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Full text of "Juvenile delinquency; utilization of surplus military installations for boys town type projects. Hearings before the Subcommittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Eighty-fourth Congress, second session, pursuant to S. Res. 62 and S. Res. 173, Eighty-fourth Congress, investigation of juvenile delinquency in the United States. July 10 and 11, 1956"

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JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

UTILIZATION  OF  SURPLUS  MILITARY  INSTALLATIONS 
FOR  BOYS  TOWN  TYPE  PROJECTS 


HEARINGS 

BEFORE  THE 

SUBCOMMITTEE  TO  INVESTIGATE 
JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY 

OP  THE 

COMMITTEE  ON  THE  JUDICIARY 
UNITED  STATES  SENATE 

EIGHTY-FOURTH  CONGRESS 

SECOND  SESSION 
PURSUANT  TO 

S.  Res.  62  and  S.  Res.  173 

EIGHTY-FOURTH  CONGRESS 

INVESTIGATION  OF  JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES 


JULY  10  AND  11,  1956 


Printed  for  the  use  of  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary 


UNITED   STATES 
GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
80694  WASHINGTON  :   1956 


iiARVARD  COLLEGE  LIBRAR/ 

DEPOSITED  BY  THE 
.UNITED  STATES  GOVERNMENT 

SEP  5  1956 


COMMITTEE  ON  THE  JUDICIARY 

JAMES  O.  EASTLAND,  Mississippi,  Chairman 


ESTES  KEFAUVER,  Tennessee 
OLIN  D.  JOHNSTON,  South  Carolina 
THOMAS  C.  HENNINGS,  JR.,  Missouri 
JOHN  L.  McCLELLAN,  Arkansas 
PRICE  DANIEL,  Texas 
JOSEPH  C.  O'MAHONEY,  Wyoming 
MATTHEW  M.  NEELY,  West  Virginia 


ALEXANDER  WILEY,  Wisconsin 
WILLIAM  LANGER,  North  Dakota 
WILLIAM  E.  JENNER,  Indiana 
ARTHUR  V.  WATKINS,  Utah 
EVERETT  MCKINLEY  DIRKSEN,  Illinois 
HERMAN  WELKER,  Idaho 
JOHN  MARSHALL  BUTLER,  Maryland 


Subcommittee  To  Investigate  Juvenile  Delinquency  in  the  United  States 

ESTES  KEFAUVER,  Tennessee,  Chairman 
THOMAS  C.  HENNINGS,  Je.,  Missouri  WILLIAM  LANGER,  North  Dakota 

PRICE  DANIEL,  Texas  ALEXANDER  WILEY,  Wisconsin 

James  H.  Bobo,  General  Counsel 
Peter  N.  Chdmbris,  Associate  Counsel 

II 


I 


CONTENTS 


statement  of—  I'age 

Amershadian,  Fred  P.,  founder  and  coorainator  for  Boys  Town  of 

Massachusetts,  Inc.,  Watertown,  Mass 46 

Bergfors,  Fred,  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Quincy,  Mass 40 

Browne,  William  H.,  Hampden  County,  Mass 29 

Bryant,  Nelson  S.,  West  Tisbury,  Mass __         95 

Delia  Chiesa,  Amelio  A.,  mayor  of  Quincy,  Mass 33 

Footit,  William  J.,  Jr.,  police  chief,  Shutesbury,  Mass 26 

Griffin,  Warren,  harbor  development  commission,  Quincy  Chamber 

of  Commerce,  Quincy,  Mass 39 

Hartigan,  Dr.  William,  Revere,  Mass 96 

Hartl,  Emil   M.,  director,   Charles  Hayden  Goodwill  Inn  for  Boys, 

Boston,  Mass 17 

Hurd,    Gordon   K.,    chairman,    advisory   committee,    Boys   Town   of 

Massachusetts,  Inc.,  Medford,  Mass 2 

King,  Starr  M.,  former  superintendent  of  schools,  Beverly,  Mass 12 

O'Connell,  William  A.,  vice  president,  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce, 

Quincy,  Mass 42 

Peyton,  Thomas  L.,  director,  Real  Property  Disposal  Division, 
Public  Buildings  Service,  General  Services  Administration,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C 92 

Rogers,   Hon.   Edith  Nourse  Rogers,   United  States  Representative, 

Fifth  District,  State  of  Massachusetts 21 

EXHIBITS 

Number  and  summary  of  exhibit: 

1.  Aerial  photograph  of  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum, 

Mass 11 

2.  Letter  dated  January  8,  1956,  addressed  to  President  Dwight  D. 

Eisenhower  from  Fred  P.  Amershadian 48 

3.  Letter  dated  March  17,   1956,  addressed  to  Mr.  Fred  P.  Amer- 

shadian from  Houghton  D.  Pearl  and  additional  information.  _         53 

4.  Letter  dated  April  16,   1956,  addressed  to  James  H.  Bobo  from 

several  members  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Legislature 56 

5.  Text  of  a  radio  broadcast  made  over  WJDA,  Quincy,  Mass.,  on 

February  6,  1955 58 

6.  Letter  dated  January  16,  1956,  addressed  to  Mr.  Fred  P.  Amer- 

shadian   from    Thomas    L.    Peyton    of    the    General    Services 
Administration 63 

7.  Comparison  of  the  facilities  at  Peddock's  Island  and  Squantum 

Naval  Air  Base 65 

8.  List  of  the  board  of  directors  and  other  officials  of  the  Boys  Town 

of  Massachusetts,  Inc 68 

9.  Newspaper    articles    appearing   in    the    Quincy    Patriot   Ledger, 

Quincy,  Mass 72 

10.  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  chronology  and  other  information 77 

11.  Letter  dated  March  21,  1956,  addressed  to  J.  J.  O'Connor  from 

Fred  P.  Amershadian 85 

12.  Letter  dated  June  1,  1956,  addressed  to  Congressmen  from  Fred 

P.  Amershadian 87 

13.  Letter  dated  June  5,  1956,  addressed  to  Franklin  G.  Floete  from 

Fred  P.  Amershadian 88 

14.  Letter  dated  June  21,   1956,  addressed  to  Fred  P.  Amershadian 

from  Franklin  G.  Floete 89 

15.  Letter  dated  July  4,   1956,  addressed  to  Congressman  John  W. 

McCormack  from  Fred  P.  Amershadian 90 

16.  Letter  dated  July  6,    1956,   addressed  to  Fred  P.  Amershadian 

from  Russell  G.  Oswald 91 

17.  Letter  dated  January  10,  1956,  addressed  to  Congressman  John 

W.  McCormack  from  William  A.  O'Connell 92 

m 


JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY 

Utilization  of  Surplus  Military  Installations  for  Boys  Town 

Type  Projects 


TUESDAY,   JULY   10,    1956 

United  States  Senate, 
Subcommittee  To  Investigate  Ju^^NILE 
Delinquency  of  the  Comjiittee  on  the  Judiciary, 

Washington^  D.  G. 

The  subcommittee  met,  pursuant  to  call,  at  10 :  15  a.  m.,  in  room  P-63, 
United  States  Capitol,  Senator  Estes  Kefauver  (chairman)  presiding. 

Present :  Senator  Kefauver, 

Also  present :  Representative  Edith  Nourse  Rogers. 

Also  present :  James  H.  Bobo,  general  counsel ;  Peter  N.  Chumbris, 
associate  counsel ;  and  Ca-rl  PeriaM,  research  director. 

Senator  Kefauver.  The  subcommittee  will  come  to  order. 

The  Juvenile  Delinquency  Subcommittee  has  been  holding  hearings 
throughout  the  Nation  on  the  various  aspects  of  causation,  prevention, 
treatment,  and  rehabilitation  of  delinquent  youth.  We  have  looked  at 
a  number  of  communities  and  the  problems  they  have  had  in  this  area. 
On  other  occasions  we  have  studied  various  factors — pornography  for 
example — which  existed  in  all  parts  of  the  United  States  which  we 
felt  to  be  determintal  to  young  people. 

The  hearing  today  will  concern  itself  with  the  prevention  and  re- 
habilitation area  on  a  local  and  national  level.  This  hearing  was  re- 
quested by  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
viewing their  effort  to  obtain  a  portion  of  the  deactivated  naval  air 
station  at  Squantum,  Mass.,  for  a  citizenship  training  program  for 
3'outh  from  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island. 

Viewing  this  morning's  hearing  over  and  above  its  purely  local  as^- 
pects,  however,  the  matter  is  of  utmost  importance  in  the  Nation's 
fight  against  delinquency.  We  will  be  reaching  critical  times  in  the 
next  decade  in  our  efforts  to  control  delinquency.  Even  if  we  succeed 
in  keeping  the  delinquency  rate  at  the  level  it  is  today,  the  tremendous 
increase  in  the  teen-age  population  in  the  next  4  or  5  years  will  pose 
a  grave  problem  to  our  already  overburdened  institutions  handling 
delinquent  youth. 

Thus,  a  partial  solution  to  the  problem  may  be  found  in  the  broader 
aspects  of  the  hearing  which  will  be  concerned  with  the  feasibility  of  a 
new  national  program  of  combating  the  ever  increasing  juvenile  de- 
linquency problem  by  utilizing  as  many  as  30  former  Government 
military  installations  for  Boys  Town  type  projects  serving  thousands 
of  predelinquent  and  delinquent  youth. 


2  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

In  the  hearing  this  morning,  Mr.  Bobo,  chief  counsel  is  present 
to  conduct  the  hearing;  Mr.  Chumbris,  associate  counsel;  and  Mr. 
Perian,  who  has  worked  particularly  on  this  problem. 

I  might  state  that  we  will  hear  as  many  witnesses  as  possible  this 
morning,  and  we  will  discuss  with  the  witnesses  whether  they  can  con- 
tinue over  until  in  the  morning  or  whether  we  can  recess  until  about 
4  o'clock. 

Mr.  Hurd,  j^ou  are  the  first  witness,  I  believe. 

STATEMENT  OF  GOEDON  K.  HURD,  CHAIRMAN,  ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE,  BOYS  TOWN,  MASS.,  INC. 

Senator  Kefaitv^er.  We  are  glad  to  have  you  with  us,  Mr.  Hurd. 

Mr.  Hurd.  As  has  been  noted,  my  name  is  Gordon  K.  Hurd,  and  I 
am  a  resident  of  Medford,  Mass.  Some  of  you,  I  believe,  have  copies 
of  what  I  intended  to  say,  and  therefore  I  may  eliminate  some  parts 
and  perhaps  elaborate  on  others. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Hurd,  I  will  direct  that  your  full  statement 
be  printed  in  the  record,  and  then  you  may  talk  about  any  parts  that 
you  want. 

(The  prepared  statement  of  Gordon  K.  Hurd  is  as  follows:) 

Validity  of  Location  of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  at  Squantum  as  a 
Social  Service  to  the  Youth  Agencies  of  the  Commonwealth  and  as  a  Pilot 
Program  for  the  Use  of  Similar  Surplus  Properties  on  a  Nationwide  Scale 

By  Gordon  K.  Hurd 

Ordinarily,  I  prefer  not  to  read  my  statements  but,  on  this  important  subject, 
I  wish  to  be  sure  of  what  I  am  saying.  With  your  indulgence,  therefore,  I  shall 
read  the  following  which,  with  the  exception  of  noted  quotations,  is  not  "ghost- 
written." 

First,  some  introductory  words  about  myself :  I  was  born  in  the  town  of  Mill- 
bury,  Worcester  County,  Mass.,  of  farm-raised  parents.  My  father  was  then  the 
new  country  doctor  and  answered  all  calls,  regardless  of  weather  or  time  of  day 
or  night.  He  and  my  mother  literally  gave  their  lives  for  other  folks,  near  and 
far,  sharing  their  home  with  many.  Their  example  of  true  neighborliness  was 
one  I  cannot  forget. 

After  completing  a  war-and-marriage-interrupted  course  at  the  University  of 
Massachusetts  with  the  award  of  a  Massachusetts  State  high-school  teacher's  cer- 
tificate in  addition  to  a  bachelor  of  science  degree,  I  moved  my  family  to 
Nebraska.  For  2  years,  I  was  assistant  principal,  instructor  in  all  branches  of 
agriculture,  English,  physics,  mathematics,  social  studies,  carpentry,  forge  and 
auto-mechanic  shops,  faculty  adviser  for  the  student  paper,  YMCA  supervisor, 
and  athletic  coach  at  the  Santee  Normal  Training  School. 

With  that  experience,  plus  4  years  in  industrial  shop  work  during  which,  to 
make  ends  meet  for  my  growing  family,  I  installed,  tuned,  and  serviced  pipe 
organs  and  pianos,  did  carpentry  and  garage  work,  and  designed,  manufactured, 
demonstrated,  and  sold  one  of  the  first  electric  dishwashers,  I  felt  competent  to 
accept  the  call  to  become  a  visitor  for  the  boys'  work  department  of  the  Boston 
Children's  Aid  Association.  For  the  next  21  years,  I  worked  with  boys  from 
courts,  hospital,  and  child-guidance  clinics,  public  and  private  referral  agencies, 
in  foster-home  and  institutional  placements  and  in  their  own  homes.  It  is  of 
the  change  of  emphasis  in  child-placing  and  the  imperative  need  for  Boys  Town 
types  of  institutions  that  I  wish  to  speak  now. 

In  her  recent  Child  Welfare  League  of  America  publication  (November 
195.5),  Helen  R.  Hagan  referred  to  the  "misconceptions  and  illusions  to  which 
public  and  private  agencies  cling,"  including  "outmoded  prejudices  on  one  hand 
and  undeserved  praise  on  the  other,"  which  have  caused  a  "social  work  lag." 

Her  inclusion,  among  outmoded  prejudices,  of  the  Oliver  Twist,  Daddy-Long- 
Legs  concept  of  children's  institutions  was  a  29-year-old  echo  of  one  of  the  first 
precepts  given  me  when  I  went  to  the  Boston  Children's  Aid  Association.  This 
greatly  impressed  me  at  the  time  because  of  my  own  4  small  children:  That 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  3 

chickens  could  be  raised  successfully  in  a  brooder  house,  but  all  children  had  to 
have  a  home  or  fostei"-home  environment  to  develop  properly.  Institutions  were 
almost  out  of  consideration  except  for  the  feeble-minded  or  the  definitely  de- 
linquent.   Now,  the  peudulum  is  swin.ying  the  other  way. 

It  required  several  years,  some  broken  hearts  and  even  lost  lives  to  learn  that, 
to  quote  another  CWL  publication  of  1945,  "the  development  of  institutions 
for  dependent,  neglected,  and  delinquent  children,  like  all  other  child  welfare  or 
social  welfare  efforts,  is  inseparably  interwoven  with  social,  economic  and 
political  forces  and  the  understanding  of  children  and  their  needs."  (Backers 
of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  know  how  true  this  is.) 

Some  of  my  first  experience  with  a  Boys  Town  type  of  institution  was  when 
I  took  boys,  who  were  failing  in  fo.ster-home  placements,  to  the  Connecticut 
Junior  Republic,  at  that  time  under  the  directorship  of  Harold  R.  Strong. 
Later,  we  felt  that  we  had  learned  to  "spot"  the  individuals  who  would  respond 
better  to  group  pressures  and  we  utilized  such  placements,  immediately,  even 
though  limited  in  the  number  of  boys  we  could  serve  because  we  had  to  go 
far  away  as  the  Connecticut  and  George  Junior  Republics,  Children's  Village, 
Berkshire  Industrial  Farm,  and  Father  Flanagan's  Nebraska  Boys  Town,  as 
well  as  several  other  smaller  group  situations. 

When  an  opportunity  came,  in  1948,  to  teach  in  one  of  these  schools  and 
I  was  granted  a  10-year  teacher's  certificate  by  the  New  York  State  Board  of 
Education,  I  welcomed  the  chance  to  get  the  inside  experience  which  merely 
placing  boys  in  institutions  had  not  provided. 

Two  years  earlier,  a  group  of  noteworthy  Massachusetts  men  and  women, 
including  Arthur  T.  Lyman,  then  commissioner  of  correction.  Dr.  Miriam  Van 
Waters,  superintendent  of  the  reformatory  for  women  at  Framingham,  Rt.  Rev. 
William  Appleton  Lawrence,  and  Rt.  Rev.  Cornelius  T.  H.  Sherlock,  Chilton 
Cabot,  vice  president  of  the  Old  Colony  Trust  Co.  and  Arthur  Harris,  vice 
president  of  the  Boston  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Co.,  had  started  an  attempt  to 
provide,  for  Massachusetts,  the  "Bay  State  Schools"  to  meet  the  growing  need 
for  boys  (and  girls)  town-types  of  institutions  in  the  Commonwealth. 

In  cooperation  with  my  children's  aid  associate  worker,  Ralph  E.  Stevens, 
who  had  know  the  Fords  at  the  Rockefeller  camp  in  Maine,  we  wrote  to  Henry 
Ford  II  supporting  the  request  that  the  Bay  State  Schools  should  be  granted  the 
use  of  the  Ford  Wayside  School  for  Boys,  in  Sudbury,  which  had  been  so  sum- 
marily closed  following  the  death  of  Henry  Ford  I.  As  a  result  of  this  and 
other  appeals  from  several  influential  people,  including  the  then  Massachu- 
setts Governor,  Robert  F.  Bradford,  Bay  State  Schools  was  offered  the  experi- 
mental use  of  the  Wayside  School  property  for  the  nominal  rental  sum  of  $1 
for  a  year. 

Failure  of  the  Bay  State  Schools  to  get  sufficient  financial  backing  to  start 
several  similar  schools  throughout  the  State  at  the  same  time  allowed  the 
offered  lease  to  lapse  without  any  attempt  to  start  even  that  one  school.  I  knew, 
because  I  had  placed  boys  there,  what  a  serious  loss  that  was  to  Massachusetts 
placement  resources  for  deserving  boys.  One  of  my  boys,  an  orphan  from 
South  Boston  who  had  been  just  saved  from  becoming  delinquent  and  had 
been  admitted  to  the  Wayside  School  because  of  his  excellent  record  in  a  pre- 
vious summer  work  placement,  was  one  of  many  boys  there  whose  only  home, 
security,  and  chances  of  completing  high  school  were  swept  away  by  the  clos- 
ing of  the  Wayside  School  after  Henry  Ford's  death. 

At  this  point  I  would  state  that,  as  an  expression  of  endorsement,  the  Bay 
State  Schools  turned  over  their  remaining  assets  and  good  will  to  the  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts  supporters. 

When  the  "Committee  of  Twelve  Young  Men"  attempted  to  get  the  same  prop- 
erty, 4  years  later,  for  a  first  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  unit,  I  was  involved 
as  their  volunteer  adviser  and  I  know  what  happened  and  why.  I  shall  merely 
state  that  the  unwillingness  of  the  Ford  AVayside  trustees  to  make  a  second 
offer  of  the  property  for  school  purposes  did  not  stop  the  Boys  Town  of  INIassa- 
chu.setts  group  which,  surmounting  repeated  rebuffs,  is  now  on  the  threshold 
of  being  able  to  perform  a  far  greater  service  for  the  youth  of  Massachusetts 
and,  through  a  pilot  project  at  Squantum,  for  the  youth  of  our  America. 

Many  honest  adults,  who  can  look  objectively  at  their  own  as  well  as  other 
peoples'  children,  must  admit  that  situations  often  arise  in  which  good  group 
activities  are  invaluable  in  influencing  a  child's  development.  This  is  particu- 
larly true  when  a  child  has  acquired  an  antagonism  toward  adult  direction,  no 
matter  how  apparently  wise  and  well-intentioned  that  authority  may  be. 


4  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

In  recalling  my  own  youth,  with  faihire  confronting  me  in  high  school,  while 
in  my  better-than-average  home,  it  took  2  years  in  a  boarding  school,  inter- 
spersed with  a  year's  work  in  the  country,  to  make  me  an  honor  student.  It  is 
true  that  children  cannot  be  helped  by  institutional  care  unless  they  can  make 
use  of  the  group  situation  or,  at  least,  not  be  injured  by  it,  but  experience  has 
given  some  general  guidance  as  to  when  institutional  care,  such  as  in  a  Boys 
Town-type  of  school,  may  be  advisable  for  a  child.     For  example  : 

(a)  Children  who  have  been  so  hurt  by  disrupting  family  experiences  that 
they  cannot  be  receptive  and  responsive  to  family  living.  After  a  period  of 
understanding  care  and  treatment  in  a  more  neutral  environment,  which  can  be 
offered  in  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  some  may  be  ready  for  foster  family 
care,  or  some  may  be  able  to  return  to  their  own  homes,  especially  when  help 
has  been  given  in  working  out  problems  there,  and  some  may  require  longer 
institutional  care  until  they  reach  greater  maturity  and  adjustment. 

(6)  Children  of  school  age  whose  chief  need  is  that  of  substitute  care  and 
supervision  of  their  training  and  development,  even  though  they  may  have  satis- 
fying emotional  ties  with  their  own  parent  in  the  case  of  death  or  divorce  of 
the  other  parent. 

(c)  Because  adolescence  is  a  period  of  becoming  independent  of  close  parental 
ties,  temporary  institutional  care  may  be  helpful  to  children  of  that  age,  as  it 
was  in  my  own  case,  in  learning  the  real  qualities  of  family  loyalty  and  social 
responsibility. 

id)  Children,  on  the  other  hand,  who  are  so  untrained  socially  that  they  can- 
not fit  into  a  private  family  life  can  be  helped  through  the  consistent  daily  living 
routine  which  is  followed  by  the  group  in  an  institution  like  a  Boys  Town  of 
Massachusetts.  This  group  routine  should  not  be  overdone  to  the  point  of 
stifling  initiative  and  the  development  of  self-management,  but,  within  reason,  it 
can  make  good  social  habits  generally  acceptable  instead  of  just  a  personal  issue 
to  the  child.  A  Boys  Town  institution  can  also  offer  greater  tolerance  of  trouble- 
some behavior  and  diflScult  personality  than  can  be  found  in  the  ordinary  family 
and  community  environment. 

(e)  Socially  retarded  children  who  need  opportunity  for  self-expression,  broad- 
ening of  personality  and  the  gaining  of  success  and  recognition  through  some  of 
the  activities  which  can  be  provided  in  a  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts.  There 
can  be  rich  opportunities  for  group  association  on  the  level  a  boy  can  use  in 
special  programs  and  various  activities  which  can  help  him  to  develop  skills  and 
social  relationships. 

(/)  Children  who  need  special  facilities  for  diagnostic  observation  and  study 
and  consistent  coordinated  treatment.  In  a  location,  such  as  Squantum,  in 
proximity  to  Boston,  it  is  possible  to  have  expert  child  care,  group  work,  case 
work,  a  psychiatric,  educational,  and  medical  staff  who  can  pool  their  under- 
standing of  a  child  and  direct  all  phases  of  his  environment  and  life  experience 
to  an  extent  which  is  impossible  in  the  average  community. 

While  speaking  of  location,  it  must  be  emphasized  that  it  is  of  major  impor- 
tance in  the  creation  and  operation  of  a  good  program.  Factors  associated 
with  location  can  be  either  assets  or  liabilities  to  the  total  treatment  effort. 
Although  possession  of  a  place  in  the  country  can  be  a  valuable  adjunct  to  a 
school,  the  location  of  an  institution  in  a  rural  area,  far  removed  from  a  com- 
munity of  any  size,  severely  handicaps  its  efforts  in  a  modern  program.  The 
maximum  treatment  potential  of  such  a  school  cannot  be  realized,  because  it  is 
often  difficult  to  attract  and  hold  a  competent  staff.  Community  resources, 
such  as  medical  and  psychiatric  services,  are  not  as  readily  available  to  the 
program  as  they  would  be  at  Squantum,  for  example.  Sometimes  transportation 
is  so  arduous  that  relatives  and/or  friends  of  the  students  cannot  visit  them  as 
frequently  as  might  be  desirable. 

In  order  to  further  evaluate  the  proposed  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  insti- 
tutional program  at  Squantum,  it  is  well  to  refer,  again,  to  the  aforementioned 
CWL  publications :  "We  have  not  had  general  agreement  among  institutions 
as  to  the  primary  purpose  of  their  care  of  children.  Many  institutions  wei'e 
set  up  chiefly  as  places  to  live,  and  some  of  these  still  provide  little  more  than 
shelter  and  custody."  One  of  the  unfortunate  conditions  existing  in  the  social- 
work  field  has  been  rivalry  and  lack  of  responsibility  between  agencies  and 
institutions  with  children  lieing  pawns  in  the  game.  It  is  well  known  by  workers 
on  the  inside  that  the  dishonesty  of  desperation  is  too  frequently  the  basis  on 
which  children  have  been  referred  to  institutions,  particularly  those  which  would 
take  only  "good  children."  An  applicant  agency,  faced  with  practically  pro- 
viding a  certificate  that  a  child  was  problem-free,  would  whittle  off  a  probleni 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  5 

here,  tone  down  a  problem  there,  and  finally  almost  become  convinced,  itself, 
that  the  particular  child  was  no  problem — all  he  needed  was  another  chance. 
When  trouble  occurred,  mistrust  and  suspicion  resulted  and,  often,  the  child 
would  be  bounced  back  to  the  referral  source  without  furtlier  ado  and  with 
almost  invariable  damage  to  the  personal  relationships  of  all  concerned. 

"Leading  institution,  today,  are  coming  to  think,  increasingly,  in  terms  of 
treatment — providing  care  which  promotes  consti'uctive  growth  and  development. 
Children  do  grow  and  develop  wherever  they  are."  They  may  regress  rather 
than  progress,  however.  "Therefore  an  institution  which  is  thoughtful  and 
serious  about  its  responsibility  must  accept  the  challenge  of  utilizing  the  best 
that  is  known  about  children  and  how  they  can  be  helped." 

"Progress  is  being  made  from  the  days  when  many  institutions  were  directed 
by  retired  people,  too  old  or  inadequate  to  secure  other  employment;  when 
institutional  social  work  was  the  responsibility  of  the  ex-superintendent's  widow, 
or  a  volunteer  or  an  incompetent  board  member;  when  hovise  parents  were 
frequently  indigent  relatives  of  board  members  or  residents  of  the  community 
in  needy  financial  circumstances." 

Being  comparatively  new  in  the  field,  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  has  no 
hampering  outmoded  traditions  or  "back  number"  board  members.  Its  pro- 
gram, prepared  by  young  and  experienced  men,  in  consultation  with  the  Chil- 
dren's Bureau  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Department  of  Health,  Education, 
and  Welfare,  has  repeatedly  and  rightfully  been  termed  an  "ambitious"  one. 
If  offers  casework  treatment  for  the  individual  with  a  view  of  orienting  him 
in  a  collaboi'ating  self-government  program  as  soon  as  he  is  capable  of  participat- 
ing in  it.  In  addition,  the  program  is  designed  to  include  clinic  weekend  treat- 
ment plus  summertiine  periods  of  citizenship  training. 

Backed  by  forward-looking  citizens  in  public  and  private  life,  with  bipartisan 
political  support.  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts'  appeal  is  for  action  to  stop 
delaying  tactics  and  to  make  the  requested  portion  of  this  public  property  at 
Squantum  available  as  soon  as  possible.  It  is  "ambitious"  to  get  going  and  do 
something  rather  than  just  continue  to  talk  about  the  rising  menace  of 
delinquency. 

This  location  at  Squantum,  unsurpassed  in  the  training  of  men,  is  within 
easy  access  to  some  of  the  best  professional  social  and  educational  cooperative 
enterprises  in  the  world.  I  appeal  to  you  to  unshackle  the  supporters  of  this 
pilot  project  from  further  struggle  to  obtain  what,  rightfully,  should  belong 
to  the  youth  of  America. 

Many,  many  men  of  tomorrow,  all  over  our  country,  will  have  their  destinies 
determined  by  what  you  decide,  here  and  now. 

Mr.  HuRD.  Thank  you,  Senator. 

I  have  chosen  as  my  topic  the  validity  of  the  location  of  a  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts  Institution  at  Squantum  as  a  social  service 
to  the  youth  agencies  of  the  Commonwealth  and  as  a  pilot  program  for 
the  use  of  similar  surplus  properties  on  a  nationwide  scale. 

First,  some  introductory  words  about  myself.  I  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Millbury,  Worcester  County,  Mass.,  of  farm-raised  parents. 
My  father  was  then  the  new  country  doctor  and  answered  all  calls, 
regardless  of  weather  or  time  of  day  or  night.  And  he  and  my  mother 
literally  gave  their  lives  for  other  folks.  They  shared  their  home 
with  a  great  many.  And  their  example  of  true  neighborliness  is  of 
something  which  gave  me  my  start  and  perhaps  atfected  the  rest  of 
my  life.  It  is  something  I  cannot  forget.  And  I  know  that  they  would 
be  pleased  to  have  me  doing  what  I  am  doing  now. 

My  college  course  was  interrupted  by  the  war,  and  I  was  married 
during  the  time  that  I  was  in  the  service.  But  I  did  complete  my 
course  there,  and  was  awarded  a  Massachusetts  State  high  school 
teacher's  certificate.  At  the  same  time  I  received  my  bachelor  of 
science  degree. 

Following  my  graduation  I  moved  my  family  to  Nebraska,  and  for 
2  years  I  was  assistant  principal,  instructor  in  all  branches  of  agricul- 
ture, English,  physics,  mathematics,  social  studies,  carpentry,  forge 


b  JTJVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

and  auto  mechanic  shops,  faculty  adviser  for  the  student  paper, 
YIMCA  supervisor,  and  athletic  coach  at  the  Santee  Normal  Training 
School. 

With  that  experience  and  4  years  in  industry,  when  I  returned  to 
Massachusetts  I  felt  able  and  confident  to  accept  a  call  to  become  a 
visitor  for  the  boys'  work  department  of  the  Boston  Children's  Aid 
Association.  I  had  been  called  twice  before  to  do  that,  but  this  time 
the  call  seemed  to  be  something  which  I  was  duty  bound  to  accept. 

For  the  next  21  years  I  worked  with  boys  from  courts,  hospital,  and 
child  guidance  clinics,  public  and  private  referral  agencies,  in  foster 
homes  and  institutional  placements,  and  in  their  own  homes. 

During  that  experience  I  had  boys,  many  of  whom  were  very  seri- 
ous cases,  coming  from  the  courts,  guilty  of  everything  from  armed 
robbery  to  incest  or  sex  perversions,  or  even  one  boy  tried  to  shoot  his 
foster  mother  during  the  time  that  I  handled  that. 

But  throughout  that  time  I  found  that  the  personal  touch  and  the 
personal  contact  and  relationships  which  I  was  able  to  establish  with 
these  boys  helped  them  in  almost  every  instance,  particularly  boys 
who  were  not  such  serious  problems  to  begin  with,  but  would  have 
become  serious  problems  without  the  help  we  were  able  to  give  them. 

There  has  been  a  change  in  emphasis  which  has  taken  place  in 
child  placing.  When  I  first  went  to  the  children's  aid  institutional 
care  seemed  to  be  something  practically  out  of  consideration.  The 
feeling  was,  well — the  thing  was,  you  could  breed  chickens  and  could 
raise  chickens  in  a  brooder  house,  but  children  had  to  have  a  home  en- 
vironment in  order  to  get  a  decent  start  in  life.  That  was  taught 
me  when  I  first  went  to  the  children's  aid,  and  that  was  what  Helen  R. 
Hagan  referred  to  in  her  Child  Welfare  League  publication  concern- 
ing institutions. 

There  was  an  old  Daddy  Long  Legs  feeling,  that  the  old  institution 
was  just  the  place  to  keep  children,  and  didn't  do  much  good. 

But  there  has  been  a  change  in  emphasis  as  time  has  gone  on.  And 
the  pendulum  is  beginning  to  swing  the  other  way. 

It  took  several  years,  and  a  number  of  broken  hearts,  and  even  lost 
lives,  to  learn,  to  quote  another  Child  Welfare  League  publication, 
the  Development  of  Institutions  for  Dependent,  Neglected,  and  De- 
linquent Children,  like  all  other  child-welfare  or  social-welfare  efforts, 
is  inseparately  interwoven  with  social,  economic,  and  political  forces 
and  the  understanding  of  children  and  their  needs. 

I  know  the  backers  of  Boys  Town  in  Massachusetts  have  found  out 
how  true  that  is. 

So  my  first  experience  with  a  Boys  Town  type  of  institution  was 
when  I  took  boys  who  were  failing  in  foster  home  placements  to  the 
Connecticut  Junior  Eepublic,  at  that  time  under  the  directorship  of 
Harold  R.  Strong,  who  has  since  become  quite  nationally  famous. 
Later  on  we  felt  that  we  had  learned  to  spot  the  type  of  boy  who 
would  fail  in  a  foster  home — we  knew  pretty  certainly  he  would  fail, 
and  we  placed  him  in  institutions  to  start  with  as  far  as  we  could.  But 
we  were  handicapped,  because  we  didn't  have  enough  institutional 
placements  for  these  boys. 

And  very  often  we  had  to  go — there  was  no  places  in  Massachusetts 
for  that  type  of  a  boy,  if  they  were  not  acceptable  to  some  of  the  small 
institutions  we  had  to  go  to  the  Connecticut  Junior  Republic  or  the 
Children's  Village  down  in  Bobbs  Ferry,  N.  Y.,  or  the  George  Junior 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  7 

Eepiiblics,  Berkshire  Industrial  Farm,  Father  Flanagan's  Nebraska 
Boy  Town,  as  well  as  several  other  smaller  group  situations. 

And  of  course,  that  again  just  scratched  the  surface,  that  is  one  of 
the  things  which  will  be  brought  out  in  this  hearing  today.  What  we 
have  done  before  in  our  years — and  I  gave  the  best  years  of  my  life 
to  do  it — what  we  have  done  in  placing  the  boys  just  scratched  the 
surface. 

We  found  out  what  could  be  done  with  them  and  what  had  to  be  done 
with  them,  but  there  wasn't  the  place  to  do  it,  and  there  isn't  the 
place  to  do  it  anywhere  in  the  country  today  on  the  scale  it  needs  to  be 
done. 

Senator  Kefau\ter.  How  many  schools  or  Boys  Town-type  organi- 
zations are  there  in  the  United  States  today  ? 

Mr.  HuRD.  Well,  I  think  there  are  somewhere  around  38,  I  don't 
know  exactly.  But  many  States  have  them.  Massachusetts,  which 
is  one  with  concentrated  populations  does  not,  and  never  has.  And 
as  I  will  bring  out  later  in  my  talk,  an  effort  was  made  in  Massa- 
chusetts. 

In  19-18  an  opportunity  came  to  teach  in  one  of  these  schools,  and 
I  w^as  granted  a  10-year  teaclier's  certificate  by  the  New  York  State 
Board  of  Education.  I  rather  welcomed  that  chance  to  get  the  inside 
experience  which  merely  placing  boys  in  institutions  had  not  provided. 

There  is  a  vast  difference  between  just  placing  them  there  and  leav- 
ing them  there  and  being  there  wdiile  they  are  there  and  seeing  what 
goes  on  in  the  institutional  work.  I  had  tried  to  help  the  boys  that 
started  and  set  up  in  the  State,  and  I  felt  this  was  somewhere  I  could 
start. 

Two  years  earlier,  a  group  of  notew-orthy  Massachusetts  men  and 
women,  including  Arthur  T.  Lyman,  then  commissioner  of  correction, 
Dr.  Miriam  Van  Waters,  superintendent  of  the  reformatory  for  women 
at  Framingham,  Kt.  Kev.  William  Appleton  Lawrence,  and  Kt.  Kev. 
Cornelius  T.  H.  Sherlock,  Chilton  Cabot,  vice  president  of  the  Old 
Colony  Trust  Co.,  and  Arthur  Harris,  vice  president  of  the  Boston 
Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Co.,  had  started  an  attempt  to  provide  for  Massa- 
chusetts the  Bay  State  Schools  to  meet  the  growing  need  for  boys' — 
and  girls' — town  types  of  institutions  in  the  Commonwealth. 

In  cooperation  with  my  Children's  Aid  associate  worker,  Ralph  E. 
Stevens,  who  had  known  the  Fords  at  the  Rockefeller  camp  in  Maine, 
we  wrote  to  Henry  Ford  II  supporting  the  request  that  the  Bay  State 
Schools  should  be  granted  the  use  of  the  Ford  Wayside  School  for 
Boys  in  Sudbury,  which  had  been  so  summarily  closed  following  the 
death  of  Henry  Ford  I.  And  Henry  Ford,  through  the  Ford  trustees, 
did  make  that  offer  of  the  Wayside  Inn  School  for  the  nominal  rent 
of  $1  a  year  for  the  experimental  work. 

But  the  Bay  State  Schools  didn't  get  sufficient  financial  backing 
to  start  several  of  these  schools  throughout  the  State  at  the  same  time. 
That  was  their  desire.  And  I  knew,  because  I  had  placed  boys  there, 
what  a  serious  loss  that  was  to  Massachusetts  placement  resources  for 
deserving  boys. 

One  of  my  boys,  an  orphan  from  South  Boston  who  had  been  just 
saved  from  liecoming  delinquent  and  had  been  admitted  to  the  Way- 
side School  because  of  his  excellent  record  in  a  previous  summer  work 
placement,  was  one  of  many  boys  there  whose  only  home,  security,  and 


S  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

chance  of  completing  high  school  was  swept  away  by  the  closmg  of  the 
Wayside  School  after  Henry  Ford's  death. 

And  I  would,  state  right  here,  as  an  expression  of  endorsement, 
that  the  Bay  State  Schools  turned  over  their  remaining  assets  and 
good  will  to  the  Boys'  Town  of  Massachusetts  supporters. 

When  the  Committee  of  Twelve  Young  Men  attempted  to  get  the 
same  property  4  years  later  for  a  first  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts 
unit,  I  was  involved  as  their  volunteer  adviser  and  I  know  what  hap- 
pened and  why.  But  I  shall  merely  state  that  the  unwillingness  of  the 
Ford  Wayside  trustees  to  make  a  second  otf er  of  the  property  for  school 
purposes  did  not  stop  the  Boys'  ToAvn  of  Massachusetts  group  which, 
surmounting  repeated  rebuffs,  is  now  on  the  threshold  of  being  able  to 
perform  a  far  greater  service  for  the  youth  of  Massachusetts  and 
through  a  pilot  project  at  Squantum,  for  the  youth  of  America. 

Many  honest  adults,  who  can  look  objectively  at  their  own  as  well 
as  other  people's  cliildren,  must  admit  that  situations  often  arise 
in  which  good  group  activities  are  invaluable  in  influencing  a  child's 
development.  This  is  particularly  true  when  a  child  has  acquired  an 
antagonism  toward  adult  direction,  no  matter  how  apparently  wise 
and  well  intentioned  that  authority  may  be.  And  we  know  many  of 
them  like  that, 

Anr  when  I  think  back  on  my  own  youth,  I  was  f  ailiixg  high  school — 
even  though  I  was  living  in  a  better-than-average  home  I  was  failing — 
and  it  took  2  years  in  a  boarding  school,  interspersed  with  a  year's  work 
in  the  country,  to  make  me  an  honor  student. 

It  is  true  that  children  cannot  be  helped  by  institutional  care  unless 
they  can  make  use  of  a  group  situation,  or  at  least  not  be  injured  by 
it.  But  experience  has  given  some  general  guidance  as  to  when  insti- 
tutional care  such  as  a  Boys'  Town  of  Massachusetts  type  of  school 
may  be  advisable  for  a  child.  And  I  have  listed  here  a  number  of 
types  of  children.  You  have  that  list  in  front  of  you.  So,  I  will  just 
briefly  mention,  those  are  the  children  who  have  been  so  hurt  by  broken 
homes  and  quarreling  in  the  homes  that  they  just  can't  fit  into  a  foster 
home ;  they  have  to  be  in  a  place  like  a  Boys'  Town,  where  they  respond 
to  the  group  pressures,  where  they  do  things  because  they  find  out  that 
it  is  the  thing  to  do. 

There  are  many  children  of  school  age  who  need  substitute  care  and 
■supervision  even  though  they  may  have  a  pretty  good  relationship 
with  one  or  another  parent,  because  another  parent  has  died  or  has 
been  divorced. 

And  then,  as  in  my  own  case,  adolescence  is  a  period  of  becoming 
independent  of  close  parental  ties. 

Sometimes  temporary  institutional  care  is  helpful  to  children  of  that 
age,  and,  as  in  my  case,  learning  the  realities  of  family  loyalty  and 
social  responsibility. 

And  then  there  are  the  children  who  are  so  untrained  socially  that 
they  are  just  a  nuisance  in  any  community.  They  just  can't  be  accepted 
in  any  community.  They  are  always  in  trouble,  not  particularly  serious 
trouble,  but  they  are  just  nuisances.  And  those  children  definitely 
need  that  kind  of  a  placement  in  order  to  help  them  learn  self-manage- 
ment and  not  stifle  their  initiative,  not  beat  them  down,  but  direct  it. 

And  they  learn  this  direction  through  association  with  children  of 
their  own  age.  Then,  of  course,  there  are  socially  retarded  children 
who  need  an  opportunity  for  self-expression  that  has  been  stifled  in 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  \) 

the  environment  where  they  are,  and  they  can  get  that ;  they  can  get  a 
broadening  of  personality,  and  they  can  gain  success  and  recognition 
througli  some  of  the  activities  which  are  provided  in  a  Boys'  Town 
t3'pe  of  institution. 

There  can  be  rich  opportunities  for  gi'oup  association  on  the  level  a 
boy  can  use  in  special  programs  and  various  activities  which  help  him 
to  develop  skills  and  social  relationships. 

And  there  are  the  children  who  are  definitely  not  bad ;  they  haven't 
become  delinquent,  but  they  do  need  special  facilities  for  diagnostic 
observation  and  study,  consistent,  coordinated  treatment. 

In  a  location  such  as  Squantum,  in  proximity  to  Boston,  it  is  possible- 
to  have  expert  child  care,  group  work,  casework,  psychiatric,  education, 
and  medical  staffs,  who  can  pool  their  understanding  of  the  child  and 
direct  all  phases  of  his  environment  and  life  experience  to  an  extent 
which  is  impossible  in  the  average  community. 

Wliile  speaking  of  location,  it  must  be  emphasized  that  it  is  of  major 
importance  in  the  creation  and  operation  of  a  good  program.  As  the 
Child  Welfare  League  has  brought  out,  and  we  have  found  it  true 
more  and  more — even  the  other  day  on  the  car  radio  I  heard  that  the 
Farm  and  Trade  School,  which  is  an  old,  old  institution  on  Thomp- 
son's Island  in  Boston  Harbor,  is  changing  its  name.  It  is  not  going 
to  be  the  Farm  and  Trade  School  anymore,  it  is  going  to  be  the 
Thompson's  Island  School. 

That  is  because  they  believe  that  in  New  England,  in  Massachusetts 
in  particular,  that  part  of  Massachusetts,  farming  has  lost  its  value, 
its  emphasis.  It  is  a  good  thing  for  youngsters  to  have  a  place  where 
they  can  grow  things  in  a  small  garden;  large-scale  farming  in  that 
part  of  the  country  is  on  its  way  out,  with  the  development  of  ma- 
chinery and  means  of  farming. 

I  think  of  my  old  country  place  in  New  Hampshire  where  my  an- 
cestors worked  around  the  clock  for  many  years,  and  now  my  sons 
have  had  the  place  bulldozed  out  so  that  they  can  put  in  a  hay-baler. 
But  that  is  just  a  hay-baler  that  has  come  to  the  old  place.  General 
farming  is  still  done.  These  boys  need  to  be  adapted  to  urban  and 
city  living,  the  kind  of  living  they  are  going  to  have  to  do  when  they 
get  out,  the  kind  of  living  that  many  of  them  had  before  they  came. 

