A JUNIOR REPUBLIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19298, 10 April 1926, Page 1 (Supplement)

A JUNIOR REPUBLIC.

NOVEL TRAINING SCHOOL.

BY LADY ADAMS.

The California Junior Republic is a character training school, specially designed to offer fresh opportunity to a hundred boys of limited outlook and illguided experience, who show capacity and desire for useful manhood. It is not a reform school nor a lodging for the physically or mentally unfit; it is rather a haven for those boys who have no homes, whose parents aro 111-matched, who are waifs of circumstance —for alert lads between 14 and 18, anxious to do well if they just had a chance. The California Junior Republic gives them tho chance. Its aim is to provide definite life training by means of agricultural and allied industrial education, and so, following modern methods of correlated class and field instruction, the boys learn general agriculture, dairying, farm mechanics, caipentry, auto mechanics and printing. Most of the boys who enter the school have been disturbed by tho social conditions at homo or by tho lack of understanding shown by those with whom they have been in close contact. And, naturally, they would resent too much repression, too many rules; there are fow rules and no barriers; if a boy wants to run away, there is nothing to prevent him, which is probably tho reason why he stays. Tho Republic is supported partly by voluntary subscriptions, partly by the parents and guardians who pay according to circumstances, partly by the Pasadena and Los Angeles Community Chests, and partly from the farm revenue. The Government.

With wisdom, those in authority have allowed the boys to choose their own form of government, and naturally the boys have selected the mayor and council as being the fitting way. Each boy is a citizen, and the citizens elect a mayor, councilman, a district attorney and a judge. And, of course, there is a chief of police, a fire chief, a health chief—in a boys' republic chiefs will never lack — and council meetings and court sessions are held with decorum. Citizenship papers are granted after two months' probation. The boys live in five cottages, each presided over by a carefully-chosen housemother. They work half the day in school—for as well as being an agricultural and industrial training ground, it is a vocational high school, and there is excellent community life at night. There is a library, a movie, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, baseball, a gymnasium, a band, a chorus, a dramatic society, a magazine, a tennis ground. And over it all the mayor and his satellites cast a careful eye. It is an outcome of the first Juvenile Republic, started at Freeville, near New York, by William George. It began with seven boys and three girls, but very soon the girls were eliminated, and in 1909 the school moved to its present lovely site of 280 acres at Chino, which is a couple of hours' motor-drive from Los Angeles. Some of the Industries. The boys specialise in Holstein-Friesian cattle, aiid last year they brought home 14 ribbons from *ls entries. There is a bull at the Republic, affectionately known as " Blackie," whoso official title is Republic Spofford Ida Lyons. " Blackie " has had the grand champion award twice. And they fatten baby beeves for the Christmas market. They must be good, for the very best hotels in Los Angeles bought them last Christmas. More, they topped the market; they got six cents per pound more than a lady known all through California for her beef. Of course, the most devastatingly accurate accounts are kept, and the boys who fed the steers got half the profit. They raise rabbits, and they love them. They keep bees, they grew 54,2421b, of tomatoes and 53,6481b. of cabbages; and 1928 dozen green onions and 6791b. of asparagus; and 402 tons of alfalfa arid 20 tons of wheat-hay last year. They made cement walks and they built and laid drains—the carpenter's shop was busy —3nd they really do the most loom work; scarves, bags, baby blan'Ats in wool, and tea cloths and table napkins in linen. And they mako those adorable candles that Americans use so much at Christmas—and really artistic leather work.

Monday night is solemn at tho Junior Republic, for the court is held then. Any citizen may report, any violation of law to the district attorney, who brings up all cases. The defendant has his choice of three defending attornies; tho judge gives sentence; he appoints his own two clerks and his bailiff. The'court is open to men , visitors. The laws and charter are in strictly legal language. The services on Sundays are non-sec-tarian. Ministers of many denominations, Y.M.C.A. leaders, boy scout authorities, Sunday School superintendents and men who are interested in boys come to talk on Sundays. Thero is also a Bible Study Class, which meets once a week, to which only boys who are interested are asked to go. Sunday is parents' and friends' day, when tho boys wear their good clothes and entertain their visitors. Tho Junior Republic is fortunate in having as friends men like Dr. Robert Millikan, tho Nobel Prizeman, president of tho California Institute of Technology, and Professor W. B. Munro. of Harvard, whose summer home is in California. They both give endless time and thought to the Republic, and the very fact of seeing and hearing them is an inspiration to the lads. The Beloved Lady. Since its foundation Mrs. Eldridge M. Fowler has been tho inspiration and tho guardian angel of the Republic. She has built herself a homo in the grounds, where she is nearly always in residence. It is full of lovelv things, gathered from all over tho world, and outside and in is a wonder, even in this land of wonder houses. The boys aro constantly thero as her guests, and may examine her amazing collection of Japanese prints—l understand that thev prefer her picturepostcard cabinet —thoy may read her books, play her grand piano, look in her hanging cupboards at her countless kimonos, housed in a specially-designed cupboard in the dining-room, they act their plays on tho stage in her drawingroom, and they sing their carols outside her windows at Christmas time. They boys adore her, and look on her as their best friend. Certainly it can fall to tho lot of fow boys to havo a friend like Mrs. Fowler. I know she would not like it to be called a labour of lovo, for there is no labour about it; just love. nor thought and care for tho welfare of the boys lias never relaxed for a moment; wherever she is, she keeps in constant touch with the Republic, and had it not been for her faith and belief in tho idoals of tho great venture, it would not havo been tho firmly-rooted bit of American life that it is. Lately sho was abroad, and no queen over had a more respectful and loving greoting than sho had on her return. The band—27 pieces strong—met her car at tho entrance to the Republic. The mayor extended the greeting of the school, and invited her to be present at a special meeting of tho town council that uigbt. Sho wont; a motnorabla evening.