and girls to go to their homes at a reasonable hour not because home attracts them but because the prison threatens them it is too soon to tabulate the of curfew legislation in amaru Amer foRn cities watt wait until a generation of bo babi and girls has grob to maturity under iland see what sort of husbands parents and citizens they prove to V alte there is the gravest reason to lear bear that the opposite of ideal manhood and w womanhood oman hood will be produced by any system that substitutes a grim anc stern stem policeman for AL a kind but fino AM parent |