It  is  difficult,  too,  in  these  places,  so  far  removed  from  urban  centers, 
to  get  the  services  you  need,  the  staff  you  need  in  a  modern  child-care, 
social  work  program. 

In  order  to  further  evaluate  the  proposed  Boys  Town  of  Massachu- 
setts institutional  program  at  Squamtum,  Mass.,  it  is  well  to  refer 
again  to  the  aforementioned  Child  Welfare  League  publications : 

We  have  not  had  general  agreement  among  institutions  as  to  the  primary 
purpose  of  their  care  of  children.  Many  institutions  were  set  up  chiefly  as 
places  to  live,  and  some  of  these  still  provide  little  more  than  shelter  and  custody. 

One  of  the  unfortunate  conditions  existing  in  the  social  work  field  has  heen 
rivalry  and  lack  of  responsibility  between  the  agencies  and  institutions  with 
children  being  pawns  in  the  game.  It  is  well  known  by  workers  on  the  inside 
that  the  "dishonesty  of  desperation"  is  too  frequently  the  basis  upon  which 
children  have  been  referred  to  institutions,  particularly  those  which  would  take 
only  "good  children."  An  applicant  agency,  faced  with  practically  providing  a 
certificate  that  a  child  was  problem-free,  would  whittle  off  a  problem  here,  tone 
down  a  problem  there,  and  finally  almost  become  convinced  itself  that  the  par- 
ticular child  was  no  problem,  all  he  needed  was  another  chance. 

And  when  trouble  occurred,  mistrust  and  suspicion  resulted,  and  often  the 
child  would  be  bounced  back  to  the  referral  source  without  further  ado,  and  with 
almost  invariable  damage  to  the  personal  relationships  of  all  concerned. 


10  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

And  further  quoting : 

Leading  institutions  today  are  coming  to  think  increasingly  in  terms  of  treat- 
ment, providing  care  wliich  promotes  constructive  growth  and  development. 
Children  do  grow  and  develop  wherever  they  are — 

They  may  regress  rather  than  progress,  however — 

Therefore  an  institution  which  is  thoughtful  and  serious  about  its  responsi- 
bility must  accept  the  challenge  of  utilizing  the  best  that  is  known  about  children 
and  how  they  can  be  helped. 

Progress  is  being  made  from  the  days  when  many  institutions  were  directed 
by  retired  people,  too  old  or  inadequate  to  secure  other  employment ;  when  in- 
stitutional social  work  was  the  responsibility  of  the  ex-superintendent's  widow, 
or  a  volunteer  or  an  incompetent  board  member ;  when  house  parents  were  fre- 
quently indigent  relatives  of  board  members,  or  residents  of  the  community  in 
needy  financial  circumstances. 

But  here  is  where  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  comes  in,  without 
the  handicap  of  any  back  number  board  members  or  any  outmoded 
traditions.  Its  program  has  been  prepared  by  experienced  young  men 
in  consultation  with  the  Children's  Bureau  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  Department  of  Health,  Education,  and  Welfare,  and  has  re- 
peatedly and  rightfully  been  termed  an  "ambitious"  one.  It  offers 
casework  treatment  for  the  individual  with  the  view  of  orienting  him 
in  a  collaborating  self-government  program  as  soon  as  he  is  capable 
of  participating  in  it. 

In  addition,  the  program  is  designed  to  include  clinic  w^eekend  treat- 
ment for  summertime  periods  of  citizenship  training.  Now  that  is 
something  brandnew.  And  it  is  available  at  this  place  at  the  build- 
ings that  there  are,  and  it  has  never  been  available  in  any  previous 
place  where  boys  have  been  kept  anywhere  in  this  country. 

This  weekend  citizenship  training  period  is  new,  and  it  has  wonder- 
ful possibilities.  In  addition,  the  building  which  is  there  has  been  seen 
by  some  members  of  our  committee,  provides  a  place  where  over  2-week 
periods  in  the  summertime,  youngsters  can  go  for  citizenship  training 
in  quantity  and  in  numbers  which  have  never  been  equaled  anywhere. 

Backed  by  forward-looking  citizens  in  public  and  private  life,  with 
bipartisan  political  support.  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  appeal  is 
for  action  to  stop  delaying  tactics  and  to  make  the  requested  portion  of 
this  public  property  at  Squantum  available  as  soon  as  possible.  It  is 
ambitious  to  get  going  and  do  something  rather  than  just  continue 
to  talk  about  the  rising  menace  of  delinquency. 

This  location  at  Squantum,  unsurpassed  in  the  training  of  men,  is 
within  easy  access  of  some  of  the  best  professional  and  social  coopera- 
tive enterprises  in  the  world.  I  appeal  to  you  to  unshackle  the  sup- 
porters of  this  pilot  project  from  further  struggle  to  obtain  what, 
rightfully,  should  belong  to  the  youth  of  America. 

Many  men  of  tomorrow  all  over  our  country  will  have  their  destinies 
determined  by  what  you  decide  here  and  now. 

Senator  Kefaua^r.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Hurd. 

Mr.  Bobo,  will  other  witnesses  outline  the  state  of  negotiations  for 
the  record  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  Yes,  sir ;  they  will. 

Mr.  Hurd.  I  have  this  to  submit  for  Squantum. 

Senator  I^fauver.  That  will  be  exliibit  No.  1. 


Jin^ENILE    DELINQUENCY  11 

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Senator  Kefauver.  How  far  is  the  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station 
from  Boston? 

Mr,  HuRD.  About  1  mile  from  the  city  limits,  although  it  is  an 
isolated  community  all  by  itself.  More  on  that  will  be  brought  out 
by  later  witnesses. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Any  questions,  Mr.  Bobo? 

Mr.  BoBO.  No  questions. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Chumbris? 


12  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Mr.  Chumbris.  No  questions. 

Senator  Kefau\^r.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Hurd.  You  will  be 
here  in  case  we  want  to  ask  you  some  questions  ? 

Mr.  Hurd.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  IvEFAmrER.  Thank  you  for  a  very  fine  statement.  It  is  very 
well  prepared. 

Mr.  Hurd.  Senator,  it  is  a  lifetime  of  experience  that  has  brought 
it  on. 

(A  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Hurd  is  as  follows :) 

Gordon  K.  Hukd 

Mr.  Hurd  was  born  in  Millbury,  Mass.,  April  30,  1897.  He  is  a  graduate  of 
Gushing  Academy,  Asbburnham,  Mass.  (1916),  and  in  1921  received  a  bachelor 
of  science  degree  and  high  school  teacher's  certificate  from  the  University  of 
Massachusetts.  He  was  commissioned  a  second  lieutenant,  Infantry,  United 
States  Army,  in  1918.  For  2  years  he  was  assistant  principal,  instructor  in  all 
branches  of  agriculture,  shop  (carpenter,  auto  mechanics),  athletic  coach,  and 
faculty  adviser  for  student  paper  at  Santee  Normal  Training  School.  For  4 
years  engaged  in  industrial  work.  Mi*.  Hurd  was  for  21  years  a  social  worker  for 
the  boys'  department,  Boston  Children's  Aid  Society,  working  with  courts,  hos- 
pitals, child-guidance  clinics,  placing  boys  in  foster  homes  and  institutions.  He 
was  for  1  year  an  instructor  in  agriculture,  shop,  and  practical  academic  subjects 
at  the  Berkshire  Industrial  Farm,  Canaan,  N.  Y.  Also  worked  as  an  investigator 
and  social  worker  for  Medford  Housing  Authority  and  2  years  for  the  Medford 
Neighborhood  Conservation  Committee.  For  3  years  Mr.  Hurd  worked  for  the 
Community  Betterment  Committee,  Good  Will  Associates,  and  for  4  years  as  a 
voluntary  adviser  for  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts.  He  has  spent  a  lifetime 
working  with  church  and  civic  groups  and  committees. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Starr  M.  King,  former  superintendent  of 
schools,  Beverly,  Mass. 

STATEMENT  OF  STARR  M.  KING,  FORMER  SUPERINTENDENT  OF 
SCHOOLS,  BEVERLY,  MASS. 

Senator  Kefauater.  Mr.  King,  we  are  glad  to  have  you  with  us. 

We  have  a  biographical  statement  about  you,  Mr.  King,  giving 
your  background  and  experience,  which  is  very  impressive,  and  I 
think  we  will  put  it  in  the  record  at  this  point,  and  that  will  relieve 
you  of  the  necessity  of  giving  your  experience  and  background  except 
as  you  want  to. 

(The  biographical  statement  referred  to  is  as  follows :) 

Starr  M.  King 

Mr.  King,  who  lives  in  Beverly,  Mass.,  was  born  March  7,  1895,  and  was 
educated  at  the  University  of  Massachusetts  and  Harvard  University  (graduate 
degree).  He  has  been  in  educational  work  all  his  life,  either  in  private  schools 
(Deerfield  Academy  and  Rutgers  Preparatory  School  for  2  years),  and  the 
remaining  33  years  in  public-school  work.  He  began  as  a  teacher  in  1921  and  7 
years  later,  at  the  age  of  32,  was  elected  superintendent  of  schools  in  Newbury- 
port,  Mass.,  a  city  of  about  16,000.  In  1935,  he  was  elected  superintendent  of 
schools  in  Beverly,  Mass.,  a  position  he  held  until  this  spring  (21  years).  During 
his  28  years  as  a  scliool  administrator,  he  has  been  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
As.'Jociation  of  School  Superintendents,  president  of  the  New  England  Association 
of  School  Superintendents,  and  3  years  ago  was  elected  by  the  superintendents  of 
ASA  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  American  Association  of  School 
Superintendents.  This  executive  committee  AASA  is  considered  the  voice  of 
public  education  in  America.  He  has  been  exposed  to  all  aspects  of  public 
education  and  feels  that  the  problem  of  Boys  Town  is  an  imitortant  aspect  of 
our  educational  problem  for  all  America  and  Mr.  King  is  pleased  to  lend  his 
experience  in  furthering  the  cause.     He  has  no  connection  with  Boys  Town 


JirV'ENILE    DELINQUENCY  15 

personally,  except  to  be  invited  to  examine  the  site  and  from  his  experience  in 
building  construction  and  planning,  express  his  opinion  as  to  its  suitability 
for  educational  use  and  his  understanding  of  the  importance  of  this  method  as 
outlined  in  meeting  the  problem  of  instructing  boys  of  the  type  indicated. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Yon  may  proceed,  sir. 

Mr.  King.  My  name  is  Starr  King.  I  liave  been  a  general  educator. 
Mr.  Hurd,  who  preceded  me,  has  had  more  experience  in  social-service 
work.  My  activities  have  been  for  35  years  associated  with  public- 
school  education.  And  of  that  35  years,  for  28  years  I  have  been 
superintendent  of  the  schools  in  two  Massachusetts  communities,  both 
residential  communities. 

My  concern  has  been  for  good  education,  and  naturally  my  prob- 
lems have  encompassed  everything  from  admitting  a  little  tot  into 
school  at  6  years  of  age  to  the  youngster  graduating  from  high  school 
with  adequate  preparation  for  college. 

I  mention  the  broad  aspects  of  my  experience  simply  because  I  feel 
that  education  is  facing  many  problems  today.  We  see  headlines 
about  integration,  and  we  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  problems 
involved  in  admitting  so  many  youngsters  to  school  that  we  haven't 
room  for,  and  the  problem  of  building  construction.  In  fact,  local 
commimities  are  practically  overwhelmed  with  problems  which  could 
well  develop  mediocrity  in  public  education  unless  we  find  some  means 
for  their  solution.  And  hovering  around  the  fringes  of  these  greater 
problems  to  get  more  publicity,  because  they  involve  larger  sums,  is 
this  question  of  relatively  few  boys  who  are  being  lost  in  the  shuffle, 
boys  that  liave  just  as  much  right  to  consideration,  boys  that  can 
develop  into  a  menace  to  society. 

And  we  have  sort  of  makeshift  ideas  and  many  plans  advanced  by 
many  people  in  the  democratic  society  as  to  how  to  handle  it.  Natu- 
rally my  concern  is  to  handle  them  through  education. 

This  situation  that  brings  this  about  is  perhaps  something  that  so- 
ciety has  created  for  us,  inflation,  and  improvement  in  gadgets  for 
making  living  comfortable  and  easy.  Everybody,  every  citizen,  seems 
to  have  a  desire  to  have  everything  new  that  comes  on  the  market. 
And  in  certain  economic  groups,  individuals  feel  that  both  father  and 
mother  must  work  in  order  to  earn  money  enough  to  have  all  these 
new  things.  Society  has  imposed  this  type  of  problem.  That  means 
that  there  is  more  than  the  usual  nmnber  of  youngsters,  encompassed  in 
my  years  of  association  with  youngsters,  the  depression  years,  the  gay 
twenties,  there  is  more  than  the  ustial  number  of  youngsters  that  are 
footloose  and  wandering  around  and  without  supervision  and  direc- 
tion, and  they  really  need  a  program. 

They  can  pick  out  their  own  program  and  it  isn't  often  good  judg- 
ment, it  is  immature  judgment  on  their  part.  And  I  think  society 
owes  it  to  these  youngsters  to  find  a  good  means,  a  successful  means,  a 
satisfactory  means  through  education  to  take  care  of  these  young 
people. 

There  are  naturally  many  unworthy,  irresponsible  parents.  There 
are,  of  course,  many  more  good  parents.  There  are  ineffectual  teach- 
ers, particularly  in  this  day  of  a  shortage  of  teachers,  and  ineffectual 
teachers  can  contribute  to  delinquency  just  as  much  as  ineffectual 
parents  can,  with  poor  handling  of  the  youngsters  when  problems  come 
up  that  might  be  handled  satisfactorily  by  a  person  who  has  the 
know-how. 

80694 


14  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

There  are  not  enough  higli-grade  people  dedicated  to  this  type  of  in- 
struction to  spread  this  sort  of  thing  over  local  communities.  There 
is  a  great  tendency  in  the  State  departments  in  the  individual  com- 
monwealths to  ask  the  local  communities  more  and  more  to  take  care 
of  their  problems.  Possibly  they  can't  afford  to  build  State  institu- 
tions or  something  of  that  sort.  I  know  that  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts  has  turned  back  to  the  local  communities  the  problem 
of  children  of  low  I.  Q.  ability,  mongoloids,  cretins,  that  type  of 
youngster,  who  a  few  years  ago  we  didn't  think  we  could  educate  at  all, 
but  since  the  parents  of  those  youngsters  feel  they  have  a  right  to 
consideration,  the  local  community  is  asked  to  take  care  of  them. 

Now,  those  are  terrific  burdens  on  local  communities,  and  they  are 
difficult  to  handle  efficiently.  And  it  is  my  considered  opinion  that  by 
assembling  a  sufficient  number  of  boys  that  are  potentially  heading  for 
delinquency  and  assigning  them  to  the  guidance  or  dedicated  and  effi- 
cient teachers  which  can  be  secured  by  concentrating  on  smaller  num- 
bers, that  the  handling  of  this  problem  can  be  much  more  efficient, 
much  more  elfective,  and  much  more  satisfactory. 

Now,  I  have  examined  the  site  of  Squantum.  Naturally  the  com- 
munity in  which  I  live  has  elementary  schools,  it  has  5  of  them  planned, 
2  of  them  completed,  and  a  new  junior  high  school  completed.  We 
have  been  in  the  throes  of  a  tremendous  program  of  building  con- 
struction to  meet  normal  needs.  We  are  way  behind.  And  I  would 
like  to  feel  that  that  gives  me  a  basis  for  examining  buildings,  their 
construction,  their  equipment,  and  knowing  whether  they  are  suitable 
or  not  for  a  project  of  this  type. 

Of  course,  the  Squantum  area  looks  like  a  ghost  town  at  the  present 
time  because  it  has  been  unoccupied  for  a  couple  of  years,  and  to  the 
unpracticed  eye  it  perhaps  looks  like  a  deserted  village  or  something 
unsatisfactory.  However,  we  w^ent  through  all  of  these  buildings 
and  all  of  the  rooms  in  the  buildings.  In  the  first  place,  they  are  of 
sturdy  construction.  The  facilities  for  feeding,  which  are  necessary, 
are  there,  both  the  kitchen  space  and  the  dining  hall  space.  The 
facilities  for  dormitories  are  there,  and  they  are  handy.  They  are  in 
a  compact  location. 

The  idea  of  a  quadrangle  for  a  school  is  essentially  there  to  be  de- 
veloped, the  idea  that  we  had.  And  there  are  materials  in  the  con- 
struction of  these  buildings  that  are  almost  impossible  to  secure  in 
the  normal  building  construction.  For  example,  there  are  wood- 
block floors  which,  when  I  tried  to  get  them  for  my  shops  in  normal 
school  construction,  were  too  expensive,  and  were  denied.  On  the 
other  hand,  a  concrete  floor  in  a  shop  which  handles  tools,  sharp  tools, 
where  this  type  of  tool  is  used  and  dropped  on  the  floor,  as  they 
would  be,  and  are  in  many  cases  where  they  are  learning  to  use  tools, 
and  that  naturally  results  in  replacements  and  unnecessary  cost.  A 
wood  block  is  a  soft  enough  floor  to  take  care  of  that  problem. 

Now,  that,  together  with  tile,  tile  bathrooms^ — there  is  unusually 
fine  plumbing  fixtures  and  piping — that  is  already  there. 

I  think  outstanding  among  all  the  pieces  of  equipment  that  I  saw 
was  one  very  large  hangar,  and  in  fact,  two  hangars,  which  would 
provide  an  enviable  opportunity  for  activities  under  a  roof.  New 
England  weather  is  absolutely  unpredictable;  anyone  going  along 
with  general  educational  programs  that  doesn't  have  gymnasiums 
in  New  England  is  out  of  luck  as  far  as  a  consistent  and  continuous 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  15 

program  of  activities  is  concerned,  simply  because  you  can't  be  sure 
of  the  conditions  of  the  turf  and  the  ground  outside  for  activities  out- 
doors. 

There  are  2  unusually  good  months  in  the  fall,  and  1  or  2  months, 
perhaps,  in  the  spring.  The  rest  of  the  year  is  uncertain.  And  for  a 
school  of  this  sort,  it  would  be  absohitely  essential  that  activities 
contimie  and  the  program  continue  uninterrupted. 

Now,  I  talked  with  my  colleagues  about  this  in  the  Commonwealth 
of  Massachusetts,  just  to  test  my  own  thinking  and  determine  whether 
or  not  the  things  I  am  saying  would  be  reasonably  well  received  by 
other  experienced  schoolmen.  And  I  have  found  no  dissenting  voice. 
1  naturally  went  to  the  community  of  Quincy  because  that  conununity 
is  directly  affected.  I  know  all  of  the  superintendents  well.  We 
meet  at  a'  Harvard  roundtable  once  a  month,  and  we  share  problems 
with  each  other.  And  we  have  talked  about  delinquency  and  I  know 
what  the  general  thought  and  feeling  is  about  it.  And  I  am  sure  that 
an  area  where  every  once  in  a  while  headlines  appear  in  the  press  about 
problems — for  example,  I  have  an  article  here,  Prediction  Tables  on 
Delinquency  Development,  and  another  one,  Adequate  School  Staff 
Seen  as  Cutting  Delinquency — that  was  in  the  Boston  school  system. 

But  who  canhave  the  staff  they  want?  You  are  just  lucky  if  you 
get  the  bare  minimum  of  your  bare  requirements. 

Without  making  any  remarks  about  the  Quincy  superintendent 
of  schools,  who  is  one  of  mj^  close  friends,  I  would  just  like  to  make 
a  few  observations.  Quincy  is  a  city  of  85,000,  approximately.  It  has 
an  evaluation  of  $140  million.  That  means  it  has  around  10  or  11 
thousand  dollars  behind  each  pupil,  and  there  are  about  14,000  pupils 
in  the  school  system.  And  it  has  a  budget  of  over  $4  million.  And 
of  course  those  figures  quickly  mean  something  to  me,  because  I  know 
something  about  the  relative  amounts  of  money  I  spend  for  education 
on  the  basis  of  the  evaluation  of  cities  and  towns  in  Massachusetts. 
And  I  don't  think  anyone  would  deny  that  Quincy  is  one  of  the  best 
heeled  cities  or  towns  in  ability  to  pay  its  bills,  meet  its  municipal 
problems,  as  well  as  its  educational  problems. 

And  there  is  this  area  within  its  city  limits  that  has  been  a  Govern- 
ment piece  of  property.  And  I  can  understand  very  well — I  have 
done  the  very  same  thing  myself — anytime  an  additional  valuation 
can  be  secured,  it  means  more  money  for  the  support  of  schools,  and 
I  would  be  for  it,  as  their  superintendent  is  for  it. 

But  I  would  like  to  point  out  this  fact,  that  in  the — I  don't  mean 
that  they  are  selfish,  but  I  mean  that  in  what  might  be  the  selfish 
desire  to  get  more  and  more  evaluation  for  a  single  community,  which 
may  have  but  a  handful  of  boys  of  the  type  which  we  are  concerned 
with,  they  forget  the  generous  and  humanitarian  consideration  of 
serving  a  number  of  communities  by  providing  this  land  to  take  care 
of  Quincy  youngsters,  who  are  handy  by,  and  North  Shore  and  South 
Shore  youngsters,  and  all  those  in  the  environs  of  Boston,  where  there 
is  probably  a  larger  percentage  of  problems  of  this  kind  as  in  the  rural 
communities  of  western  Massachusetts  or  even  central  Massachusetts. 

And  I  would  like  to  make  a  plea  for  a  great  unselfish  attitude  on 
their  part  to  allow  a  small  section,  just  a  small  section  of  this  area, 
which  would  provide  a  great  running  start  to  this  project.  The 
trouble  that  develops  always  is  money  to  get  started  with.    And  the 


16  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

site  and  the  building  are  a  terrific  outlay  of  money  before  you  are  in 
business,  if  you  want  to  start  from  scratch. 

And  this  seems  like  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  have  a  substantial 
first  step  realized.  The  succeeding  steps  are  comparatively,  relatively, 
easy.  There  are  wonderful  facilities  around  this  site  which  could  be 
developed  for  boating  or  swimming.  After  all,  these  boys  would  not 
only  have  to  have  adequate  work  facilities  and  things  which  would 
tend  to  make  them  useful  members  of  society  in  doing  an  effective 
job  in  society,  but  they  also  need  recreation  and  opportunity  to  grow 
up  as  other  boys  are  allowed  to  grow  up. 

And  those  facilities  are  in  the  form  of  water  sports  that  it  will  be 
possible  to  develop.  It  is  a  flat  area,  and  it  will  be  possible  to  develop 
or  lay  out  fields  or  areas  that  are  easy  to  lay  out  in  a  flat  area  rather 
than  on  a  hillside. 

Altliough  there  my  be  a  tendency  to  reduce  the  farming  activities, 
because  Massachusetts  is  not  a  farming  State,  it  is  still  possible  there 
to  do  some  gardening,  or  provide  some  activity  with  growing  things 
that  lend  some  interest  and  attractiveness  to  some  of  the  boys  who 
might  appear  there. 

I  feel  very  certain  that  the  conditions  that  that  site  provides,  with 
those  conditions,  the  grant  of  a  hundred  acres,  which  is  a  small  por- 
tion— another  fact  that  I  haven't  mentioned  is  that  Quincy  has  already 
received  a  promise  that  they  will  be  allowed  10  acres  for  the  construc- 
tion of  an  elementary  school  on  that  site,  which  is  a  great  running 
start  for  them,  as  I  have  been  through  the  problem  of  finding  a  site 
in  a  local  community  in  a  compact  area  such  as  Massachusetts  is, 
finding  a  site  in  the  right  location  of  sufficient  size  to  build  a  school 
and  then  buying  the  piece  of  property  and  paying  out  the  money  that 
is  necessary  to  acquire  it,  and  I  Imow  that  it  is  an  expense  that  some- 
times holds  it  up  for  a  year  or  two. 

Now,  Quincy  is  already  going  to  profit  by  this  transaction,  and 
secure  a  site  for  an  elementary  school,  given  to  them  outright.  That 
information  came  from  the  superintendent  of  schools. 

I  have  merely  kept  within  the  limits  of  my  own  professional  asso- 
ciation. And  I  know  nothing  about  a  great  many  aspects  of  this 
problem,  the  contribution  to  which  would  come  from  other  members. 

I  would  like  to  make  this  statement :  That  because  of  the  ghost- 
town  appearance  of  this  place,  that  after  this  group  of  humanitarians, 
public-spirited  people  have  secured  this  site,  the  restoration  problem 
will  involve  essentially  these  four  steps:  (1)  Systematic  cleaning  up 
of  the  entire  premises  inside  and  out;  (2)  a  paint  job;  (3)  which 
would  be  a  little  more  expensive — the  supplying  of  all  the  necessary 
equipment  throughout  to  make  provision  for  the  school;  and  (4)  a 
landscaping  job  in  order  to  transform  what  was  once  a  suitable  envi- 
ronment for  an  airbase  into  one  more  attractive  for  a  school. 

Frankly,  the  expense  involved  in  financing  this  restoration  would 
be  a  drop  in  the  bucket  compared  with  the  cost  of  purchasing  land 
and  constructing  the  necessary  buildings,  starting  from  scratch. 

I  am  convinced  that  excellent  possibilities  exist  for  a  schools  of  the 
type  proposed  at  the  Squantum  Naval  Base.  I  trust  that  this  com- 
mittee will  be  sufficiently  impressed  by  (1)  the  definite  need  for  a 
school  of  this  type;  (2)  the  ideal  situation  that  this  particular  Squan- 
tum site  presents  for  its  establislnnent;  and  (3)  the  golden  oppor- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  17 

tunity  offered  to  serve  a  vital  segment  of  our  society  for  whom  so  little 
is  being  done. 

I  further  trust  that  this  committee,  being  so  impressed,  will  feel 
a  moral  obligation  to  support  this  petition. 

Thank  you. 

Senator  KE^AU^^:R.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  King. 

Mr.  King,  as  I  miderstand  it.  Boys  Town  is  a  hundred  acres — or  is 
it  150  acres? 

Mr.  King.  My  information  is  100  acres.  I  think  there  are  over  600 
acres  in  the  entire  plot,  and  I  understand  in  the  particular  area — if 
I  am  wrong  by  50  acres  I  will  be  corrected  by  1  of  my  successors, 
I  am  sure. 

Senator  Kefauaer.  I  have  just  been  reading  an  editorial  from  the 
Quincy  Ledger  of  May  17,  1956,  in  which  they  seem  not  to  go  along 
with  this  idea.  There  seem  to  be  three  particular  arguments  against 
it.  One  is  that  it  is  a  fiat  site  and  there  wouldn't  be  anything  for  the 
boys  to  do,  not  a  suitable  location. 

You  have  spoken  on  that.     Do  you  think 

Mr.  King.  There  certainly  would  be  plenty  for  them  to  do  if  there 
were  people  who  knew  what  to  give  them  to  do  and  how  to  establish 
a  program  for  activities  in  those  buildings  on  that  site.  I  would  feel 
that  landscaping  would  change  the  appearance  of  that  site  a  great 
deal. 

Senator  KE^AU^^ER.  So  it  could  be  made  attractive  ? 

Mr.  King.  I  think  so. 

Senator  Kefaitver.  Another  argument  seems  to  be  that  it  would 
be  bringing  a  lot  of  bad  boys  to  Quincy  from  other  parts  of  the  State 
or  country,  and  that  might  increase  the  police  problem  in  Quinc5\ 

Mr.  King.  Well,  I  don't  feel  that  this  school  woidd  be  a  school  in 
which  they  would  even  know  there  were  any  boys  over  there.  It  will 
be  no  different- — for  example,  I  have  a  school  of  my  own  in  my  own 
community  where  once  in  a  while,  through  misunderstanding,  some- 
one objects  to  sending  a  boy  to  that  school  because  he  is  not  actually 
like  the  other  normal  youngsters  in  the  school.  But  they  never  give 
any  trouble. 

Senator  Kefau\-er.  Mr.  King,  we  thank  you  for  your  very  helpful 
statement.  You  have  had  great  experience  in  the  educational  field. 
Modestly,  you  didn't  exactly  state  all  of  your  attainments,  but  we 
have  them  here,  and  they  will  be  put  in  the  record. 

Our  next  witness,  Mr.  Bobo. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Dr.  Emil  M.  Hartl  of  the  Charles  Hayden  Goodwill  Inn 
for  Boys  of  Morgan  Memorial,  Boston,  Mass. 

STATEMENT  OF  EMIL  M.  HARTL,  DIRECTOR,  CHARLES  HAYDEN 
GOODWILL  INN  FOR  BOYS  OF  MORGAN  MEMORIAL,  BOSTON,  MASS. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Dr.  Hartl,  we  are  very  glad  to  have  you  with 
us  this  morning. 

I  have  a  memorandum  here  that  says : 

Dr.  Hartl,  who  was  born  at  Taunton,  Minn.,  has  lived  in  Boston,  Mass.,  from 
1928  to  present  time.  He  is  presently  director  of  Charles  Hayden  Goodwill  inn 
for  Boys  of  Morgan  Memorial  at  Boston,  Mass.  He  w^as  educated  at  Hamline 
University,  St.  Paul,  Minn.  (A.  B.  1928),  Boston  University  (S.  T.  B.  1931  and 
Ph.  D.  19.38),  and  has  an  honorary  degree  from  Hamline  University.  He  has 
liad  research  experience  in  juvenile  delinquency  and  had  published  a  10-year 


18  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

followup  study  on  200  boys  who  were  residents  of  Hayden  Goodwill  Inn,  in 
Harpers,  1949 ;  also  Varieties  of  Delinquent  Youtli,  by  Sheldon,  Hartl,  Mc- 
Dermott.  Publication  pending  on  Charles  Hayden  Goodwill  Inn  study  of  group 
therapy  approach  in  dealing  with  boys  with  problems  (grant  of  funds  from 
Charles  H.  Hood  Dairy  Foundation).  Dr.  Hartl  is  a  member  of  the  National 
Association  of  Social  Workers,  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science,  and  the  Children's  Home  Study  Group  of  Massachusetts. 

I  read  this  so  as  to  save  you  the  embarrassment  of  telling  all  the 
things  about  yourself. 

Dr.  Hartl,  I  think  you  are  sufficiently  experienced  and  qualified,  and 
we  will  be  glad  to  have  your  statement. 

Mr.  Hartl.  Thank  you. 

Senator  Kefauver  and  members  of  the  committee,  my  appearance 
here  today 

Senator  Kefauver.  Since  you  have  a  written  statement,  we  can  have 
it  printed  in  the  record  in  full,  and  you  can  tell  us  about  any  parts 
of  it  that  you  wish.     It  will  be  printed  as  presented. 

Mr.  Hartl.  My  interest  in  appearance  here  today  is  in  the  vein  of 
an  envious  onlooker  of  one  whose  professional  life  has  been  spent  in 
this  very  field.  At  the  Charles  Playden  Goodwill  Inn  for  Boys  at 
Morgan  Memorial,  we  have  for  the  past  23  years  lived  with  the  very 
kind  of  boys  who  would  be  placed  also  in  the  Boys  Town  type  program 
at  Squantum  Airbase. 

It  is  therefore  somewhat  against  this  background  that  I  have  chosen 
as  my  responsibility  in  this  team  of  those  who  are  presenting  a  bit  of 
evidence  here  today,  to  talk  about  the  kind  of  program  which  it  seems 
to  me  could  be  carried  on  in  this  setting.  I  am  talking  now  from  the 
average  point  of  view  of  one  who  has  dreamed  many  dreams  within 
our  own  program. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Just  a  moment.  Dr.  Hartl. 

The  committee  is  delighted  to  see  that  Congresswoman  Edith  Nourse 
Rogers  has  come  in. 

Won't  you  come  up  and  sit  down  beside  us  ? 

This  is  Dr.  Hartl,  of  Boston,  Mass. 

Mrs.  Rogers.  We  are  interested  in  the  same  thing. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Yes. 

Mr.  Hartl.  Perhaps  I  might  repeat  the  statement  that  I  made. 

I  was  commenting  about  the  possible  program  at  the  Squantum 
Airbase  for  boys  of  teen-age.  And  my  remarks  are  born  of  experi- 
ence in  this  very  field,  having  lived  and  worked  with  some  7,000  boys 
over  the  past  23  years  at  the  Goodwill  Inn,  Morgan,  Memorial,  hav- 
ing got  experience  I  feel  that  I  can  imaginatively  forecast  the  kind 
of  program  that  might  be  possible  in  this  setting. 

I  repeat  that  we  have  had  a  good  many  sessions  of,  you  might 
say,  dreaming  of  settings  within  which  we  might  expand  our  own 
program  and  carry  on  the  kind  of  work  that  is  envisioned  here. 

So  the  comments  about  program  that  I  may  have  to  make  here  are 
imaginatively  projected  against  the  background  of  personal  experi- 
ence. And  I  think  I  must  confine  my  comments  to  what  we  could 
foresee  as  to  the  kind  of  plan  that  could  be  carried  on  when  these 
facilities  that  have  been  so  remarkably  well  analyzed  and  commented 
upon  by  our  competent  previous  speaker,  Starr  King,  superintendent 
of  schools,  are  made  available. 

The  physical  facilities,  it  seems  to  me,  are  especially  good  from 
the  standpoint  of  developing  within  them  educational  and  recreational 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  19 

programs  with  a  rehabilitative  turn  to  them.  Their  proximity  to 
the  medical,  psychiatric,  and  educational  resources  of  Greater  Boston 
gives  them  a  distinct  advantage  as  to  location. 

My  own  enterprise — we  have  a  winter  and  summer  phase.  In  the 
wintertime  we  are  in  the  dead  center  of  Boston,  living  in  the  south 
end  with  our  group,  in  a  relatively  small  building  in  comparison 
to  these  facilities,  and  we  are  very  happy  always  to  have  access  to 
Children's  Medical  Center,  and  all  the  various  clinics,  and  treatment 
facilities,  and  resources  of  Boston. 

During  the  summer  period  we  move  8  miles  away  from  Boston  to 
a  summer  camp  in  Athol. 

Senator  Kefaus'er.  What  do  you  mean  "we  move"  ? 

Mr.  Hartt..  Our  Charles  Hayden  Goodwill  Inn  for  Boys  and  staff. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Goodwill  Inn? 

Mr.  Hartl.  That  is  right,  for  boys  of  Morgan  Memorial. 

Senator  Kefauver.  And  how  many  boys  do  you  have  now? 

Mr.  Hartl.  Twenty-five  at  a  time.  And  over  the  past  23  years  in 
the  2  facets,  winter  and  summer  facets,  we  have  served  25,000  boys. 

I  merely  cite  that  it  is  quite  an  advantage  to  be  near  Boston's 
facility.  The  grounds  and  acreage  here  would  offer  opportunity  for 
field  activities,  gardening,  horticulture,  and  some  animal  projects 
as  has  been  already  stated.  Boating  and  aquatics  programs  would  be 
very  well  developed  here. 

I  have  chosen  to  outline  my  comments  under  several  headings.  The 
first  is  the  components  that  might  be  in  a  program  in  this  setting. 
It  will  aim  to  be  educative,  rehabilitative,  and  therapeutic. 

The  objective  would  be  to  train  boys  in  good  citizenship,  to  prepare 
them  for  useful  careers  as  responsible  members  of  society.  So  in  the 
first  place  there  would  need  to  be  a  strong  program  of  group  living 
routines,  arising,  going  to  bed,  chores,  chow,  inspection  of  bunks, 
all  that.     A  very  fine  tradition  exists  in  these  facilities  along  that  line. 

Second,  there  would  need  to  be  a  well-differentiated  educational  pro- 
gram with  emphasis  on  educational  rehabilitation,  remedial  work, 
occupational  therapy.  A  program  which  meets  the  need  of  a  boy 
versus  fitting  the  boy  into  a  relatively  limited  kind  of  program  that 
you  may  have  to  offer.  In  this  particular  setting  there  are  physical 
facilities  for  the  differentiation  on  a  wide  basis  of  the  educational 
aspect  of  the  work  necessary. 

Third,  there  should  be  a  rich  and  imaginative  group  work  program 
with  creative  participation  of  boys  in  the  planning  and  in  the  execu- 
tion of  the  plans. 

A  maximum  utilization  of  the  total  Massachusetts  facilities  along 
this  group  work  line  would  enrich  the  program.  The  Museum  of 
Science  for  instance  is  a  very  short  way  away. 

Fourth,  it  seems  to  me  in  this  setting  there  should  be  a  united  chap- 
lain service  and  a  religious  ministry  through  the  coordinated  activi- 
ties of  the  chaplains  in  that  sector,  each  tending  the  sheep  of  his  flock, 
but  working  as  a  united  chaplaincy  service. 

Fifth,  it  seems  to  me  that  intake  in  this  enterprise  should  be  case- 
work oriented.  There  should  be  continuous  evaluation  of  the  prog- 
ress of  a  boy  within  it,  and  proper  timing  for  his  dismissal  from 
it.  Close  followup  of  the  individual  within  the  group  is  indicated, 
though  your  numbers  may  be  several  hundred.  The  emphasis  in  this 
instance  must  be  focused  upon  the  individual  within  the  group.    Ade- 


20  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

quate  reports  from  instructors  or  area  supervisors,  psychologists, 
physicians,  group  workers,  therapeutists,  all  these  must  be  responsible 
to  develop  a  profile  of  progress  of  the  boy  at  this  center.  Casework 
conferences,  integration  about  the  material,  and  the  evaluation  of  a 
boy  must  be  a  regular  part  of  the  process. 

Sixth,  there  must  be  a  strong  personnel  training  program  for 
the  entire  staff.  And  it  is  very  possible  to  have  this  because  of  the 
proximity  of  professional  people  in  the  Boston  area  who  would  be 
very  happy  to  come  out  to  talk  to  the  statf  of  this  enterprise.  The 
objective  here  would  be  to  develop  what  may  be  called  a  therapeutic 
communit}'  outlook.  Each  person  from  the  executive  director  to  the 
casework,  the  chaplains,  the  instructors,  the  group  workers,  the  chief, 
the  maintenance  supervisor,  the  house  mother  or  parents,  tlie  laundry 
supervisor,  each  plaj^  s  an  important  role  in  the  citizenship  training  of  a 
boy  in  this  community.  Each  exerts  influence  and  impinges  on  the 
growing  boy  and,  therefore,  must  have  opportunity  to  become  aware 
of  his  role  and  also  to  ask  for  guidance  and  help  in  understanding 
certain  of  the  boys  who  are  presenting  problems. 

Then,  seventh,  it  seems  to  me  that  in  this  setting  that  there  might 
well  be  developed  a  form  of  community  government,  self-government 
which  gives  the  boys  an  opportunity  to  learn  at  firsthand  through 
participation  something  about  the  governmental  processes.  At  the 
same  time  by  this  participation  the  youngster  will  have  a  part  in  the 
actual  administration  of  security,  justice,  welfare,  and  so  on  in  his  own 
community. 

I  have  a  bit  of  a  recommendation  along  this  line.  Very  many 
institutions  for  boys  have  picked  up  a  theme  of  one  kind  or  another, 
the  town  theme  with  the  mayor  as  the  head.  The  Republican  theme, 
as  is  found  in  the  junior  Republicans,  and  so  on.  I  would  like  to 
suggest  at  this  point  that  the  plan  which  w^e  have  for  5  years  begun 
to  use  in  our  enterprise,  small  enterprise  which  takes  as  its  model 
the  U.  N.  organization.  Keeping  in  mind  that  the  U.  N.  is  only  an 
organ  which  is  made  up  of  strong  nations,  working  together,  I  sug- 
gest that  on  the  grounds  that  it  is  our  avowed  national  intention  to 
foster  the  successful  development  of  the  U.  N.  as  an  organ  of  the 
international  government.  I  would  quote  the  President  of  the  United 
States  at  this  point : 

I  affirm  the  support  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States  in  the  purposes 
and  aims  of  the  U.  N.  and  in  the  hopes  that  inspired  its  founders. 

That  was  said  by  Dwight  D.  Eisenhower. 

Such  enterprises  or  agencies  and  commissions  of  the  U.  N.  as  WHO, 
UNESCO,  ILO,  Human  Rights,  the  Security  Council,  the  Interna- 
tional Conrt  of  Justice  lend  themselves  beautifully  to  a  means  of 
bringing  to  bear  boys  and  staff  on  common  community  problems. 

I  speak  of  this  because  at  the  present  moment  at  South  Athol  with 
our  50  boys  this  very  project  is  under  way  and  we  would  mainly  be 
happy  to  pass  this  on  to  the  Boys  Town  in  Massachusetts,  if  through 
their  board  of  directors  and  executive  director  they  care  to  pick  up  this 
kind  of  theme. 

It  would  be  fresh  and  new.  It  challenges  youngsters  whose  minds 
need  to  be  challenged. 

Let  me  just  cite  one  item  which  has  grown  up  out  of  this  period  of 
living  with  this  concept.  We  pledge  allegiance  to  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  of  America  each  morning. 


Jin'ENILE    DELINQUENCY  21 

One  day  a  group  of  boys  and  some  staff  decided  that  there  should 
also  be  a  pledge  of  allegiance  to  the  flag  of  the  U.  N.  So  far  as  I  know, 
I  shall  give  you  the  first  such  pledge  known  at  least  to  me  and  here 
it  is: 

I  pledge  allegiance  to  the  flag  of  the  U.  N.  and  to  the  hope  of  mankind  for 
which  it  stands,  one  world  united,  to  promote  peace  and  goodwill  with  justice 
and  dignity  for  all. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  would  say  that  is  a  very  good  thought. 

Mr.  Hartl.  It  is  a  challenging  theme.  I  had  some  additional  com- 
ments about  the  nature  of  the  program  here  which  I  believe  would  be 
basic.  They  grow  out  of  our  interest  in  research  into  causation  of  de- 
linquency, into  the  way  in  which  you  might  be  able  to  deal  witL 
youngsters  with  problems,  through  group  therapy  process  and  so  on. 
It  would  seem  to  me  therefore  as  item  8  here  that  there  should  from 
the  very  outset  be  a  systematic  evaluation  and  research  which  accom- 
panies the  development  of  this  project,  an  action  research  type  of  pro- 
gram should  aim  at  doing  two  things,  first  to  evaluate  the  effectiveness 
of  this  center  in  effecting  growth  in  boys,  changes  in  their  behavior 
and  growth  of  their  attitude  of  responsibility. 

Second  this  action  research  project  should  aim  to  differentiate  out 
the  boys  with  regard  to  their  ability  to  benefit  from  this  kind  of  pro- 
gram. There  is  no  panacea.  Boys  do  respond  to  given  settings,  cer- 
tain ones  do  not  and  need  another  kind  of  enterprise  that  from  its  very 
outset  that  an  action  research  project  of  this  type  should  be  an  im- 
portant component  of  the  program. 

There  might  very  well  in  this  independent  enterprise  be  research  in 
the  field  of  juvenile  delinquency  carried  out  under  a  grant  from  a 
foundation  where  the  personnel  might  be  associated  with  a  ujiiversity 
setting.  Boston  University  or  Harvard  University  or  Tufts  and  so 
on.  It  would  be  possible  to  do  more  with  this  than  merely  serve.  But 
it  would  be  also  possible  here  to  learn  about  juvenile  personality, 
growtli,  and  development. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Dr.  Hartl,  before  you  go  to  another  point,  the 
committee  is  delighted  to  have  with  us  Congresswoman  Edith  Nourse 
Rogers  whom  the  chairman  had  the  privilege  of  serving  with  during 
the  years  he  spent  in  the  House  of  Ilepresentatives.  I  know  of  her 
great  interest  in  problems  and  youth  not  only  in  her  ow^n  district  and 
State  but  throughout  the  Nation  and  slie  has  done  much  in  this  line 
for  yoimg  people  generally  and  especially  in  connection  with  the  re- 
habilitation in  giving  another  chance  to  the  veterans  of  both  wars. 

