The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 1, 1917, Page 9

2 aiw® The Work of the Policewoman POLICEWOMAN, in the Northwest particularly, is more or less a novelty. Her duties are numerous and varied, although having the same powers as a policeman. Her work is very much more along preventive rather than punitive lines, so she looks after the welfare of dependent, delin- quent or incorrigible children, minors of either sex and all who may con- tribute to the dependency or delin- quency of children or young people. ‘As truant officer, she looks after children unnecessarily absent from school and investigates cases of tru- ancy through the home, school or other pources. An excellent method she uses in cases of truancy, pilfering and other minor misdemeanors is the report sys- tem by which the young transgressors report to her weekly, semi-weekly or semi-monthly, as the case may be, and have talks about city ordinances, gov- ernment and anything which may help them to better understand obedience to the law. They are given studies along these lines and in their reports and talks they must show her that some studying has really been done. In all of her work as truant officer, teachers and many others have been of inestim- able service in co-operating with her in her efforts to do something actually worth while for these boys. The policewoman has the care and custody of female prisoners when there are such and accompanies them to court for trial or hearing; she can also place female prisoners elsewhere than in the city jail if she sees fit. Above all other things, her one great endeavor is to avoid all- possible publicity for unfortunate women, unless they them- selves so desire. They are given the full benefit of the law and protected as much as any one can be. One of the many things which take up the time of the policewoman is meeting trains to see if young girls loiter around the station, or have any real business there; notes if any suspicious charac- ters are loitering about and if gangs of small boys are tolerated around the station. Young girls who appear to be alone come particularly 5 her notice and in all cases she endeavors to escort them to lodging places, and if looking for work, if possible helps them secure a position of some kind. CASE OF GIRL WHO DRIFTED TO THE CITY A little girl upstate came to the city supposedly looking for work, but too utterly incompetent to hold a position of any kind, she drifted about for a while and finally fell into the hands of the. policewoman. When found the child had but a dime and had had neither dinner nor supper. The police- woman took her to her own rooms, gave her a midnight supper and kept her, taking personal care of her until. her people could come after her. In this particular case, no charge was preferred against the girl, who is sim- ply one of the many adding to the flotsam and jetsam of humanity, be- cause those responsible have not fitted them to take their places in the world. The crying need is to help these young people make themselves compe- tent enough to hold a position; to give them needful training to properly fit them for their chosen vocation. Society pays dearly for its supreme indifference to the welfare of our unsophisticated young people. More than half the cases that come to the policewoman get to her because the public is too in- different to be practical with these people and they drift about until they are nearly penniless and something has to be done quickly. The curfew ordinance gives the policewoman work which is peculiarly fitting, as children do not fear her as much as the average policeman. In carrying out that part of her work, she lists names of children found on the streets after the forbidden hours; takes them home if necessary and notifies parents whose children habitually vio- jate the ordinance. Also she visits the homes of such children to note environ- ment. Observation has proven that too many parents make the great mis- - take of making children hate and fear an officer of the law when really 'the opposite is true, for the police officer is your {riend. Few officers of today take pride in the number of arrests they can make, but rather in how much they can protect and help—especially the first offenders. Preventive mea- sures are important and mean much along all lines of endeavor. Could young people be properly fitted to face life’s battles, many laws on the statutes soon would become void because they would be useless. GOOD WORK DONE FOR COUNTRY GIRLS ° Two country girls from a small town were picked up in a raid on a rooming house. While the evidence was wholly against them, the policewoman was convinced of their innocence of any evil intent, and no charge was made against them. Instead of being jailed or sent to a detention house, she took them home with her. Their utter ignorance A senior class of the Agricultural college at Fargo, in dietetics. the left side of the table. fig@ Mrs. Alberta B. Tone Edited by ‘! of the avowed intention of the men, who admitted. their guilt in getting the girls there, the presence of liquor—all this was evidence against them, yet in spite of all they were rescued just in time.- The matter was taken up with ‘the chief of police and even though the girls were not minors, the case was dismissed. They were sent home anAd grateful letters from each of them at- test the value of the policewoman. These are a few of the many in- stances by which the policewoman has been of inestimable service to the pub- lic and in helping the boys and girls save themselves. In Fargo the police- -~ Home-Making HEN we begin to study the profession of home-making, we are immediately impressed with the immensity of the field. The home is the unit of society, so home-making relates to the life and health of the family. Our home-makers surely need to know some of the fundamental principles of chem- istry—such as that matter can not be created or destroyed, but only trans- formed; that pure substances are al-- ways of exactly the same composition, whatever their origin; that substances unite chemically only in certain defi- nite proportions. For instance, in making sour-milk biscuits, if more soda is added to the sour milk than the acid present will unite with, then the soda is left in the biscuits. The home®maker needs to realize that with the same materials, under exactly the same conditions, re- sults are identical, so the success in cooking depends on the art of the cook. Bacteriology is particularly impor- tant to the home-maker for it is the fundamental = science in sanitation. These tiny forms affect our food and all other possessions, but the greatest importance is in understanding and combatting disease. Home-makers need to know that diseaSe germs are special- ists in their