THE "LITTLE COMMONWEALTH."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 89, 17 April 1914, Page 6

THE "LITTLE COMMONWEALTH."

INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.

NEW REFORMATORY TREAT-

MENT,

LONDON, Feb. 27. Some delightful stories of the doings of the young citizens of "The Little Common .wealth," which is being carried on as an experiment in reformatory treatment at Babbicombe, Devon, were told by Mr Cecil Chapman, the Tower Bridge Police Court Magistrate, at a meeting of the Charity Organisation Society. At ] the outset Mr Chapman explained ! that the Commonwealth was being ! run on. self-government lines, similar ? to those of "The George Junior Re- \ public" in America. Its purpose I was to train and, if possible, reform ■ the youthful delinquents upon prin- \ ciples different from those which had hitherto been relied upon in industrial ' schools and reformatories. Its prin- j ciples proclaimed the uselessness of 3 punishment andi the wickedness. The ] right to live in the community was ! based upon work. Whether a citizen 'i was fit to remain in the community I or not was left to the decision of the I whole community, and pressure of ? public opinion or sentiment was a-e- j lied upon for this. \ An old farm building, Mr Chapman ; explained, had been converted into ? two cottages. These had been filled ! with citizens, who had built twootiher . j cottages, and—like a fashionable "Wefet End Club--they had a long wait- \ ing list. The community began with f three girls, whom Mr Chapman had \ convicted for systematic shoplifting. \ These tihree girls were-discribed as be- J ing absolutely beyond control, and | they were selected in order to give the 1 experiment a severe test. Soon after ; this five boys arrived, and the little j citizens formed a legislative assembly.'? One of the girls was elected "judge,'" '. and ''the court. .sat twice a week. It i was, however, very early discovered I that the prisoner lied, the witnesses ' all lied, and every citizen was pen-feet- \ ly certain that the judge was pre- ;. jjidicod againsti the prisoner./ And so « the citizens selected'1 another judge— 1 tbo most mischievous boy in the com- j -nionwealth. This boy was liable to i thn most punisihment, and was mulct \ m heavy fines on account of the] offences he had committed in the j commonwealth. The citizens argued ■= thus: his judge, at any rate, will not ; be nrejudioGd against the offender. Thtv court established a system of . fioes to-meet the various " offences i cominittted in the little common- ? y/oalth. One of the citizens, a boy of j ,f[::i-.?/?n, was suspected of stealing'the \ si-Derintondent's cigarettes. He I dinned the accusation, but there was a prima facie ease against him. ln-s'<-\-id of appearing before the coui-t, s hv betook himself to the woods for a : W'p-?k, only coming to the common- - v/o'ilth to have his meals. But theolnp:r little citizens' would have no- I tw.-ut, to do with him, and so he even- ; tur.lly became • tdred of his isolation, 1 said; he wished to confess to all i t>vo crimes he had been accused of 1 ••vd agood many more. The prisoner I on this occasion asked to be alloAved ] -oso 7ect his own punishment, a.nd ' +.fio community agreed. The punish- 5 ■~ r-f. he selected was- that he .should )- r-o the hardest work in the conrniu- ; in.tv for a week without pay. "At the or-cl of the week that boy became tbo : most popular boy in the common- ' wealth—and has remained so up till

the present day." As proof of his T popularity the boy was recently elect-, \ ed health officer of the community, In order to put down smoiking in the commonwealth, as the superintendent stoutly declined on principle to lock liis drawer, the court made a law that smoking under tilie age of eighteen was a punishable offence. As several of the boys were approaching sixteen years of age, there was, oi course, a protest, but thefe was a majority in favor of the proposal. The experiment had been most satisfactory, an-d had contradicted! the1 prophecies of a great many people. IJie little citizens were thoroughly impregnated with organised ideas of right and wrong, and with the power and value of work. Out of a delinquent character they had produced m the commonwealth a character of wlhich they all felt proud. As a member of. the committee, Mr Chapman added, he naturally felt that the experiment would prove an expensive one. The little citizens were paid at the rate of 3d an hour, and if they worked well they could earn as much as His a week.