Immediately  preceding  your  testimony,  I  would  be  glad  to  have  put 
in  the  record  any  statement  Congresswoman  Rogers,  that  you  wish  to 
make. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  EDITH  NOURSE  ROGERS,  REPRESENTATIVE 
IN  CONGRESS  PROM  THE  PIPTH  DISTRICT,  STATE  OF  MASSACHU- 
SETTS 

Mrs.  Rogers.  Thank  you  very  much  for  allowing  me  to  sit  in  with 
you  for  a  few  minutes.  You  have  always  been  gracious  and  kind. 
You  were  when  you  served  in  the  House  and  you  are  now,  and  I  deeply 
appreciate  it.  I  am  very  much  interested  in  this  project  and  I  do  hope 
you  will  do  all  you  can  for  us  and  I  know  you  will.  Thank  you  many 
times. 


22  JTTS^ENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much.  Come  back  and  be 
with  us. 

Mrs.  EoGERs.  Ghad  to  hear  jou,  too. 

Mr.  Hartl.  Thank  you. 

Senator  KEFATJ^'ER.  A^^liile  we  are  interrupted  I  want  to  express  my 
pleasure  at  having  an  old  good  friend  with  us,  Henry  Dormand,  of 
rs^ew  York  City,  whom  I  have  known  for  many  years,  who  has  been 
interested  in  the  problems  of  youth  opj)ortunities.  He  is  a  young  man 
himself.  He  is  very  active  in  the  DeMolay  work,  has  been  public- 
relations  representative  to  the  Grand  Council  of  the  Order  of  DeMolay 
and  sometime  we  want  to  hear  the  suggestions  and  advice  of  Mr. 
Dormand.  ^Ye  will  be  glad  to  have  him  sit  in  with  us  in  this  session 
today.  We  will  put  all  these  remarks  prior  to  your  statement  so  it 
won't  interrupt  the  continuity  of  your  statement,  Mr.  Hartl.  All 
right,  will  3^ou  proceed? 

Mr.  Hartl.  Under  point  9  of  my  outline  of  the  components  in  pro- 
gram is  reference  to  this  special  weekend  and  short-term,  summer  type 
of  session  for  citizenship  training  of  boys  who  may  be  referred  from 
many  communities  in  Massachusetts.  It  would  seem  to  me  that  at 
this  particular  facilit}^,  the  Squantum  Air  Base,  that  this  kind  of 
innovation  of  program  to  meet  the  needs  of  boys  who  are  in  the  early 
stages  of  presenting  problems  might  be  rather  unique.  I  know  of  no 
enterprise  which  would  be  able  to  be  so  modified  that  it  would  have  an 
on-going,  consistent,  educational  program  in  one  of  the  pliases  and 
then  in  another  of  its  phases  to  be  able  to  incorporate  into  it  those  who 
come  for  short  periods  of  training. 

In  our  own  enterprise  we  do  sometimes  serve  in  that  capacity.  That 
is  through  a  court  or  a  placement  agency  we  might  accept  a  boy  know- 
ing at  the  time  of  acceptance  that  he  is  coming  for  only  a  short  stay, 
because  in  someone's  opinion  it  is  very  useful  to  take  the  pressure  ojff 
that  boy,  to  change  his  outlook  even  over  a  weekend,  let  us  say,  so  he 
can  enter  back  into  the  same  home  setting,  kind  of  an  oasis  experience. 

If,  in  this  particular  setting,  one  were  able  to  offer  to  the  general 
Massachusetts  community  a  systematic  development  along  this  line, 
a  real  service  would  be  rendered. 

Now,  a  comparable  kind  of  community  effort  along  this  line  might 
be  found  in  the  citizenship  training  program  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Boston  juvenile  court  with  Mr.  Lou  Maglio  as  the  di- 
rector. The  court  will  take  a  new  boy,  in  probationer,  and  require 
that  for  an  8-week  period  he  come  in  after  school  every  day  for  a 
training,  citizenship  training  program.  It  might  be  entirely  possible 
that  boys  from  distant  points  might  be  required  by  an  agency  when 
they  see  him  getting  into  difficulty  to  come  for  weekends  over,  let  us 
say,  an  8-weekend  period  to  an  enterprise  like  this  and  be  trained  in 
citizenship,  change  his  outlook  perhaps. 

So  this  is  merely  a  statement  of  faith  and  confidence  that  there  is 
something  unique  and  very  worthy  of  development  along  this  line. 

Now  from  the  point  of  view  of  tlie  conduct  of  this  program  it  would 
seem  to  me  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  a  dean  for  the  adminis- 
tration and  operation  of  tliis  plant.  Its  problems  would  be  unique  and 
quite  peculiar  to  short  time  stay  for  a  period  of  weekends.  With  great 
care  given  to  a  harmonious  integration  of  this  plan  with  the  regular 
residential  center  plan  working  but  the  two  programs  could  actually 
augment  each  other  and  result  in  mutual  values  to  the  boj^s  served 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  23 

because  a  good  many  of  the  boys  who  have  been  perhaps  4  months  in 
regular  residence  might  serve  as  leaders  in  the  weekend  or  short-term 
summer  program  as  junior  counselors  or  what  have  you. 

Now  in  the  next  section  of  my  report  here,  I  have  merely  chosen  to 
outline  the  kind  of  personnel  that  would  seem  to  me  to  be  basic, 
minimal.  It  is  obviously  the  intention  to  outline  only  the  key  per- 
sonnel and  thereby  to  show  the  essential  organizational  structure  that 
is  needed.  The  supporting  stall'  would  be  developed  in  due  season  in 
proportion  to  the  number  of  boys  who  would  come  in  there  to  be  served 
and  in  relation  to  the  dili'erentiation  of  programs  that  would  be 
affected  here.  So  these  are  merely  the  major  areas  which  could  it  seems 
to  me  be  very  nicel}^  worked  out  in  this  setting. 

First,  there  is  the  board  of  directors  which  are  the  holders  of  the 
corporation's  legal  involvements  of  all  kinds.  This  is  a  basic  body 
which  determines  overall  policy  and  hires  the  executive  director  and 
those  of  authorizing  hiring  of  other  personnel. 

Second,  the  executive  committee  which  acts  for  the  board  of  directors 
would  be  constituted  by  the  board  and  would  include  such  persons  as 
they  may  determine. 

Third,  the  executive  director  would  be  hired  by  the  board  of  di- 
rectors and  responsible  to  them  for  the  administration  of  this  entire 
project. 

Under  him  there  would  be  the  following  minimal  key  personnel. 
First,  the  director  of  programs  and  there  would  be  two  main  areas  in 
which  his  influence,  supervision  would  naturally  follow.  First,  he 
would  be  interested  in  the  lively  routines  and  this  might  very  well  be 
delegated  to  an  assistant  and  staff  for  barrack  supervision  or  house 
parents,  and  so  forth. 

Second,  he  would  be  responsible  for  the  general  oversight  of  the 
group- work  program.  This  no  doubt  would  be  delegated  to  a  grouj) 
worker  and  his  staff. 

Third,  he  would  have  overall  responsibility  for  the  educational  pro- 
grams but  the  actual  development  of  the  educational  program  would 
be  delegated  to  a  superintendent  or  principal  of  the  school  and  his 
staff. 

Then  the  second  major  area  to  be  covered  by  a  person  Avould  be  the 
business-management  side.  Three  areas  here,  the  feeding  unit  and  all 
that  staff'.  Buildings  and  grounds  and  all  that  staff'.  Then  the  gen- 
eral business  operations  and  the  staff'  that  would  be  related  to  office 
operations.     So,  a  business  management  is  there. 

Now,  the  third  basic  person  would  be  the  one  who  would  act  as  a 
supervisor  of  the  casework  department.  At  least  for  that  four  facets 
would  come  under  him  here,  the  medical  facility  on  the  grounds  and 
that  staff".  Second,  the  testing  and  evaluational  staff.  Third,  the 
group  therapy  and  activity  therapy  staff.  And  fourth  j^ou  would  be 
responsible  for  case  conference  work  and  correlation,  for  staff'  reviews 
and  consultation  with  other  staff'  persons  who  need  on  occasion  to 
come  in  for  on-the-spot  help  in  dealing  with  a  given  bo3\ 

And  the  fourth  person  would  be  the  dean  of  this  extension  program, 
the  weekend  and  the  summer-session  citizenship  programs. 

And  fifth,  a  public  relations  director.  This  is  a  private  agency. 
Its  publicity,  its  conferences  of  professional  people,  laymen,  the  pro- 
motion of  all  kinds  of  events,  programs,  public  relations  interest, 
should  come  under  this  person. 


24  JUVENILE    DELENTQUENCY 

Therefore  the  director  of  programs,  the  business  manager,  the  case- 
work department  supervisor,  the  dean  of  the  extension  program,  and 
the  public  relations  director  would  seem  to  be  minimal  ke}'^  personnel. 

Now  a  word  about  budget.  The  budget  must  be  adequate  to  enable 
the  recruitment  of  competent  personnel  who  will  be  inclined  to  stay 
with  this  project,  to  work  out  the  implications  of  all  of  the  basic 
features.  No  attempt  is  made  here  to  forecast  the  operating  costs 
,nor  the  capital  investment  needed  to  rehabilitate  the  physical  plant 
to  bring  up  to  the  serviceability  of  which  we  speak  here,  to  reflect  in 
property  the  kind  of  program  that  would  do  a  job  for  youngsters. 
This  will  require  a  competent  analysis  and  study  of  resources  for  help 
of  all  kinds.  On  the  basis  of  my  own  experience,  I  would  simply  say 
this,  in  this,  if  this  facility  were  once  granted,  it  seems  to  me  that 
those  who  would  be  responsible  for  its  development  would  find  that  the 
total  community  would  become  quite  electrified  and  all  kinds  of  help 
from  a  variety  of  sources  would  come. 

I  have  a  notion  that  when  paint  was  spoken  of  there  would  be  in- 
dustrialists in  the  area  that  would  furnish  paint  to  do  the  job.  I 
think  a  real  opportunity  exists  here  for  the  Boys  Town  group  and  as 
as  an  envious  onlooker  in  the  community  I  simply  would  add  my  word 
of  testimony  that  there  are  perfectly  grand  opportunities  for  excellent 
service  for  boys  in  the  total  community  of  Massachusetts  and  per- 
haps New  England. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Dr.  Hartl,  you  have  made  a  very  enlightened 
statement  and  have  thought  this  matter  through  and  it  shall  be  of 
great  value  to  the  committee  and  certainly  to  the  organization  if  it  is 
able  to  get  started. 

One  question  I  did  not  ask  Mr.  King.  In  this  editorial,  I  asked  him 
about  two  objections  but  there  was  one  other  that  says  that  they  tliought 
this  might  be  better  used,  there  might  be  some  opportunity  for  indus- 
trial development  in  this  area.  Are  you  in  a  position  to  comment 
about  that  ? 

Mr.  Hartl.  No,  sir,  1  would  not  be.  I  think  that  could  be  passed 
on  to  someone  else.  I  would  merely  say  this  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  utilization  of  the  space  that  as  one  who  is  responsible  for  the  direc- 
tion of  the  program  here,  that  its  setting  is  very  good.  It's  surrounded 
by  homes  that  you  see  at  a  distance.  Therefore  you  are  a  part  of  a 
total  community  and  whatever  industrial  developments  would  occur 
on  the  other  five-sixths  of  the  total  area  would  certainly  in  no  way  de- 
tract from  the  program  here  for  use  with  boys.  You  are  surrounded 
by  water  with  some  landscaping  that  has  been  referred  to.  You  would 
have  proximity  to  a  normal  community  that  you  could  see. 

You  would  have  proximity  to  all  sorts  of  resources  of  professional 
help  1  mile  away  from  the  city  of  Boston  and  at  the  same  time  you 
would  have  ample  elbow  room.  Boys  and  staff  could  very  well  have  a 
whale  of  a  good  time  on  100  acres. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Are  these  facilities  presently  suitable  for  indus- 
trial development? 

Mr.  Hartl.  I  couldn't  answer  that. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  many  boys  do  you  think  this  facility  could 
probably  adequately  take  care  of  if  this  idea  went  through  ? 

Mr.  Hartl.  Several  hundred.  I  think  that  experience  would  have 
to  teach.  I  mean  by  that  several  hundred  at  a  time.  My  general  ad- 
vice would  be  that  the  project  at  the  outset  ought  to  start  with  a  rela- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  25 

tively  small  number  perhaps  50  and  gi-adnally  develop  up  to  100,  per- 
haps 200.  It  might  go  beyond  that  as  the  traditions  and  the  pat- 
terns were  worked  out.  Physical  facilities  alone  are  not  enough  to 
have  a  therapeutically  oriented  community.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is 
very  difficult  to  have  a  therapeutic  oriented  community  doing  an  ade- 
quate job  without  resources  that  are  rich. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Bobo  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  Does  there  exist  in  Massachusetts  at  the  present  time,  do 
you  know,  a  need  for  a  facility  such  as  this  ? 

Mr.  Hartl.  Yes,  I  would  know  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  fact 
that  our  own  agency  is  used.  It  has  limited  facilities  in  comparison 
to  this  and  we  know  that  we  have  been  encouraged  ourselves  to  develop 
acreage  at  the  western  part  of  the  State.  We  would  have  to  start  from 
scratch  as  someone  said  and  that  we  have  been  assured  by  placement 
agencies  that  if  we  were  to  do  that  development  that  they  would  fill  us 
with  boys  who  need  this  kind  of  service. 

Mr.  Bobo.  There  is  no  question  in  your  mind  that  if  this  facility 
could  be  developed  to  house  and  treat  200  or  300  that  it  is  adequate  for 
that? 

Mr.  Hartl.  That  is  so. 

Mr,  BoBo.  The  physical  layout  of  the  buildings,  the  dormitories, 
the  kitchen  facilities,  a  large  hangar,  do  you  think  those  facilities  lend 
themselves  to  the  type  of  program  we  are  talking  about? 

Mr.  Hartl.  Yes,  very  definitely.  We  approximate  some  of  that  in 
our  own  program  but  not  on  the  spaciousness  that  would  be  and 
would  need  to  be  if  operating  with  several  hundred  youngsters. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Do  you  think  the  cost  of  improving  such  a  facility  as 
this — repair  it  for  use — would  be  prohibitive  for  a  Boys  Town  project  ? 

Mr.  Hartl.  I  wouldn't  think  so.  If  I  were  to  project-  again 
imaginatively,  I  could  suggest  that  a  good  deal  of  work  could  be  done 
under  the  shopman  w^ith  boys  participating.  It  would  make  it  to  a 
degree  their  enterprise  as  well  as  the  enterprise  of  other  people.  Cer- 
tain of  the  jobs  of  course  would  have  to  be  done  because  of  the  hazards 
and  so  on  by  professionals  but  I  would  suggest  that  portions  of  the 
rehabilitation  program  should  be  reserved  for  the  boys  and  staff  be- 
cause of  the  feeling  that  they  would  develop  toward  it. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Is  there  any  danger  that  placing  this  type  of  boy  within 
a  proximity,  it  appears  to  be  a  mile  or  2  miles  from  the  residential 
area  there,  do  you  think  these  boys  would  in  any  way  interfere  with 
the  residential  area  so  close  ? 

Mr.  Hartl.  No,  sir ;  I  would  have  no  fear  along  that  line.  We  are 
in  closer  proximity  to  this  setting  to  our  neiglibors  in  Boston  now 
with  our  program  and  while  we  certainly  do  on  occasions  experience 
problems,  I  would  say  that  they  are  less  likely  to  occur  in  this  group 
than  would  be  the  case  with  a  boy  in  that  community.  They  are  less 
likely  to  have  difficulty  with  boys  from  this  setting  because  there  is 
much  more  supervision,  much  more  control  and  with  a  program  such 
as  I  have  outlined  here,  the  boy  is  kept  busy,  he  is  involved  at  all  times. 
I  would  say  that  that  would  be  at  a  very  minimal  point. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Thank  you. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Miss  Johnson,  do  you  want  to  ask  any  questions  ? 

Miss  Johnson.  No. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Miss  Jolmson  is  a  very  capable  associate  counsel 
and  she  has  done  mighty  good  work  for  this  subcommittee. 


26  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Mr.  Chumbris? 

Mr.  Chumbris.  The  only  thing  I  would  like  to  comment  on  is  what 
Dr.  Hartl  said  about  the  community  joining  in.  In  New  Mexico  we 
have  a  boys'  ranch  and  each  year  the  citizens  contribute  cattle  and 
other  livestock.  They  contribute  building  materials  for  improved 
housing  and  buildings  on  the  boj^s'  ranch.  I  think  his  point  was 
very  well  taken. 

Senator  KE^AU^"ER.  Well,  sir,  we  thank  you  very  much.  I  am  glad 
to  see  distinguished  educators  like  you  so  interested  in  this  problem. 
I  think  it  gives  us  some  encouragement  to  have  men  like  you  come 
down  and  devote  themselves  to  education  of  3'outh  at  a  particular 
time  when  we  need  encouragement  after  the  Federal  aid  bill  was 
knocked  out  in  the  House  the  other  day. 

In  our  report  on  education  we  made  a  strong  recommendation  for 
Federal  assistance  in  the  general  education  field.  It  was  a  matter  of 
great  disappointment  to  me  and  I  am  sure  to  most  members  of  this 
committee  that  the  program  fared  so  badly  the  other  day  in  the  House 
of  Representatives.  I  hope  something  can  be  done  to  revitalize  it, 
because  we  had  pointed  out  in  very  forceful  terms  the  fact  that  we 
were  not  meeting  out  obligation  to  the  youth  of  today  in  the  field  of 
either  sufficient  or  sufficiently  paid  teachers  or  school  facilities. 

I  think  there  is  a  part  that  the  Federal  Government  should  play. 

Mr.  Bobo,  who  is  our  next  witness  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  Chief  of  Police  William  J.  Footit,  of  Shutesbury,  Mass. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Are  there  any  witnesses  who  have  to  leave 
early  ?    If  there  are,  I  wish  they  would  speak  up. 

You  are  Mr.  William  J.  Footit,  Jr.,  police  chief  of  Shutesbury, 
Mass. 

Mr.  Footit.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Kefauver.  We  are  glad  to  have  you  with  us,  Chief,  and 
thank  you  very  much  for  coming  down. 

STATEMENT  OF  WILLIAM  J.  FOOTIT,  JR.,  POLICE  CHIEF, 
SHUTESBURY,  MASS. 

Mr.  Footit.  It  is  nice  to  be  here.  Senator. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  large  a  city  is  Shutesbury? 

Mr.  Footit.  Ours  is  a  very  small  community.  It  is  one  that  grows 
during  the  summer  months.  We  have  a  large  lake  resort  so  there  is 
the  problem  of  getting  about  4  times  its  size  cluring  July  and  August. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Enlarges  and  then  contracts? 

Mr.  FooTiT.  Yes ;  it  does. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  long  have  you  been  the  chief  of  police 
there  ? 

Mr.  Footit.  For  5  years  now. 

Senator  Kefauver.  You  have  been  in  police  work  for  quite  a  long 
time. 

Mr.  Footit.  No,  sir.  Actually  I  did  most  of  my  work  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  police  when  I  was  in  the  newspaper  field  for  17  years. 
I  was  director  of  the  circulation  department  of  the  Springfield  news- 
papers. In  that  line  of  work  we  get  pretty  close  to  boys,  newsboys, 
and  from  all  walks  of  life  and  we  walked  very  closely  with  police  on 
that,  police  officials  in  the  city  of  Springfield. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  27 

Senator  Kefauver.  All  right,  sir,  you  tell  us  what  is  on  your  mind. 

Mr.  FoOTiT.  We  have  heard  some  very  sincere  testimony  here,  Sena- 
tor, and  I  thoi\ght  I  might  digress  just  a  minute  to  tell  you  something 
I  thought  miglit  please  you. 

I  got  a  telephone  call  from  my  daughter,  whose  age  is  11,  and  said 
I  had  a  special  delivery  letter  from  the  United  States  Senate.  Up  in 
our  country  in  Franklin  County  there  are  a  lot  of  folks  who  vote  Re- 
publican, so  my  daughter  called  me  and  I  asked  her  to  read  the  letter. 
So  opened  it  and  read  your  very  kind  letter  explaining  the  delay  in 
this  hearing  and  she  was  reading  the  signature  and  I  said,  "Well,  that 
is  Senator  Kefauver."  She  said,  "What  are  you  doing.  Dad,  having 
business  with  a  Democrat?"  So  I  find  myself  here  in  Washington 
having  business  with  a  Democrat. 

Senator  Kkfauver.  I  hope  it  doesn't  hurt  you  any. 

Mr,  FooTiT.  No,  I  am  being  favorably  impressed. 

Senator  Kefauvek.  You  tell  your  daughter  that  I  hope  she  will  find 
out  a  whole  lot  about  the  Democrats  and  join  the  colors  one  of  these 
days. 

Mr.  FooTiT,  I  am  sure  she  will  grow  older. 

Actually,  Senator,  as  chief  of  police  in  a  small  town  we  have  really 
more  in  the  capacity  of  a  smalltown  cop.  Our  duties  include  all  family 
problems,  traffic  control,  of  course.  We  even  get  to  taking  care  of  stray 
dogs  in  anybody's  chicken  yards.  One  of  the  important  things  is  our 
younger  people,  boys  and  girls.  We  work  very  closely  with  all  families 
and  it  is  a  real  problem.  I  would  like  to  follow  through  one  small  case 
to  give  you  an  idea  of  what  our  thinking  is  on  it.  We  had  a  boy  age  15, 
a  boy  who  lived  in  town  since  he  was  born  and  had  become  to  be 
just  a  little  bit  of  a  problem  by  doing  little  things  that  were  annoying. 

It  first  came  to  my  attention  when  he  made  an  efi'ort  to  tip  a  school 
bus.  It  is  a  rural  country  and  all  children  go  to  school  by  way  of  a 
school  bus.  Then  he  reached  over  and  turned  the  ignition  off  of  the 
school  bus  and  on  several  occasions  had  hollered,  "Here  comes  a  truck," 
or  something,  very  annoying  to  the  school-bus  drivers.  His  history 
was  full  of  those  things.  We  talked  with  his  parents,  talked  with  the 
school  authorities  and  with  clergy  in  this  particular  case  and  found  that 
things  were  getting  a  little  out  of  hand  and  then  one  day  the  young 
fellow  took  his  thumbs  and  inverted  the  eyeballs  of  a  young  boy.  That 
is  where  it  has  to  stop.  You  have  to  go  in  and  take  some  decisive 
action.  _  So  we  took  him  before  the  court  and  after  a  complete  review 
by  the  judge  it  was  determined  that  the  boy  was  not  actually  bad 
enough  to  send  away.  There  was  certainly  merit  in  that  thinking. 
We  thought  the  act  of  going  to  court  would  help  and  then  we  would 
put  him  on  probation.  The  judge  did  in  fact  put  him  on  probation  for 
a  6-month  period.  They  didn't  scare  him  very  much.  Pie  was  over 
in  court  for  an  hour  and  home  again.     He  was  quite  the  hero. 

About  3  or  4  weeks  went  by  and  this  time  he  burned  a  small  building. 
So  we  had  to  send  him  to  a  reform  school  then,  Wliat  I  am  getting  at, 
then,  is,  of  course,  you  know  it  is  a  problem, 

I  don't  know  what  the  answer  is  to  it.  I  don't  say  that  Boys  Town 
is  the  solution.  We  recognize  it  as  a  solution.  I  am  very  certain  that 
we  could  have  taken  that  boy  before  we  took  him  into  court  and  I  know 
his  parents  would  have  been  agreeable  to  sending  him  down  for  even 
a  6-week  period  to  a  place  where  he  would  get  some  constructive  train- 


28  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

ing.  I  am  sure  he  would  have  been  a  much  happier  boy  than  he  is  today 
and  his  parents  would  be,  too.  Of  course,  we  in  the  law-enforcement 
business  have  had  to  change  our  way  of  thinking  and  working.  We 
now  know  the  day  is  gone  when  you  can  take  care  of  these  youngsters 
by  taking  him  out  to  the  woodshed.  Society  frowns  on  this  type  of 
enforcement  and  we  are  governed  by  society. 

The  place  today  in  Shutesbury,  all  police  chiefs  from  the  western 
part  of  Massachusetts  are  having  their  annual  summer  meeting  today 
and  I  have  discussed  this  with  them  at  our  last  meeting  and  the  general 
consensus  of  opinion  is  that  they  certainly  are  willing  and  prepared  to 
cooperate  with  any  agency  or  agencies  that  are  sincere  and  generally 
interested  in  preventive  measures. 

I  think  that  is  the  important  thing,  the  preventive  measures  as  op- 
posed to  coiTection.  Our  correction  institutions  are  not  the  final 
answer.  As  a  matter  of  fact  I  think  everybody  knows  the  act  of  con- 
fining a  boy  or  a  man  does  not  necessarily  always  help  them.  The  act 
of  confining  itself  is  not  the  answer. 

We  have  to  teach  them.  I  recently  took  a  tour  of  the  new  State 
prison  in  Massachusetts,  although  it  is  not  called  that;  they  eliminated 
the  name  "State  prison'' ;  I  don't  know  what  they  call  it. 

I  was  amazed  and  pleased  at  the  industry  they  are  introducing  in 
there  as  opposed  at  the  act  of  confinement.  That  is  a  terrible  thing. 
We  have  often  wondered  if  a  fellow  does  something,  if  we  confine 
him  for  5  years  does  that  make  him  a  better  man  or  should  we  confine 
him  for  10  years.     I  don't  think  that  is  the  answer  at  all. 

If  we  can  teach  him  something  in  5  years  or  if  it  takes  10,  teach 
him  something  by  all  means. 

Senator  Kefauver.  The  idea  with  young  people  is  to  rehabilitate 
them  and  make  useful  good  citizens  of  them. 

Mr.  FooTiT.  Very  definitely.  Senator.  It  is  a  must.  In  our  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts  10  years  ago  we  had  1,500  boys  and  girls 
confined.  These  are  figures  I  have  taken  from  the  youth  service  board. 
At  a  cost  of  approximately  $1  million,  annual  cost,  we  now  have  in 
1956  some  2,000,  only  an  increase  of  roughly  500  boys  and  girls  but 
the  cost  has  gone  to  nearer  $3  million. 

Like  everything  else  the  cost  of  our  correctional  institutions  has 
risen. 

I  personally  am  not  too  terribly  concerned  with  the  cost  of  some- 
thing like  Boys  Town.  I  think  anything  worthwhile  has  to  cost 
money.  I  talked  with  a  great  many  people  in  our  area  in  the  western 
part  of  the  State,  specifically  in  the  Franklin  County  area,  and  talked 
with  my  good  friend  Congressman  Heselton  about  it  and  he  has  talked 
to  people  and  we  know  there  is  a  definite  interest  and  a  real  interest. 

I  have  talked  with  town  officials  and  selectmen  and  school  officials 
and  certain  police  officers,  not  only  the  police  chief  but  officers  on  the 
beat  have  talked  with  court  officials  and  with  the  judge  whom  I  admire 
and  respect. 

He  is  very  much  interested.  We  have  not  gotten  the  matter  pub- 
licized enough  to  get  the  definite  reaction  of  all  of  our  people. 

I  wanted  to  be  very  brief  so  I  will  say  that  I  have  in  the  past  several 
months  talked  with  a  great  many  people  and  they  are  really  interested 
in  it.  It  is  my  confirmed  opinion  that  the  folks  in  our  area  want 
this.  I  think  these  men  wlio  have  fostered  this  idea  have  gone 
further  and  spent  more  time  than  I  have.     I  was  asked  to  serve  as 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  29 

trustee  2  years  ago  and  have  served  in  that  capacity  since.  Some  of 
the  people  interested  here  have  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  a  great 
deal  of  their  own  money ;  I  think  they  shovild  be  given  a  fair  chance. 
I  think  it  warrants  every  consideration. 

Senator  IvEFAirvER.  How  far  is  Shutesbury  from  Quincy? 

Mr.  FooTiT.  It  is  just  about  80  miles  I  would  say,  Senator. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much,  Chief. 

Any  questions  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  No  questions. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Our  next  witness  is  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  Mr.  William  H.  Browne.  Mr.  Browne  is  an  attorney 
at  law,  acting  probation  officer,  district  court  of  western  Hampden, 
Westfield,  Mass.,  and  trustee,  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  represent- 
ing Hampden  County. 

Senator  Kefau\ter.  Glad  to  have  you  with  us. 

(Biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Browne  follows :) 

William  H.  Browne 

Mr.  Bi-owue  was  born  in  North  Stonington,  Conn.,  June  9,  1893.  He  received 
his  education  at  Wheeler  Scliool,  North  Stonington,  Conn. ;  St.  Lawrence  Uni- 
versity ;  Broolvlyn  Law  School ;  and  the  University  of  Paris,  France.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  executive  board,  Hampden  Council  234  of  the  Boy  Scouts  and 
chairman,  Tekoa  district,  Boy  Scouts.  He  is  director  of  the  Society  for  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  Children ;  chairman,  Ship  100,  BSA,  Westfield.  He  is  acting 
probation  officer,  district  court  of  western  Hampden,  Westtield,  Mass.,  and  a 
trustee,  representing  Hampden  County,  of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc. 

STATEMENT  OF  WILLIAM  H.  BROWNE,  HAMPDEN  COUNTY,  MASS. 

Mr.  Browne.  I  might  say  that  I  am  a  practicing  lawyer.  I  prac- 
ticed in  New  York  City  for  approximately  30  years  before  going 
up  to  Massachusetts  and  since  1948  I  have  been  engaged  in  the  practice 
there,  and  I  am  an  acting  probation  officer  there  usually  covering 
the  boys  in  the  local  court. 

Senator  KErAu\TER.  The  district  court  you  referred  to,  is  that  a 
State  court? 

Mr.  Browne.  It  covers  the  western  part  of  Hampden  County,  It  is 
a  county  setup. 

In  addition  to  that  I  am  also  the  director  of  the  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children.  I  am  a  member  of  the  executive 
board  of  the  Hampden  Council  234  of  the  Boy  Scouts.  We  liave  about 
8,500  Scouts  tliat  we  deal  with  and  send  to  summer  camps,  which  we 
have  in  Hampden  County. 

I  am  also  the  chairman  of  the  Tekow  District  of  the  Boy  Scouts 
where  I  have  1,200  boys  under  my  direct  supervision  ranging  from 
8  up.  I  am  also  the  chairman  of  the  committee  sponsoring  Sea  Ex- 
plorer Ship  100  and  in  that  particular  ship  we  take  mostly  boys  who 
have  been  either  assigned  to  us  or  I  admit  tlirough  our  work  in  the 
court. 

I  think  I  was  selected  to  come  down  here  to  tell  you  the  story  as  it 
affects  probation  and  also  because  of  the  fact  thatWestfield  i^;  more 
or  less  typical  of  the  communities  in  w^estern  INIassachusetts.  West- 
field  has  a  population  of  only  about  23,000  but  it  does  serve  quite  a 
much  larger  area  as  a  shopping  center.  In  addition  of  course  we  are 
typical  in  another  way  in  that  our  problems  are  not  quite  so  serious 

80694 — 56 3 


30  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

in  a  juvenile  way  as  they  would  be  in  the  larger  cities  like  New  York 
and  Detroit. 

Our  juvenile  problems  do  not  take  quite  such  a  violent  form.  Most 
of  ours  I  tliiiik  come  from  the  question  of  the  broken  homes,  inade- 
quate supervision,  both  parents  working  and  not  paying  attention  to 
their  children  and  of  course  another  reason  that  brings  them  before 
the  court  is  their  prepossession  with  the  question  of  owning  and  oper- 
ating an  automobile  so  that  many  of  our  cases  are  taking  without 
authority  or  other  forms  of  delinquency  like  that. 

What  I  particularly  want  to  tell  the  committee  about  is  when  these 
boys  are  brought  before  the  court  the  judges  naturally  are  faced  with 
the  problem  of  what  disposition  to  make  of  them.  In  many  cases  it 
is  a  question  of  taking  them  out  of  the  environment,  taking  them  away 
from  their  family,  because  the  family  is  one  of  the  causative  factors 
in  the  delinquency.  The  only  answer  then  that  we  can  have  is  under 
our  present  setup  as  to  a  question  of  probation  where  they  are  given 
a  sentence,  suspended  by  the  court  and  ordered  to  report  back  to  the 
probation  officer  at  stated  intervals. 

That  of  course  is  up  to  the  probation  officer  as  to  how  many  times 
they  report  and  when  they  report. 

There  are  other  conditions  quite  frequently  attached  to  probation. 
But  the  difficulty  comes  from  the  fact  that  merely  reporting  into  an 
office  does  not  change  the  outlook  or  the  character  or  the  disposition 
of  the  boy  whatsoever. 

It  is  more  or  less  of  a  club  over  his  head  because  we  can  always 
surrender  them  and  send  them  to  the  youth  center  or  some  situation 
like  that. 

Actually  when  a  boy  is  put  on  probation  and  he  reports  back  once  a 
week  you  are  trying  to  combat  habits  of  thought  and  mind  and  habits 
of  actions  that  have  grown  up  over  a  period  of  quite  a  number  of 
years  and  we  find  it  more  or  less  inadequate  in  many  cases  to  make 
any  dent  whatsoever  in  the  boy.  In  those  particular  cases  I  think 
a  setup  such  as  Boys  Town  would  be  ideal. 

We  have  absolutely  nothing  of  that  kind  in  the  western  part  of 
Massachusetts.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  of  our  facilities  down  there 
are  somewhat  limited.  We  are  permitted  to  call  upon  the  State  hos- 
pital such  as  the  North  Hampden  State  Hospital  for  psychiatric 
examinations. 

There  again  we  merely  confirm  what  we  find  out  by  our  case  his- 
tories and  there  is  no  opportunity  to  give  therapy  whatsoever.. 

In  all  cases  we  knew  what  w^as  wrong  with  the  boy  and  causing 
the  delinquency  long  before  he  was  sent  down  there  so  we  are  no 
farther  ahead  than  we  were  before. 

We  need  some  sort  of  a  facility  that  did  not  have  the  stigma  of 
prison  to  it  and  where  they  could  be  under  a  rigid  type  of  discipline, 
I  think  it  would  work  wonders  with  these  boys  that  we  put  on  pro- 
bation. In  many  cases  when  the  delinquency  is  rather  serious,  the 
boys  are  sentenced  to  the  youth  service  board.  The  judge  may  sus- 
pend that  and  put  them  on  probation.  In  other  instances  they  are 
sent  down  there  where  we  have  no  other  place  to  send  them.  We  found 
they  are  sent  down  there  and  for  about  a  month  they  are  given  all 
sorts  of  examinations  and  then  they  are  returned  to  their  own  home. 
The  reason  for  that  is  that  the  youth  service  center,  too,  is  faced  with 
the  same  problem — they  have  no  place  to  put  the  boy. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  31 

In  most  of  these  institutions  the  boy's  entire  delinquency  has  been 
caused  either  by  his  home  environment  or  by  his  associates  in  and 
around  the  towns  where  he  lives. 

Senator  Kefauver.  What  you  need  to  do  is  get  him  away  from  there 
to  somewhere  else  ? 

Mr.  Browne.  That  is  true.  I  think  if  we  could  break  the  contacts 
off  a  sufficiently  long  period  of  time,  we  could  change  the  habits. 
At  the  present  time  where  they  come  back  into  their  own  home  com- 
munity, they  come  back  as  heroes  because  they  have  been  sent  away 
for  a  while  and  instead  of  acting  as  a  detriment  to  them,  I  think  it 
encourages  the  other  boys  and  girls  who  look  upon  him  as  a  hero  for 
having  tangled  with  the  law  and  come  out  of  it. 

Another  problem  is  the  problem  of  the  unwanted  boy.  We  have 
had  several  of  those  brought  before  us  even  quite  recently  where  the 
parents  will,  under  the  Massachusetts  law,  charge  them  with  being 
a  stubborn  child.  The  boy  has  probably  been  acting  up,  certainly 
no  worse  than  anything  I  did  when  I  was  young.  They  are  brought 
before  the  court  and  we  have  to  make  some  disposition  of  the  case. 

We  have  been  fortunate  in  getting  other  relatives  to  take  over 
and  in  some  cases  we  can  get  the  father  to  support  the  boy.  But 
there  again  there  are  many  of  those  cases  w^here  the  environment 
should  be  broken  and  the  boy  should  be  put  under  some  other  super- 
vision and  preferably  a  somewhat  strict  supervision. 

I  just  want  to  sum  up  my  remarks  by  saying  so  far  as  the  western 
part  of  Massachusetts  is  concerned,  that  is  west  of  Worcester,  we  are 
really  sadly  lacking  in  facilities  for  this  sort  of  work. 

We  do  have  about  the  same  amount  of  problems  per  capita  as  you 
do  have  in  the  larger  communities.  It  runs  about  the  same,  although 
it  is  not  so  serious.  In  each  one  of  these  cases  it  is  not  the  act  itself 
that  is  serious,  it  is  the  question  of  the  life  and  the  future  of  the  boy. 

That  is  the  thing  we  always  want  to  be  concretely  concerned  with 
is  whether  or  not  we  can  save  him  to  useful  citizenship  both  for  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  and  for  the  United  States  of 
America. 

I  think  and  respectfully  submit  if  we  can  get  some  type  of  facility, 
like  Boys  Town,  in  Massachusetts,  it  will  greatly  help  the  work  of 
probation  throughout  the  State. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Browne. 

We  are  going  to  have  to  recess  now  until  9  :  30  in  the  morning. 

I  understand  Mr.  Bobo  has  been  in  touch  with  Mr.  Payton  and 
Mr.  Amershadian,  that  they  can  stay  over  until  the  morning,  so  we 
will  meet  back  here  at  the  same  place  at  9 :  30  in  the  morning. 

( Wliereupon,  at  12 :  20  p.  m.,  the  hearing  was  recessed  to  reconvene 
at  9 :  30  a.  m.,  Wednesday,  July  11,  1956.) 


JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY 

Utilization  of  Surplus  Military  Installations  for  Boys  Town 

Type  Projects 


WEDNESDAY,  JULY  11,  1956 

United  States  Senate, 
Subcommittee  to  Investigate  Juvenile  Delinquency 

or  the  Commiti'ee  on  the  Judiciary, 

Washington,  D.  G. 
The  subcommittee  met,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  at  9 :  50  a.  m., 
in  room  212,  Senate  Office  Building,  Senator  Estes  Kefauver  (chair- 
man) presiding. 

Present:  Senator  Kefauver  (presiding). 

Also  present :  James  H.  Bobo,  general  counsel ;  Peter  N.  Chumbris, 
associate  counsel ;  Carl  Perian,  research  director. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Who  is  our  first  witness,  Mr.  Bobo? 
Mr.  Bobo.  Mayor  Amelio  A.  Delia  Chiesa. 
Senator  Kefauver.  Mayor,  we  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  you. 
Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  Thank  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  HON.  AMELIO  A.  DELLA  CHIESA,  MAYOE  OF 

QUINCY,  MASS. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  might  say  that  the  Quincy  City  Council 
by  unanimous  vote  voted  in  opposition  to  the  Boys  Town  being  lo- 
cated in  this  particular  area  in  the  city  of  Quincy  and  copies  of  the 
resolution  were  mailed  to  each  Member  of  the  United  States  Congress 
from  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  and  also  to  our  two  Sen- 
ators, Senator  Saltonstall  and  Senator  Kennedy.  Mr.  Michael 
Skerry,  who  is  the  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives  has  with- 
drawn his  support  of  this  program,  and  also  Mr.  Charles  Gibbons, 
the  former  speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Massachu- 
setts and  now  majority  floor  leader  and  now  a  candidate  for  Lieu- 
tenant Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  has  with- 
drawn his  support.  We  talked  to  Senator  Dick  Furbush  from  the 
Quincy  delegation  and  he  is  no  longer  willing  to  support  the  program. 
They  did  support  the  program  before  they  became  aware  of  the  fact 
that  the  people  in  the  city  of  Quincy  are  very  much  opposed  to  it. 

"Wlien  I  say  the  people  in  the  city  of  Quincy  I  mean  the  vast 
majority.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  anyone  in  the  city  of  Quincy 
in  favor  of  Boys  Town  located  in  our  city.  The  chief  of  police  is 
very  much  opposed  to  it.  We  happen  to  be  a  city  of  85,000  people, 
the  tenth  largest  in  population  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 

33 


34  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

chusetts  and  133d  in  the  United  States.  We  are  proud  of  our  city. 
The  only  city  in  Norfolk  County  and  we  have  been  confronted  like 
many  other  cities  with  the  program  of  school  building  since  1949; 
we  have  completed  11  schools.  One  is  now  under  construction  and  2 
of  them  are  on  the  drawing  boards  at  a  tremendous  cost  to  the  tax- 
payers of  Quincy.  We  have  already  borrowed  for  these  schools  that 
are  under  program  now  some  $8  million  for  school  construction.  We 
are  also  1  of  11  cities  and  towns  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts that  maintains  a  hospital  and  the  doctors  and  everybody  else 
connected  with  the  hospital  have  asked  for  an  additional  construction 
which  will  cost  some  $2  million.  We  have  already  completed  a  pow- 
erplant  that  costs  a  half  million  dollars  and  we  have  much  street 
work,  sewer  work,  waterwork,  water  mains,  and  so  forth  and  the  re- 
sult is  that  before  the  end  of  the  year  with  what  we  have  already  bor- 
rowed and  authorized  the  city  of  Quincy  will  have  a  debt  of  some- 
where between  $14  million  and  $15  million,  the  highest  debt  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  city  of  Quincy. 

Our  tax  rate  has  increased  from  $30  to  $60.60.  We  will  see  an  in- 
crease next  year.  We  are  anxious  to  bring  new  business  into  the  city. 
We  started  in  the  program  when  the  Government  decided  to  move 
in  the  Squantum  Airbase  to  the  South  Weymouth  Airbase  a  long  time 
before  this  group  thought  of  using  it  for  a  Boys  Town.  They  knew 
in  my  opinion  that  the  city  officials  and  almost  everybody  else  in  the 
city  of  Quincy  were  very  much  opposed  to  it.  As  I  understand  they 
have  been  refused  locations  in  several  other  communities  in  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts.  So  now  of  course  they  would  like  to 
move  into  Squantum.  We  are  not  opposed  to  a  Boys  Town.  What 
we  want  in  Squantum  is  a  desirable  business.  A  business  that  will 
bring  in  tax  revenue  to  the  city  of  Quincy  as  well  as  create  jobs  for  the 
people  that  live  in  the  city  and  surrounding  towns. 

We  happen  to  be  adjacent  to  the  city  of  Boston.  The  city  council 
appropriated  a  sum  of  money  to  zone  that  area  if  and  when  the 
Government  could  declare  it  surplus  so  we  could  only  bring  a  desirable 
business  into  that  location.  I  understand  that  the  Government  has 
declared  it  surplus.  As  a  matter  of  fact  only  yesterday  the  General 
Services  Administration  in  Boston,  they  opened  bids,  Mr.  Senator 
and  the  highest  bid  was  the  Boston  Edison  Co.  They  submitted  a  bid 
of  $851,000  for  the  air  station.  I  have  a  copy  of  the  bulletin  that 
appeared  in  the  Quincy  paper  last  night. 