work,; that they do not develop spontaneously, but every case of infectious or contagious disease comes from some previous case near or remote and is the result of some one’s criminal carelessness or ignorance. Germs may live under various condi- tions, but cleanliness and sunshine kill them all. VENTILATION ONE OF BIG PROBLEMS Household sanitation includes the study of environment of the house, good ventilation, heating, lighting, proper disposal of all wastes, water supply, etc. Ventilation is apparently the most neglected part. Too many houses, especially during the winter, are not properly ventilated. Foods and food values are perhaps the most important physical probi¢ms, but however good the raw materials, they can be made healthful only through the art of the cook. The ques- tion of diet comes in with food values and many questions yet remain to be settled by science. Some one has said that health is the business of the in- dividual, not the physician. We may well wonder when it will be considered disgraceful to be ill, for nearly all illness is the penalty for disregarding rature's laws through ignorance, care- lessness or intemperance of some Kkind. Next to food and shelter, clothing comes as a third necessity and calls for the study of textiles and the mak- ing of clothing. The efficiency of the home-maker is what she chooses to make it, for home- making is a natural monopoly and will always be so. No profession compares with that of home-making in the possi- bilities for improvement of the race— physical, mental, moral. The millen- nium awaits only the perfect home. Home-makers, do not be satisfied with lectures on cookery, but study the pro- fession of home-making from the stand point of your own home. Take it up as thoroughly as you have history, etc. You will find it an interesting, profit- able study of broadening cultural value. Patent Medicines Much information has been given the public regarding patent medicines that have been proven worthless. The Viava remedies have been found to be no exception to the rule, according to " Food Commissioner Ladd of North Da- kota. Testing shows that Viava cap- sules contain. hydrastis (Goldén Seal) and cocoa butter. The preparation has been condemned by the American Medical association in their work ‘on “Nostrums and Quackery.” Viava does not advertise in the newspapers, but reaches the people through “The Health Book for Mothers and Daughters,” also a large volume entitled “Viava Hygiene,” and last but not least a very expensive lecture bu- reau. While classic as to English, these agencies are as bold and sweep- ing in their claims as the most vulgar “cure-all” on the market. Simplicity is the keynote of this miracle working discovery. The $62.50 course—the top figure—is called “Double Strength Viava Capsules and Cerate.” The cap- suke is for internal seécretion, and the cerate is to give vigor to the back and abdomen, the idea being that the sys- tem will absorb the “great Viava” and give strength and vitality to the diseas- ed parts.. “The Viava business” says a recent Tadd bulletin, “was started about 20 vears ago by two brothers named Law. Today they are among the wealthiest nien in San Francisco, owning the Fairmont hotel among other properties and playing an important part in the financial system of the city. .One of the brothers is a high official of the Young Men’s Christian association, giving generously to that worthy institution of the money wrung from the sale of hydrastis and cocoa butter to sick and suffering women.” \ NINE woman is also a juvenile court officer, being appointed by the judge of the dis- trict court. In this capacity she looks after all cases of dependent, delinquent or neglected children until further in- vestigation. Anything and everything and “lots of it” come into each day's work. Could you but peep-into her of- fice, hear the numerous phone calls, see the frequent callers, you could bet- ter understand how busy she is. A lost child is taken home with her .10 be fed and cared for; a wayward child is kindly admonished to be care- ful; a case of some juvenile offender is settled cut of court while a more ag- Miss North, the instructer, is standing next to gravated one is presented to the juve- nile commissioner. IZach and every case-requires visits of investigation, con- sultation with complainants, parents, teachers or officers as the case may be. All these things necessitate a vast and varied experience and the faculty of snapshot judgment very frequently, Occasionally the policewoman address- es some body of women who are inter- ested in her work. This should be encouraged bhecause it brings her in closer touch with the public and re- sults largely in better co-operation. In conclusion she refrains so far as possi- ble from duplicating the work of any other organization, religious or philan- thropic. This line of work is separate and distinct -in a class of its own. Churches and philanthropic organiza- tions have worked in perfect harmony with the policewoman, thereby secur- ing better and quicker results for all concerned. REPORT INDICATES * SCOPE OF WORK Miss A. B. Duffy, the policewoman of Fargo, in her report for January has made 175 calls for consultation or investigation; those in office for con- sultation or to report on cases, 362; personal interviews connected solely with official work, 754; present at hear- ings or trials of women, girls or young boys, 25; cases presented before juve- nile commissioner, 10; juvenile cases settled out of court, 15; juvenile cases on record for month, 44. There are a few other minor items, but in looking carefully over this report, you can get a comprehensive idea of the great amount of goodea policewoman does to help the young people help themselves; also what an important factor she is for the public weal. The one great fact Miss Duffy wants to impress upon the people is the re- sponsibility of the home. She says: ‘““When the sacredness of the home is better kept; when boys and girls un- derstand its sacredness and authority —then and not until then, will we have better homes—and better homes mean better citizens. When parents realize their responsibility to their children to the extent that they are prepared to make an honest living, then. many of the tasks of today will vanish. I would like to impress upon the parents and society in general that prevention is better than a cure. Not only give the children an opportunity, but also see to it that they embrace the opportunity. - Any community is responsible for its delinquents and pays a big price for its indifference to their welfare. I ad- vocate the permanent segregation of the unfit; vocational training and guid- ance of youth and regulated instead of commercialized amusements.” Lol ol S0 S AR [ e o e v, TG —— e ] J | )