What  this  will  mean  in  there  to  the  city  of  Quincy  in  my  opinion 
is  this.  We  have  an  Edison  plant  in  the  neighboring  town,  the  town 
of  Weymouth  and  that  plant  pays  40  percent  of  the  tax  levy  in  the 
town  of  Weymouth,  just  1  plant.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  total 
assessment  in  the  town  of  Weymouth  is  $109  million.  The  Edison 
plant  is  assessed  for  $44  million  and  due  to  the  fact  that  they  have 
the  Edison  plant  located  in  their  town  they  have  enjoyed  a  tax  rate 
around  $40.  The  city  of  Salem  that  also  has  an  Edison  plant  they 
also  enjoy  a  tax  rate  in  the  low  forties.  The  city  of  Quincy  of  course 
we  are  all  trying  to  help  the  overburdened  property  owners  in  our 
city  and  the  only  way  we  can  do  it  is  by  bringing  a  desirable  business 
into  that  location.  It  happens  to  be  a  very  desirable  location  for  busi- 
ness, one  of  the  best  on  the  New  England  coast. 

I  feel  there  are  other  locations  suitable  for  Boys  Town  in  the 
Commonwealth  because  we  have  larse  areas  of  vacant  land  and  this 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  35 

should  be  set  aside  for  boys  development  and  if  we  are  fortunate 
to  have  Boston  Edison  who  happens  to  be  the  high  bidder  on  that  land 
and  it  appears  to  be  a  pretty  good  bid  even  from  the  Government's 
point  of  view  and  they  will  erect  a  building  there  that  will  cost  some 
$40  million,  using  the  same  figure  as  the  one  in  Weymouth  and  prob- 
ably will  be  assessed  for  even  more  and  will  probably  be  a  larger 
development  and  we  have  now  at  the  present  time  $160  million  assess- 
ment. That  is  the  total  assessment.  You  can  readily  see  if  we  have  a 
building  that  will  be  assessed  for  $40  million,  that  will  reduce  our  tax 
rate  somewhere  between  20  to  25  percent.  So  you  can't  blame  me  and 
the  members  of  the  city  council  and  all  others  concerned  for  fighting 
for  this  land  for  business,  especially  where  it  is  going  to  be  a  very 
desirable  business. 

I  understand  from  the  clipping  in  the  newspaper  here  that  a  Mr. 
King  from  Beverly  says  that  the  city  of  Quincy  was  in  excellent 
financial  condition  and  we  could  afford  to  perhaps  have  nontaxable 
land  in  our  city.  But  that  is  not  so.  I  happen  to  be  a  member  of  the 
city  government  for  14  years  and,  with  this  high  tax  rate  and  the  in- 
crease in  our  debt,  I  think  it  is  very  urgent  we  should  do  all  we  can 
to  try  to  get  more  and  more  business  into  our  community. 

In  the  city  of  Quincy  we  have  some  596  veterans'  units,  apartments, 
and  you  know  they  are  tax  free.  We  receive  a  pittance  in  lieu  of 
taxes.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  for  that  596  development  we  had  to  build 
two  schools  that  cost  us  $3  million.  Four  hundred  are  owned  by  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  160  by  the  Federal  Government,  and 
36  by  the  city  of  Quincy.  The  only  ones  we  realize  a  profit  on  are  the 
ones  that  are  owned  by  the  city.  We  maintain  practically  all  the 
rent.  The  Government  gives  us  10  percent  of  the  rents  and  the  State, 
5  percent.  From  the  State,  that  amounted  to  $25  per  family  per  year, 
Mr.  Senator,  or  $2  per  month.  Due  to  the  fact  that  we  had  to  build 
these  $3  million  worth  of  schools  and  provide  the  services  required  that 
the  city  provides,  and  we  provide  many  of  them  in  our  city,  I  feel  we 
have  a  sufficient  area  and  buildings  that  are  tax  free  now,  and  this  land 
has  been  made  available  for  sale  and  in  my  opinion  it  should  be  used 
for  business  development,  I  might  say,  Mr.  Senator,  that  the  city  of 
Quincy  is  the  only  city  in  the  United  States  that  has  given  two  Presi- 
dents to  this  great  country  of  ours.  John  Adams  and  John  Quincy 
Adams,  father  and  son,  they  were  born  in  our  city.  John  Hancock,  the 
first  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  was  also  born  in  our 
city.  We  have  the  city  of  the  first  railroad,  the  city  of  the  first  iron- 
works, and  many  other  historical  cities  that  we  are  very  proud  of.  We 
are  quite  rich  in  history.  I  don't  know  of  anyone  in  the  Quincy  area 
that  is  in  favor  of  this.  There  may  be  1  or  2.  I  have  not  heard 
of  them. 

In  my  opinion  they  are  opposed  to  this.  We  were  in  there  a  long 
time  before  this  gi^oup  that  wants  to  place  a  Boys  Town  in  that  area, 
and  they  knew  our  feelings  because  we  talked  to  them.  I  talked  to 
1  or  2  of  them  and  we  told  them  we  were  very  much  opposed  to  it.  I 
believe  that  perhaps — I  don't  want  to  consume  too  much  of  your  time 
but  that  is  the  main  reason.  We  need  tax  dollars  in  our  city,  Mr. 
Senator,  and  this  is  an  excellent  way  to  obtain  more  revenue  to  help  the 
overburdened  taxpayers.  The  tax  rates  in  Massachusetts  have  in- 
creased by  leaps  and  bounds.  One  of  our  neighboinng  towns  just 
jumped  to  $90  and  pretty  soon  the  tax  rate  will  be  almost  as  high  as  the 


36  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

value  of  the  home  per  thousand  and  we  have  to  bring  more  business 
into  Quincy  and  other  cities  and  towns  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts. And  I  understand  that  100  million  ])eople  in  the  United 
States  live  in  less  than  1  percent  of  the  land.  If  that  is  so,  there  should 
be  plenty  of  land  for  what  these  gentlemen  seek  for  a  Boys  Town. 

Thank  jou,  Mr.  Senator. 

Senator  Ivefauver.  Mr.  Mayor,  as  I  understand,  it  is  purely  and 
solely  on  the  basis  that  you  would  rather  have  this  site  used  for  indus- 
trial development  in  order  to  give  industry  employment  and  increased 
tax  relief  and  tax  revenue  that  you  and  the  members  of  the  board  of 
commissioners  have  taken  this  view. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  That  is  one  of  the  reasons.  The  other  reason 
is  that  I  understand  these  children  will  be  delinquent  children  and  the 
police  department  is  very  much  opposed  to  it.  The  people  who  live 
in  one  of  our  finest  sections  in  the  city  of  Quincy  known  as  Squantum 
adjacent  to  this  site  are  opposed  to  bringing  some  four  or  five  thousand 
boys  into  this  area. 

Senator  Kefauver.  In  that  connection  I  have  had  the  privilege  of 
visiting  Boys  Town  in  Omaha  several  times.  It  is  near  a  very  nice 
residential  section.  I  suppose  there  is  no  more  orderly  or  well  disci- 
plined neighborhood  in  Omaha  than  Boys  Town  of  which  the  people 
there  are  very  justly  proud. 

It  is  run  on  the  basis,  of  course,  the  boys  themselves  are  the  mayor, 
the  city  government,  I  don't  think  the  people  around  that  very  fine 
school  have  ever  had  any  trouble.  So  that  I  imagine  these  people  have 
in  mind  the  kind  of  organization,  discipline  so  that  people  in  that 
neighborhood  would  not  be  bothered  with  rowdy  boys  on  the  loose. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  We  have  many  fine  schools,  of  course,  in 
the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  to  take  care  of  these  boys  and 
I  Understand  that  there  is  some  land  in  the  central  part  of  Massa- 
chusetts that  was  called  to  their  attention  that  could  be  made  available 
to  them  but  they  were  not  too  interested  in  the  thing  due  to  the  fact 
that  there  were  no  buildings  on  this  land  and  it  would  cost  them  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  to  develop.  If  they  happen  to  take  100 
acres  of  the  650  acres  available  they  will  be  taking  the  best  part  of 
that  area  for  this  school.  That  includes  the  buildings  and  is  near 
the  water  and  I  don't  think  the  bidders  would  be  intersted. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  have  an  areal  view  of  Squantum  Base.  Where 
is  the  residential  section  with  reference  to  this  base  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  They  are  over  in  this  side  here.  There  is  a 
road  running  up  here.  I  think  Mr.  O'Connell  has  a  full  plan  that  he 
will  be  able  to  answer  your  question  better  than  this  little  print  will. 

Senator  Kefau^^r.  Is  this  airbase  within  the  city  limits  of  Quincy  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  Yes,  it  is  part  of  the  cily  of  Quincy.  We 
have  gone  to  the  expense  of  having  it  rezoned  something  like  that  so 
as  to  bring  in  a  desirable  business  and  it  looks  as  though  with  the 
bid  that  the  Edison  plant  have  submitted  that  would  be  a  desirable 
business  because  the  plants  that  they  have  in  Weymouth  and  Salem 
are  well  kept  lawns,  and  I  know  the  people  would  not  object  to  that 
type  of  a  plant. 

Senator  Kefauver.  As  I  understood  it,  the  Boys  Home  only  wanted 
a  hundred  acres  of  this  area.  Is  that  in  the  100  acres  that  the  Edison 
Co.  would  want? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  That  is  correct. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  37 

Senator  Kefauver.  Would  tliey  have  any  use  for  the  residence  and 
the  barracks  and  things  like  that  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  understand  that  they  have  use  of  that 
•whole  land.  They  have  other  plants.  They  haven't  really  come  out 
with  the  plans  that  they  have  in  mind.  But  I  understand  they  have 
plans  to  use  that  whole  area  of  640  acres. 

Senator  Kefauver.  What  kind  of  a  plant  would  Boston  Edison  Co. 
have  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  believe  to  generate  electricity.  I  haven't 
talked  to  them  but  it  may  be  even  an  atomic  energy  plant.  That  I  am 
not  positive.    It  will  be  quite  a  thing  for  that  area. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Have  they  given  you  assurance  about  how  many 
people  they  will  employ  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  No;  we  haven't  discussed  that  because  we 
did  not  know  they  would  be  the  high  bidder. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  notice  this  is  dated  July  10.     TV^iat  is  today  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  Eleventh.  The  bids  were  opened  yesterday 
and  it  was  too  late  for  the  paper  to  get  a  story.  That  is  just  a  bulletin 
that  appeared  in  the  Quincy  paper,  the  Ledger.  Here  is  the  copy  I 
clipped  out  for  you.     I  would  like  to  leave  it  for  you. 

Senator  Kefauver.  We  would  like  to  put  this  clipping  in  the  rec- 
ord. The  second  highest  bidder  is  Industrial  Properties,  Inc.,  of 
Massachusetts.  Do  you  know  what  kind  of  a  plant  they  were  figur- 
ing on  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  don't  know  what  they  have  in  mind.  They 
happen  to  be  a  large  building  material  supply  dealer  in  the  city  of 
Quincy.  They  are  the  largest  in  New  England.  I  imagine  they 
would  enlarge  their  business  and  perhaps  bring  other  business  into 
that  area  because  it  is  a  very  desirable  site. 

I  might  say,  Mr.  Senator,  that  the  United  States  Navy,  through  a 
private  contractor,  erected  160  units  on  part  of  that  land  and  recently 
completed.  Up  until  now  we  have  not  received  tax  revenue  from  the 
160  units.  The  Government  set  aside  11  acres  of  that  land  for  the 
school  to  take  care  of  the  children  of  the  Navy  personnel. 

Senator  KErAuM<:R.  Where  are  the  apartments  on  this  site  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  The  apartments  would  be  over  here.  I  be- 
lieve Mr,  McConnell  has  a  very  large  plan  that  he  will  be  able  to  show 
to  you  better  than  that. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  many  members  are  on  the  city  council  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  There  are  seven. 

Senator  Ivefauv^er.  Was  this  a  unanimous  decision  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  Unanimous.  Each  member  of  the  congres- 
sional district  from  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  from  the 
State  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  two  Senators  have  received  copies. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  have  here,  also,  a  newspaper  clipping  that 
says — this  is  back  a  year  ago,  1955,  July  12 — that  after  a  2-hour  bom- 
bardment of  questions,  the  planning  board  continued  the  hearings  for 
a  rezoning  of  this  area  to  a  later  date. 

How  is  the  area  now  being  zoned  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  It  has  been  zoned  for  business. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Is  that  industry  A-1 ;  is  that  it  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  believe  it  is  A-1.  We  did  not  want  an  oil 
farm  there,  to  keep  oil  tanks.  Anything  that  is  undesirable.  We 
did  pay  an  expert  $1,200  to  prei)are  the  zoning  change  and  under  our 


38  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

ordinance  it  must  go  to  the  planning  board  first  and  they  held  hearings 
and  they,  of  course,  recommended  this  particular  change,  to  bring  in 
the  desirable  business,  and  then  the  council  concurred  with  them  and 
we  passed  it  as  an  ordinance. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Any  questions,  Mr.  Bobo? 

Mr.  Bobo.  Questions,  yes,  sir,  I  have  a  few.  These  buildings,  Mr. 
Mayor,  did  you  say  that  the  Boston  Edison  Co.  would  use  these 
buildings  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  No  ;  I  don't  know.  I  couldn't  answer  that 
question. 

Mr.  Bobo.  In  all  probability  they  would  be  torn  down  for  the  site 
for  their  development. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  Perhaps  they  would  be. 

Mr.  Bobo.  Were  you  familiar  with  the  fact  that  when  the  Navy  re- 
leased this  land  to  the  General  Services  Administration,  the  valuation 
of  the  land  was  placed  at  approximately  $3  million  to  the  Government  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  No;  I  did  not  know  just  what  the  valuation 
was. 

Mr.  Bobo.  Are  you  familiar  with  the  fact  that  if  this  is  zoned  in- 
dustrially and  if  an  industrial  site  is  placed  here  that  the  Federal 
Government  will  have  to  pay  to  dredge  this  channel  which  is  now  only 
13  feet  deep  or  16  feet  depth  to  a  channel  of  30  feet  deep  at  a  cost  of 
over  a  million  dollars  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  If  I  am  not  mistaken  I  believe  that  is  under 
way  now.  That  is  under  way  now.  The  Government  has  already 
appropriated  money  to  dredge  that  channel. 

Mr.  BoBO.  You  think  that  in  view  of  that  being  640  acres  and  an 
ideal  industrial  site  that  the  bid  of  the  Boston  Edison  Co.  is  as  high  a 
bid  as  could  be  expected  for  this  particular  property  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  do.  As  a  matter  of  fact  when  you  have 
city,  State,  or  Government  property  you  are  very  fortunate  to  get  a 
bid  of  that  amount  for  that  area  from  my  experience  in  government. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Were  you  familiar  with  the  fact  that  recently  the  Navy 
had  purchased  an  additional  6  acres  of  land  immediately  adjoining 
this  for  the  apartment  area  near  this  property  ? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  No. 

Mr.  Bobo.  Hasn't  the  Navy  recently  bought  some  land  at  the  sura 
of  $2,400  an  acre? 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  They  bought  it  in  connection  with  the  school. 

Mr.  BoBO.  No ;  in  connection  with  the  Navy  apartment  development. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  thought  that  was  all  part  of  Navy  land.  I 
didn't  know  that  the  Navy  had  to  purchase. 

Mr.  BoBO.  This  was  adjacent  to  the  land  the  Navy  already  owned. 

Mayor  Della  Chiesa.  I  didn't  know  that.  I  took  it,  it  was  all 
Navy  land. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Anything  else? 

Mr.  Bobo.  Nothing  else. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much. 

Mr.  Bobo.  Mr.  Griffin. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Hello,  Mr.  Griffin. 

Mr.  Griffin.  Hello,  Senator,  how  are  you  ? 

Senator  KEFAim:R.  Tell  us  about  yourself. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  39 

STATEMENT  OF  WARREN  GRIFFIN,  ON  BEHALF  OF  HARBOR  DE- 
VELOPMENT COMMISSION,  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE,  QUINCY, 
MASS. 

Mr,  GRirriN,  I  am  Warren  M.  Griffin,  242  Waban  Avenue,  in 
Waban,  Mass. 

Senator,  I  appreciate  the  opportunity  to  come  here  to  express  my 
views,  while  here,  which  will  not  take  very  much  of  your  time.  I  am 
here  representing  the  South  Shore  Development  Commission  of  the 
Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Are  you  an  attorney,  sir? 

Mr.  Griffin.  No,  sir ;  I  am  in  the  oil  business  and  in  politics. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Are  you  an  oil  jobber? 

Mr.  Griffin.  Yes;  an  independent  jobber,  employed  by  an  inde- 
pendent jobber.  And  a  candidate  for  the  Democratic  nomination 
for  county  commissioner,  while  I  am  resting,  in  my  si^are  time. 

Senator  Kefaits'er.  I  hope  you  have  good  luck. 

Mr.  Griffin.  Thank  j^ou  very  much.  I  wish  you  could  come  up 
and  help  me.  I  tried  to  copy  your  technique  a  little  bit  which  I 
think  is  most  effective  although  I  don't  have  quite  the  energy  that 
you  do  have  I  am  afraid. 

This  Shore  Development  Committee,  Senator,  is  comprised  of  in- 
dustrialists operating  along  the  Quincy  waterfront.  There  are  many 
large  individual  companies.  The  J.  J.  Duane  Co.,  which  is  a  large 
marine  salvage,  building  wrecking,  and  lumber  dealers  there.  The 
Socony  Mobil  Oil  Co.,  with  a  water  terminal  and  the  Quincy  Oil  Co., 
with  deepwater  terminal  facilities.  Quincy  Lumber  Co.,  which  in- 
cludes the  Maritime  Association  of  Boston.  Representatives  of  this 
commission  have  been  to  Washington  on  numerous  occasions  pleading 
for  aid  in  dredging  and  beach  erosion  for  projects  in  the  Quincy  area. 
The  Commission  is  vitally  interested  in  promoting  the  acquisition 
of  desirable  industries  in  this  area.  We  believe  that  this  property 
is  best  suited  for  industrial  purposes.  It  is  located  on  Neponset 
River.  It  is  zoned  properly  now  and  it  is  easy  to  get  business  in 
there. 

And  it  includes  railroad-siding  facilities  already  there  on  the 
property. 

Presently  there  are  about  15  miles  of  waterfront  property  in  the 
Qiiincy  area  that  is  zoned  for  industry  and  12  remaining  miles  of 
waterfront  property  used  for  recreational  and  residential  properties. 
Because  of  the  scarcity  of  this  type  of  properties  this  is  1  of  the  only  2 
parcels  remaining.  This  is  by  far  the  best  one.  It  is  the  only  one 
with  rail  facilities.  We  believe  this  is  a  very  desirable  industrial 
property  particularly  for  its  planned  use. 

This  year,  engineers — you  brought  this  point  up  a  little  while  ago, 
Mr,  Bobo  did — engineers  are  redredging  tlie  Neponset  River  which 
comes  in  at  the  point  of  this  property.  This  Congress  has  appro- 
priated half  a  million  dollars  for  the  continuance  of  the  dredging  of 
the  Weymouth-Fore  River  and  has  appropriated  a  third  of  a  million 
dollars  for  this  year  which  is  part  of  a  three-quarters  of  a  million 
total  for  the  continued  dredging  of  the  Town  River  all  for  the  pur- 
pose of  developing  industrial  proprety,  in  this  area  of  which  the 
Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  is  part.     The  Commission  is  thoroughly 


40  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

familiar  and  vitally  interested  in  the  development  of  the  Quincy 
area  and  we  wish  to  record  ourselves  as  being  very  much  in  favor  of 
this  property  being  developed  for  industrial  use. 

That  concludes  what  I  have  to  say. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Griffin,  who  was  that  you  said  you  repre- 
sented ? 

Mr.  GnTrriN.  The  South  Shore  Development  Commission  of  the 
Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  which  includes  also  the  Maritime 
Association  of  Boston,  many  industrialists  operating  along  the  Quincy 
waterfront. 

Senator  Kefaux'er.  Is  it  your  understanding  that  part  of  this  de- 
velopment that  this  Boys  Town  would  want  would  substantially 
interfere  with  the  industrial  development? 

Mr.  Griffin.  That  seems  to  be  the  thing  to  me  and  that  is  the  un- 
derstanding generally  of  the  people  whom  I  discussed  it  with.  It 
would  probably  make  it  very  undesirable  to  anyone  bidding  for  this 
property  to  have  that  chunk  taken  out.  You  realize  the  advantage 
of  this  property  for  industrial  use.  Its  size.  We  are  so  limited  in 
areas  of  sufficient  size  available.  There  are  only  two  in  this  general 
area  available  and  this  is  by  far  the  best.  I  would  be  reluctant  to 
reduce  any  of  the  property  for  any  other  purpose  than  industrial  use. 

Senator  Kefattver.  You  say  you  have  11  miles  of  frontage  on  the 
river  ? 

Mr.  Griffin".  We  have  a  total  of  27  miles  of  waterfront  frontage 
of  which  15  miles  and  including  this  particular  area  is  zoned  for 
industrial  and  the  remaining  12  miles  is  zoned  for  recreational  and 
residential  use  and  is  being  used  for  those  purposes. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Any  questions,  Mr.  Bobo  ? 

Mr.  BoBo.  No  questions. 

Senator  Kefauver.  All  right,  Mr.  Bobo,  who  is  our  next  witness? 

Mr.  BoBO.  Mr.  Fred  Bergfors. 

Senator  Kjefauver.  Glad  to  see  you. 

STATEMENT  OF  FEED  BERGFORS,  REPRESENTING  CHAMBER  OP 
COMMERCE,  aUINCY,  MASS. 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  live  in  North  Weymouth,  I  live  on  Weymouth 
Town  River,  it  is  63  Regatta  Road  in  North  Weymouth. 

Senator,  I  represent  a  special  committee  that  was  formed  some  time 
ago  for  the  expressed  purpose  of  attempting  to  find  a  desirable  in- 
dustry for  this  640  acres.  Mayor  Delia  Chiesa  and  Mr.  Griffin  have 
touched  on  the  physical  aspects  of  this  plant  down  there.  But  I 
merely  wanted  to  say  this  has  historically  sjjeaking  been  in  industrial 
use  for  a  long  time.  During  the  first  World  War  Lawley  Shipyard 
was  there  and  there  was  also  an  airport  there  and  subsequent  to  that, 
just  prior  to  the  Second  World  War  the  Navy  took  it  over  and  it 
became  a  preflight  training  school  so  essentially  it  has  always  been 
industrial  property. 

It  is  ideally  suited  for  industry.  It  has  12-inch  water  mains 
already  in  the  ground,  6-inch  gas  mains.  It  is  handy  to  transporta- 
tion, to  bus,  truck  and  rail  terminals. 

It  is  on  the  waterfront  and  any  shipments  by  water  readily  avail- 
able to  them.  There  is  wharfage  there  which  originally  came  from 
the  Lawley  Shipyard. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  41 

Senator  KEFAin^ER.  How  deep  is  that  water  in  the  part  where  there 
is  wharfage  ? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  don't  know.  That  is  in  Dorchester  Bay  and  I 
lived  in  Squantum  for  about  30  years  but  I  have  moved  to  Weymouth 
now.  I  used  to  play  over  there  as  a  kid.  I  would  estimate  there  is 
probably  12  to  13  feet  there  on  that  particular  side  but  on  the  north 
side  is  tlie  Neponset  Eiver  and  that  is  the  one  that  the  United  States 
Government  is  dredging  right  now. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Can  you  show  where  that  is  on  the  map  ?  If  we 
had  a  bigger  map,  it  would  be  helpful. 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  think  this  area  in  here.  This  goes  right  into  the 
Keponset  Kiver  on  the  north  side.    This  is  the  wharfage. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Let  us  put  this  on  the  blackboard.    Go  ahead. 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  would  like  to  say  that  essentially  this  has  been  in- 
dustry or  used  for  industry  for  some  time.  The  members  of  this 
special  committee  who  have  been  working  since  1953  on  this  is  Harry 
Van  Dam,  who  is  president  of  the  chamber  of  commerce.  Mr.  John 
Herbert,  who  is  the  editor  of  the  Quincy  Patriot  Ledger,  and  has  done 
considerable  work.  He  is  a  director  of  the  YMCA  down  there  and 
also  the  Boy  Scouts.  Mr.  Fred  Bergfors,  who  has  been  a  director  of 
the  Boy  Scouts  of  America  in  Quincy  for  about  25  years.  Mr. 
Matthew  Gushing,  who  Avorks  with  the  Granite  Trust  Co.,  has  been  a 
leader  in  community  activities  for  many  years  and  City  Manager 
William  Deegan,  Jr. 

Senator  Kefaua  er.  I  know  him.     Is  he  there  now  ? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  He  isn't. 

Senator  Kefauvt:r.  Where  is  Mr.  Deegan  now  ? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  believe  he  is  working  for  a  private  organization  in 
Boston.  But  my  point  was,  the  committee  does  do  a  good  deal  of 
other  activities  over  and  above  these  youth  activities,  but  they  have  an 
interest  in  youth  and  they  would  like  to,  I  am  sure,  support  youth 
wherever  it  happens  to  come.  We  have  recently  built  a  YMCA  down 
there  that  cost  a  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  and  that  was 
all  by  public  support. 

So  I  think  the  vast  majority  of  the  committee  is  interested  in  youth 
but  tlijy  are  firmly  convinced  that  this  640  acres  of  land  in  Squantum 
is  or  should  be  reserved  for  industrial  rather  than  any  other  use. 

Senator  Kefauver.  As  I  understand,  you  would  be  glad  to  see  a 
Boys  Town  in  that  section  if  it  be  of  help  to  the  youth,  but  you  think 
that  they  ought  to  find  some  other  place  and  site  which  should  be  for 
industry ;  is  that  your  attitude  ? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  Yes,  sir. 

Senator  Kefauver.  You  have  no  objection  to  a  Boys  Town  as  such? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  No,  sir ;  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  am  also  a  director  of 
the  YMCA  down  there  and  I  had  the  privilege  of  serving  when  I  was 
about  17  years  at  a  camp  for  underprivileged  children  in  Long  Island. 
That  was  well  isolated  from  any  industrial  property  and  I  thmk  some 
location  that  would  be  physically  like  the  property  that  I  am  thinking 
of  would  be  more  in  keeping  with  what  3'ou  hope  to  accomplish. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Do  you  know  of  such  a  location? 

Mr.  Bfjigfors.  I  do  know  that  there  is  not  a  good  deal  of  land  avail- 
able in  Quincy  today.  It  is  very  limited.  But  as  you  get  farther  out 
in  the  suburbs,  say  Braintree,  Weymouth,  and  the  South  Shore,  there 


42  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

is  more  land  available  out  there  than  there  would  be  in  Quincy. 
Quincy  is  about  10  miles  out  south  of  Boston. 

Senator  Ketauver.  Any  questions,  Mr.  Bobo? 

Mr,  BoBO.  You  are  familiar  with  the  buildings  on  the  site  here.  In 
your  opinion,  would  you  think  that  some  of  those  buildings  could  be 
used  in  a  Boys  Town- type  project? 

Mr.  Bergfors.  I  am  not  sure  that  they  could.  I  am,  generally 
speaking,  familiar  with  the  property.  I  have  been  over  there.  I  knew 
there  were  some  barracks  there. 

Whether  they  could  be  adopted  for  a  bunkhouse  for  youth  I  don't 
know.  But  I  don't  think  those  are  available.  I  think  those  have 
been  torn  down. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Thank  you,  that  was  all  I  had. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Bergfors. 

Mr.  Bergfors.  Thank  you. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Mr.  O'Connell? 

Senator  Kefauver.  Good  morning,  Mr.  O'Connell.     How  are  you  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Fine.     How  are  you  ? 

STATEMENT  OF  WILLIAM  A.  O'CONNELL,  VICE  PRESIDENT,  QUINCY 
CHAMBER  OE  COMMERCE 

Mr.  O'Connell.  I  would  like  to  answer  some  of  your  questions, 
Mr.  Bobo. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Go  ahead. 

Mr.  O'Connell.  You  asked  the  mayor  on  that  a  couple  of  questions. 
The  present  channel  is  being  redredged  to  12  feet  under  a  Federal 
appropriation. 

Mr.  Chumbris.  Would  you  give  your  name  and  address  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  William  A.  O'Connell,  executive  vice  president 
of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Conmierce,  Quincy,  Mass. 

Senator  Kefauver.  You  mean  you  are  the  manager  of  the  chamber 
of  commerce  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Yes,  I  am  the  paid  manager  of  the  Quincy  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce. 

Mr.  Chumbris.  How  many  years  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Going  on  6  years.  But  I  was  born  and  brought 
up  in  Quincy. 

Senator  Kefauver.  So  they  decided  to  get  a  local  man  to  run  their 
chamber  of  commerce? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Yes,  the  city  of  Quincy  has  many  unique  features 
and  that  was  one  of  them  trying  to  have  local  men  as  much  as  possible 
in  their  municipal  government.     That  is  true  in  their  city  council. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Usually  all  the  local  people  are  so  controversial 
they  won't  let  them  be  the  executive  director  of  a  chamber  of  com- 
merce. 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Well,  that  is  different  in  Quincy.  I  would  like  to 
answer  your  question.  One  of  them  was  about  the  channel.  This  is 
a  Federal  bill  that  has  been  approved  by  Congi^ess  for  a  25-foot  channel 
in  the  Neponset  River  section  and  it  is  however  awaiting  appropria- 
tion and  if  we  had  a  good  desirable  industry  come  in  there  we  figured 
we  could  have  the  Federal  Government  policy  toward  beach  erosion, 
channel  development  has  been  very  enlightening  in  the  last  few  years. 
I  don't  mean  by  that  during  the  last  4  or  5  years  over  a  period  of  years 


I 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  43 

has  been  toward  enlightening  and  developing  the  natural  resources. 

That  channel  could  be  deepened  to  25  feet  and  there  is  a  10-foot 
tide  which  would  give  us  35-feet  channel  during  high  tide. 

Mr.  BoBO.  The  dredging  is  quite  a  distance  away  from  the  base. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Not  too  far. 

Mr.  BoBO.  About  5  miles. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  You  spoke  also  about  the  Federal  use  of  it. 

Senator  Kefatjv'er.  Will  you  leave  us  a  map  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELx,.  I  will  be  glad  to.  This  is  the  Squantum  site.  This 
is  the  main  Boston  Channel  coming  into  Boston.  From  that  point 
there  to  Squantum  it  is  a  shorter  distance  from  there  up  to  the  main 
Boston  Harbor.  Here  we  are  with  this  strategically  located  land  so 
close  to  the  main  Boston  Channel.  Quincy  is  this  whole  area  in  here. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Weymouth-Fore  River,  this  is  the 
Quincy  Bay.  This  is  the  Neponset  River.  There  is  where  we  have 
27  miles  of  shoreline.  We  are  almost  a  peninsula  except  up  in  here 
we  have  some  land.  This  channel  is  being  redredged  under  a  Federal 
appropriation  to  a  depth  of  12  feet.  There  is  a  bill  that  has  been 
approved  to  dredge  this  to  25  feet  right  down  here  to  the  bridge. 
There  is  a  bridge  that  goes  across  the  channel  right  at  that  point. 
Here  is  Logan  Airport  here.  This  is  the  city  of  Boston  which  as  you 
know  is  the  largest  city  in  New  England.  Quincy  is  just  a  few  miles. 
This  is  Boston  and  this  is  Quincy.  The  new  Southeast  Expressways 
and  main  arteries  feeding  into  Boston  skirt  Quincy,  their  main  inter- 
change will  be  at  that  point  there.  So  you  can  see  the  proximity  of 
this  land  to  Logan  Airport,  to  our  main  ship  channel  coming  into  the 
port  of  Boston  and  the  highway  system. 

So  it  is  rather  unusual  situation  to  have  600,  that  is  over  a  million 
square,  over  610  acres  and  it  is  only  through  the  grace  of  God  this 
has  happened  because  the  Navy  used  this  since  1927  when  the  Federal 
Government,  1917,  when  the  Federal  Government  took  over  a  privately 
owned  airport. 

So  it  does  provide  probably  one  of  the  finest  locations  in  New  Eng- 
land for  industrial  development  and,  of  course,  with  the  bid  submitted 
yesterday  by  the  Edison  Co.,  we  think  that  opportunity  is  presenting 
itself. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Do  you  know  whether  they  want  to  buy  the 
property  for  investment  or  some  possible  future  use  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  No ;  they  have  made  the  statement 

Senator  Kefauver.  Or  they  have  immediate  plans. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  They  haven't  said  immediate  plans  because  they 
have  to  wait  30  to  60  days  before  this  property  will  clear  through  GSA 
and  they  have  been  reluctant  to  say  specifically  what  they  want  to  do 
with  it  up  to  this  point. 

But  they  made  a  statement  to  thfe  effect  that  they  intend  to  use  it 
for — here  is  the  statement — 

If  the  Federal  Government  accepts  the  Boston  Edison  Co.  bid  for  the  Squan- 
tum land  known  as  Shea's  Field,  it  will  be  available  as  a  site  for  additional 
company  facilities  to  supply  increased  demands  for  electric  service.  No  definite 
plans  have  been  developed  at  the  present  time. 

Senaor  Kefauver.  It  sounds  like  they  have  in  mind  a  steam- 
generating  plant. 


44  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Some  thing  of  that  nature.  It  may  be.  The  mayor 
just  mentioned  that  the  Edison  plant  owned  in  Weymouth  is  assessed 
for  $4  million. 
Senator  Kefauver.  Wliat  is  that  Edison  plant  in  Weymouth  ? 
Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  That  is  a  generatino-  plant.  It  is  right  down  in 
that  area  there.  It  is  right  in  tliat  section  there.  Tliis  proposal — I 
am  quite  familiar  with  the  Squantum  area.  You  can  see  here  from 
the  vastness  of  this  area  here.  This  is  the  section  that  the  Navy  de- 
veloped for  the  barracks  and  there  is  a  big  hangar  here.  And  they 
have  a  special  channel  that  comes  into  that  harbor.  It  is  an  18-foot 
channel  coming  into  there.  This  is  the  heart  of  the  entire  industrial 
area. 

Senator  Kefauver.  And  that  is  the  part  that  they  want  for  a  boys^ 
camp? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  From  what  I  have  been  able  to  read  and  under- 
stand, that  is  the  part,  because  there  are  the  so-called  barracks  that 
could  be  used,  but  actually  the  property  is  not  in  good  repair.  I  am 
quite  familiar  with  the  external  apearance  of  the  property. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Aren't  there  a  number  of  houses  and  cottages 
around  the  area  standing  ^ 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Squantum,  the  area  is  located  in  here.  Do  you  see, 
down  in  here  there  is  a  residential  area. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  meant  cottages  and  houses  that  used  to  be 
part  of  the  naval  air  station. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  No;  there  are  no  cottages  and  houses  that  are  a 
part  of  this  G40  acres.  The  Navy  owns  property  away  from  it  and 
they  are  retaining  the  homes  and  cottages  over  there. 

Mr.  BoBo.  They  have  the  barracks  buildings  and  officers'  clubs. 
Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  For  naval  personnel. 
Mr.  BoBO.  The  Navy  personnel  buildings. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  That's  right.  We  question  it  whether  or  not  this 
particular  thing  is  necessary  in  that  area.  You  mentioned  over 
Tompson's  Island  in  Boston  Harbor  there  is  a  boys'  school  that  can 
accommodate  some  hundred  people  of  which  there  are  only  GO  at  the 
present  time.  There  are  several  large  islands  in  Boston  Harbor  that 
might  be  available  for  something  like  that.  We  are  not  o])posed  to  a 
Boys  Town  as  such.  It  is  just  this  particular  area  in  here  that  we 
feel  is  one  of  the  finest  industrial  sites  in  New  England  anrl  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  economic  life  of  our  community  to  hold  it. 

We  have  been  working  on  this  since  1953  and  we  have  been  in  con- 
stant contact  with  General  Services  Administration  and  we  have  been 
down  to  Health,  Education  and  Welfare,  talked  with  Bradshaw  Mint- 
ener  and  personnel  on  the  phone.  We  have  been  in  touch  with  thf; 
State  department  of  public  welfare  and  I  think  we  are  rather  fa- 
miliar with  the  community  attitude  on  it  and  so  far  we  have  never 
been  able  to  find  someone  in  the  municipality  who  is  in  favor  of  it. 

We  have  several  people  outside  of  the  community  that  are  in  favor 
of  it. 

]Mr.  BoBo.  "Wlio  is  the  Congressman  in  this  district  ^ 
Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Mr.  Wigglesworth. 
]Mr.  BoBO.  Has  he  made  any  expression  about  it  ? 
Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  answer  that.     There  are- 
proponents  and  opponents  to  this.     He  knows  our  position  on  it  pretty- 
well.     He  was  in  here  this  morning  and  I  didn't  ask  him. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  '45 

Mr.  BoBO.  Wliere  is  Mrs.  Rogers'  district  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  I  am  not  too  sure.  It  is  not  in  our  area.  I  know 
it  is  in  some  other  section. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Somewhere  in  Massachusetts? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Yes;  she  has  been  a  great  booster  of  many  of  our 
programs  in  Quincy.  She  was  a  great  booster  of  our  shipbuilding 
program.  The  jNIDC  recently  completed  a  survey  in  which  they  men- 
tioned the  creation  of  a  marina  in  the  section  here.  I  talked  with  Com- 
missioner Greenough,  as  busy  as  he  is,  he  did  not  know  of  our  interest 
in  it.  He  said  that  the  jMDC  program  would  not  interfere  with  any 
industrial  development  of  the  city  of  Quincy.  The  city  of  Quincy 
owns  a  million  square  feet  across  the  street  from  this  that  they  would 
consider  giving  to  MDC.     This  was  marshland  at  one  time. 

Mr.  BoBO.  What  is  MDC  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  Metropolitan  District  Commission  which  is  set  up 
by  the  State  for  handling  the  recreational  and  other  facilities  in  the 
greater  Boston  area.  Although  they  appear  to  be  recommending  a 
marina  in  that  section  it  is  only  because  they  did  not  know  of  our 
interest  and  now  I  am  sure  their  attitude  has  changed. 

You  asked  a  question,  too,  about  Federal  Government  having  some 
interest  there  for  housing. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  That  was  true.  xV  short  time  ago  they  were  looking 
for  their  Nike  site  but  they  have  dropped  that  interest. 

Mr.  BoBO.  So  they  are  no  longer  interested  in  it  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  valuation  of  the  prop- 
erty by  the  GSA  do  you  this  this  was  a  fair  bid  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  I  can  ansAver  that  two  ways.  The  city  has  had  an 
appraisal  on  that  for  $4  million.  It  is  to  the  benefit  of  the  city  to  have 
a  large  valuation  for  their  real  property  because  their  borrowing  ca- 
pacity is  based  on  the  valuation  of  their_real  property,  so  to  put  a  $4 
million  valuation  on  that,  they  had  no  way  of  knowing  what  the  actual 
valuation  is.  So  j^ou  can  see  that  as  assessed,  sold  for  over  $1,500  an 
acre,  which  is  nothing  but  former  meadow,  marshland  filled  in. 

Senator  Kefauver.  The  city  has  had  an  assessment  on  this  6-1:0  acres 
of  $4  million. 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Not  an  assessment,  an  evaluation  for  the  purpose  of 
setting  a  total  valuation  for  the  city.  Because  on  the  total  valuation 
the  city's  borrowing  capacity  is  established.  A  city  can  borrow  within 
21/2  to  5  percent  of  their  total  valuation. 

Senator  Kefauver.  But  Boston  Edison's  bid  is  only  $651,000. 

Mr.  O'Connell.  That's  right.  Which  is  actually,  in  our  thinking, 
a  very  magnanimous  figure. 

Senator  Kefaua-er.  You  think  that  is  a  big  bid  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  That  is  a  substantial  bid.  We  were  very  fortunate 
to  get  such  a  high  bid. 

Mr.  BoBo.  In  the  Quincy  area  property  is  selling  at  approximately 
what  per  acre  for  industrial  use  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  It  can  sell  for  as  low  as  8  cents  a  square  foot  up 
to  $1  a  square  foot.  Quincy  being  a  maritime  province  has  hundreds 
of  acres  of  meadow  or  marshland.  That  was  very  desirable  property 
300  years  ago  because  it  was  used  for  getting  salt  marsh  haj'.  That 
is  one  of  the  reasons  Quincy  was  settled  years  ago  because  of  these 


46  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

great  extensive  salt  marshes.  Much  of  it  has  been  filled  in.  This  is 
one  of  the  areas  that  has  been  filled. 

Mr.  BoBO.  This  would  be  one  of  the  most  valuable  pieces  of  property 
in  Quincy  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  In  the  New  England  area.  That  will  take  a  com- 
pany with  a  lot  of  money  to  go  in  there  and  develop  it.  You  need  to 
go  to  8  to  15  feet  to  get  a  solid  bottom. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Was  there  any  possibility  considered  in  the  negotiations 
that  the  chamber  of  commerce  or  the  city  of  subdividing  this  prop- 
erty for  industrial  use  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  That  would  have  to  be  done  when  it  was  sold.  The 
GSA  policy  was  to  sell  it  as  one  piece.  Then  the  owner,  either  a  single 
or  developer  company  divide  it  in  any  way  possible. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Did  your  group  meet  with  the  GSA  officials  in  deciding 
whether  to  sell  it  as  one  piece  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  No.     That  was  their  policy. 

Mr.  BoBo.  You  never  made  a  recommendation  to  them  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNNELL.  No ;  we  worked  very  closely  with  GSA.  We  were 
impressed  with  the  manner  in  which  they  handled  the  whole  trans- 
action. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Anything  else  ? 

Mr.  BoBO.  No. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Thank  you  very  much. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Mr.  Fred  Amershadian? 

Senator  Kefauver.  Come  around. 

STATEMENT  OF  FRED  P.  AMERSHADIAN,  FOUNDER  AND  COORDI- 
NATOR FOR  BOYS  TOWN  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  INC. 

Mr.  Amershadm-n.  My  name  is  Fred  Amershadian.  I  am  from 
Watertown,  Mass.,  and  for  a  period  of  12  years  I  was  in  social  work 
as  a  boys  work  secretary  with  the  Boston  YMCA  and  community  pro- 
grams throughout  Greater  Boston. 

(Biographical  sketch  is  as  follows:) 

Feed  P.  Amershadian 

Mr.  Amershadian,  who  lives  at  28  Coolidge  Hill  Road  in  Watertown,  Mass., 
has  had  much  to  do  with  the  development  of  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts 
project.  He  is  married  and  is  the  father  of  two  sons.  Mr.  Amershadian  at- 
tended high  school  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  and  later  matriculated  at  Boston  Uni- 
versity. He  received  his  A.  B.  degree  at  Suffolk  University.  Since  that  time  he 
has  taken  extension  courses  at  Harvard  University  and  the  Massachusetts  Insti- 
tute of  Technology. 

Mr.  Amershadian  has  been  connected  with  the  YMCA  in  Boston  for  7  years. 
He  has  also  been  active  in  serving  as  reception  center  master,  and  has  been  on 
the  youth  service  board.  For  6  years  he  acted  as  volunteer  coordinator  of  the 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  I  think  that  before  I  start  my  presentation,  first 
of  all  I  would  like  to  thank  the  committee  for  the  opportunity  of  sub- 
mitting this  data.  I  have  tried  to  cut  it  down,  but  it  has  been  rather 
impossible  because  of  the  facts  that  we  have  had  to  correlate  and  docu- 
ment to  back  up  the  statements  we  wish  to  make. 

The  other  thing  is  that  in  some  of  the  testimony  that  was  given  here 
today,  I  feel  as  though  there  should  be  a  further  check  made  with 
the  United  States  Engineers  Office  as  to  where  the  present  dredging 
is  going  on  in  relation  to  the  Squantum  area. 


JUVENILE    DELESTQUENCY  47 

And  from  that  I  believe  one  of  the  points  can  be  clarified  here  that 
from  the  information  that  I  received  from  the  United  States  Engi- 
neers' Office,  it  doesn't  seem  to  coincide  with  what  has  been  said.  I 
make  that  recommendation  because  they  are  the  ones  that  have  issued 
statements  on  that  and  they  are  the  ones  that  know  the  entire  story  for 
the  record  of  this  committee. 

Thank  you  very  much. 

Yesterday's  presentations  before  this  committee  by  men  of  ex- 
perience demonstrated  conclusively  the  need  for  a  Boys  Town  type 
of  institution  in  Massachusetts  and  the  forward-looking  types  of 
citizenship-training  programs  which  could  be  put  into  action  without 
further  costly  delays  only  if  the  requested  one-sixth  of  the  former 
naval  air  station  at  Squantum,  with  the  eminently  suited  buildings 
thereon,  is  made  available  for  the  purpose. 

My  presentation,  today,  will  cover  the  facts  concerning  efforts  of 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  to  secure  proper  consideration  for  assign- 
ment of  the  requested  area,  as  a  pilot  project  in  our  Commonwealth  to 
prove  the  worth  of  a  contemplated  nationwide  program  for  the  resi- 
dential training  and  treatment  of  youth  in  the  prevention  of 
delinquency. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  was  granted  a  State  charter 
on  September  22,  1950,  when  12  young  men,  veterans  of  World  War 
II,  of  various  racial  extractions  and  religious  creeds,  were  united 
in  a  common  purpose  to  establish  a  residential  program  for  needy 
and  deserving  boys.  At  that  time  these  young  men  went  on  public 
record  in  predicting  a  general  increase  in  the  number  and  seriousness 
of  crimes  committed  by  juveniles  for  lack  of  facilities  for  proper 
treatment  and  guidance.  Hence,  the  idea  for  Boys  Town  of  Massa- 
chusetts was  born. 

As  was  soon  found  out,  in  order  to  initiate  a  Boys  Town  project, 
two  major  elements  are  necessary :  money  and  location.  Unfortu- 
nately the  Boys  Town  group  had  neither  funds  nor  an  adequate  site. 
However,  it  is  common  knowledge,  based  on  the  experience  of  simi- 
lar problems  in  their  creative  stages,  if  you  secure  one  required  ele- 
ment, you  eventually  get  the  other. 

Due  to  the  multiplicity  of  financial  appeals  to  the  public  for  funds, 
it  has  come  to  be  a  generaly  policy,  among  the  philanthropically 
minded,  to  give  mainly  to  those  projects  which  are  in  actual  operation. 
For  that  reason,  the  attempt  was  first  to  get  an  adequate  site.  Little 
did  we  realize  that  we  would  come  up  against  a  human-nature  factor 
which  acts  as  a  constant  roadblock.  This  factor  is  known,  as  one 
editorial  writer  once  put  it,  as  "geographic  humanitarianism."  In 
other  words,  almost  everyone  agrees  that  it  is  a  great  project — in 
someone  else's  backyard. 

After  3  years  of  searching  in  city,  town,  and  country  sites,  it  was 
learned  that  the  naval  air  station  at  Squantum  would  be  declared  sur- 
plus. It  appeared  that  this  was  a  natural.  On  investigation  and 
adding  up  the  advantages  against  the  disadvantages,  it  was  evident 
to  us  that  all  of  the  previous  sites  put  together  could  not  match  the 
total  values  which  the  naval  air  station  had  to  offer. 

Over  2  years  have  elapsed  since  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  first 
made  application  to  the  Department  of  the  Navy  for  one-sixth  of  the 
former  naval  air  station,  including  100  acres  of  land  and  the  fa- 
cilities which  are  considered  exceptionally  well  adapted  to  the  con- 


48  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

templated  pro^^am,  as  shown  by  pictures  taken  with  the  president  of 
the  Massachusetts  Senate,  the  Honorable  Kichard  I.  Furbush,  and  I 
will  present  those  pictuies  very  shortly. 

Since  the  initial  application  by  the  Boys  Town  group,  a  number  of 
inconsistent  actions  have  been  taken  by  the  various  agencies  involved 
which  have  prevented  activating  their  program  during  a  critical 
period  of  need. 

This  case  is  being  presented  for  the  purpose  of  public  review  of  the 
facts  concerning  the  growing  need  for  the  proposed  program,  how 
the  program  will  be  underwritten,  and  the  unsurpassed  suitability 
of  the  requested  location,  which  is  considered  a  key  factor  in  getting 
the  program  underway. 

Upon  advice  of  various  Federal  officials,  who  recognized  the  value 
of  a  Boys  Town  program  and,  because  of  the  unseltish  devotion  of  those 
who  were  determined  to  see  it  materialize,  not  only  for  the  benefit 
of  Massachusetts  but  for  the  Nation  as  a  whole,  a  plea  for  special 
consideration  was  submitted  in  a  letter  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  on  January  8,  1956.     I  submit  a  copy  of  this  letter. 

Senator  Kefau\^r.  It  will  be  received  and  made  a  part  of  the 
record. 

(The  document  referred  to  was  marked  "Exhibit  No.  2,"  and  is  as 
follows:) 

[New  England  Newsclip  Agency,  Inc.] 

Boys  Town 

It  was  gratifying  to  see  a  letter  in  the  Forum  in  support  of  Boys  Town  of 
Massachusetts,  Inc.  However,  the  actual  causes  for  Boys  Town  not  receiving 
proper  consideration  for  assignment  of  a  part  of  Squantum  Air  Base  go  much 
deeper  than  petty  politics  and  legislative  redtape.  Powerful  influences  have 
intervened,  for  some  time,  in  behalf  of  a  certain  private  interest  which  is  placing 
temporary  monetary  values  over  more  permanent  human  values.  I  have  sub- 
mitted my  resignation  as  volunteer  Boys  Town  coordinator  in  order  that  I  might 
speak  out  as  a  private  citizen  in  securing  proper  and  legal  consideration  for  the 
proposed  and  necessary  educational  program.  Through  this  letter  I  vrish  to 
make  known  that  I  have  selected  Wednesday,  January  11  as  S  (Squantum)  day, 
at  which  time  I  will  start  a  campaign  for  moral  support  of  Boys  Town. 

F.  P.  Amershadian. 

The  following  is  letter  to  be  mailed,  on  January  8,  1956.  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  This  advance  copy  is  being  sent  to  you  in 
order  that  you  may  review  the  facts  and  be  prepared  to  support  the 
request  that  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  be  given  fair  consideration 
for  a  sectional  assignment  of  the  former  Squantum  Air  Base  now  being 
declared  surplus.  The  Boys  Towu  group  has  in  its  possession  a  docu- 
mented case  of  statewide  need,  with  an  approved  program  and  policy, 
and  it  could  be  put  into  operation  within  3  months'  time  to  serve  the 
communities  of  the  Commonwealth. 

On  the  basis  of  my  5  years  of  full-time  volunteer  service  to  this  recog- 
nized cause,  I  plead  with  you  to  personally  support  the  Boys  Tovi'n 
application  for  consideration,  by  either  writing  direct  to  the  President 
of  the  United  States  or  to  your  Congressman.  As  a  public  official  you 
know  that  there  must  be  abundant  evidence  of  official  support,  of  any 
request,  for  it  to  gain  full  consideration.  In  order  that  the  Boys  Town 
group  can  be  informed  of  your  action,  please  send  a  duplicate  copy  of 
your  communication  to  the  Boys  Town  headquarters,  618  Little  Build- 
ing, Boston,  care  of  Gordon  K.  Hurd,  chairman  of  the  Boys  Town 
advisory  committee.     Thank  you. 


JUVEXILE    DELINQUENCY  49 

Watektown,  Mass.,  January  8,  1956. 
Hon.  DwiGHT  D.  Eisenhower, 

White  Hovse,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Mr.  President  :  As  one  wJio,  for  a  period  of  15  years,  has  been  interested, 
experienced,  and  dedicated  in  helping  needy  boys,  I  am  submitting  this  letter  as 
a  private  citizen's  protest  regarding,  which  so  far  has  been,  lack  of  fair  considera- 
tion in  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  application,  requesting  assign- 
ment of  a  portion  of  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum,  Mass.  As  the 
former  coordinator  for  the  Boys  Town  group,  I  have  experienced  unwarranted 
and  unconscionable  delays  during  the  past  20  months  in  an  official  attempt  to 
secure  a  section  (one-sixth)  of  this  adequate  site  so  that  the  Boys  Town  school 
might  begin  to  perform  a  much-needed  service  for  our  Commonwealth  and  the 
Nation. 

As  far  back  as  June  1954,  the  commandant  of  the  First  Naval  District  volun- 
tarily wrote  two  highly  favorable  recommendations,  supporting  an  official  request 
to  the  Department  of  the  Navy  that  section  A  of  the  Squantum  Air  Base  was 
adequate  for  locating  a  Boys  Town  training  program.  Also,  32  Massachusetts 
State  senators  and  over  500  civic-minded  citizens  were  on  record  endorsing  the 
Squantum  site  as  a  natural  (1)  in  appealing  to  the  type  of  boy  who  needs  help 
and  (2)  because  of  its  close  proximity  to  Boston,  more  important  advantages 
existed  than  in  any  other  possible  Boys  Town  location. 

After  conferring  with  different  Federal  officials  who  are  familiar  with  the 
facts  in  the  Boys  Town  request,  it  is  my  understanding  that  a  possible  violation 
of  the  Federal  surplus  property  laws  will  be  committed  unless  the  application 
of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  is  given  every  consideration. 

It  is  also  my  personal  knowledge  that  an  effective  freeze  was  placed  on  this 
property,  by  persons  in  high  places,  to  reserve  the  entire  Squantum  base  for  the 
ultimate  sale  to  a  certain  private  interest.  (I  confirmed  the  fact  of  the  freeze 
while  in  Washington,  D.  C,  this  last  summer.) 

In  talking  with  officials  of  the  Internal  Revenue  Department,  I  have  learned 
that  the  reasoning  behind  the  policy  of  the  Federal  holding  agency  (GSA)  in 
advocating  the  proposed  public  sale  of  the  Squantum  base,  as  one  unit,  could  be 
fallacious.  There  is  a  great  possibility  that  the  Federal  Government  is  likely 
to  net  very  little,  if  anything,  from  the  actual  sale  price. 

I  have  also  been  informed  that  an  exception  to  the  proposed  policy  of  disposing 
of  the  base  as  one  unit  has  already  been  made  in  another  case  for  educational 
use.  I  raise  the  question  why  an  exception  cannot  be  made  in  the  Boys  Town 
request,  especially  when  there  are  national  implications  involved.  (The  Massa- 
chusetts Boys  Town  plan  is  one  of  creating  30  new  projects  throughout  the 
Nation,  using  former  military  installations  which,  I  think  you  will  agree,  possess 
priceless  psychological  and  environmental  advantages  for  boys  training  pro- 
grams. The  plan  has  been  editorially  endorsed  by  leading  newspapers  in  Massa- 
chusetts. It  is  a  contemplated  program  designed  to  provide  educational  and 
treatment  centers  for  predelinquent  boys,  whose  problems  can  best  be  solved  by 
removing  them  from  their  homes,  schools,  and  communities,  at  least  temporarily. 
This  program  can  serve  up  to  100,000  boys  annually,  and  it  is  aimed  at  the  very 
core  of  the  serious  juvenile  problem  in  our  Nation  today. 

Part  of  the  unfair  consideration  received  by  the  Boys  Town  organization  was 
because  officials  involved  in  interpreting  and  carrying  out  the  policies  of  the 
Federal  Government  failed  to  recognize  the  importance  of  this  program.  One 
of  them  told  me  that  the  need  for  a  Boys  Town  project  was  just  plain  "philos- 
ophy." In  the  very  city  where  the  Squantum  base  is  located,  juveniles,  in  the 
recent  past,  have  been  responsible  for  over  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars 
($750,000)  damages,  involving  arson,  vandalism  of  all  sorts,  including  $25,000 
damage  to  the  Squantum  base,  also  car  thefts,  breaking  and  entering,  etc.  This 
loss  represents  statistics  for  a  period  of  1  year  and  substantiates  the  average 
estimated  juvenile  vandalism,  etc.,  costs  to  the  communities  throughout  the 
Nation,  as  submitted  by  J.  Edgar  Hoover,  FBI  Chief.  It  should  also  be  stated 
that  this  same  city  has  developed  and  received  national  prominence  for  con- 
stantly striving  to  maintain  an  ideal  and  effective  juvenile  crime-preventive 
program. 

Based  on  the  aforementioned  facts,  I  believe  that  there  is  every  justification 
for  requesting'  and  strouirly  urging  that  an  immediate  nonparti-san  investigation 
be  made  by  any  of  the  following  authorities  : 

(1)  A  Presidential  committee  investigation,  since  the  legality  of  an  untested 
administration  directive  is  involved  in  the  new  GSA  policy. 

(2)  The  Congressional  Committee  on  Government  Surplus  Property. 

(3)  The  Senate  Committee  on  Juvenile  Delinquency. 


50  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

(4)  The  Department  of  Health,  Education,  and  Welfare.  (In  1953  the  Boys 
Town  organization  met  the  rigid  requirements  for  assignment  of  Government 
surplus  property.  The  "fund  in  escrow"  agreed  upon  was  offered  by  a  Boston 
philanthropist  who  so  notified  HEW.  However,  at  the  last  moment,  the  property, 
then  under  consideration,  was  assigned  to  the  Department  of  the  Army  for  a 
secret  project.  The  Boys  Town  organization  has  since  been  strengthened  and 
has  secured  further  documented  evidence  that  public  and  private  subsidy  funds 
are  available  for  student  tuition  fees.) 

Awaiting  your  reply, 
Sincerely, 

Fbed  p.  Ameeshadian. 

Mr.  AiviERSHADiAN.  I  feel  confident  that  if  this  particular  letter 
had  reached  the  President,  personally,  executive  action  might  have 
resulted  in  behalf  of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  which  would  have 
made  this  hearing  unnecessary. 

As  is  known.  President  Eisenhower  is  the  first  in  his  office  to  recog- 
nize and  make  mention  of  the  juvenile-delinquency  problem  in  his 
state  of  the  Union  message.  Also,  because  of  his  background  as  a 
great  military  leader,  I  am  confident  that  he  would  readily  recognize 
the  value  of  utilizing  suitable  surplus  and  idle  military  installations, 
with  their  priceless  environmental  heritage  for  the  active  types  of 
boys  who  would  most  likely  participate  in  such  programs.  In  these 
locations,  it  is  anticipated  that  the  emphasis  will  not  be  military 
regimentation,  but  they  will  better  enable  individual  treatment  in  an 
appealing  group-center  climate  which  will  afford  the  opportunity  for 
more  effective  rehabilitation. 

In  view  of  other  pressing  national  and  international  business  and 
the  President's  convalescence  at  the  time,  the  Boys  Town  gi'oup  was 
not  surprised  even  though  repeated  followup  pleas  ware  made,  that 
the  letter  to  the  President  was  passed  on  to  the  Federal  agencies 
which  were  concerned  in  the  first  place  and  which  were  powerless  to 
take  the  executive  action  necessary  for  special  consideration. 

Ever  since  the  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  project  started,  the  men 
behind  the  effort  have  always  maintained  an  open-door  policy  toward 
constructive  suggestions  and  assistance. 

I  believe  this  policy  will  continue  to  exist.  If  at  any  time  the 
President  of  our  United  States  becomes  cognizant  of  the  Boys  Town 
of  Massachusetts  proposals  and  wishes  to  intervene  in  their  behalf,  I 
am  sure  his  executive  action  will  be  appreciated. 

The  ambitious  program  proposed  by  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts, 
Inc.,  for  a  portion  of  the  surplus  naval  air  station  at  Squantum 
presents  some  startling  statistics  in  these  dollar-conscious  days  con- 
cerning the  increasing  cost  of  crime  in  our  country  and  what  practi- 
cal and  possible  methods  may  be  used  to  combat  it. 

Within  easy  access  to  the  getting  and  giving  of  human  and  material 
services,  so  essential  in  the  successful  operation  of  such  a  pilot  project 
which  can  demonstrate  the  great  value  of  utilizing  similar  surplus 
properties  all  over  the  Nation,  NAS  Squantum  is  unsurpassed  for 
such  a  purpose. 

With  the  heritage  of  having  been  a  naval  air  training  base,  it  was 
built  to  accommodate  between  500  to  1,000  men  and  officers  on  a  resi- 
dential training  basis. 

Just  picture  this  place  with  me. 

In  a  self-contained  unit  on  the  portion  of  the  area  requested  by 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  under  the  omniscient  eye  of  the  flight- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  51 

control  tower  are  dormitories  with  private  rooms  and  tile  baths,  pine- 
panelled  social  and  recreation  rooms  with  fireplaces,  staff  and  equip- 
ment quarters,  all  comparable,  similar  and,  in  some  ways,  superior 
for  the  purpose,  to  the  wonderfully  impressive  and  efficiently  managed 
new  million  dollar  youth  service  board  reception  center  and  detention 
home  in  Roslindale,  Mass. 

Further,  there  are  superlative  shops  and  schoolrooms  for  all  kinds 
of  class  instruction  from  the  upper  elementary  grades  through  high 
schools,  as  described  by  Superintendent  Starr  King  yesterday ;  a  large 
mess  hall,  cafeteria  style,  which  has  been  chosen  in  similar  boys  insti- 
tutions to  be  the  best  way  of  allowing  boys  to  develop  their  individual 
tastes;  two  hangars  for  recreation  use  by  different  age  groups,  the 
larger  as  big  as  a  city  block  with  space  for  all  kinds  of  sports  in  all 
kinds  of  weather  and  approximately  40  finished  rooms  surrounding  it, 
each  capable  of  containing  a  group  of  15  boys  for  special  activity; 
a  fire  enginehouse  with  obtainable  equipment;  space  for  chapels  of 
all  faiths,  an  infirmary  with  rooms  for  well-equipped  medical  and 
psychiatric  clinics ;  modern  central  heating,  plumbing,  and  sewerage ; 
an  excellent  small  boat  and  swimming  basin  plus  100  acres  of  black 
top  and  grass-covered  ground  which  allows  all  kinds  of  healthy  out- 
door work,  play,  gardening,  landscaping,  painting,  and  maintenance 
projects,  enabling  boys  to  build  themselves  into  the  life  of  the  place 
where  they  are  living. 

Picture  further  the  possibilities,  I  repeat  and  emphasize,  possibili- 
ties of  preventing  delinquency  by  enabling  a  heretofore  unheard  of 
number  of  needy  and  deserving  boys  to  participate  in  the  real  business 
of  citizenship  training  in  such  a  place. 

Based  on  sound  experience  in  boys'  institutions.  Boys  Town  of 
Massachusetts  would  plan  to  start  with  a  minimum  of  24  boys  and  a 
comparable  staff  to  develop  a  strong  nucleus  about  which  growth  can 
occur  after  the  customs  and  standards  have  become  secure  with  the 
original  group.  Gradual  increase  up  to  perhaps  300  boys  on  full-time 
resident  basis,  should  be  possible  with  the  facilities  available.  This  is 
comparable  to  the  number  of  students  at  Lyman  School  at  West- 
borough,  Mass. 

Additional  phases  of  the  ambitious  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts 
plan,  which  the  incomparable  facilities  of  the  naval  air  station  at 
Squantum  would  make  possible,  can  include  10  months  (4  weekends 
in  each  period),  of  citizenship-training  programs  for  an  additional 
200  to  300  boys  and  4  two-week  summer-vacation-residence  programs 
for  a  similar  number  each  session.  Adding  these  numbers  together  a 
stupendous  total  of  approximately  4,500  boys  could  benefit  by  a  service 
which  has  hitherto,  been  unavailable  to  this  area. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Would  that  be  4,500  boys  at  one  time  ? 

Mr.  Amershadiax.  No,  I  will  come  to  that  in  the  next  paragraph. 
It  does  not  exceed  600  boys,  300  would  be  there  permanently,  and  300 
at  the  maximum  would  be  there  just  through  Saturday  and  Sunday 
afternoon. 

Included  in  these  weekend  or  summer  programs  might  be  the  other 
neighboring  States,  especially  Rhode  Island,  which  also  has  no  Boys 
Town  type  of  school  and  is  closer  to  Squantum  than  some  parts  of 
western  Massachusetts,  where,  subsequent  allied  groups  of  boys  might 
be  located  in  rural  surroundings.  The  possibilities  are  inspiring. 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  would  provide  a  complete  program,  in- 


52  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

eluding  diagnostic,  therapeutic  casework,  group  activities,  and  com- 
munity experiences  in  which  each  boy  is  treated  as  an  individual. 

After  sufficient  progress  has  been  made  in  solving  a  boj^'s  particular 
problem,  and  there  is  definite  evidence  that  the  boy  is  ready  to  move 
into  a  group  activity  then,  and  only  then,  will  he  become  a  part  of 
the  self-government  program  in  which  the  different  groups  will  par- 
ticipate on  a  proven  community  basis. 

Please  bear  in  mind,  however,  that  at  no  time  would  there  be  more 
than  600  boys  at  the  naval  air  station,  Squantum  location,  and,  if 
this  is  thought  to  be  an  excessive  number,  remember  that  there  are 
1,000  boys  continually  resident  at  Boys  Town  of  Nebraska.  Most 
of  the  300  resident  boys  at  Squantum  could  be  trained  to  act  as  junior 
aids,  under  adult  supervision,  for  the  weekend  and  summer  periods 
where  the  other  possible  300  boys,  at  a  time,  would  participate  in 
citizenship-training  programs.  Communities  can  be  asked  to  send 
leadership  with  their  boys  for  the  weekend  summer  programs.  Young 
police  officers  in  plain  clothes  can  act  as  big  brothers  in  a  much  more 
constructive  way  at  Squantum  than  by  just  waiting  for  boys  to  commit 
crimes  in  their  communities. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  has  prepared  a  set  of  standards  which 
were  originally  recommended  by  the  Children's  Bureau  in  Washing- 
ton as  the  most  ideal  in  the  Nation.  I  would  like  to  submit  an  ap- 
proved copy  of  these  250  standards  which  spell  out  the  program. 
These  standards  have  already  been  reviewed  and  criticized  by  capable, 
private,  and  public  professional  workers  in  Massachusetts,  Connecti- 
cut, New  York,  and  Washington. 

As  presently  planned,  boys  would  be  referred  by  recognized  public 
and  private  agencies.  Parents,  churches,  schools,  and  community 
organizations  would  be  referred  to  these  recognized  agencies  for 
processing  and  recommendations  to  the  admissions  committee. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  officials  expect  to  be  in  continuing 
consultation  with  many  public  and  private  agencies  including  the 
Children's  Bureau  in  Washington,  D.  C,  the  Child  Welfare  Tjeague 
of  America  in  New  York  City,  the  Massachusetts  Youth  Service  Board 
in  Boston,  and  the  various  councils  of  social  agencies  in  the  Com- 
monwealth. It  will  also  work  in  conjunction  with  church  child-plac- 
ing agencies  and  the  division  of  child  guardianship  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Department  of  Public  Welfare.  The  first  staff  members  are 
anticipated  to  come  from  existing  Boys  Town  types  of  schools  in 
the  Nation  and  local  persons  will  be  blended  with  this  nucleus  to 
assume  the  permanent  positions. 

Already  staff  members  from  other  Boys  Town  types  of  schools  have 
expressed  a  desire  to  help  form  the  nucleus  of  the  Boys  Town  of 
Massachusetts  staff.  The  unique  pictures  of  its  plan  and  location 
apparently  offer  an  intriguing  opportunity  for  trained  personnel  to 
put  into  practice  what  they  sincerely  believe  should  be  done  in  teach- 
ing young  Americans  to  be  better  citizens.  With  these  inspired 
individuals,  similarly  interested  local  persons  can  be  blended  to  keep 
pace  with  anticipated  growth. 

As  soon  as  this  pilot  project  is  considered  a  success,  Squantum 
could  serve  as  a  staff  training  center  for  other  national  units.  If 
30  similar  projects  can  be  opened  within  5  years'  time,  they  can  go 
a  long  way  toward  meeting  the  national  need.  Although  there  could 
be  a  slight  leveling  off  of  the  delinquency  rates  during  the  next  few 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  53 

years,  another  great  wave  of  delinquency  is  predicted  from  1960  to 
1970.  There  are  a  hirge  number  of  children  coming  up  in  this  age 
group  who  are  now  between  6  and  10  years  of  age. 

This  time  we  must  be  ready  for  them. 

Earlier,  I  spoke  of  startling  statistics.  Listen  to  these:  30  times 
4,500  boys  in  that  3-point  program  gives  a  total  of  135,000  boys. 

National  figures  today  reveal  that  1  million  youngsters  are  recorded 
as  being  in  the  toils  of  the  law  annually.  Of  course,  a  large  percentage 
of  these  are  known  repeaters  and  are  so  emotionally  disturbed  that 
they  Avould  not  fit  into  a  Boys  Town  type  of  program.  However,  with 
existing  facilities  and  new  programs  getting  under  way,  plus  the 
ambitious  plans  of  new  Boys  Town  projects  across  the  Nation,  this  de- 
linquency prevention  need  might  possibly  be  met  and  there  is  no  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  anyone  I  have  consulted  that  the  need  must  be  met. 

Senator  Kefauver.  One  of  these  gentlemen  say  there  was  a  school 
nearby  that  had  facilities  for  a  hundred  boys  but  there  were  never  more 
than  60  there  at  the  present  time. 

]\fr.  Amershadian.  I  would  like  to  answer  that  right  now.  I  have 
a  letter  from  the  headmaster  of  that  school.  There  was  an  editorial  in. 
the  only  Quincy  paper,  asking  whether  a  Boys  Town  was  necessary, 
mentioning  the  fact  that  there  were  only  6  boys  at  this  school,  the 
Farm  and  Trade  School  on  Thompsons  Island  and  the  school  had 
accommodations  for  150  boys,  there  was  no  need  for  a  Boys  Town 
project. 

When  I  read  that  statement  I  consulted  with  social  workers  through- 
out the  Greater  Boston  area  and  they  assured  me  of  this  very  important 
fact  that  the  type  of  boy  that  goes  to  the  farm  and  trade  school  is 
altogether  different  from  the  type  of  boy  that  would  be  admitted  at 
the  proposed  Boys  Town  project. 

In  fact  the  headmaster  of  the  school  says,  "It  appears  that  there 
should  be  no  cause  for  conflict  or  misunderstanding  of  the  two  pro- 
grams" and  their  new  professional  adviser  for  reorganization  of  the 
school  under  a  new  name  has  also  assured  me  that  even  the  reorganiza- 
tion of  the  farm  and  trade  school  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  a  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts  is  desperately  needed  and  I  quote  Mr.  Stevens 
their  new  professional  adviser,  so  the  school  in  question  was  definitely 
not  the  proper  school  to  compare.  It  is  a  very  fine  school.  It  has  one 
of  the  greatest  traditions,  but  the  type  of  boy  they  accept  there  is  for 
special  schooling. 

They  are  not  boys  with  a  problem  such  as  we  intend  to  serve.  Their 
boys  are  referred  altogether  differently  and  our  boys  would  definitely 
not  come  in  that  category  at  all. 

Senator  Kefattver.  Let's  put  this  letter  in  the  record,  that  you  have 
received  from  Mr.  Pearl. 

(The  information  referred  to  was  marked  "Exhibit  No.  3,"  and  is 
as  follows:) 

The  Farm  and  Trades  School, 
Thompsons  Island,  Boston,  Mass.,  March  17, 1956. 
Mr.  Fred  P.  Amershadian, 

Little  Building,  Boston  16,  Mass. 

Dear  Mr.  Amershadian  :  I  think  perhaps  the  best  way  to  answer  your  letter 
addressed  to  me  and  also  the  letter  addressed  to  the  Quincy  Patriot  Ledger,  would 
be  for  you  and  I  to  sit  down  and  visit. 

There  are  several  things  taken  out  of  context  in  our  article,  inchiding  the  un- 
fortunate use  of  the  undefined  word  "problem-boy."  I  think  perhaps  it  would 
be  very  wise  for  us  to  understand  each  other  and  our  goals,  so  I  am  extending 


54  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

to  you  an  invitation  to  call  me  at  your  convenience  and  we  can  arrange  a  date 
to  get  together. 

I  am  not  too  familiar  vpith  your  ambitious  program,  but  on  the  surface  it 
appears  that  there  should  be  no  cause  for  conflict  or  misunderstanding. 
May  I  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  from  you  soon. 
Cordially  yours, 

Houghton  D.  Pearl,  Headmaster. 


Makch  2,  1956. 
QuiNCY  Patriot-Ledger, 
Quincy,  Mass.: 

Dear  Editor:  I  would  lilje  to  call  your  attention  to  the  feature  story  which 
appeared  in  the  Boston  Sunday  Herald  on  February  19,  1956,  concerning  the 
operation  of  the  Farm  and  Trade  School  at  Squantum. 

I  feel  that  this  was  an  excellent  exposition  of  the  policy  and  program  offered 
certain  needy  boys,  who  for  the  most  part,  are  scholastically  qualified  but  eco- 
nomically unable  to  attend  the  many  private  secondary  schools  in  New  England. 

Howevei',  I  believe  this  newspaper  feature  story  is  also  a  valid  basis  for 
requesting  a  retraction  of  an  editorial  which  appeared  in  the  Patriot-Ledger  on 
November  20,  1954,  entitled  "Is  a  Boys  Town  Necessary?"  The  editorial  em- 
phasized that  because  the  enrollment  of  the  Farm  and  Trade  School  was  less 
than  one-half  of  the  school's  full  capacity,  there  was  no  need  for  a  Boys  Town 
of  Massachusetts. 

As  explained  by  the  school's  new  headmaster,  in  the  February  19  Sunday  Herald, 
"the  intake  policy  of  the  Farm  and  Trade  School  limits  the  number  of  the  student 
body  to  boys  who  are  of  excellent  character  and  can  demonstrate  a  real  need 
for  the  private  school  environment.  We  liave  no  facilities  to  handle  problem 
boys  (see  footnote)  and  don't  accept  them,  though  we  do  receive  plenty  of 
applications  in  their  behalf." 

In  my  opinion,  the  present  day  need  of  helping  several  thousand  Massa- 
chusetts "boys  with  a  problem"  (who  are  not  considered  problem  boys)  is 
scarcely  touched  by  the  opportunity  offered  by  this  recognized  private  institution. 
Even  if  the  original  (1814)  Farm  and  Trade  School  policy  and  program  ^yas 
reestablished  today  to  accept  "wayward  boys  where  they  could  learn  a  trade  *  *  * 
accept  a  passable  education  and  become  useful  citizens,"  and  the  school  was  filled 
to  its  capacity,  it  still  would  fall  short  of  meeting  today's  constantly  growing 
need — as  documented  by  public  and  private  child-placing  officials  in  our  common- 
wealth and  our  Nation.  Also,  our  public  State  training  schools  are  more  over- 
crowded than  ever,  with  a  good  number  of  boys  still  being  sent  there  because 
of  a  great  lack  of  proper  private  placement  facilities.  This  situation  is  a  tragedy 
in  Massachusetts  today  of  which  few  persons  are  aware. 

The  reason  for  requesting  this  retraction,  at  what  may  seem  to  be  a  late  date, 
is  because  a  detailed  letter  from  the  secretary  of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  dated  January  10,  1956,  was  officially  sent  to  the  entire  Massachusetts 
delegation  (Senators  and  Representatives)  claiming  that  "Editorials  had  ap- 
peared in  the  Quincy  Patriot-Ledger  opposing  the  location  of  the  Boys  Town 
project  at  Squantum."  (A  copy  of  the  chamber  of  commerce  letter  was  sent 
to  me  by  one  of  the  members  of  the  Massachusetts  delegation  who  notified  the 
Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  that  he  was  personally  in  favor  of  the  Boys  Town 
petition.  This  Congressman,  along  with  many  others,  had  done  everything 
possible  to  help  Boys  Town  for  over  2  years,  as  he  was  cognizant  of  the  need.) 

The  other  two  editorials  in  reference  to  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  were  en- 
titled "How  To  Use  Squantum,"  and  "The  Boys  Town  Project,"  which  I  answered 
point-for-i)oint  in  a  letter  to  the  editor  and  in  the  Boys  Town  broadcasts  made 
over  Quincy  radio  station  WJDA — printed  copies  of  which  were  submitted  the 
same  days  to  the  Patriot-Ledger  and  mailed  later  to  5.000  citizens  throughput 
the  Commonwealth.  (The  series  of  radio  talks  mentioned  began  on  January  23, 
1955,  and  were  made  on  six  consecutive  Sunday  afternoons  with  no  mention  of 
the  Boys  Town  rebuttals  being  made  in  the  Patriot-Ledger,  the  only  daily  news- 
paper in  Quincy. )     Copy  attached. 

In  my  opinion,  this  v^^as  not  fair  newspaper  reporting  but  might  have  l>een  ex- 
pected in  view  of  the  (Patriot  Ledger)  managing  editor's  position  on  the  local 
chamber  of  commerce  four-man  conmiittee  to  attract  only  industry  to  the  former 
Squantum  base. 

In  closing,  I  anticipate  that  the  oflBcial  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  opposi- 
tion letter  of  January  10,  1956,  will  be  answered  completely  at  a  Senate  com- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  55 

mittee  hearing  to  be  held  soon.     At  that  time  we  will  also  submit  reasonable 
assurance  that  there  are  sufficient  public  and  private  funds  available  to  under- 
write Boys  Town  students'  tuition  costs  on  a  per  capita  basis. 
Awaiting  a  reply, 
Sincerely, 

Fred  Amershadian. 

Note. — I  am  sending  a  copy  of  this  letter  to  the  headmaster  of  the  Farm  and 
Trade  School  asking  him  to  clarify  the  meaning  of  the  general  term  "problem 
boy"  since  he  has  given  me  the  impression  that  all  boys  not  accepted  by  the  Farm 
and  Trade  School  are  "problem  boys."  Also,  whether  or  not,  the  rejected  ap- 
plicants are  "court  cases"  and  what  opportunities  are  there  available  to  them  for 
placement  upon  rejection  from  admission  to  the  Farm  and  Trade  School? 

Mr.  Chumbris.  Did  you  make  a  statement  earlier  that  from  1960 
to  1970  there  will  be  a  further  increase  because  boys  from  6  to  10  will 
be  in  that  teen-age  group  ? 

Mr,  Amershadian.  "W^ien  you  have  larger  numbers  come  up  and 
you  are  working  with  percentages  as  to  how  many  will  be  predelin- 
quent and  delinquent,  from  the  numbers  coming  up  you  get  your  num- 
bers of  predelinquents  and  delinquents,  they  are  also  in  proportion  to 
the  numbers  coming  up. 

Mr.  Chumbris.  But  you  preceded  that  with  a  statement  that  there 
might  be  a  decline  between  now  and  1960. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Because  prior  to  World  War  II  there  were  not 
too  many  children.  During  World  War  II  there  was  a  period — the 
men  were  away  in  the  service. 

Mr.  Chumbris.  I  did  not  want  a  further  explanation.  I  just  wanted 
to  make  sure  I  got  your  statement  correctly. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes. 

Now,  let  us  include  dollars  in  our  statistics.  J.  Edgar  Hoover  of 
the  FBI  reports  that  crime  costs  a  staggering  sum  of  $20  billion  a 
year.  The  State  of  Massachusetts'  share  of  this  total  figure  would 
amount  to  about  $600  million  a  year,  based  on  percentages  of  crime 
throughout  the  Nation. 

Very  few  people  realize  this  fact,  especially  that  if  the  cost  were  di- 
vided equally,  it  would  amount  to  about  $500  a  year  for  each  family. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  is  attempting  to  acquaint  the  citizens 
of  the  Commonwealth  with  these  facts  and  to  this  end,  the  president 
of  the  Massachusetts  Senate,  Richard  I.  Furbush,  with  the  assistance 
of  32  other  State  senators,  has  lined  up  over  150  capable  community 
chairmen,  with  local  committees. 

As  soon  as  possible  a  one-shot  campaign  will  get  under  way  urging 
each  Massachusetts  family  to  invest  $1  in  addition  to  what  they  are 
giving  to  present  charities. 

By  so  doing  they  could  initiate  and  underwrite  this  contemplated 
statewide  and  national  pilot  program. 

If  the  Squantum  project  produces  the  anticipated  results  and  en- 
suing projects  succeed  on  a  national  scale,  it  is  possible — these  are  our 
own  figures  and  we  hope  to  be  able  to  back  it  up  later — that  each  family 
would  be  rewarded  with  an  eventual  saving  of  up  to  $100  a  year  on  the 
overall  cost  of  crime. 

This  may  sound  fantastic,  but  if  anyone  will  take  the  trouble  to  in- 
vestigate Federal,  State,  and  private  surveys  which  reveal  the  causes 
of  crime  and  its  cost,  then  he  or  she  would  understand,  as  we  do,  how 
this  saving  is  possible. 

Parents  of  Boys  Town  students  will  be  asked  to  underwrite  as  much 
as  possible  of  the  involved  expense.     It  has  been  proven  over  many 


56  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

years  of  experience,  that  when  a  parent  or  relative  makes  such  payment 
for  services  rendered,  the  boy  responds  more  readily  and  is  more  ap- 
preciative than  if  it  was  offered  to  him  for  nothing.  Undoubtedly, 
there  will  be  some  instances  where  parents  cannot  pay,  but  usually 
these  are  welfare  cases  and  the  department  of  public  welfare  would 
then  be  contacted. 

Public  and  private  agencies  will  be  expected  to  supplement  the  tui- 
tion fee  required  for  resident  boys.  Our  investigation  shows  and  we 
have  signed  statements  from  child-placing  agency  directors,  that  a 
major  part  of  sufficient  funds  are  existent.  In  some  cases  these  funds 
are  not  being  used  because  of  a  lack  of  available  placements. 

Whatever  finances  are  lacking  and  needed  to  help  acceptable  appli- 
cants will  be  sought  either  through  additional  legislation  (see  letter 
signed  by  four  leading  members  of  the  general  court  of  April  16, 
1956)  on  the  part  of  the  Commonwealth  or  from  private  agencies 
which  raise  money  in  their  respective  communities. 

Senator  Kefattver.  The  letter  will  be  made  an  exhibit. 

(The  information  was  marked  "Exhibit  No.  4,"  and  is  as  follows :) 

The  Commonwealth  of  MASSAcnxTSETT.s, 

Senate  Chamber,  Boston,  April  16,  1956. 
James  H.  Bobo,  Esq., 

General  Counsel,  Senate  Suicommittee  on  Juvenile  Delinquency, 
Washington,  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir  :  We,  the  undersigned  members  of  the  Massachusetts  General  Court, 
wish  to  express  our  sincere  interest  in  the  project  commonly  known  as  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts  and  in  its  efforts  to  obtain  a  portion  of  the  former 
Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  for  the  purpose  of  realizing  its  goal,  that  of  assist- 
ing those  deserving  boys  of  our  Commonwealth  who  are  regarded  as  "boys  with  a 
problem." 

We  feel,  as  do  many  of  the  members  of  the  great  and  general  court  of  this 
Commonwealth,  that  there  exists  a  definite  need  for  a  facility  such  as  is  suggested 
in  the  plans  of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc. 

Should  the  Federal  Government  make  available  this  tract  of  land  and  buildings 
thereon,  you  can  be  assured  that  we  will  do  all  that  we  properly  can  to  be  of 
assistance  in  the  growth  of  this  organization  and  will,  from  time  to  time,  initiate 
such  legislation  as  we  feel  wiU  promote  these  aforementioned  efforts. 

Will  you  advise  the  honorable  members  of  the  United  States  Subcommittee  on 
Juvenile  Delinquency  of  our  interest  in  this  project  and  urge  their  favorable 
consideration? 

Yours  very  truly, 

Richard  I.  Furbush, 
President.  Massachusetts  Senate. 
Michael  F.  Skerry, 
Speaker,  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives. 
John  E.  Powers, 
Senate  Minoritu  Leader. 
Charles  Gibbons, 
House  Minority  Leader,  Representative. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  usual  per  capita  cost  for  Boys  Town  types 
of  schools,  throughout  the  Nation,  is  between  $2,000  and  $2,500,  a  year 
for  resident  boys.  This  is  still  less  than  the  present  per  capita  cost 
of  boys  in  most  of  our  State  institutions.  It  has  been  surprising  to 
learn  that  very  few  persons  in  Massachusetts  know  this  fact  though 
these  costs  have  existed  for  years,  and  they  have  almost  tripled  in 
the  past  10  years. 

It  was  pointed  out  yesterday  by  Chief  Footit  that  the  cost  of  train- 
ing schools  in  Massachusetts  was  $1  million  and  presently  it  is 
slightly  under  $3  million. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  57 

The  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  plan  will  feature  utilization  of 
modern  and  proven  boys'  work  techniques.  The  main  object  will  be 
to  get  to  the  individual,  the  boy  with  the  problem,  before  he  becomes  a 
problem  boy  and  an  adjudged  delinquent. 

The  school-guidance  personnel  throughout  Massachusetts,  have  al- 
ready gone  on  record  pledging  tlieir  support  in  this  respect  for  they 
are  among  the  first  to  recognize  the  danger  signals  in  the  many  boys 
with  whom  they  come  in  contact. 

Specialized  leaders  will  be  in  charge  of  the  very  important  week- 
end program  which  will  be  available  to  any  boy  in  the  Commonwealth 
within  a  few  days  time  after  his  problem  becomes  noticeable. 

Dr.  Hartl  pointed  this  out  as  quite  an  invasion  when  he  said  it. 
Speed  is  one  of  the  essentials  in  getting  at  any  boy's  problem,  and  this 
factor  only  justifies  the  proposed  weekend  programs  as  outlined  below  : 

There  will  be  seven  2-hour  periods  of  citizenship-training  activity 
each  weekend  during  the  contemplated  monthly  courses.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  training  program  will  be  to  help  each  boy  solve  his  par- 
ticular problem  and  become  cognizant  of  acceptable  community  be- 
havior— both  religious  and  civic — thereby  furnishing  a  strong  back- 
ground for  good  American  citizenship.  Each  student  will  also  be 
encouraged,  whenever  possible,  to  assist  other  boys  with  a  problem. 

SUGGESTED    I^ROGRAM    FOK    WEEKEND    CITIZENSHIP    TRAINING 

Saturday  a.  in. 

9  to  10  :  Orienting  of  boys  arriving  at  base. 

10  to  12 :  No.  1,  physical  and  mental  health  periods  will  include  physical 
checkups,  etc.  Aptitude  tests  may  be  given  to  determine  what  a  boy  is  best 
fitted  to  do.  Free  medical  treatment  will  be  offered  in  correcting  minor 
deficiencies. 

12  to  1 :  30 :  Dinner  and  rest  period. 

1 :  30  to  3 :  30 :  No.  2,  athletic  period  will  be  under  the  supervision  of  physical 
instructors  (junior  aids  assisting)  who  will  observe  how  each  boy  approaches 
competitive  sport,  how  he  reacts  to  the  demands  of  team  play  and  cooperation. 
The  leaders  will  also  help  the  student  develop  his  physique  generally. 

3 :  30  to  5 :  30:  No.  3.  work-detail  period  will  also  be  under  the  supervision  of 
instructors  (junior  aids  assisting)  who  will  observe  the  lioy's  willingness  tO' 
work,  his  ability  to  work  with  others,  and  his  own  special  interests. 

5  :  30  to  7  :  Supper  and  rest  period. 

7  to  9  :  No.  4,  social  period — talent  night — Community  singing,  etc.  (Boys  will 
be  observed  at  all  times.) 

Sunday  a.  m. 

9  to  10 :  Breakfast. 

10  to  12  :  No.  5.  Religious  services  and  religious  instruction  period. 

1 :  30  to  3 :  30 :  No.  6.  Lecture  period,  with  invited  speakers,  followed  by  work- 
shop period — in  groups  of  12  to  1.5  boys — participating  in  discussions  or  bull 
sessions — imder  leadership  of  counselors  and  experienced  guidance  directors. 
Individual  reports  of  Saturday  activities  may  be  reviewed. 

3:30  to  5:30:  No.  7,  Craft,  woodworking,  and  gardening  period   (optional). 

Each  week  end  boy  will  be  assigned  a  different  ^'Buddy"  who  may 
be  a  trained  junior  aid  from  the  annual  program. 

The  cost  of  the  4-week  program  is  expected  to  be  less  than  $100, 
which  each  parent  should  be  required  to  pay  in  advance. 

The  advantages  of  the  home-school  care  which  we  have  been  dis- 
cussing are  very  great.  We  have  enough  examples  of  what  is  being 
done  in  other  Boys  Towns  to  know  that  they  can  offer  unique  treat- 
ment possibilities  through  the  coordination  of  planned  and  guided 
daily  living,  casework,  and  group  work.  They  can  be  living  labora- 
tories for  gaining  essential  knowledge  about  helping  youth  at  the  same 


58  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

time  that  they  provide  successful  care  and  help  for  certain  boys.  The 
keystones  of  constructive  home-school  care  are  good  staff  in  all  depart- 
ments, the  selection  of  the  right  students  for  this  kind  of  care,  and 
sound  administrative  integration  of  all  parts  of  the  program. 

Questions  may  be  raised  about  the  cost  of  care  in  schools  which  de- 
velop well-rounded  programs  to  meet  all  the  needs  of  their  students. 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  will  not  be  financially  extravagant  but 
will  not  hesitate  to  request  what  is  required  to  provide  constructive 
care  instead  of  inadequate  service.  Parents  know  that  the  rearing  of 
children  is  expensive,  and  the  community  can  understand  that  bet- 
ter quality  home-school  care  is  likely  to  cost  more  than  many  home 
schools  are  spending  at  present. 

If  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  can  convince  the  people  that  it 
pays  to  provide  for  youth  the  care  they  need,  it  should  not  be  apolo- 
getic about  obtaining  necessary  funds.  Our  citizenry  has  not  been 
spending  enough  on  youth  and  we  know  that  the  public  will  pay  for 
what  it  considers  important. 

Many  child-welfare  workers  realize  the  important  role  for  Boys 
Towns  which  combine  individualized  treatment  with  consciously  pur- 
poseful activities  through  group  situations  and  relationships.  This 
could  be  bringing  new  developments  in  the  coordination  of  casework 
with  group  work. 

The  contemplated  Boys  Town  project  will  encourage  any  existing 
smaller  programs  dealing  with  boys  "with  a  problem"  to  share  the  fa- 
cilities at  Squantum  on  a  mutually  coordinated  basis  to  eliminate  any 
unnecessary  duplication  of  effort. 

This  Squantum  Base  is  excellently  laid  out  for  effective  supervision. 
The  flight-control  tower  would  be  a  supervisory  asset.  Boys  would 
be  attracted  to  an  environment  of  a  former  military  heritage,  which 
in  many  cases  can  be  considered  superior  to  proposed  farm  or  forestry 
programs.  No  boy  would  be  allowed  off  the  area  without  adult  super- 
vision.    All  decentralized  programs  would  be  on  a  group  basis. 

Although  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  expects  to  have  its  own 
chapels,  it  is  hoped  that  the  resident  boys  may  be  invited  to  the  dif- 
ferent churches  and  synagogues  of  the  Commonwealth.  Decentral- 
ized educational,  scientific,  art,  social,  and  athletic  activities  can  also 
be  utilized. 

As  soon  as  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  gets  under  way  a  similar 
program  should  be  considered  for  the  girls  but,  as  presently  recom- 
mended by  workers  in  the  field,  not  on  the  same  site.  Local  persons 
will  be  asked  to  join  the  existent  board  of  trustees  and  scholarships 
may  be  offered  to  local  Quincy  boys.  In  time,  as  the  program  proves 
its  worth  and  spreads,  the  Boys  Town  name  might  be  replaced  with 
the  name  "Youth  Centers  of  America,  Inc.,"  or  something  similar. 

To  get  back  to  the  suitability  of  this  particular  surplus  NAS  loca- 
tion, I  would  like  to  submit  a  copy  of  radio  broadcast  No.  3,  made 
over  Quincy  radio  station  WJDA  on  February  6,  1955^  which  pre- 
sented the  economic,  physical,  psychological,  and  recreational  advan- 
tages which  Squantum  has  to  offer. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Without  objection  it  will  be  submitted. 

(The  document  referred  to  was  marked  "Exhibit  No.  5,"  and  is  as 
follows :) 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  59 

Broadcast  No.  3 

Sunday,  February  6,  1955. 

Good  afternoon.  In  our  first  broadcast  we  stated  that,  in  our  opinion,  the 
former  naval  air  station  was  a  natural.  This  opinion  is  shared  by  many  persons 
who  have  learned  of  our  plans.  In  fact,  of  all  the  places  we  had  under  consider- 
ation, the  Squantum  site  is  the  one  which  has  received  the  most  favorable 
reaction. 

Over  500  prominent  citizens  in  the  Commonwealth  have  endorsed  the  proposed 
Boys  Town  site  at  Squantum.  Included  are  a  large  majority  of  our  40  State 
senators,  and  other  Federal  and  State  officials,  clergymen,  judges,  educators, 
businessmen,  law-enforcement  officials,  newspaper  editors,  private  citizens, 
parents,  civic,  veterans,  and  labor  organizations.  The  former  head  of  two 
pioneer  Boys  Town  type  projects  in  the  Nation  made  a  personal  inspection  of 
the  entire  naval  airbase  and  has  gone  on  record  stating  that  NAS,  Squantum,  is 
definitely  adaptable  for  a  Boys  Town  project. 

However,  let  us  present  the  facts  by  beginning  with  the  economic  side :  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  expects  to  meet  the  requirements  for  100  percent 
public  benefit  allowance  under  the  surplus  property  laws.  It  is  estimated  that 
over  $2  million  in  buildings  and  equipment  is  the  value  of  NAS,  Squantum,  to  a 
Boys  Town  project.  This  money  saved  out  of  what  could  be  raised  will  enable 
the  project  to  be  better  staffed,  aid  in  future  maintenance,  and  allow  the  program 
to  advance  and  meet  the  recognized  need.  This  area  is  a  readymade  community, 
once  used  for  training  purposes,  and  the  buildings  are  so  arranged  and  adequate 
that  there  should  be  no  need  of  erecting  another  building  for  some  time. 

The  physical  factors  of  the  area :  NAS,  Squantum,  is  large  enough  to  be  a  self- 
contained  for  resident  schooling  and  recreational  requirements.  Garden  and 
play  space  consists  of  approximately  60  acres  of  grassland,  20  acres  of  black  top, 
15  acres  of  building  space,  and  6  acres  of  concrete.  Black  top,  which  was  used 
as  runways  for  the  planes,  is  common  to  city  boys  for  play  areas.  Buildings  are 
reasonably  sound,  structurally,  with  ample  accommodations  for  boys,  staff, 
academic  and  shop  training,  out-of-door  and  in-door  recreational  activities,  and 
rooms  for  students  doing  field  work.  The  modern  central  heating  plant  is  in 
relatively  good  condition  and  the  plumbing  is  up-to-date  (a  great  advantage 
over  Peddock's  Island  and  Camp  Edwards).  Buildings  are  in  need  of  paint 
which  is  an  asset  to  us  because  gifts  of  paint  have  been  promised.  Veterans 
organizations  have  offered  to  send  work  crews  to  help  show  the  boys  how  to  do 
the  job  themselves.  Many  maintenance  jobs  can  be  worked  out  along  similar 
lines,  enabling  the  boys  to  "build  themselves"  in  the  place  and  take  proprietary 
pride  in  it. 

Psychological  factor :  This  type  of  former  military  environment  is  highly 
appealing  to  the  type  of  boy  who  will  be  served.  While  there  will  be  no  attempt 
to  make  this  into  a  military  school,  our  educational  and  training  program  will  be 
influenced  somewhat  by  the  previous  use  of  the  base.  The  value  of  this  point  has 
been  emphasized  by  a  youth  service  board  official. 

Location :  Proximity  to  Boston  (less  than  a  mile  from  the  Boston  line).  This 
is  a  very  important  value.  NAS,  Squantum,  is  accessible  for  staff  workers  from 
Greater  Boston  area.  It  is  also  accessible  for  guidance  counselors  and  graduate 
students  of  nearby  colleges  and  universities.  It  is  convenient  to  dencentralized 
activity  programs  such  as  Fenway  Park,  Boston  Gardens,  boys  clubs,  theaters, 
museums,  etc.  It  is  less  traveling  distance  for  the  caseworkers  of  many  referring 
agencies.     It  is  less  traveling  distance  for  many  relatives  of  the  boys. 

Future  developments:  Landscaping — we  have  acquired  the  interest  and  co- 
operation of  one  of  the  largest  landscape  concerns  in  this  area.  They  have 
offered  to  draw  up  all  the  necessary  plans  and  will  supply  the  supervision, 
at  a  minimum  cost,  for  the  boys  and  work  crews  from  the  different  veterans 
and  civic  organizations  to  make  the  former  naval  station  one  of  the  most 
attractive  and  suitable  schools  of  its  kind. 

Also,  a  recreational  survey  is  being  submitted  by  a  metropolitan  group  of 
recognized  health  and  recreation  officials. 

In  answer  to  a  natural  question  as  to  the  maintenance  of  good  community 
relations  our  survey  of  seven  different  Boys  Town  types  of  home-schools  in 
California,  Nebraska,  Missouri,  New  York,  Texas,  New  Hampshire  and  Con- 
necticut show  that  the  nearby  communities  have  benefited  from  the  locations 
of  the  schools  within  their  borders. 


60  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

For  example,  the  Connecticut  Junior  Republic  in  Litchfield  has  been  in 
existence  for  50  years.  It  has  been  recognized  that  Father  Flanagan  received 
his  inspiration  for  his  Boys  Town,  when  he  visited  the  Junior  Republic  before 
Boys  Town  of  Nebraska  was  established. 

One  of  Litchfield's  present  selectmen  was  a  former  graduate  of  the  school. 

Each  year,  the  nearby  residents  of  Litcl  field  have  an  annual  "open  house"  for 
the  school.  Nine  of  the  wealthy  residents  who  have  large  estates  allow  approxi- 
mately 1,500  visitors  to  inspect  their  homes  at  $2  per  person.  All  proceeds, 
averaging  $3,000  is  turned  over  to  the  Junior  Republic. 

Seventy-five  of  the  town's  civic-minded  ladies  are  known  as  the  Ladies'  Society. 
They  sew  for  and  beautify  the  homes  where  the  boys  reside  by  taking  care 
of  the  drapes,  bedspreads,  etc. 

By  the  way,  the  living  quarters  of  the  boys  at  the  Connecticut  Junior  Republic 
are  similar-type  buildings  to  those  at  Squantum. 

Litchfield  and  State  police  records  show  the  Republic  boys  are  considered 
as  well  or  better  behaved  than  average  local  youngsters.  The  relationship 
between  the  community  and  the  school  is  almost  perfect.  Boys  are  allowed  to 
visit  the  town  every  Friday  and  Saturday  night. 

Incidently,  Greater  Boston  boys  constitute  5  percent  of  the  boys  in  attendance 
for  whom  tuition  rates  are  being  paid  by  Greater  Boston  Red  Feather  agencies. 
The  school  is  about  l-IO  miles  from  Boston. 

Real  estate  men  in  Litchfield  claim  that  there  has  been  in  the  past  and  is 
now  no  devaluation  in  propert.v  values  because  of  the  location  of  the  home  school. 

From  a  study  of  the  other  Boys  Town  type  of  projects,  we  have  learned  that 
it  took  at  least  3  to  5  years  from  their  conception  to  actual  operation.  As,  is 
known,  our  effort  began  in  1950  and  without  any  endowment. 

Although  we  have  faced  many  setbacks,  we  have,  in  the  meantime,  gained 
what  we  consider  to  be  a  priceless  heritage.  We  have  demonstrated,  through 
great  personal  sacrifice,  that  we  can  perserve  in  spite  of  the  many  handicaps 
and  obstacles.  Our  experience  can  prove  very  meaningful  to  the  boys  whom 
we  hope  to  serve  by  encouraging  tliem  to  overcome  their  handicaps. 

If  and  when  we  are  assigned  to  the  naval  air  station,  we  will  therefore  be 
ahead  of  schedule.  We  have  accomplished  a  great  deal  of  important  ground- 
work which  should  pay  future  dividends.  Many  potential  financial  resources 
have  been  kept  informed  of  our  Boys  Town  movement.  From  them,  we  have 
reason  to  believe  that  their  support  is  forthcoming,  contingent  upon  locating 
the  project  adequately,  especially  if  the  site  is  NAS,  Squantum  *  *  *.  Thank 
you  again. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  In  trying  to  paint  this  picture  of  what  might 
be  one  of  the  largest  single  programs  in  the  Nation,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  some  persons  will  question  the  magnitude  of  such  a  plan  and 
this  is  where  the  term  ambitious  might  first  have  been  applied. 

Before  this  Massachusetts  Boys'  Town  plan  came  about  I  was  ap- 
proached in  1950  by  the  then  head  of  the  Massachusetts  Youth  Service 
Board.  He  suggested  that  I  could  contribute  a  great  deal  to  tlie  fight 
against  delinquency  if  I  would  start  a  preventive  program  on  a  small 
scale  with  eight  boys.  (This  would  be  similar  to  a  large  foster  home 
placement  but  could  be  considered  a  small  institution  in  itself.) 

At  first  I  thought  it  was  an  excellent  idea  but  upon  checking  into  the 
details  I  soon  learned  that  it  was  entirely  impractical. 

First  it  would  b9  necessary  to  find  a  single  family  house  in  an 
acceptable  community  to  accommodate  the  8  boys  and  my  family,  con- 
sisting of  my  wife  and  2  sons.  Our  six-room  apartment  was,  natural- 
ly, inadequate.  This  type  of  house,  in  an  understanding  neighbor- 
hood, would  be  difficult  to  find,  as  our  later  experience  proved.  Then 
again  the  house  would  have  to  be  purchased  outright  to  assure  the 
]:)rogram  of  permanency.  Such  houses  cost  anywhere  between  ten  to 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  which  like  the  average  social  worker,  I 
certainly  could  not  afford. 

Second,  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  at  that  time,  was  paying  ap- 
proximately $13  a  week  for  foster  home  care  for  boys.     Simple  arith- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  $| 

metic  reveals  that  8  times  $13  amounted  to  $104  per  week  for  12  people. 
Since  this  would  be  my  only  income,  it  would  not  be  enou<2:h  to  main- 
tain a  home,  feed,  clothe,  and  program  ei<>ht  growing  boys  ade(iuately, 
plus  my  own  family  necessary  expense. 

Third,  while  working  for  an  Army  and  Xavy  YJVICA  as  a  boys  work 
secretary  for  a  period  of  7  years  I  was  injured  in  an  automobile  acci- 
dent which  i)laced  me  in  the  hospital  for  a  3-week  period. 

Tliis  liappened  in  my  fifth  year  of  service  in  this  connnunity.  For- 
tunately, I  had  built  up  a  staff  of  over  35  leaders  who  each  took  on 
an  added  responsibility  and  consequently  I  was  hardly  missed.  What 
would  happen  in  the  proposed  foster  home  if  either  my  wife  or  I  took 
sick  and  were  unable  to  work  for  any  pei'iod  of  time,  whethei-  it  be 
a  day,  a  week,  or  a  month  ? 

Would  the  boys  get  the  proper  24-hour-a-day  supervision  required? 
I  am  sure  that  you  will  agree  with  me  that  this  small  type  of  institu- 
tional program,  although  still  considered  by  some  workers  as  being 
ideal,  was  imju'acticable  and  you  can  see  how  this  theory  provided  the 
basis  for  creating  a  realistic  Boys'  Town  movement  in  Massachusetts. 

Furthermore,  M'hile  discussing  the  present-day  situation  concerning 
child  placements,  just  recently,  I  was  with  a  man  who  has  been  a  place- 
ment worker  for  the  past  24  years,  in  one  of  Boston's  leading  private 
agencies,  he  stated  that— 

the  type  of  foster  home  I  was  requested  to  start  in  195U  is  now  practit-aliy  non- 
existent and  that  a  majority  of  today's  boys  would  not  be  suited  to  such  situ- 
ations anyway,  for  the  crying  need  is  for     Boys  Town  types  of  placements. 

Two  years  ago  we  tried  an  interesting  experiment  with  a  group  of 
boys,  between  the  ages  of  13  and  16.  We  visited  a  number  of  urban 
and  rural  locations  from  Baldwinsville  to  Cape  Cod  in  search  of  a 
boys  town  site.  These  bo^^s  were  available  to  us  on  a  volunteer  basis 
and  were  familiar  with  several  of  the  other  sites  under  consideration, 
including  Peddock  Island. 

Later  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  the  Squantum  base  for  an 
inspection  and  after  an  hour  of  looking  over  the  different  buildings, 
1  asked  the  boys  in  the  group,  "Well,  fellows,  what  do  you  thing  about: 
the  base,  in  comparison  to  the  other  places?"  The  response  was 
unanimous — in  favor  of  Squantum. 

The  reason  why  I  mention  this  is  that  too  many  times,  locations 
are  secured  for  boys'  work  projects  Avhich  sometimes  do  not  have  a 
natural  appeal.  Some  boys  are  placed  in  situations  so  far  removed 
from  society  that  there  is  a  primary  reluctance  on  their  part  to  par- 
ticipate and  cooperate. 

Boys  can  sense  when  they  are  being  placed  in  institutions  which  are 
the  "out  of  sight"  and  "out  of  mind"  type. 

As  boys  workers,  there  is  no  question  in  our  minds  that  the  natural 
appeal  factor  of  the  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  will  be  a  great 
influence  in  gaining  the  immediate  confidence  of  the  boys  whom  we 
want  to  serve. 

In  turn,  it  should  make  it  much  easier  and  more  effective  for  us 
to  help  the  boys  "with  their  problems."  Also  when  there  is  harmony 
between  staff  and  students. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Generally,  sir,  there  isn't  any  question  but  the 
boys  town  type  of  school  is  a  wonderful  thing.  I  visited  several  of 
them.     I  know  one  in  New  England  of  this  type  would  be  of  tre- 

80694—56 5 


62  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

mendous  benefit.  So  that  you  don't  have  to  persuade  this  committee 
of  tlie  vahie  of  this  kind  of  schooL  There  is  one  serious  question 
brouglit  up  by  this  gentleman  as  to  the  use  of  this  particular  location. 

Mr.  Amershadiax.  Businessmen  today  find  that  it  takes  just  as 
much  time  and  effort  on  the  part  of  any  individual  to  run  a  small 
business  with  all  its  basic  responsibilities,  as  it  does  to  maintain  a 
chain  of  operations  with  many  persons  specializing  in  various  respon- 
sibilities but  working  as  a  team.  In  the  larger  operation,  more  people 
are  served,  more  efficient  services  ai'e  also  offered  and  more  financial 
support  is  usually  available  to  sustain  the  business  and  make  future 
expansion  possible. 

Social  work,  although  classified  in  the  nonprofit  category,  should 
adopt  some  sound  business  principles.  In  fact,  social-work  agencies 
need  to  be  even  more  efficient  to  guarantee  against  any  serious  finan- 
cial loss  even  for  a  single  year.  Some  businesses  can  afford  to  lose 
1,  2,  or  even  3  years  and  recuperate  enough  to  make  up  for  their  losses. 
But  a  good  social-work  program  has  got  to  be  on  a  solid  ground  if  it 
expects  to  produce  at  all  and  be  free  from  adverse  criticism. 

The  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  plan  has  a  potential  which  my  words 
cannot  justifiably  describe.  To  completely  spell  out  the  plan  in  spe- 
cific figures  and  facts  is  almost  impossible  at  this  time,  since  the  de- 
tails are  necessarily  flexible,  to  allow  for  acceptance  of  the  changing 
social-work  methods  which  are  constantly  coming  about.  The  best 
techniques  in  rehabilitation  would  be  available  and  at  all  times. 

I  would  like  to  personally  to  go  one  step  further  than  the  word 
"ambitious"  program. 

Recently  a  term  has  been  used  more  and  more  in  business  and  related 
fields  which  describes  anything  of  a  gigantic  nature.  The  word  is 
"fabulous".  The  Massachusetts  Boys'  Town  plan  is  a  fabulous  one 
and  it  is  geared  to  meet  a  fabulous  need.  It  will  naturally  cost  a 
fabulous  amount  of  money  to  operate  but,  eventually,  it  could  save  the 
citizens  of  our  Nation  an  even  more  fabulous  amount  of  money,  which 
is  unnecessarily  being  wasted  annually.  There  could  never  be  any 
estimate  of  the  fabulous  amount  of  human  suffering  which  could  be 
avoided  since  the  two,  the  prevention  of  crime  and  the  alleviation  of 
human  suffering,  go  hand  in  hand. 

If  it  were  within  my  ability  to  make  the  most  reverent  of  prayers 
for  the  realization  of  this  proposed  national  program,  I  would  take  this 
occasion  to  offer  such  a  prayer  at  this  time. 

This  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  plan  has  been  based  on  faith,  ever 
since  its  inception. 

We  pray  that  God  will  guide  us  in  our  efforts  to  share  our  faith  with 
the  next  generation  of  American  youth. 

The  inspiration  of  faith  and  prayer  has  kept  the  Boys  Town  of 
Massachusetts  alive  in  the  face  of  unforeseen  obstacles  which  I  believe 
should  now  become  a  matter  of  public  knowledge.  In  order  that  fair 
consideration  may  be  given  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  in  its  effort  to 
secure  a  portion  of  the  former  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  under  the 
Surplus  Property  Act  of  1949. 

In  reply  to  a  letter  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  (January 
8,  1956)  the  Director  of  the  Real  Estate  Disposal  Division  of  GSA 
notified  the  Boys  Town  organization,  on  January  16, 1956,  that  since — - 

We  have  been  informed  by  the  Surplus  Property  Utilization  Division  of  DHEW 
that  they  have  had  several  requests  for  surplus  real  property  in  the  past  and  that 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  63 

since  in  no  instance  have  they  been  able  to  approve  the  request  and  for  that 
reason  DHEW  has  never  submitted  such  a  request  to  GSA. 

(The  complete  letter  reads  as  follows :) 

Gener^vl  Services  Administration, 

Public  Buildings  Service, 
Washington,  D.  C,  January  16, 1956. 
Re  N-Mass-462,  Squantum,  Mass. 
Mr.  Fred  P.  Amershadian, 

Watcrtoicn,  Muss. 
Dear  Mr.  Amershadian  :  Your  letter  of  the  9th  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  has  been  referred  to  this  office  for  attention  and  acknowledgement.  You 
urge  that  special  consideration  be  given  to  effecting  an  assignment  of  a  portion 
of  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum,  Mass.,  to  the  Boys'  Town  of  Massa- 
chusetts, Inc. 

General  Services  Administration  only  has  authority  under  the  Federal  Property 
and  Administrative  Services  Act,  as  amended,  to  make  assignments  of  surplus 
property  directly  to  Federal  agencies.  Requests  for  surplus  property  for  educa- 
tional purposes  must  be  submitted  to  the  Department  of  Health,  Education,  and 
Welfare,  which  Department  may  apply  to  our  appropriate  regional  office  for 
assignment  of  the  property  for  the  requested  purpose  if  it  meets  with  approval. 
However,  the  assignment  by  GSA  to  DHEW  for  transfer  for  educational  purposes 
is  discretionary. 

We  have  been  informed  by  the  Surplus  Property  Utilization  Division  of  DHEW 
that  they  have  had  several  requests  for  surplus  real  property  in  the  past  from 
Boys'  Town  of  Massachusetts  through  you.  We  were  told  that  in  no  instance  have 
they  been  able  to  approve  the  request,  and  for  that  reason  DHEW  has  never 
submitted  such  a  request  to  GSA. 

Our  regional  office  at  Boston  is  completing  arrangements  for  assignment  of  11 
acres  of  the  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  to  DHEW  for  transfer  to  the  city  of 
Quincy  for  public  school  purposes.  The  balance  of  the  property  has  been  classi- 
fied as  industrial,  as  its  highest  and  best  use,  and  will  be  offered  at  public  sale 
to  the  highest  bidder  by  the  regional  office. 
Sincerely  yours, 

Thomas  L.  Peyton, 
Director,  Real  Property  Disposal  Division. 

Mr.  A^EERSHADiAN.  Upoii  receipt  of  tliis  letter  I  immediately  came 
to  Washington  and  checked  with  HEW.  I  submit  a  report  of  the  visit 
which  was  related  to  a  Congressman  and  to  a  member  of  the  White 
House  staff. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  questions  this  ruling  because  of 
the  following  facts: 

1.  The  Boys  Town  organization  had  made  only  one  official  request 
to  DHEW  on  March  18,  1953,  for  assignment  of  surplus  Government 
property  and  that  was  in  the  case  of  Peddock's  Island. 

2.  On  July  9,  1953,  after  negotiating  with  DHEW  for  several 
montlis,  a  letter  was  received  by  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc., 
from  Lawrence  J.  Bresnahan,  regional  director  of  DHEW,  stating 
that— 

There  is  no  question  about  your  eligibility  for  basic  public  benefit  allowance 
under  requirements  for  (a)  proof  of  need,  suitability  of  facilities,  and  permanent 
utilization.  Without  a  specific  facility  to  initiate  your  program,  you  have  had 
difficulty  in  meeting  requirement  (6)  the  ability  to  finance,  operate,  and  maintain. 

The  i)epartmeut  of  Health,  Education,  and  Welfare  is  willing:  to  incur  a 
normal  risk  of  failure  *  *  *  in  venturing  the  establishment  of  new  educational 
programs  *  *  *.  From  our  review  of  your  plans  so  far,  it  appears  reasonable 
to  expect  that  you  can  obtain  public  support  and  establish  at  Peddock's  Island 
an  institution  in  which  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  may  l)e  proud. 

It  makes  for  a  better  program.  It  was  my  privilege  to  have  this 
happen  when  I  was  housemaster  at  the  Lyman  School  Reception 
Center  in  Westboro,  Mass. 


04  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Senator  Kefauver.  Where  is  tliis  Peddock's  Island  ? 

]Mr.  Amershadian.  About  18  miles  aAA'ay  by  land  from  Squantum 
base  but  a  few  miles  away  by  waterway. 

Mr.  RoBo.  It  is  shown  on  this  map  ? 

Mr.  O'Connell.  Peddock's  Island  is  right  here.  It  is  nn  enormous 
island  in  Boston  Harbor. 

Senator  Kefauver.  "What  is  on  that  island  ? 

Mr.  O'CoNXELL.  One  section  is  an  abandoned  fort.  Another  sec- 
tion there  is  a  sunnner  colony  but  the  largest  section  of  that  is  unused 
development.  It  is  a  tremendous  large  island  with  an  elevation  prob- 
ably of  60  feet.  During  the -early  part  of  Massachusetts  Bay  history, 
it  was  occupied  and  land  was  farmed  on  there. 

Senator  Kefauver.  It  is  owned  by  the  Government  ? 

Mr.  Amersiiadian.  It  was  owned  by  the  Government  and  the  Army 
claimed  they  needed  it  as  a  guided-missile  plant  and  they  disrupted 
our  plans. 

In  other  words  we  had  received  the  terms  and  negotiations  by  the 
Department  of  Health,  Education,  and  Welfare  in  the  single  request 
for  Peddock's  Island.  We  agreed  to  put  up  the  $5,000  requested  by 
the  Department  of  Health,  Education,  and  Welfare  for  transfer  of 
Peddock's  Island  upon  requested  assignment  of  GSA. 

First,  the  application  has  to  be  approved  by  DHEW  and  then  an 
assignment  request  is  made  through  GSA  and  that  is  when  the 
organization  applying  for  a  Federal  property  receives  use  of  that 
property  with  a  lease,  I  believe  good  for,  it  is  a  99-year  lease  under  the 
Surplus  Property  Act  of  1949. 

After  we  had  been  given  these  terms  b}'  DHEW  and  ]Mr.  Ralph 
Bradley,  a  philanthropist  had  olfered  to  put  up  the  $5,000  fund  in 
escrow  and  after  we  had  notified  DHEW  that  we  accepted  their  terms 
and  we  had  been  in  touch  with  GSA  officials  in  Boston  that  there  was 
no  other  interest  on  this  island,  suddenly  the  Army  moved  in  and 
2  days  before  the  requested  assignment  was  going  to  be  made  to  GSA 
and  notified  all  concerned  that  they  were  going  to  put  in  a  guided- 
missile  project  base  there. 

Senator  Kefau^^er.  They  have  abandoned  that  idea  now  ? 

Mr.  Amersiiadian.  They  have  abandoned  it  recently. 

Senator  Kefauver,  Which  place  would  you  rather  have  this  island  ? 

Mr.  A^iERSHADiAN.  I  have  a  comparison  chart  here,  sir,  that  I  think 
answers  that  very  well, 

(The  chart  referred  to  is  as  follows :) 

The  following  chart  is  submitted  for  comparison  purposes  between  Fort 
Andrews,  Peddock's  Island,  Hull,  Mass.,  requested  by  Boys  Town  of  Massachu- 
setts, Inc.,  in  19.53  from  DHEW  and  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum 
requested  since  1954. 


JUVENILE    DELESTQUENCY 
Exhibit  No.  7 


'65 


Peddooks  Island 


Squantum  Air  Base 


Facilities   for  elementary   and   high   school   academic 

programs. 
Facilities  for  elementary  and  high  school  vocational 

programs. 

Number  of  acres  requested 

Number  of  permanent  buildings 

Number  of  temporary  buildings.- 

"Valuation  of  properties  under  consideration 


Fair... 
do. 


Very  good. 
Excellent. 
100. 


Condition  of  buildings  requested .., 

Condition  of  plumbing,  heating,  and  sewerage 

Estimated  cost  of  alterations .  

Pro.ximity  to  Boston  city  line 

Boat  transportation  necessary . 

Cost  of  plant  maintenance 

Public  agency  ability  to  subsidize  resident  service  for 

Massachusetts  boys. 

Prospects  of  endowments  from  foundations 

Qualified  staff  prospects 

Psychological  reaction  to  location  by  boys  (based  on 

preliminary  test  visits). 


Proximity  to  churches  of  all  faiths.  __  

Proximity  to  decentralized  cultural  and   recreational 
areas. 

Proximity  to  universities  (graduate  fieldwork)__ 

Proximity  to  resident  neighbors 


21 

5 

$200,000      (GSA 
praisal) . 

Fair 

Poor  to  fair . 

$1,500,000 

18  miles... 

Yes 

Very  expensive.. 
Fair 


do 

do 

Good,  except  that 
some  boys  not  anx- 
ious to  be  placed  on 
island. 

Fair 

do 


Transportation  facilities  for  referring  agency  workers 

Transportation  facilities  for  visiting  relatives  and  friends. 

Boys  Town  cash  and  pledges  (on  hand) 

Boys    Town    campaign    contributions    expected — con- 
tingent upon  acquiring  Government  property. 


do 

Self-contained,  but 
shared  with  summer 
residents  on  island. 

Poor^_  .  

do 

$6,300 

$250,000 


$175,060    (ii    of    tOta 

reported  estimate). 
Good. 

Fair  to  good, 
$750,000. 
1  mile. 
No. 

Less  expensive. 
Good. 

Do. 

Do. 

Excellent. 


Very  good. 
Do. 

Good. 

Self-contained  and 
comparatively  iso- 
lated. 

Good. 
Do. 

$27,800. 

$1  million. 


Although  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  campaign  had  been  scheduled  to 
get  under  way  on  Sunday,  June  10,  1956,  the  date  was  postponed  to  July  17,  1956. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  chairmen  and  committees  throughout  the  Commonwealth 
have  stated  their  interest  in  raising  funds  in  their  communities  on  the  basis  of 
$1  per  family.  It  is  estimated  that  over  $1  million  can  be  raised  statewide  by  the 
-end  of  the  year  1956. 

Senator  KErAU^T:R.  Just  tell  us  about  it. 

Mr.  Amershadlvn.  There  is  a  tremendous  difference  in  the  two  sites. 
Wliereas  the  one  site  has  these  buildings  that  are  completely  run  down, 
Peddock's  Island  and  so  on,  an  island  where  you  need  boat  service. 
The  estimate  of  rej^airs  on  the  island  alone  were  estimated  at  $1,500,000. 
It  is  18  miles  away  from  the  city,  and  at  that  time  whereas  he  had  not 
been  able  to  get  any  so-called  civilian  land,  that  was  our  only  hope  at 
(he  time.  Then  the  Army  have  held  possession  of  it  for  some  time. 
That  is  only  recently  released  again.  But  we  put  all  this  time  and 
■effort  into  Squantum  because  it  is  far  superior  to  Peddock's  Island 
mainly  because  of  the  buildings,  the  proximity  to  Boston  and  on  top  of 
it  this  boat  service  which  is  quite  an  important  thing  because  down 
there  there  is  a  gut,  they  call  it  a  gut,  a  sort  of  an  area  between  the 
mainland  and  the  island  w^hich  is  about  300  yards  and  between  the 
area  there  there  is  a  strong  current  that  is  considered  a  danger  point, 
especially  when  you  are  dealing  with  youngsters  bringing  them  back 
and  forth  from  the  island  to  the  mainland. 

When  the  Army  intervened,  we  received  a  very  nice  letter  from  Sec- 
retary of  the  Army  at  the  time  and  he  was  very  apologetic  not  know- 
ing we  had  spent  8  months'  time  in  trying  to  get  consideration  on 
Peddock's  so  that  he  offered  to  help  us  in  any  way  that  he  could  sug- 
gest, so  we  asked  for  a  portion  of  Camp  Edwards  down  in  the  Cape 

80694—56 6 


66  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Cod,  that  is  down  in  Falmouth.  We  spent  3  more  months  in  going 
through  the  procedures  and  we  were  finally  approved  in  the  Pentagon 
Building  here  in  Washington,  D.  C,  after  the  first  Army  Lieutenant 
General  Burress  had  made  the  recommendations.  The  United  States 
Corps  of  Engineers  started  to  draw  up  the  lease  and  everything  was 
all  set  to  be  signed  but  then  tlie  Adjutant  General's  office  in  Massa- 
chusetts called  attention  to  the  fact  that  although  this  was  a  Federal 
Army  base  it  was  on  Sate-owned  land  and  under  the  constitution  of 
Massachusetts,  State  constitution  you  needed  a  bill  to  be  passed,  special 
legislation  before  you  could  get  use  of  it. 

Senator  Kefauver.  By  the  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  had  a  bill  presented  and  it  was  referred  to 
the  next  session.  In  the  meantime  Squantum  came  into  the  picture 
and  that  was  much  better  than  Peddocks  Island  and  Camp  Edwards 
put  together. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  about  Camp  Edwards,  are  there  housing 
facilities  down  there? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes.  But  they  are  straight  barracks.  There 
are  no  school  facilities.  There  are  no  recreational  facilities  such  as 
they  do  have,  not  available.  They  had  them  on  the  base  but  they  were 
not  available. 

All  they  offered  us  was  a  block  of  wooden  barracks  buildings  but 
no  other  accommodations  that  can  compare  anywhere  with  the  accom- 
modations at  the  Squantum  Airbase. 

Then  when  we  learned — and  this  was  back  in  1954  the  first  part  of 
1954  which  is  about  2i/2  years  ago  we  learned  of  Squantum  Air- 
base  to  be  made  available  as  surplus  property.  We  came  here  to 
Washington  and  visited  with  the  Public  Works  Department  of  the 
Department  of  Navy  and  told  them  of  our  difficulties  in  trying  to  get 
a  location  at  the  time  and  we  asked  them  if  we  could  rent  on  a  lease 
basis  a  portion  of  the  Squantum  Naval  Airbase  known  as  section  A 
which  was  used  for  residential  training  purposes  and  we  were  going  to 
use  for  essentially  the  same  reason. 

They  were  very  courteous  and  gave  us  permission  to  submit  an 
application.  We  submitted  it  on  April  29,  1954.  The  Commandant 
of  the  First  Naval  District  without  knowledge  to  us  submitted  a  volun- 
tary recommendation  strongly  favoring  the  use  of  the  section  A  of  the 
Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  for  a  Boys  Town  project.  This  was 
followed  with  three  additional  endorsements,  voluntary  endorsements 
from  the  Navy  bureaus.  I  think  one  was  the  Bureau  of  Yards  and 
Docks.  There  are  two  other  bureaus  I  am  not  quite  familiar  with 
the  names,  submitted  voluntary  recommendations  that  this  was  a 
place  that  could  be  used  for  a  Boys  Town  program. 

Senator  Kefaus'er.  Can  you  mark  out  section  A  on  that  little  map 
that  you  have  in  front  of  you  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Section  A  involves  the  buildings  and  approxi- 
mately about  a  hundred  acres  surrounding  the  area  itself.  There  are 
640  acres  on  the  base.  This  area  where  the  buildings  are  plus  some 
surrounding  areas  would  be  known  as  section  A  that  the  Commandant 
of  the  First  Naval  District  recommended  for  use  as  a  Boys  Town 
program. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Was  that  a  temporary  lease  basis  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  It  would  have  been  a  lease  of  possibly  20  years 
time.    This  is  what  the  objective  was,  a  20-year  lease. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  67 

Senator  Kefauver.  Will  you  file  such  correspondence  as  they  have 
written  you. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  have  all  that.  The  application  and  the 
recommendations.  We  can  get  the  recommendations  from  the  First 
Naval  District  in  Fargo  Building,  Boston.  They  are  all  available. 
This  committee  can  recommend  it  and  they  will  send  it  to  them.  I 
have  read  the  recommendations,  but  they  will  give  them  to  a  Govern- 
ment agency,  but  they  cannot  give  them  to  a  private  person.  Those 
recommendations  are  available. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Is  this  a  part  that  they  recommended  and  the 
part  you  want,  is  that  the  same  part  that  these  gentlemen  are  talking 
about  that  the  city  of  Quincy  needs  for  an  industrial  site? 

Mr.  Amershadiax.  Yes ;  it  is  essentially  the  same  area,  with  an  acre 
or  2  one  way  or  the  other.     This  is  the  area  we  want. 

Senator  Kefauver.  You're  pointing  around  the  marked  section. 

Mr.  Amershadiax.  Inside  the  semicircle  is  considered  section  A. 
Outside  is  the  area  that  we  also  feel  is  good  for  industrial  use.  It 
would  not  conflict  with  our  program  whatsoever. 

Senator  Kefau\t:r.  Section  A  where  you  have  marked  there  is  where 
the  deep  harbor  is,  or  the  wharfage,  is  that  right  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  information  I  received  from  the  United 
States  Engineers  Office  is  simply  this.  Down  here  on  the  left,  they  are 
dredging  an  area  from  8  feet  up  to  15  feet  for  contracting  purposes. 
There  is  no  dredging  being  done  in  the  area  in  front  of  Squantum  Air- 
base.  The  closest  dredging  that  is  being  done  5  miles  away  in  what 
they  call  the  Broad  Meadow  section  of  Quincy.  That  is  the  informa- 
tion which  I  received  orally  and  in  order  to  make  it  official  I  think 
that  it  would  be  well  if  the  United  States  engineers  would  either  con- 
firm that  or  deny  that.    But  tliat  is  the  information  which  I  received. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  much  would  it  cost  you  to  rehabilitate  this 
base? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  To  rehabilitate  it? 

Senator  IvEFAu^^ER.  So  that  you  could  use  it  as  a  Boys  Town. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  That  was  in  this  chart  that  it  would  cost  be- 
tween $500,000  to  three-quarters  of  a  million  dollars  but  it  would  be 
done  over  a  period  of  3  years'  time,  that  the  immediate  start  would 
require  very  little  if  anything  because  of  the  fact  that  the  two  main 
buildings,  the  bachelors'  officer  quarters  which  are  ideally  suited  for 
residential  purposes  because  that  has  these  individual  rooms  with  tile 
baths  and  tile  floors  is  in  very  good  condition  to  get  started  with,  plus 
the  fact  that  the  main  hangar  where  the  recreation  would  be  used,  there 
would  be  absolutely  no  expense  needed  on  that  phase  of  it. 

Senator  Kefaumsr.  Mr.  Amershadian,  I  like  your  enthusiasm  and 
your  desire  to  help  young  people  and  give  them  a  chance  of  getting 
back  on  their  feet  and  knowing  that  nothing  is  more  appealing  than  a 
Boys  Town  type  of  school.  Who  is  associated  with  you  in  this?  How 
do  you  expect  to  get  the  money?    How  are  you  going  to  finance  it? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  First  of  all  it  is  an  organization  that  is  char- 
tered.   It  is  a  board  of  directors. 

Senator  Kefau\'er.  Do  you  have  a  copy  of  your  directors  on  the 
board  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  I  have  submitted  quite  a  number  of  letters  to  the 
Department.  I  don't  know  if  I  have  any  right  here.  I  should  have  a 
local  list  of  them. 


6B  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Senator  KEFAimcR.  We  have  a  copy  here. 
(The  document  referred  to  is  as  follows :) 

Exhibit  No.  8 

Honorary  members : 

Hou.  Henry  Cabot  Lodge,  Jr. 

Hon.  Estes  C.  Kefauver 

Hon.  Jacob  K.  Javits 
Chairman,  advisory  committee : 

Gordon  K.  Hurd 
County  trustees: 

Barnstable. — Manuel  J.  Packett,  Brewster 

Berkshire. — William  F.  Feeney,  Dalton 

Bristol. — Ernest  A.  Wheeler,  Swansea 

Dukes. — Nelson  S.  Bryant,  West  Tisbury 

Essex. — xVrthur  Crandall,  Beverly 

Franklin. — Wm.  J.  Footit,  Jr.,  Shutesbury 

Hampden. — Attorney  Wm.  H.  Browne,  Westfield 

Haynpshire. — Ralph  C.  McLeod,  Ware 

Middlesex. — Franklin  W.  Hurd,  Arlington;  William  H.  Burke,  Lowell 

Norfolk. — John  F.  Morgan,  Canton ;  Arthur  Ferello,  Quincy 

Plymouth. — Fred  Chase,  Halifax;  Hubert  K.  Shaw,  Plymouth 

Suffolk. — Dr.  William  Hartigan,  Revere ;  Patrick  T.  Lawton,  Winthrop 

Worcester. — Raymond  A.  DiiMuzio,  Berlin ;  George  C.  Corey,  Gardner 
Agent-treasurer : 

A.  H.  Parker,  Jr. 

President,  Old  Colony  Trust  Co. 

Senator  Kefaua-er.  Are  any  of  these  people,  people  of  money? 
Have  you  got  to  get  started  ? 

j\Ir.  Amershadian.  Yes;  we  have  approximately  $27,000  in  cash 
and  pledges  on  getting  started  at  Squantum  Air  Base. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Have  you  received  any  substantial  promises  of  assist- 
ance? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes ;  we  have  a  number  of  foundations  and  top 
givers  that  have  assured  us  they  are  interested  in  the  project  and 
once  Squantum  is  decided  upon  they  will  take  an  interest  in  the 
program. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Who  are  those  people? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  foundations  that  we  have  visited  with  have 
not  made  any  special  commitments  but  we  are  in  constant  contact  with 
the  Ford  Foundation,  the  Hayden  Foundation,  and  recently  we  have 
had  the  Kennedy  Foundation  interested  enough  to  want  to  look  at  the 
Squantum  base. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Suppose  you  got  this  tomorrow,  what  would  you  do 
with  it? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  have  enough  people  involved  that  would 
get  the  program  going  on  a  staff  basis  and  then  our  committees,  we 
have  150  connnittee  chairmen  throughout  the  Commonwealth  who 
have  accepted  chairmanships  to  raise  funds  in  their  local  communities 
to  support  it.  And  at  the  same  time  the  agencies  referring  the  boys 
would  have  to  subsidize  their  own  boys.  We  would  start  with  any- 
where from  25  people  up  to  50  boys.  That  would  mean  that  you 
would  need  about  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  most  of  which  would 
come  from  the  agencies  themselves.  So  that  actually  the  $27,000  that 
we  can  state  at  the  moment  is  sufficient  to  get  the  program  underway 
without  even  the  fact  of  the  campaign  being  a  part  of  the  picture.  In 
other  words,  we  could  get  started  right  away  on  this  thing  here  if  we 
were  ffiven  consideration  on  it. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  69 

Mr.  BoBO.  Well,  how  about  the  State,  is  the  State  willing  to  help 
you  or  would  it  be  subsidized? 

Mr.  Ameksiiadian.  Under  the  laws  they  can  only  buy  services. 
They  cannot  make  a  direct  contribution.  But  each  boy  that  would 
come  from  a  State  agency  would  be  subsidized  by  the  agency  in  pur- 
chasing services.  In  other  words,  they  would  purchase  placement 
services  for  their  boys,  and  there  are  hundreds  of  those  boys  that  are 
availuble  from  the  State. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Has  there  been  any  activity  in  the  Legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts or  have  you  received  any  promises  of  assistance  there  that  cer- 
tain amounts  of  State  money  would  be  made  available  for  this  Boys 
Town  project? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  have  a  statement  from  the  four  leading 
legislators.  Senator  Richard  I.  Furlmsh,  Senator  John  E.  Powers, 
and  the  two  mentioned  b}^  the  mayor,  House  Speaker  Michael  Skerry 
and  Mr.  Gibbons,  house  minority  leader. 

The  two  that  he  mentioned  that  withdrew  their  support,  withdrew 
their  support  so  far  as  Squantum  was  concerned.  The  other  2,  the 
2  who  know  more  about  the  project  and  were  really  the  leaders  on 
that  statement.  Senators  Furbush  and  Powers,  have  not  withdrawn 
their  endorsement,  so  far  as  I  know,  and  there  has  been  no  record  of 
anything  whatsoever.  They  have  maintained  it.  These  four  men 
were  under  terrific  pressure  brought  to  bear  by  certain  people,  and  the 
facts  of  that  I  would  rather  have  them  explain  rather  than  myself. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Amershadian,  will  you  give  us  a  little  bit 
more  about  your  background?  You  have  been  working  very  hard 
on  this,  I  know. 

I  am  listed  as  honorary  member,  to  try  to  give  you  encouragement. 
I  have  had  confidence  in  w^hat  you  have  been  trying  to  do.  I  am 
not  expressing  myself  one  way  or  the  other  about  this  particular 
Squantum  base.  You  were  a  social  worker.  Tell  us  about  your 
background. 

Mr,  Amershadl^n,  First  I  graduated  from  Dorchester  High  School 
and  then  I  was  in  the  service  for  a  period  of  time.  Prior  to  going 
into  the  service  I  was  doing  community  social  work,  also  starting 
at  the  age  of  18  up  to  21  years  of  age  in  the  community  of* Dorchester 
known  as  the  Community  House,  the  Greenwood  Community  House 
on  Washington  Street  in  Dorchester.  At  that  time  we  had  young 
people's  programs,  dances,  basketball  games,  club  activities,  and  things 
of  that  nature,  community  w^ork.  When  I  returned  home  from  the 
service  in  1943,  I  worked  a  few  months  at  the  Quincy  Fall  River 
Shipyards  and  then  at  the  suggestion  of  a  YINICA  man  by  the  name 
of  Normal  Ludlow,  in  Dorchester,  he  asked  me  if  I  woulcl  come  into 
the  YMCA  work  and  help  out.  They  were  sorely  in  need  of  help 
with  boys. 

I  started  with  the  Army  and  Navy  YMCA  with  about  1,500  boys 
membership,  of  which  we  sent  a  good  number  of  those  boys  to  summer 
camp.  Then  I  was  transferred  to  the  Hyde  Park  YMCA,  worked 
for  a  year  there.  The  youth  service  board  came  into  existence  at  that 
time.  Mr.  William  McCormick,  the  chairman  of  the  youth  service 
board,  whom  I  had  worked  under  at  that  YIVICA,  asked  me  if  I  would 
come  out  to  the  reception  center  on  the  Lyman  School  grounds  in 
Westboro  to  work  as  a  cottage  master. 


70  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

I  worked  there  for  about  5  months.  Then  realizing  the  situation 
that  was  there,  that  a  number  of  boys  were  being  placed  there  that 
did  not  belong  there,  that  that  idea  of  Boj^s  Town  came  into  exist- 
ence. I  have  given  6  years  of  voluntary  time  and  service  to  the  crea- 
tion of  this  Boj^s  Town  effort  with  the  hope  of  serving  the  boys  that 
should  be  served  in  our  Commonwealth. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Mr.  Amershadian,  you  have  mentioned  some  of  the  people 
on  your  advisory  council.  Have  you  recently  initiated  a  new  type 
of  program  pulling  in  the  various  cities  and  city  councils  in  the  State 
of  Massachusetts  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes;  we  have  appealed  to,  rather  Senator 
Richard  Furbish  appealed,  to  all  the  mayors  and  the  selectmen,  chair- 
man of  the  board  of  selectmen,  to  appoint  a  local  chairman  to  head  up 
the  Boys  Town  effort  in  their  community  on  2  things,  1  to  raise  funds 
to  support  the  project  once  a  site  is  acquired,  and,  secondly,  to  pub- 
licize the  effort  and  keep  the  people  in  their  community  well  informed 
of  the  progress  of  the  organization  and  what  the  organization  stands 
for  and  what  it  can  do  and  how  it  can  serve  their  community. 

The  response  of  that  letter  that  went  out  to  351  cities  and  towns 
brought  back  a  response  of  150  chairman,  local  chairmen,  represent- 
ing about  80  percent  of  the  population.  Some  of  the  smaller  com- 
munities were  onlj^  a  few  hundred  people,  came  in  under  the  larger 
towns  and  cities,  and  those  150  chairmen  represent  about  80  percent 
of  the  population. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Have  you  received  any  encouragement  of  financial  sup- 
port from  any  of  these  150  county  or  area  chairmen? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  They  are  waiting  until  we  can  get  clearance  as 
to  a  location  for  starting  the  project. 

Mr.  BoBO.  You  suggested  that  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  was 
ready  to  bid  on  this  property  in  the  amount  of  one  hundred  to  one 
hvmdred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars ;  where  would  this  sum  have  been 
secured  from? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  had  $7,500  ready  as  a  check  to  be  made  out, 
because  5  percent  of  the  bid  is  required  at  the  time  that  you  make  the 
bid.  I  have  a  person  by  the  name  of  Leon  Garbedian,  head  of  the 
Mansfield  Beauty  Academy  in  Boston,  who  offered  to  back  me  on  the 
basis  of  $50,000  to  help  out  the  organization  and  that  would  have 
been  substantial,  ]:>lus  the  other  amount  of  money  we  would  have 
raised  to  underwrite  the  bid  requested. 

Mr.  BoBO.  You  had  no  other  assurance  of  any  other  financial  sup- 
port and  other  than  what  you  are  going  to  raise  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  Cabot  people  have  assured  us  that  once  a 
location  is  secured  that  they  are  willing  to  get  us  started  and  no 
specific  figure  was  mentioned,  but  they  have  been  known  to  contribute 
six  figures  in  many  of  their  contributions. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Suppose  the  GSA  had  granted  your  request  to  consider 
it  and  you  had  not  been  able  to  secure  the  necessary  funds  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  I  think  we  would  have  secured  it.  There  is  an- 
other arrangement  that  GSA  has.  They  allow  20  percent  of  it,  of  the 
amount  of  the  money,  which  would  he  $30,000  in  this  instance — 
$30,000,  yes — and  then  they  allow  a  credit  I  think  of  up  to  5  or  10 
years'  time  to  pay  the  remainder. 

Mr.  Peyton.  Twenty  percent  cash  and  balance  payable  in  10  years' 
time. 


JUVENILE    DELESTQUENCY  71 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Twenty  percent  cash  and  balance  payable  in 
10  years. 

Mr.  BoBO.  On  the  basis  of  this,  what  would  be  your  operating 
funds  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Depending  on  whether  you  started  with  24  boys 
or  50  boys ;  if  you  started  with  2-i  boys  you  would  need  $50,000.  All 
of  it  might  come  from  the  agencies  themselves  in  the  referring  of  the 
boys.  If  it  were  50  boys  you  would  need  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
to  get  started  with. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Have  you  had  any  assurances  from  any  of  the  agencies  or 
Massachusetts  Youth  Commission  that  boys  would  be  referred  to  the 
Boys  Town  project? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes,  sir;  I  have  mentioned  that  already  in  my 
statement. 

Mr.  BoBO.  These  boys  would  be  referred  to  you  on  a  pay  basis  or  a 
subsidized  basis  without  any  contributions  necessary  on  the  part  of  the 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  to  contract  to  contribute  to  the  upkeep 
of  boys  i 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Two  of  the  agencies  said  they  would  pay  three- 
fourths  of  the  tuition.  The  other  didn't  make  any  commitment,  hut 
they  usually  pay  more  than  the  Boys  Town  charge  for  tuition. 

Mr.  BoBO.  What  would  be  the  annual  cost  per  boy  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  $2,000  to  $2,400. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Do  State  agencies  make  available  that  much  money  to 
care  for  boys? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  information  that  we  have  is  that  they  paid 
as  high  as  $85  a  week  for  a  boy  which  means  it  is  $4,000  or  more, 

Mr.  BoBO.  ^^^lat  is  the  average  payment  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  It  all  depends  on  the  agency  they  are  dealing 
with.  The  type  of  service  and  I  am  almost  confident  that  since  their 
own  costs  in  their  own  State  institutions  run  between  $2,700  to  $3,300 
they  would  be  willing  to  pay  $2,000  that  Boys  Town  would  require  for 
tuition. 

Mr.  BoBO.  On  the  basis  of  the  assurances  you  had  you  feel  con- 
fident then  that  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  could  adequately 
fuiance  the  project.  AAHiiere  would  the  half  million  dollars  come  to 
rehabilitate  the  buildings  that  you  are  talking  about  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  That  is  all  explained  in  a  plan  that  we  have  got 
printed  out  here  for  the  30  projects.  There  are  three  ways  of  getting 
this  project  under  way.  Three  funds  are  needed  to  initiate  the  pro- 
gram. Funds  to  maintain  the  program  and  funds  to  sustain  the  pro- 
gram. I  mentioned  the  possibility  of  foundation  assistance  that  would 
allow  the  use  of  their  name  to  give  the  endowments  necessary  to  sustain 
the  program,  the  security  of  it.  I  mentioned  the  funds  from  the 
agencies  referring  the  boys.  The  funds  to  initially  start  the  program 
would  come  from  the  group  of  150  chairmen  appointed  throughout 
the  Commonwealth  over  the  past  year  that  would  raise  on  the  basis  of 
$1  per  family  and  there  are  over  3  million  families  in  Massachusetts 
so  if  you  received  a  33-percent  response  and  this  is  in  line  with  other 
funds  raising  drives  such  as  cancer.  Red  Cross,  March  of  Dimes,  that 
are  raising  well  over  a  million  dollars  a  year  from  Massachusetts 
residents  that  if  a  single  shot  campaign,  you  would  only  have  to  raise 
funds  once  to  get  the  program  under  way,  that  would  take  care  of 


72  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

whatever  alternating  expenses  you  needed  and  whatever  funds  3'ou 
needed  to  get  the  proper  staff  to  get  started. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Your  summer  program,  your  weekend  program,  where 
the  boys  are  brought  into  the  program  for  a  weekend,  how  would  this 
program  be  financed  ? 

Mr.  Amersiiadian.  That  would  be  as  suggested  here,  that  would 
cost  under  a  hundred  dollars  a  month  for  4  weekends  and  we  would  ask 
the  parents  of  the  boys  or  the  communities  to  pay  that  hundred  dollars 
in  order  to  underwrite  that  phase  of  the  program. 

Mr.  BoBO.  Do  you  think  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  boys  in 
the  Massachusetts  area  to  fill  this  program  during  the  summertime? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Very  much  so. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Would  you  submit  a  copy  of  the  chart  that  you  have 
outlining  your  financial  arrangements  ? 

Mr.  Amersilvdian.  Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  BoBo.  Do  you  have  that  here  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Not  right  here ;  I  have  it  here. 

Mr.  BoBO.  I  think  that  is  all  the  questions  I  have. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Mr.  Amershadian,  what  do  you  have  to  say  about 
this  statement  of  the  mayor  and  the  head  of  the  chamber  of  commerce 
that  this  is  vitally  needed  for  the  industrial  development  of  the  city 
of  Quincy  ?  There  ought  to  be  some  other  suitable  place  that  would 
not  interfere  with  their  industrial  development. 

Mr.  Amershadian".  First  of  all  the  Quincy  mayor  mentioned  the 
fact  of  the  financial  need  of  this  area  to  Quincy  needs  so  far  as  added 
taxes,  added  employment,  and  added  industry.  Well,  sir,  I  have  here 
some  newspaper  clippings  that  I  submitted  just  a  Avhile  ago  that  ex- 
plain from  the  newspaper  clippings  that  have  appeared  in  the  local 
paper.  First  of  all  we  have  here  the  fact  that  Quincy  tax  rate  re- 
mains at  $60.60.  Then  it  goes  on  to  show  how  the  city  is  considered 
in  a  healthy  financial  situation  especially  with  these  other  articles 
backing  it  up  out  "Quincy  families  graduating  to  higher  income 
brackets."  "Quincy  has  more  municipal  workers  than  most  cities."" 
"Quincy  families'  earnings,  spending  top  United  States  average." 
"Quincy's  welfare  costs  second  lowest  in  Bay  State." 

Senator  Kefauver.  Let  those  articles  be  exhibits. 

(The  articles  referred  to  are  as  follows :) 

Exhibit  No.  9 

[Quincy  (Mass.)  Patriot  Ledger,  August  17,  1955] 

Quincy  Families'  Earnings,   Spending  Top  United   States  Average 

New  York,  Au^st  16. — Prosperity  is  on  the  march  in  Quincy,  with  families 
earning  more  and  spending  more  than  those  in  most  sections  of  the  United 
States. 

NEW  heights 

The  facts  are  revealed  in  Sales  Management's  new  copyrighted  survey  of 
buying  power,  covering  the  entire  country. 

They  show  that  business  activity  in  Quincy  reached  new  heights  in  the  past 
year,  with  retail  stores  chalking  up  a  sales  volume  of  $113,493,000. 

The  amount  was  more  than  should  have  been  expected  for  a  city  of  its  size. 
On  the  basis  of  population,  local  retail  activity  should  have  been  only  0.0.53.3: 
percent  of  the  national.     Actually,  however,  it  was  0.06G7  percent. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  73 

SOUND  SITUATION 

The  large-scale  buying,  which  meant  luxurious  living,  is  tied  to  a  prosperous 
l>opulation.  Better  earnings  made  it  possible.  The  data  shows  that  the  25,000 
families  in  Quincy  had  a  net  income  last  year,  after  deduction  of  personal  taxes, 
of  $159,211,000. 

The  local  earnings  total,  divided  by  the  number  of  families  in  the  city, 
represents  a  net  income  of  $6,318  per  family. 

This  was  more  than  was  earned  by  families  generally  throughout  the  United 
States,  $5,274 ;  the  New  England  States,  $5,736,  and  the  $5,702  per  family  earned 
in  the  State  of  Massachusetts.     The  figures  are  arithmetical  averages. 

The  general  rising  income  situation,  the  experts  agree,  is  a  sound  one,  based 
on  a  stabilized  dollar  and  an  economy  built  on  growing  private  enterprises  and 
decreasing  defense  spending. 

MARKET  INDEX 

How  each  community  stands  with  relation  to  others  in  purchasing  ability  and 
economic  well-being  is  shown  in  the  survey  by  a  quality-of-market  index.  This 
is  a  weighted  figure  that  takes  into  account  population,  income,  sales,  and  other 
factors.     Quincy's  index  is  given  as  117,  or  17  percent  above  the  national  average. 


[Quiucy  (Mass.)  Patriot  Ledger,  September  27,  1955] 
Quincy  Has  More  Municipal  Workers  Than  Most  Cities 

New  York,  September  26.— Quincy  has  more  employees  on  its  municipal  pay- 
roll, in  proportion  to  population,  than  have  most  cities  in  the  United  States. 

The  findings,  by  the  United  States  Census  Bureau,  are  contained  in  a  report  on 
city  employment  in  over  1,000  cities  with  populations  above  10,000.  They  are 
based  on  a  survey  that  used  October  1954  as  the  test  month. 

WELL  ABOVE  KATE 

The  Quincy  payroll  showed  a  total  of  1,848  employees,  exclusive  of  teachers 
and  other  school  workers.  This  represented  21.3  employees  for  every  1,000  local 
residents  and  was  well  over  the  rate  found  in  the  other  cities,  12.9  workers  per 
1,000  residents. 

It  was,  also,  over  the  rate  in  cities  of  25,000  to  100,000,  w^hich  likewise  have 
12.9  per  1,000. 

The  payroll  in  Quincy  for  the  services  of  this  municipal  staff  amounted  to 
$445,200  in  the  test  month.  This  was  equivalent  to  an  assessment  of  $5.15  a 
month  for  every  resident  of  the  city. 

Nationally,  the  per  capital  cost  of  meeting  municipal  nonschool  payrolls  was 
$4.12  per  month.  Among  the  cities  under  100,000,  the  cost  was  lower,  averaging 
$3.65  per  capita.    It  reduced  to  $2.79  for  cities  of  10,000  to  25,000. 

The  average  wage  paid  to  Quincy  employees,  taking  into  account  only  non- 
school  personnel,  was  at  the  rate  of  $240  per  month.  This  is  a  calculated  figure, 
determined  by  dividing  total  payroll  by  number  of  employees,  both  full  and 
part  time. 

The  Census  Bureau  study  shows  that  local  and  State  governments  are  con- 
tinuing to  expand,  adding  personnel  at  the  rate  of  about  200,000  a  year.  This 
is  a  trend  that  has  been  noticeable  since  1945.  Payrolls  have  increased  even 
faster  than  the  number  of  employees,  which  means  that  the  wage  scale  has  been 
going  up. 

[Quincy  (Mass.)  Patriot  Ledger,  February  28,  1956] 
Quincy  Families  Graduating  to  Higher  Income  Brackets 

Quincy  is  fast  becoming  a  city  of  higher  income  groups,  according  to  statistics 
published  in  the  19.55  Consumer  Markets  annual.  : 

COMPARES    favorable 

Figures  showed  that  Quincy  families  which  were  once  in  the  $2,500  income 
class  have  graduated  to  the  $4,000  or  over  bracket.  Those  which  once  had  $4,000 
a  year  income  are  in  the  plus  $6,000  category. 


74  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

The  article  reported  that  66.4  percent  of  the  consumer  units  in  Quiney  had 
spendable  incomes  last  year  of  $4,000  or  more  (after  payment  of  taxes). 

This  compares  favorably  with  the  situation  elsewhere  in  the  United  States 
where  51.1  percent  of  the  consumer  units  are  in  that  income  class.  In  the  New 
England  States,  55.7  percent  are  listed  in  that  bracket. 

The  term  "consumer  unit"  is  used  to  designate  families  or  individuals  main- 
taining their  own  establishments.  Quiney  has  18,350  of  them  in  the  over  $4,000 
category  and  9,830  with  incomes  over  .$6,000. 

Consumer  Markets  reports  that  the  impressive  growth  of  the  middle-income  and 
middle-rich  classes  has  had  the  effect  of  increasing  markets,  changing  buying 
habits  and  raising  the  standard  of  living. 

According  to  a  Federal  Reserve  Board  study,  those  with  income  above  $4,000 
are  60  percent  more  likely  than  others  to  buy  major  household  equipment  or 
furniture. 

The.y  buy  4  times  as  many  new  automobiles  per  100  families  as  those  with 
incomes  below  $4,000.  They  also  buy  better  homes,  more  electrical  gadgets,  and 
do  more  traveling. 

[Quiney  (Mass.)  Patriot  Ledger,  Wednesday,  April  18,  1956] 
QuiNCY  Tax  Rate  Remains  at  $60.60 

The  10.56  Quiney  tax  rate  will  be  $60.60  the  same  as  last  year,  N.  Gorham 
Nickerson,  chairman  of  the  board  of  assessors  announced  today. 


The  announcement  that  the  tax  rate  had  been  held  at  last  year's  figure  came 
as  a  surprise,  for  many  city  officials  had  expected  some  increase  because  of 
heavier  expenses. 

The  rate  was  officially  set  by  Mr.  Nickerson  following  a  conference  this  morn- 
ing with  the  State  tax  commission  at  the  State  house  with  his  associate  asses- 
sors and  City  Manager  Edward  Lewis. 

Major  factor  in  holding  down  the  tax  rate,  Mr.  Nickerson  said,  was  a  $3 
million  increase  in  the  total  valuation  of  real  estate  and  personal  propei'ty  to 
$164  million. 

This  increase,  he  stated,  was  chiefly  from  increased  real-estate  valuation,  both 
industrial  and  private.  About  90  percent  of  this  was  new  construction.  There 
was  only  a  slight  gain  in  personal  property  valuation. 

Mayor  Amelio  Delia  Chiesa  said  this  morning  that  he  was  elated  by  the  an- 
nouncement, for  heavy-snow-removal  costs,  a  drop  in  State  receipts  and  increased 
State  taxes  seemed  to  indicate  an  increase  was  inevitable. 

Total  snow-removal  costs  this  year  were  $321, (XK),  compared  to  $49,000  last 
joar.  The  drop  in  State  receipts  and  rise  in  taxes  cost  the  city  about  $275,- 
000  over  last  year. 

These  2  items  alone  account  for  $3.43  on  the  tax  rate. 

SALARY  INCRB:-\^SES 

Also  included  in  the  1956  budget  are  salary  increases  for  a  full  year  for  city 
employees,  granted  last  year  but  only  paid  for  part  of  the  year  then ;  $74,000 
for  group  insurance  for  city  employees  and  $40,000  as  the  city's  share  in  seawall 
construction. 

The  healthy  state  of  the  city's  excess  and  deficiency  fund  also  figured  in  stav- 
ing off  a  tax  increase. 

Of  the  $827,000  in  the  E.  and  D.  fund,  the  mayor  pointed  out,  $549,000  was 
free  cash,  $152,588  higher  than  at  the  end  of  the  year  because  of  State  legislation 
permitting  cities  to  apply  taxes  collected  between  January  1  and  April  1. 

From  the  free  cash,  he  said,  $160,000  was  taken  to  reduce  the  tax  rate  by  $1 : 
$150,000  was  spent  for  street  resurfacing,  $25,000  for  repairs  to  public  build- 
ings, $22,000  for  seawalls,  and  $60,000  for  equipment  for  the  public  works 
department. 

All  these  expenditures,  he  stated,  were  necessary  and  if  the  E.  and  D.  fund 
could  not  have  covered  them,  would  have  to  be  paid  for  from  the  tax  rate. 

George  A.  Yarrington,  executive  secretary  of  the  Quiney  Taxpayers  Associa- 
tion, said  he  was  pleased  there  was  no  increase  in  the  rate  but  had  no  further 
comment  to  make. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  75 

[Quincy  (Mass.)  Patriot  Ledger,  June  6,  1956] 
Quincy's  Welfare  Costs  Second  Lowest  ix  Bat  State 

Quincy  has  extremely  low  relative  welfare  costs  compared  with  other  Massa- 
chusetts cities,  according  to  figures  furnished  City  Manager  Edward  T.  Lewis, 
by  Commissioner  Anthony  J.  Venna.  The  figures  are  those  for  March,  usually 
a  high-welfare-costs  month. 

one  dollar  and  sixty-four  cents  per  capita 

Of  Massachusetts  cities,  Quincy  was  second  lowest  in  the  per  capita  welfare 
costs  for  March,  the  statistics  show.  Quincy's  per  capita  cost  was  $1.64  as  against 
$1.22  for  tlie  city  of  Newton,  which  has  the  lowest  figure. 

Brockton  is  high  with  $3.80  per  capita.  Some  other  high  costs  are:  Lowell, 
$3.14  ;  Lynn,  $3.76  ;  and  New  Bedford,  $3.13. 

Quincy  and  Medford  are  tied  for  second  place  in  the  lowest  percentage  of  pop- 
ulation receiving  some  form  of  welfare.  In  each  city  2.5  percent  of  the  people 
are  recipients  in  one  form  or  another.     Newton  is  low,  with  1.6  i^ercent. 

During  March  there  were  1,568  welfare  cases,  involving  2,111  persons,  on  the 
Quincy  welfare  lists.  The  breakdown  of  the  cases  in  Quincy  during  March  is : 
old-age  assistance,  1,204;  aid  to  dependent  children,  147;  disability  assistance, 
118 ;  general  relief,  99. 

The  low  number  of  general  relief  cases  indicates  high  employment  in  the  city, 
as  this  category  of  welfare  is  sensitive  to  fluctuations  in  employment. 

Mr.  Amershadiax.  As  to  eni})loyment,  for  a  city  of  eighty  to  ninety 
thousand  people  yon  find  out  tliat  there  is  an  item  of  general  relief 
cases,  there  are  only  99  cases  in  the  city  of  Quincy  that  are  under  gen- 
eral relief.  It  says  here,  the  low  ninnber  of  general  relief  cases  in- 
dicates high  employment  in  the  city  as  this  category  of  welfare  is  sen- 
sitive to  fluctuations  in  employment.  In  checking  with  the  Massa- 
chusetts Department  of  Employment  in  Quincy,  they  issued  a  state- 
ment whereby  out  of  all  these  persons  in  Quincy  there  are  only  302 
people  that  are  unemployed  and  only  136  of  these  residents  had  last 
worked  in  Quincy.  So  the  tax  situation,  the  employment  situations, 
although  they  claim  that  they  want  more,  still  it  is  considered  to  be 
one  of  the  healthiest  in  the  entire  State. 

In  fact  one  of  the  best  in  the  Nation  Then  as  far  as  industry  is  con- 
cerned we  find  out  Quinc}^  has  been  very  fortunate. 

One  of  the  Fore  River  shipyards,  the  Bethlehem  Co.,  has  been 
awarded  $20  billion  of  Government  contract  work.  Another  is  that 
statistic  that  I  think  is  important  that  of  the  nontaxable  property  in 
Quincy  there  is  only  one  school,  Nazarene  College,  which  is  educational 
and  nonprofit. 

There  is  a  very  low  amount  of  nontaxable  property  for  any  cities  in 
comparison  to  other  cities  which  have  opened  the  door  to  state^vide 
projects. 

So  far  as  the  industry,  employment,  and  tax  situation  is  concerned, 
which  they  are  to  be  congratulated  for  looking  for  more,  at  the  same 
time  when  the  answer  can  be  given  how  much  more  taxes,  how  much 
more  employment,  and  how  much  more  industry  ?  Wlien  it  comes  to 
this  particular  area,  we  are  not  questioning  the  fact  that  548  acres  is 
ideally  suited  for  industrial  use.  In  fact  we  go  along  with  them  100 
percent  because  the  type  of  industrial  use  that  we  know  the  people 
down  in  that  area  want  on  the  basis  of  a  hearings,  they  are  not  in- 
terested in  heavy  industry.  They  would  rather  have  the  light  to 
medium  industry. 

Senator  Kefauver.  The  bidder  here  is  the  Boston  Edison  Co.  which 
had  apparently  in  mind  the  erecting  of  a  steam-generating  plant. 


76  JU\'EN"ILE    DELIXQUEIsrCY 

Mr.  A:MERSHADiA]sr.  There  is  no  objection  to  it. 

Senator  I^fauver.  T\niere  would  that  be  erected  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  On  the  640  acres.  It  was  mentioned  about 
Weymouth  having  one  of  these  installations.  The  question  might 
be  asked  how  many  acres  is  the  one  at  Weymouth  taking  up.  Are 
they  taking  up  658  acres?  If  not,  maybe  since  this  property  was  sold 
as  an  integrated  unit  you  had  to  buy  the  whole  thing  as  one  or  else 
your  bid  was  not  recognized.  In  other  words  your  bid  went  in  as 
the  whole  658  acres,  li  they  don't  need  the  entire  648  acres,  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  they  onh^  need  300  or  400  acres,  then  it  all 
depends  on  how  much  acres  they  have  at  Weymouth  and  other  places, 
then  possibly  they  might  consider  since  public  utilities  are  always 
interested  in  helping  organizations,  they  might  consider  working  it 
out  as  an  arrangement  whereby  Boys  Town  mght  get  the  hundred 
acres  that  they  need,  but  sir,  the  statement  was  made  here  today  that 
this  was  a  very  good  bid  and  made  at  General  Services  yesterday. 
Here  is  what  actually  did  happen : 

For  months  this  property  has  been  publicly  and  privately  an- 
nounced as  being  available  for  surplus  property  ideal  for  industrial 
use.  That  meant  that  there  would  be  most  likely  a  bit  of  activity 
in  the  bidding.  If  then  this  was  such  a  highly  valuable  place  for 
industrial  use,  how  come  there  were  only  five  bids  yesterday  for  this 
property?  Among  these  5  bids,  the  lowest  bidder  bidding  $82,500 
for  a  piece  of  property  that  involves  648  acres  of  so-called  valuable 
industrial  land  and  there  were  20  buildings  on  it  and  if  it  is  ever 
possible  for  you  to  visit  that  Squantum  Airbase  to  see  the  one  building 
called  the  main  hangar  to  erect  that  building  alone,  divorcing  it  from 
the  other  buildings  and  the  648  acres,  I  am  sure  you  would  agree  with 
some  of  these  engineers  that  I  have  had  out  to  the  place  that  claim 
that  it  would  cost  at  least  $1  million  to  build  that  building  today. 

The  lowest  bidder  was  $82,500,  which  as  vou  can  see  is  a  ridiculously 
low  bid.  The  next  bidder  was  $111,000.  The  bid  above  that  was  $112,- 
000,  which  meant  that  this  property  was  being  offered  maybe  at  $100 
or  $200  an  acre  and  it  is  supposed  to  be  the  best  industrial  land  avail- 
able. Well,  we  come  to  the  faurth  bid  which  was  the  second  highest 
that  was  for  $298,000.  Even  that  would  mean  that  the  area  was  worth 
about  $300  an  acre.  AYhen  it  came  to  the  Boston  Edison  Co.,  who  did 
put  in  a  fair  bid  but  they  were  the  only  one  out  of  all  these  so-called 
industries  that  could  be  interested  in  this  area,  they  came  up  with  a 
bid  of  $851,000.  From  the  figures  that  have  been  reported  to  us  on 
the  evaluation  of  this  property  by  the  United  States  Go\crnment,  we 
find  out  that  the  $851,000  is  still  about  $100,000  less  than  what  GSA 
has  valued  the  property  to  be  at.  That  figure  is  not  exact,  but  it  is 
a  figure  that  has  been  reported  to  us. 

Senator  Kefau\t^r.  Mr.  Amershadian,  are  the  spur  tracks  which  a 
person  would  use  in  the  erection  of  the  steam  plant,  are  they  in  the 
area  where  these  buildings  are  which  you  want  ? 

Mr.  Amershadtan.  No  one  would  know  that  until  the  Boston  Edison 
Co.  makes  its  plan  known.  There  is  no  way  of  knowing  it  unless  the 
Boston  Edison  Co.  says  it  themselves. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Is  this  fresh  water  here  in  this  basin  where  the 
wharfage  is  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  No  ;  I  wovdd  say  it  is  not  fresh  water.  It  is  salt 
water. 


JLTA'ENILE    DELINQUENCY  77 

Senator  Kefauvek.  I  understand  a  steam  plant  has  to  get  fresh 
water. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  There  is  no  fresh  water  there  that  I  know  of, 
sir.     Absohitely  none  except  from  the  water  mains. 

Senator  Kefauver,  From  the  water  mains  ^ 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Of  the  city  of  Qiiincy. 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  am  not  an  engineer,  but  doesn't  a  steam-gener- 
ating plant  have  to  have  a  large  amount  of  fresh  water  'i 

Mr.  HuRD.  I  happen  to  be  familiar  with  the  one  in  Salem  which  was 
recently  built.  They  require  a  good  deal  of  fresh  water  but  they  re- 
quire large  storage  for  coal.  That  area  in  Salem  is  more  or  less 
blighted  by  the  Edison  plant  put  there.  If  you  paik  your  car  in  the 
vicinity,  the  dust  gets  all  over  your  car. 

Senator  Kefauver.  If  you  had  a  steam  plant  wouldn't  that  make  it 
unsuitable  for  a  boys  school  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  The  finest  residential  section  in  the  city  of 
Quincy  is  onl}^  across  the  street  from  the  Squantum  Air  Base. 

Senator  Kefauver.  "Which  way  is  the  prevailing  wind  ? 

Mr.  HuRD.  We  are  proud  of  the  easterly  drift  tliat  comes  from  the 
ocean  to  cool  us  otf. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  We  would  be  in  back  of  it. 

Mr.  HuRD.  Any  industry  which  would  be  acceptable  to  the  residents 
in  tlie  area  would  be  acceptable  to  us. 

Mr.  Amershadian.  There  are  some  $85,000  and  $40,000  homes  in 
that  area. 

Exhibit  No.  10 

Massachusetts  Boys  Town  Chkonology 
March  1950 

Chairman  of  Massachusetts  Youth  Service  Board  recommended  to  Fred  Amer- 
shadian that  the  latter  undertake  an  eight-boy  foster-home  project :  plan  investi- 
gated but  findings  indicated  it  would  be  impractical. 

April  1950 

Fred  Amershadian  arranged  meeting  with  a  group  of  young  men  interested  in 
helping  boys.  He  told  tliem  of  the  great  need  based  on  his  own  recent  experience 
as  a  house  master  at  the  reception  center  (Lyman  School)  Westboro,  Mass.  The 
group  formed  a  Committee  of  Twelve  Young  Men  with  the  av(>wed  purpose  of 
establishing  the  Massachusetts  Preparatory  Homes  for  Boys,  Inc. 

June  1950 

After  gaining  approval  of  educational  and  social-work  leaders  in  Newton, 
Mass.,  the  first  attempt  to  locate  the  project  was  made  in  that  community.  At  a 
public  hearing  held  in  the  city  hall,  .50  resident  neighbors  voted  to  oppose  granting 
a  permit  to  the  organization.     (There  were  70  persons  present.) 

iSept  ember  1950 

Application  was  made  for  State  charter.  (Added  "Boys  Town"  to  the  original 
name  at  the  suggestion  of  Committee  of  Twelve  from  the  Boys  Town  of  Missouri.) 
The  charter  was  approved  by  the  department  of  corporations  and  taxation  and 
was  granted  by  the  secretary  of  the  State  on  February  19, 1951. 

Iforembcr  1950 

Attempted  to  locate  at  the  Stone  To\¥er  Inn  in  Hingham,  Mass.  Three  hundred 
attended  hearing.     Vote  was  76  opposed  and  8  in  favor. 

April  1951 

Made  second  attempt  to  locate  at  the  Stone  Tower  Inn  in  Hingham.  Six  hun- 
dred attended  hearing.     Vote  was  180  opposed  and  32  in  favor. 


78  JUVENILE    DELESTQUENCY 

December  1951 

Attempted  to  locate  at  the  Henry  Ford  Wayside  Inn  School  for  Boys  in  Sud- 
bury, Mass.     Property  was  sold  to  business  interests. 

January  1952 

Attempt  made  to  obtain  two  different  locations  in  Framingham.  (1)  Strong 
objection  raised  by  multimillionaire  horseman  neighbor.  (2)  Upon  presentation 
of  $5,000  downpayment,  donated  by  Ralph  Bradley,  treasurer  of  Godfrey  L. 
Cabot,  Inc.,  the  previously  agreed  price  was  increased  prohibitively. 

May  1952 

Attempt  to  locate  in  Norfolk,  Mass.  About  300  attended  hearing.  Vote  was 
112  opposed  and  78  in  favor. 

During  the  year  1952,  12  different  investigations  were  made  of  properties, 
including  attitude  of  resident  neighbors,  in  Marlboro,  Saxonville,  Walpole, 
Wrentham,  Holyoke,  Hubbardston,  Scituate,  Baldwinsville,  Avon,  Billerica, 
Athol,  and  Brookliue  (urban,  semiurban,  rural,  and  semirural).  There  were 
various  reasons  for  not  locating  in  any  of  those  areas  but  the  principal  reason 
was  that  the  Boys  Town  Organization  had  acquired  a  stigma  because  of  the 
previous  refusals  of  other  communities  to  accept  them  (geographic  humani- 
tarianism). 

January  1953 

Peddock's  Island,  Hull,  Mass.   (Government  surplus  property)  : 

(1)  Eight  months  of  negotiations  with  DHEW. 

(2)  Terms  of  agreement  offered  and  accepted  by  Boys  Town. 

(3)  Five  thousand  dollar  fund  in  escrow  offered  by  Mr.  Ralph  Bradley. 

(4)  Intervention  by  the  Department  of  the  Army,  for  secret  project, 
(a)  Letter  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  Robert  Stevens. 

Septertiber  1953 

Official  request  for  a  portion  of  Camp  Edwards,  Cape  Cod,  Mass. : 

(1)  Negotiations  with  the  First  Army  Headquarters,  Gen.  Robert  Burress. 

(2)  Approval  by  the  Department  of  the  Army,  Pentagon  Building. 

(3)  Drawing  up  of  the  lease  by  United  States  engineers. 

(4)  Camp  Edwards  determined  to  be  on  State-owned  land. 

(5)  Senate  bill  No.  610  referred  to  next  session  because  of  Massachusetts 
constitutional  law. 

March  1954 

Investigation  of  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum  : 

(1)  Visit  to  Fargo  Building,  First  Naval  District,  Boston,  Mass. 

(2)  Visit  to  Department  of  Public  Works,  Department  of  the  Navy,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  and  permission  given  to  submit  an  application  for  rental  of  section  A 
of  the  naval  air  station — involving  100  acres  and  approximately  10  buildings. 

(a)  Two  volunteer  recommendations  submitted  by  the  Commandant  of  the 
First  Naval  District,  Boston. 

(3)  Two  additional  visits  to  the  Department  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C,  to 
expedite  application  decision. 

(4)  Decision  by  Chief  of  Naval  Operations  to  turn  entire  base  over  to  General 
Services  Administration. 

(a)  Notification  by  the  Department  of  the  Navy  to  GSA  of  the  interest  in 
section  A  by  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc. 

Mai/  1954 

Squantum  PTA  meeting.  There  were  50  persons  in  attendance  representing 
about  40  Squantum  families.     The  meeting  was  well  publicized  in  advance. 

(1)  Patriot-Ledger  newspaper  reports. 

(rt)  Charges  of  "contamination"  and  "intimidation"  by  the  Quincy  police  chief. 

(2)  Newspaper  editorials : 

{a)   "How  To  Use  Squantum."  , 

(6)  "Is  a  Boys  Town  Necessary?" 
(c)   "The  Boys  Town  Project." 

(3)  Personal  survey  of  the  Sipmntum  residents. 

(a)  Results  showed  that  about  S5  percent  of  the  residents  were  unconcerned 
about  Boys  Town  locating  at  the  base.  There  were  approximately  5  percent 
in  favor,  5  percent  ojjposed,  and  about  5  percent  who  wanted  additional  data 
before  taking  a  stand. 

(4)  Radio  broadcasts  over  Quincy  radio  station  WJDA. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  79 

(a)  Recommended  by  Attorney  Paiil  Reardon,  Governor's  legal  counsel  and 
a  resident  of  Quincy,  to  offset  adverse  Patriot-Ledger  editorials. 

(&)  Good  response  from  radio  audience  (26  letters  and  $74  in  voluntary  con- 
tributions). 

(c)  Objections  by  only  tvpo  persons — both  Quincy  leaders — received  by  radio 
station.    Names  are  being  withheld  for  the  present. 

(5)  Report  of  Navy  appraisal  of  the  Squantum  Base  in  1954. 
(a)   Approximately  $3  million. 

(6)  Report  of  GSA  appraisal  of  the  Squantum  Base  in  1955  (unconfirmed), 
(a)  Approximately  .$1  million. 

(7)  Application  made  at  the  New  York  regional  office,  DHEW  (August  17, 
1956). 

(a)  Letter  to  Dr.  Paul  Gossard,  superintendent  of  schools  in  Quincy. 

(8)  Attaining  statewide  support  for  the  establishment  of  Boys  Town  at 
Squantum. 

(a)  Approximately  500  prominent  Massachusetts  citizens  endorse  location. 
(&)  Thirty-two  State  senators  also  endorse  location. 

(9)  State  senate  resolution  No.  786    (see  copy). 

(10)  Ij^tter  sent  by  the  president  of  the  State  senate,  Richard  I.  Fni'bush,  to 
351  cities  and  towns  in  the  Commonwealth. 

(a)  To  raise  local  funds  to  initiate  the  program,  after  the  site  is  acquired. 
(6)  To  maintain  necessary  public  relations. 

(11)  Appointment  of  152  chairmen  representing  80  percent  of  Massachusetts 
population,  and  selection  of  new  board  of  trustees    (county  representatives). 

(12)  During  another  visit  to  Washington,  was  notified,  for  the  first  time, 
that  Squantum  would  be  available  only  for  industrial  use.  Also,  told  that  the 
administration  did  not  want  to  be  regarded  as  giveaway  administration. 

(a)  Visit  with  Assistant  Secretary  of  Commerce  Edward  Hall,  with  an  in- 
troduction from  Mayor  Howard  Whittemore  of  Newton.  Confirmed  freeze 
at  Squantum. 

(13)  Notification  sent  to  GSA  that  Boys  Town  would  be  willing  to  bid 
$100,000  on  a  sale  basis. 

(14)  Question  raised  by  certain  Federal  officials  of  possible  violation  of  the 
Surplus  Property  Act  of  1949. 

(15)  Rumors  of  an  oil  operation. 

(a)  Dredging  of  channel  strongly  urged  by  president  of  the  Quincy  Oil  Co. 
(&)  State  commerce  department  commissioner's  interest. 

(16)  Conference  with  the  assistant  to  the  Northeast  regional  director,  GSA. 

(17)  Two  additional  visits  to  Washington,  D.  C. 

(a)  Masssachusetts  Senator's  suggestion  to  visit  chairman  of  Quincy  In- 
dustrial C(mimittee  to  work  out  mutual  arrangement. 

(6)  Another  suggestion  from  Senator's  office  to  make  another  visit. 
(IS)  Final  GSA  ruling — notice  of  public  sale. 

(19)  Investigation  of  DHEW  rulings  as  reported  by  GSA. 
(a)  Conference  with  DHEW  officials. 

(20)  Correspondence   with    Congressman    Thomas    Lane    regarding    DHEW. 

(21)  Open  letter  to  President  Eisenhower  for  special  consideration. 
(a)  FoUowup  letters  and  telegrams. 

(22)  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  letter  to  Massachusetts  congressional 
delegation. 

(23)  House  Majority  Leader  John  W.  McCormack's  reply  to  the  chamber  of 
commerce. 

(a)  Copy  to  Fred  Amershadian. 

(b)  Mr.  McCormack's  reasons  for  favoring  the  Boys  Town  petition. 

(24)  Message  from  Senator  Kefauver  expressing  interest  and  offering  to 
investigate  the  entire  matter  with  a  hearing  for  public  review. 

(25)  Two  additional  visits  to  Washington,  D.  C. 

(a)   Visit  with  Maxwell  M.  Rabb,  Secretary  to  the  Cabinet, 
(ft)  Visit  with  General  Counsel  James  H.  Bobo  and  Carl  Perrian  of  the  Senate 
Subcommittee  on  Juvenile  Delinqiiency. 

(26)  Conversation  with  Adm.  Robert  Carney,  retired  Chief  of  Naval  Opera- 
tions. 

(a)   Visit  to  the  OflSce  of  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Robert  Fogler. 

(27)  Followup  letters  to  Maxwell  M.  Rabb. 

(28)  Letter  to  GSA  asking  for  reconsideration  (reply). 

(29)  Information  received  regarding  nature  of  secret  project  at  Squantum. 


80  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

(30)  Visit  to  Squantum  and  the  new  $1  million  youth  service  reception  an(J 
detention  center  by  Senate  subcommittee  members. 

(31)  Open  letter  to  the  members  of  the  Massachusetts  congressional  delegation. 

(32)  Bipartisan  request  by  four  leaders  of  the  Massachusetts  General  Court.. 


January  1.5,  1056. 
Hon.  Thomas  J.  Lane, 

House  of  Representatives,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Dear  Congressman  Lane  :  Thank  you  for  your  expression  of  continued  inter- 
est in  the  contemplated  Massachusetts  Boy.s  Town  program. 

To  my  knowledge,  the  Boys  Town  organization  has  never  had  an  application 
formally  disapproved  because  of  financial  standing.  Only  one  Boys  Town  appli- 
eation  has  been  processed  by  HEW  and  that  was  in  the  case  of  Peddocks  Island 
in  ions.  The  only  other  application  submitted  by  the  Boys  Towu  group  has 
been  the  one,  wiiich  is  still  on  file  in  the  New  York  regional  oflBce,  concerning 
the  request  for  a  portion  of  the  Squantum  Airbase. 

In  the  case  of  Peddock's  Island,  the  original  requirement  by  HEW  before  ap- 
proval was  that  the  Boys  Town  organization  should  deposit  .$100,000  as  a  fund 
in  escrow.  Because  of  an  appeal  to  Senator  Leverett  Saltonstall  who  in  turn 
contacted  Mrs.  Oveta  Gulp  Hobby  ( Secretary  of  HEW )  the  original  amount  of 
.$100,(X)0  required  was  first  lowered  to  $25,000  and  thence  to  $5,000.  This  came 
as  a  result  from  a  letter  by  A.  H.  Parker,  Jr.,  president  of  the  Old  Colony  Trust 
Co.  (copy  attached),  explaining  why  the  Boys  Towu  organization  was  unable 
to  raise  sufficient  funds,  at  first.  Mr.  Ralph  Bradley,  treasurer  of  Godfrey  L. 
Cabot,  Inc.,  otticially  offered  to  underwrite  the  required  $5,000  and  so  notified 
HEW. 

I  was  then  orally  given  the  assurance  by  HEW  officials  that  the  Boys  Town 
application  would  be  approved.  In  fact,  I  personally  helped  write  the  penciled 
first  draft  which  was  the  basis  for  approval  with  a  ^Mr.  James  Flyun  who  was 
tjhen  the  HEW  surplus  pi'oiierty  officer  in  Massachusetts.  (Mr.  Flynu  has  since 
been  transferred  to  the  California  office  of  HEW.)  Out  of  a  total  of  a  possible 
140  percent  deductil)le  allowances  for  educational  use,  under  the  Surplus  Property 
Act  of  1940,  the  Boys  Town  organization  met  110  percent  of  the  requirements,, 
according  to  Mr.  Flynn. 

Suddenly  we  were  notified  that  the  Department  of  the  Army  was  again  inter- 
ested in  Peddocks  Island  and  wanted  it  for  a  guided  missile  project  base.  Shortly 
thereafter  we  received  a  consoling  letter  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Army,  Robert 
Stevens,  who  asked  us  if  the  Department  of  the  Army  could  be  of  any  other 
assistance,  in  view  of  our  disappointment  which  had  come  to  his  attention. 

We  then  officially  requested  a  part  of  the  deactivated  Camp  Edwards  on  the 
cape.  After  3  months'  time,  approval  from  the  Pentagon  was  granted.  (We- 
were  intei'ested  on  a  rental  basis.)  However,  before  the  lease  papers  which  were 
drawn  up  by  the  Corps  of  Engineers  were  passed,  it  was  discovered  that  Camp 
Edwards  was  on  State-owned  land  and  legislative  action  would  be  necessary  to 
make  it  available  to  Boys  Town.  (Rules  were  suspended  and  Senate  bill  No. 
filO  was  introduced.) 

However  when  we  learned  that  the  Squantum  Base  was  to  become  surplus,  we- 
concentrated  all  our  efforts  in  that  direction  because  of  its  many  superior 
advantages.  (Copy  of  six  broadcasts  made  on  radio  station  WJDA  in  Quincy 
give  a  more  detailed  exijlanation  of  all  the  facts.) 

As  you  know,  and  we  have  documentary  proof,  a  Boys  Town  app^'al  is  a  nat- 
ural to  file  general  iiul)lic.  If  the  same  consideration  were  to  be  given  in  the 
case  of  the  Squantum  site  as  was  given  on  the  Peddocks  Island  case,  there  is  no- 
doubt,  in  the  minds  of  many,  that  the  Boys  Town  effort  can  offer  and  maintain 
a  worthwhile  pro.uram. 

With  best  wishes. 
Sin(-erely, 

Fred  Amershadian. 


February  6,  1956. 

Dear  Mr.  Rabu  :    Have  received  the  attached  DHEW  communication  which 

gives  the  impression  that  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  had  not  officially 

applied  for  consideration  on  100  acres  of  the  645  acres  to  be  made  available  for 

industrial  use  at  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum.     During  the  confer- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  81 

ence  mentioned  in  the  DHEW  letter,  the  New  York  regional  oflSce  was  contacted, 
in  my  presence,  by  Mr.  Chester  Lund,  DHEW,  in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  he  was 
informed  by  the  New  York  regional  director  that  Boys  Town  had  officially  applied 
in  May  1955  for  consideration  on  tho  property. 

At  that  time,  we  submitted  the  Boys  Town  information  requested  which  the 
New  York  regional  director  assured  me  then  was  sufficient  and  1  was  told  by  him 
to  have  the  entire  Roys  Town  data  ready  for  processing  whenever  GSA  made  the 
property  available  for  educational  use  to  DHEW.  GSA  had  been  previously  in- 
formed by  the  Department  of  the  Navy  on  .Time  30,  1954,  of  our  interest  in  the 
section  which  we  tried  to  lease  on  a  rental  basis.  (See  attached  copy  of  letter 
from  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy  to  House  Majority  Leader  John  W.  JMc- 
Cormack  who  has  also  gone  on  record  as  favoring  our  petition.) 

GSA  never  did  make  this  requested  section  available  to  DHEW  although  an- 
other small  section  of  the  same  Squantum  base  set  aside  for  a  later  applicant — 
for  educational  use. 

I  raised  this  question,  "If  one  school  program  is  allowed  on  one  section  of  a  site 
supposedly  available  and  suitable  only  for  industrial  use  why  shouldn't  it  be 
possible  for  another  contemplated  school  program  on  the  same  site  to  be  given 
similar  consideration?" 

This  raises  another  question.  "Was  GSA  justified  in  ruling  the  remaining  area 
for  industrial  use  especially  when  the  very  section  requested  by  Boys  Town  was 
used  by  the  Navy  Department  for  training  and  residential  purposes  for  over  15 
years?"  With  the  exception  of  some  of  the  younger  boys,  since  the  average  age 
will  be  about  15  to  17  years,  these  buildings  would  be  used  by  the  Boys  Town  staff 
and  students  essentially  along  the  same  line  as  previously  (training  and  resi- 
dential). 

GSA  has  notified  us  that  they  intend  to  put  the  proi)erty  up  for  piiblic  sale.  Al- 
though we  cannot  prevent  them  from  doing  so.  I  hope  that  they  will  wait  until 
we  have  a  chance  to  make  this  entire  situation  a  public  record  via  the  Senate  Sub- 
committee on  Juvenile  Delinquency.  Our  case  must  be  heard  in  view  of  the 
(juestionable  rulings  made  by  the  different  Federal  agencies.  The  entire  future 
of  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  is  at  stake. 

With  the  recognized  problem  of  juvenile  delinquency  today  there  is  no  ques- 
tion in  the  minds  of  qualified  persons  in  ^lassachusetts  that  Boys  Town  can  meet 
the  requirements  for  the  Squantum  section  on  the  basis  of  (i)  need,  (2)  suit- 
ability, (3)  approved  program,  (4)  financial  ability  to  maintain  the  program. 
^ Since  1953  more  State  and  private  funds  are  available  for  tuition  purposes.) 
Several  documented  test  campaigns  for  funds  have  been  made  and  each  test  has 
corroborated  the  natural  appeal  from  the  general  public  for  fvmds  to  initiate  the 
Boys  Town  program.  It  is  further  expected  that  annual  fund  rasing  will  be 
unnecessary  as  more  public  and  private  tuition  funds  become  available. 

We  are  prepared  to  show  how  Boys  Towns  and  Junior  Republics  are  financially 
better  off  today  than  most  Boy  Scout,  YMCA,  and  Boys  Club  programs  in  the 
Nation.  As  is  generally  known,  each  Boys  Town  had  an  extremely  difficult 
time,  at  first,  in  raising  substantial  funds.  Also,  we  have  learned  that  there 
was  the  usual  local  opposition  by  some  uninformed  neighbors  who  eventually  be- 
came the  most  loyal  supporters  of  the  school  after  taking  personal  part  in  certain 
programs. 

Surely  our  Nation  which  invests  in  everything  worthwhile  in  the  world  could 
assign  Boys  Town  10  buildings  which  might  be  torn  down  tomorrow  and  have 
officially  outlived  their  usefulness  so  far  as  the  Government  is  concerned.  These 
facilities  are  adequate  and  not  excessive  to  the  requirements  for  a  boys'  home- 
school  program,  especially  where  a  general  public  need  is  definitely  involved. 

The  Massachusetts  Boys  Tovrn  plan  involves  30  contemplated  justifiable  proj- 
ects throughout  the  Nation,  serving  100,000  boys  who  evidently  are  not  receiving 
adequate  treatment  at  present.  It  is  a  new  program  based  on  present-day  and 
future  needs  to  help  meet  the  problem  of  juvenile  delinquency  by  intercepting 
many  first  offenders  and  helping  them  solve  their  problems  in  a  proven  manner 
and  in  an  appealing  environment.  It  is  more  logical  to  try  and  help  these  boys, 
in  this  early  stage,  than  wait  until  they  become  habitual  delinquents. 

According  to  printed  press  statements  of  our  Nation's  leaders,  the  problem  of 
juvenile  delinquency  rivals  that  of  communism.  I  am  sure  that  President  Dwight 
I>.  Ei.senhower,  who  was  the  first  President  in  history  to  mention  this  problem  in 
his  state  of  the  Union  message,  will  agree  that  what  this  Nation  needs  is  a  little 
less  talk  and  more  action  in  the  form  of  constructive  preventive  programs.  Boys- 
80694—56 7 


82  JUVENILE    DELINQU:5NCY 

Town  of  Massachusetts  has  been  ready  for  some  time  to  put  their  proposed  pilot 
program  into  operation. 

As  has  been  meutionetl,  heretofore,  the  decision  for  special  consideration  rests 
with  our  beloved  President. 
With  best  wishes, 
Sincerely, 

Fred  Amershadian. 


The  Commonweai.th  of  Massachusetts, 

Division  of  Employment  Security, 

Boston,  June  15, 1956. 
Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts, 

Boston,  Mass. 
(Attention:  Fred  Ames.) 
Gentlemen  :    The  following  information  was  obtained  from  a  survey  of  the 
claims  file  in  the  Quincy  oflSce  of  the  Massachusetts  Division  of  Employment 
Security  in  response  to  Mr.  Ames'  telephone  request  of  June  11. 

During  the  week  ending  June  9,  657  claimants  reported  to  the  Quincy  oflBce 
and  filed  continued  claims  signifying  that  they  had  been  wholly  or  partially  un- 
employed in  the  previous  week  ;  302  of  these  claimants  were  Quincy  residents 
and  136  of  these  residents  had  last  worked  in  Quincy. 

Use  of  this  information  should  be  qualified  by  the  fact  that  the  above-men- 
tioned claimants  represent  only  part  of  the  number  of  unemployed  Quincy  resi- 
dents ;  excluded  are  such  residents  who  file  claims  outside  the  area,  unemployed 
new  entrants  and  reentrants  to  the  labor  force  who  have  not  yet  earned  enough 
wage  credits  to  qualify  for  benefits,  unemployed  railroad  workers,  unemployed 
workers  formerly  employed  by  establishments  not  covered  by  the  employment 
security  law,  and  unemployed  workers  who  have  voluntarily  refrained  from 
filing  a  claim  for  benefits. 
Tours  very  truly, 

Mary  E.  Wilcox, 
Chief  Supervisor,  Research  and  Statistics. 


July  2,  1956. 

Dear  Congressman  :  The  rescheduling  of  the  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  hear- 
ing to  next  Monday,  July  9,  1956,  at  2  p.  m.,  in  the  Capitol,  Washington,  D.  C, 
has  allowed  for  valuable  added  time  to  further  strengthen  the  Boys  Town  docu- 
mented presentation.  We  are  happy  to  report  letters  now  on  file  indicate  that 
overwhelming  statewide  public  opinion  is  in  support  of  the  Boys  Town  proposal 
to  utilize  100  acres  and  buildings  of  the  648  available  acres  as  a  pilot  project  for 
creating  a  number  of  vitally  needed  youth  centers  of  America. 

Members  of  the  Massachusetts  congressional  delegation  are  asked  to  pay  par- 
ticular attention  to  the  contrasting  claims  made  by  those  who  advocate  complete 
industrial  use  of  the  Squantum  Base  (minus  11  acres  already  set  aside  for  local 
(Quincy)  educational  use)  as  against  those  who  advocate  the  Boys  Town 
educational  program  locating  on  100  acres — allowing  the  remaining  five-sixths 
of  the  area  for  industrial  use : 

(1)  Local  (Quincy)  industrial  interests  claim  that  $60  million  worth  of  in- 
dustry could  be  attracted  to  the  former  naval  air  station  if  the  entire  area  is  used 
for  that  purpose. 

(2)  The  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  group  claims  that  the  savings  value  to 
the  Federal  and  State  Governments  could  amount  to  a  minimum  of  $150  million. 
Since  the  area  requested  by  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts.  Inc.,  can  be  considered 
somewhat  self-contained  there  should  be  no  conflict  with  any  light  to  medium 
industry  (additionally  estimated  at  $.50  million — five-sixths  of  the  area)  which 
would  be  acceptable  to  the  adjoiing  residential  community.  Total  of  the  two 
combined  would  amount  to  $200  million. 

On  the  basis  of  the  above  comparison  there  should  be  no  doubt  that  the  best 
interest  of  our  Government  could  be  served  if  the  Squantum  site  was  disposed 
of  as  two  separate  units  instead  of  by  the  scheduled  integrated  unit  sale. 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  83 

The  contemplated  program  of  the  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  plan  in  eventually 
^Treating  30  new  youth  centers  of  America  can  effectively  combat  the  increase  of 
the  juvenile  delinquency  situation  in  our  Nation.     We  are  counting  upon  each 
Member  of  the  Massachusetts  congressional  delegation  for  support. 
With  best  wishes, 
Sincerely, 

Gordon  K,  Hurd, 
Chairman  of  the  Advisory  Comtnittee. 
Feed  F.  Amershadian, 

Founder. 
P.  S. — Please  note:  On  May  11,  1954,  the  commandant  of  the  First  Naval 
District,  Fargo  Building,  Boston,  Mass.,  voluntarily  submitted  to  the  Department 
of  the  Navy,  "a  strong  endorsement  favoring  the  Boys  Town  request  for  leasing 
section  A  of  the  Squantum  Base  for  the  proposed  residential  training  program 
for  needy  boys."  This  same  area  was  used  for  over  25  years  by  the  Department 
of  the  Navy  as  a  residential  training  base.  The  commandant's  strong  endorse- 
ment received  three  additional  endorsements  from  bureaus  of  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment but  since  the  remainder  of  the  Squantum  Base  was  to  be  declared  excess 
to  their  needs,  it  was  decided  to  turn  the  base  over  to  GSA  for  disposal.  At 
the  same  time,  the  Department  of  the  Navy  notified  GSA  of  "the  interest  of  Boys 
Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc." 

In  view  of  the  testimony  submitted  by  the  representatives  of  the  city  of  Quincy, 
I  wish  to  state  that  prior  to  the  Department  of  the  Navy  turning  the  projjerty 
over  to  GSA  in  1054,  the  estimated  value,  by  the  Department  of  the  Navy  of  the 
Squantum  military  installation  was  slightly  under  $3  million. 

Only  a  few  months  later,  without  any  changes  in  the  property,  the  base  was 
reappraised  by  GSA  and  the  value  set  by  GSA  was  slightly  under  $1  million. 
(  However,  the  assessment  value  by  the  city  of  Quincy  has  been  listed  as  $4 
million. ) 

Qualified  persons  who  have  recently  inspected  the  base  also  state  that  the 
present  facilities  could  not  be  built  for  less  than  $4  million.  In  fact,  the  main 
hangar  alone  could  not  be  replaced  in  its  present  condition  for  less  than  $1 
million. 

After  the  last  appraisal,  an  official  "freeze"  was  suddenly  placed  on  the  prop- 
erty for  the  purpose  of  making  it  available  for  a  project  which  has  only  recently 
been  identified.  For  a  period  of  several  months,  the  type  of  project  was  not 
known  to  the  residents  of  Quincy,  the  Boys  Town  project  and  apparently  members 
of  the  Massachusetts  congressional  delegation  were  also  uninformed. 

A  few  months  ago,  I  learned  the  facts  concerning  this  in-oject  from  a  former 
Quincy  City  ofiicial.  He  told  me  that  the  city  manager  had  visited  the  White 
House  and  the  Department  of  Defense  to  secure  a  priority  for  a  project,  under 
private  auspices  but  purportedly  for  Government  benefit.  I  further  learned  from 
another  member  of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  industrial  committee  that 
the  identity  of  the  proposed  industry  was  the  Yankee  Atomic  Electric  project 
now  being  located  at  Rowe,  Mass. 

The  project  failed  to  materialize  at  Squantum  because  : 

(1)  The  area  involved  did  not  meet  the  requirements  of  2,000  acres. 

(2)  The  project  was  unable  to  secure  siifficient  funds — $13  million. 

(3)  Possibility  of  strong  local  opposition  because  of  the  potential  danger  to 
the  comparatively  highly  populated  areas  of  Atlantic,  Squantum,  and  nearby 
Boston — with  a  population  of  approximately  1  million  persons. 

When  the  project  failed  to  materialize,  I  made  inquiries  to  ascertain  from 
GSA  if  the  original  plan  for  industrial  use  of  the  entire  base  still  existed.  These 
inquiries  remained  unanswered.  The  following  exhibits  relate  to  correspondence 
■concerning  GSA.      (See  attached  exhibits.) 

Exhibit  11— March  21.  19.56. 

Exhibit  12— .Tune  1,  1956. 

Exhibit  1.3— June  5.  19.56. 

Exhibit  14— June  21,  1956. 

Exhibit  1.5— July  7.  19.56. 

Exhibit  16— July  6,  1956. 


84  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Yesterday  at  2  p-  m.  in  Boston,  bids  for  the  Squantum  base  were  opened. 
According  to  the  information  received  from  the  Washington  office  of  GSA,  I 
learned  the  following  facts  : 

There  were  only  five  bids  by  industry,  in  addition  to  the  Boys  Town  token  bid. 

(1)  The  lowest  of  these  was  for  $82,500.  On  the  basis  of  648  acres,  including 
20  buildings — if  each  building  were  to  be  valued  as  low  as  $;"),00() — this  means 
that  the  value  per  acre  set  by  this  industrial  interest  was  negligilile. 

(2)  The  next  highest  bid  was  .$111,000  on  the  same  basis  of  valuation  of  the 
building  at  $5,000  each — this  means  that  this  particular  interest  set  the  value  of 
the  area  at  less  than  .^2  an  acre. 

(3)  The  next  highest  bidder  $112,000. 

(4)  The  second  highest  bid,  which  I  understand  was  represented  by  local 
industrial  interests,  was  for  $298,(>00.  In  this  case,  if  the  value  of  the  buildings 
were  set  at  $5,0(X)  each,  which  I  said  before  is  considered  extremely  low,  the 
laud  would  be  valued  at  approximately  .$.300  an  acre. 

(5)  The  highest  bidder  was  the  Boston  Edisnn  Co.,  a  public  utility,  with' a 
cash  bid  of  $851,000.  The  bid  was  still  approximately  $100,000  less  than  the 
reported  reduced  GSA  valuation  of  1955. 

Competent  recent  estimates  of  the  hangar  indicate  that  this  one  building 
could  not  be  duplicated — even  in  its  present  condition — for  less  than  $1  million. 

On  the  basis  of  this  estimate,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  the  cost  to  the 
Boston  Edison  Co.  for  this  648  acres  and  the  remaining  19  buildings  is  less  than 
nothing. 

I  again  refer  to  the  two  questions  asked  in  the  letter  to  Congressmen  on. 
June  5,  1956.      (See  questions  3  and  4.) 

In  the  case  of  the  highest  bidder — if  the  value  of  the  buildings  were  estimated, 
at  $5,000  each,  the  land  could  be  valued  at  approximately  $1,150  an  acre. 

Figures  mentioned  in  relation  to  yesterday's  bids  should  make  it  completely 
evident  that  it  was  not  in  the  best  interest  of  the  Federal  Government  to  attempt 
to  dispose  of  the  property  as  an  integrated  unit  for  industrial  use. 

I  feel  that  the  time  has  come  to  answer  other  statements  issued  by  Quincy 
industrial  iuterests. 

On  January  10,  19.56,  a  letter  (exhibit  17)  was  sent  by  the  executive  vice 
president  of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  the  entire  delegation  of 
Massachusetts  Senators  and  Congressmen  in  Washington.  D.  C.  There  are 
several  points  in  this  letter  which  should  be  analyzed  carefully.  The  term 
"there  is  much  opposition  to  such  a  move"  should  be  clarified  by  answering 
the  following  questions:  How  much  opposition  is  there?  Wlio  is  in  opposition? 
And,  what  are  their  reasons  for  opposing  a  type  of  project  that  has  proved 
its  worth  in  njany  other  parts  of  the  Nation?  From  my  own  survey  of  this 
situation  2  years  ago,  I  wish  to  report  these  facts:  Upon  visiting  a  number  of 
homes  in  the  Squantum  area,  which  total  about  800  families,  living  in  a  section 
of  Quincy  which  is  regarded  as  a  peninsula,  I  discussed  the  proposed  Boys  Town 
project  with  the  residents.  The  reaction  I  received  from  the  neighbors  was 
no  more  than  50  families  were  actually  in  opposition.  Leading  this  so-called 
opposition  there  was  one  oi'ganization  called  the  Squantum  Community  Asso- 
ciation, which  was  I'ecorded  through  the  local  daily  newspaper  as  having  taken 
official  action  in  stating  its  opposition  to  the  proposed  Boys  Town  project.  No 
specific  reasons  were  given.  To  my  knowledge,  no  other  church,  civic,  or  veteran 
groups  in  the  Squantum  area  has  taken  official  action  against  the  Boys  Town 
plan.  The  objections  which  have  come  to  us  through  rumors  are  stated  as 
being: 

1.  Fear  of  property  devaluation. 

2.  Fear  of  students  trespassing  and  causing  damnge  to  Squantum  residents. 

3.  Belief  that  the  location  solely  for  industry  at  the  fornu'r  naval  air 
station  would  help  relieve  the  employment  and  tax  situation  in  Quincy. 

Favoring  the  proposal  to  locate  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  at  the  Squantum 
base,  comes  in  the  form  of  a  precedent  which  hnd  been  set  in  this  very  area 
several  years  previously.  When  the  Long  Island  Bridge  project  was  suggested, 
some  of  the  Squantum  residents  raised  the  same  questions  which  we  heard  were- 
raised  concerning  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  project.  I'otb  "fears"  were 
proven  to  be  negligible  over  a  period  of  several  years  since  there  was  no  prop- 
erty devaluation  and  that  no  inmate  has  caused  any  trouble  in  that  particular 
eonununity. 

If  one  were  to  visit  the  Squantum  Base  and  see  how  the  community  or 
Squantum  is  situated  in  relation  to  the  base,  he  would  certainly  i-eniark  that 
there  would  be  little  likelihood  of  any  contact  of  any  student  at  Boys  Town, 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  85 

witTti  the  resideuts  of  Squaiituiu.  The  base  is  situated  before  you  approach 
the  homes  which  I  stated  before,  are  located  on  somewhat  of  a  peninsula. 

The  letter  also  states  that  editorials  in  opposition  have  appeared  in  the  local 
newspaper — the  Quincy  Fatriot-Leduer — it  is  known  that  the  editor  of  the 
"Quincy  Patriot-Ledger  is  one  of  the  four  members  of  the  Industrial  Development 
Committee  set  up  to  attract  industry  to  the  base.  The  editor,  in  this  case,  is 
also  the  chief  editorial  writer  of  the  newspaper. 

Then  the  letter  states  that  the  site  has  an  18-foot  channel.  Soon  after  re- 
ceiving this  letter  from  House  Majority  Leader  John  W.  McCormack,  I  visited 
•the  LTnited  States  engineers  on  Commonwealth  Avenue  in  Boston,  Mass.  I 
also  contacted  the  Massachusetts  Port  Authority  and  I  received  a  report  from 
them.  Both  reports  show  that  the  statement,  the  site  has  an  18-foot  channel, 
is  misleading.  The  only  dredging  authorized  recently  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment involves  one  section  of  the  channel  bordering  the  base.  The  depth  of 
the  channel  at  this  point  was  8  feet  and  it  was  to  be  dredged  up  to  15  feet  for 
,vachting  iHirposes. 

Officials  of  the  Massachusetts  Port  Authority  state  that  present  port  facilities 
^re  ample  for  some  time  to  come.  This  was  determined  after  an  extensive 
survey  of  all  Massachusetts  port  facilities. 

The  letter  ends  with  a  statement  "Please  exert  every  effort  to  prevent  this 
■entire  area  being  made  available  for  anything  but  industrial  use.  Actually,  the 
location  was  formerly  marshland  and  jworly  adapted  to  any  other  than  indus- 
trial use." 

First  of  all,  the  Department  of  the  Navy  located  a  multimillion  dollar  air- 
base  at  Squantum  for  residential  and  training  purposes  for  over  25  years. 
Both  the  Navy  Department  and  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  are  cog- 
nizant of  the  fact  that  the  area  requested  by  Boys  Town  does  not  contain  marsh- 
land. Even  if  it  did,  some  of  our  best  known  residential  areas  in  Massachusetts 
were  developed  on  what  was  formerly  marshland. 

In  reviewing  the  chamber's  letter,  may  I  state  that  in  my  oiJinion  it  was 
misleading  and  unfair  in  every  respect.  Similar  letters,  I  believe,  may  have 
heen  previously  sent  to  the  Dei>artment  of  the  Navy  as  far  back  as  1954  when 
P.oys  Town  tried  to  lease  section  A  of  the  naval  air  station. 

Also,  it  is  our  understanding  that  letters  were  sent  from  the  Quincy  Chamber 
f'f  Commerce  to  members  of  the  Senate  and  House  Armed  Services  Committee 
whose  duty  it  was  to  approve  the  property  excess  to  the  needs  of  the  military. 
These  letters  caused  months  of  delay  and  finally  the  turning  over  of  the  prop- 
erty to  GSA.  Additional  letters  were  sent  to  the  Department  of  Commerce  and, 
the  White  House. 

As  a  social  worker,  I  have  only  one  comment  to  make — when  I  think  of  the 
hundreds  of  boys  that  might  have  been  helped  over  the  last  2  years  and  the 
progress  which  might  have  been  made  in  determining  whether  or  not  this  could 
be  a  valuable  national  program,  I  can  only  ask  in  Biblical  terms,  "are  we  our 
brothers'  keepers?" 


Exhibit  No.  11 

March  21,  19.")6. 
J.  J.  O'Connor, 

Regional  Director,  General  Services  Administr-ation, 
Office  of  the  Regional  Director,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Mr.  O'Connor:  Wliile  in  Washington,  D.  C,  last  week,  reliable  sources  in- 
formed me  that  certain  GSA  officials  were  still  definitely  opposed  to  any  portion 
of  the  former  naval  air  station  at  Squantum  being  made  available  to  Boys  Town 
of  Massachusetts,  Inc.  On  the  basis  of  this  information  I  believe  that  a  letter  to 
you  is  in  order. 

Frankly  speaking,  it  has  been  difficult  for  me  to  believe  this  report  because  3 
years  ago,  the  GSA  regional  office  assured  members  of  the  Massachusetts  delega- 
tion in  Congress  that  everything  possible  would  be  done  to  assist  the  Boys  Town 
group  in  their  request  for  another  Government  surplus  property. 

At  that  time  negotiations  had  been  carried  on  with  DHEW  for  8  months  in 
order  to  gain  DHEW  approval  before  requesting  assignment  from  GSA.  In  a 
recent  conference  with  responsible  DHEW  officials  in  Washington,  D.  C,  it  was 
stated  several  times  that  "DHEW  had  been  walling  then  to  go  along  with  the 
Massachusetts  Boys  Town  request  had  it  not  been  for  the  interruption  by  the 
Department  of  the  Army."     Both  at  that  time  and  currently,  I  have  met  with 


86  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

local  GSA  surplus  property  officers  who,  in  each  instance,  have  shown  me  every 
possible  courtesy.  However,  I  must  admit  that  I  was  surprised  at  the  attitude 
of  the  GSA  spokesman,  last  October,  when  he  made  the  following  statements  : 

(1)  "That  the  justification  of  investing  in  a  Boys  Town  program  was  purely 
'philosophical.'  ^ 

(2)  "That  GSA  was  deliberately  delaying  the  notice  of  public  sale  of  the 
Squantum  site  until  the  city  of  Quincy  rezoned  the  former  residential  and  train- 
ing base  for  industrial  use  only."  (This  fact  was  confirmed  by  subsequent  action 
of  the  Quinc.v  city  council  shortly  thereafter.) 

I  believe  that  you,  also,  would  have  been  concerned,  as  I  was,  over  these  state- 
ments made  by  this  authorized  GSA  official  for  they  have  far-reaching  implica- 
tions to  be  brought  out  in  a  United  States  Senate  subcommittee  hearing.  This 
hearing  has  been  requested  because  it  is  only  proper  that  the  general  public  should 
be  fully  informed  of  the  entire  situation  since  they  are,  in  reality,  the  true  owners 
of  all  Government  property. 

It  is  known  that,  during  the  past  2  years,  certain  influential  i)€rsons  have  met 
with  officials  of  various  State  and  Federal  agencies  concerning  the  Squantum 
site  and  have  attempted  to  convince  the  latter  that  a  "package"  industrial  ar- 
rangement was  the  best  answer  to  the  disposal  of  the  former  naval  air  training 
station.  If  all  the  facts  behind  this  "package"  arrangement  are  made  public — 
including  the  obvious  attempt  to  discredit  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  for 
the  purpose  of  blocking  their  application — I  believe  that  an  informed  general 
public  will  urge  fair  and  immediate  consideration  of  the  Boys  Town  request. 

You  may  know  that  the  question  lias  been  raised  as  to  how  and  why.  General 
Services  Administration  ruled  that  the  Squantum  base  would  be  available  only 
for  industrial  use.  I  am  attaching  a  newspaper  article  which  appeared  on  the 
front  page  of  the  Quincy  Patriot-Ledger  on  July  12,  19.55,  entitled :  "Industrial 
Use  of  Squantum  Base  Property  Questioned"  *  *  *  150  Atlantic  residents  were 
in  attendance.  *  *  *  You  will  note  what  several  residents  said  at  the  meeting: 

"The  people  in  the  North  Quincy  area  in  this  city  have  been  the  victims  of 
another  example  of  the  unfortunate  kind  of  city  administrations  we  have  seen 
for  some  years.  I  wonder  if  the  rezoning  might  give  the  'big-money  boys'  a  chance 
to  take  advantage  of  the  'poor  little  guy  who  owns  a  home'." 

"The  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  was  not  for  tlie  interests  of  the  people  but 
for  industry  and  business." 

"Despite  what  the  vice  president  of  the  chamber  of  commerce  has  told  us  about 
the  closedown  at  Fore  River,  we're  not  so  badly  off." 

"Do  you  know  how  wide  East  Squantum  Street  is?"  one  resident  asked  the  vice 
president  of  the  chamber  of  commerce,  "Can  you  see  heavy  trucks  using  it?" 

"As  we've  spent  .$1,000  already  getting  the  area  surveyetl  for  industry,  can't  we 
spend  another  $1,000  to  see  it  all  zoned  for  residential  zoning?" 

"There  were  some  rumors  of  an  'oil-tank  farm'  seeking  a  location  on  the  prop- 
erty"—(July  11,  1955). 

The  reason  why  I  have  listed  the  above  statements  is  because  of  a  recent  official 
letter  (January  10,  195G)  to  the  Massachusetts  delegation  and  the  White  House, 
from  the  vice  president  of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  which  he  stated 
that  "there  has  been  no  apparent  opposition  from  any  source  relative  to  an  effort 
to  create  a  desirable  industrial  development  in  the  area." 

Several  other  portions  of  the  said  official  letter  will  also  be  open  to  analysis 
and  refutation  at  the  pending  hearing  in  order  that  interested  citizens  may  be 
able  to  judge  for  themselves  whether  the  Boys  Town  group  has  been  justified  in 
seeking  a  portion  of  the  Squantum  base  for  the  recognized  worth  of  its  contem- 
plated program. 

A  copy  of  the  aforementioned  letter  was  sent  to  me  by  House  Ma.lority  Leader 
John  W.  McCormack,  on  his  own  volition,  and  he  stated  in  reply  to  the  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce,  on  January  13,  1956 : 

"I  am  in  receipt  of  your  letter  of  January  10,  with  enclosure,  in  opposition  to 
the  Boys  Town  being  granted  a  section  of  the  former  site  of  the  Squantum  Air- 
ba.se.  As  you  know,  10  acres,  or  thereabouts,  were  to  be  granted  to  the  city  of 
Quincy  for  school  purposes,  as  I  remember.  I  helped  the  city  in  getting  this  allo- 
cation. Frankly,  I  favored  the  petition  of  Boys  Town.  However,  the  last  in- 
formation I  got  was  that  the  Government  intended  to  sell  the  entire  tract  witli 
the  buildings  thereon  with  the  exception  of  the  area  containing  the  10  acres  for 


1  Figures  to  be  submitted  at  the  hearings  will  prove  that  the  value  of  Boys  Towns  to 
their  areas  throughout  the  Nation  has  unqualifiedly  justified  their  existence  from  aa 
economic  standpoint. 


JTJV'ENILE    DELINQUENCY  87 

the  Quincy  school  purposes.    Sincerely,  JWMcC.    P.  S. :  I  am  advising  Mr.  Amer- 
shadian  of  your  letters  and  enclosures." 

Congressman  McCormack,  as  you  know,  has  earned  an  enviable  record  of  good 
judgment  over  a  period  of  many  years  of  faithful  public  service.  Furthermore, 
on  the  basis  of  my  recent  trip  to  Washington,  D.  C,  I  anticipate  that  a  majority 
of  the  Massachusetts  delegation  intend  to  go  on  record  in  favor  of  the  Boys  Town 
petition. 

Also,  attached  are  pictures  of  the  Squantum^  buildings  which  are  considered 
priceless  to  a  Boys  Town  program  because  of  the  heritage  they  represent  to 
the  type  of  boy  who  must  be  helped  now.  As  is  recognized  nationally,  the 
juvenile  problem  is  getting  increasingly  out  of  hand  because  of  lack  of  concrete 
preventive  programs  in  communities  and  a  serious  private  placement  shortage. 

These  pictures  were  taken  with  the  president  of  the  Massachvisetts  Senate, 
Richard  I.  Furbush,  on  October  3,  1955.  On  that  occasion,  his  first  remarks  were, 
"This  is  really  a  perfect  setup  and  an  ideal  environment  for  boys.  The  base  is 
somewhat  isolated  yet  it  is  handy  to  the  many  urban  advantages."  Senator  For- 
bush  is  the  father  of  two  sons  and  is  sincere  in  his  personal  desire  to  help  needy 
boys. 

Since  then,  at  his  written  request  (see  copy  of  letter),  and  with  the  help  of 
32  other  State  senators,  Boys  Town  has  enlisted  chairmen  and  committees  in 
over  150  communities  representing  about  80  percent  of  the  Massachusetts  popu- 
lation which  is  over  5  million  persons.  These  appointed  citizens  are  pledged  to 
raise  the  necessary  funds  to  initiate  the  program  and  they  have  also  agreed  to 
interpret  the  program  to  their  communities  as  it  develops. 

It  is  expected  that  over  $1  million  can  be  raised  soon  after  the  desired  site  is 
acquired.  The  average  citizen  who  hears  about  the  possibility  of  Boys  Town 
being  located  at  the  familiar  Sqnantum  base  invariably  remarks,  "It's  a  natural 
site." 

Aren't  the  opinions  and  the  normal  reaction  of  a  great  many  of  our  citizens  to 
be  respected? 

Why  weren't  the  two  recommendations,  in  behalf  of  the  Boys  Town  program 
on  section  A  of  the  Squantum  training  base,  voluntarily  submitted  by  the  com- 
mandant of  the  First  Naval  District  (former  tenants  in  19.54)  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Navy  taken  under  consideration? 

It  should  be  restated  that  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  has  requested  the 
buildings  and  only  100  acres  of  the  645  acres  declared  surplus  by  GSA.  On 
September  13,  1955,  Boys  Town  officially  notified  GSA  that  the  organization  would 
offer  $100.0(K)  for  the  area  needed.  It  is  considered  possible  that  this  arrange- 
ment could  result  in  a  greater  financial  net  profit  to  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment if  this  section  of  100  acres  is  made  into  a  unit  parcel,  such  as  has  already 
been  done  in  the  case  of  10  acres  set  aside  for  educational  use,  mentioned  by 
House  Majority  Leader  John  W.  McCormack. 

In  my  opinion,  there  is  still  time  for  reconsideration  on  the  part  of  GSA  to 
work  out  this  desired  and  necessary  arrangement.  The  Boys  Town  group  would 
prefer  to  devote  their  time  and  energy  to  helping  deserving  boys  rather  than  in 
preparing  for  the  pending  Senate  hearing.  There  is  a  natural  reluctance  on 
their  part  to  appear  at  this  hearing  but,  as  of  now,  there  seems  to  be  no 
alternative. 

May  I  hear  from  you  in  this  regard. 
Sincerely, 

Fred  P.  Amershadian. 


Exhibit  No.  12 

June  1,  1956. 

Dear  Congressman;  General  Services  Administration  (GSA)  has  advertised 
for  public  bids  for  the  deactivated  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station.  This  is  welcome 
news  to  the  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  organization  since,  for  2%  years,  the  Boys 
Town  group  has  been  unable  to  take  any  satisfactory  steps  concerning  acquisition 
of  a  portion  of  the  base  which  includes  14  buildings  and  100  acres  of  the  available 
648  acres.  You  will  recall  that  these  buildings  represent  a  readymade  com- 
munity, with  a  hangar  which  was  used  for  recreational  purposes,  comparable  in 
size  to  Braves  Field. 

An  appropriate  bid  will  be  submitted  prior  to  July  10,  1950,  in  behalf  of  the 
Boys  Town  organization.  The  amount  will  be  in  proportion  to  the  reported 
present  valuation  of  the  Squantum  base.  It  is  anticipated  that  sources  repre- 
senting industrial  development  will  be  in  a  position,  financially,  to  submit  what 


88  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

might  be  considered,  at  first,  substantially  higher  bids.     However,  GSA  will  be 
urged  to  evaluate  the  entire  situation  before  making  its  decision  as  to  disposal. 

(1)  Will  the  highest  bidder  be  acceptable  to  the  adjoining  neighborhoods  whose 
residents,  at  a  meeting  on  July  11,  1955,  have  already  objected  to  the  possibility 
of  a  heavy  industry,  which  would  be  considered  detrimental  to  their  residential 
areas,  locating  at  Squantum? 

(2)  How  many  of  the  present  buildings,  numbering  20  on  the  entire  base,  will  be 
eventually  torn  down  "due  to  voluntary  or  involuntary  abandonment,"  thereby 
resulting  in  major  tax  deductions?  The  cost  of  demolition  is  also  considered 
deductible. 

(3)  Will  the  Federal  Government  be  required  to  revive  Document  No.  394, 
passed  in  the  77th  Congress,  which  recommends  a  1-mile  dredging  operation 
from  the  main  channel  up  to  the  Squantum  base,  primarily  for  oil-storage  pur- 
poses? According  to  officials  of  the  Massachusetts  Port  Authority,  "present  port 
facilities  are  more  than  adequate  for  some  time." 

(4)  Will  the  estimated  value  of  a  Boys  Town  type  of  project  such  as  proposed 
for  one-sixth  the  Squantum  area  be  taken  into  consideration?  Based  on  Federal, 
State,  and  local  statistics  of  financial  costs,  the  savings  value  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Boys  Town  pilot  project  to  the  Commonwealth  and  the  Nation  can  be  esti- 
mated at  over  $150  million.  The  substantiating  of  this  estimate  which  reempha- 
sizes  the  slogan,  "A  dollar  saved  is  a  dollar  earned,"  will  be  made  at  a  pending 
hearing  in  Washington  in  an  attempt  to  overcome  existing  public  apathy.  The 
Massachusetts  project  proposes  assistance  for  up  to  4,500  boys,  annually,  in  a 
3-point  program  to  help  boys  with  a  problem  in  a  highly  appealing  environment. 

(5)  Should  GSA  dispose  of  the  Squantum  base  as  an  integrated  unit  without 
DHEW  first  processing  the  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  application  which  has 
been  on  file  in  the  New  York  DHEW  regional  office  since  May  17,  1955?  In  the 
past,  DHEW  had  negotiated  with  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  for  a  similar 
Government  military  installation,  and  there  was  an  agreement  on  terms. 

With  best  wishes. 
Sincerely, 

Fred  P.  Amershadian. 


Exhibit  No.  13 

June  5,  1956. 
Hon.  FRANKLjisr  G.  Floete, 

Administrator,  General  Services  Administration, 

Washington.  D.  C. 
Dear  Sir:  I  wish  to  submit  a  private  citizen's  protest  to  the  scheduled  date 
of  the  opening  of  the  bids  for  the  deactivated  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station  on 
June  10,  1956.     This  protest  is  based  on  the  information  included  in  the  fol- 
lowing news  releases: 

(1)  On  Friday,  May  18,  1956,  it  was  announced  by  the  regional  office  of  the 
General  Services  Administration  that  the  former  Squantum  base  would  be 
offered  for  sale  to  the  highest  bidder  during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  June. 

(2)  On  Friday,  May  25,  1956,  members  of  the  Massachusetts  congi-essional 
delegation  were  invited  by  the  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  group  to  inspect  the 
area  on  June  10, 1956.  The  Boys  Town  organization  has  been  interested  in  a  por- 
tion of  the  base  for  2^,^  years.  However,  due  to  an  officinl  ruling  by  GSA  on 
January  16,  1956  (PS  re:  N-Mass-462),  "no  consideration"  was  granted  to  a 
previous  application  submitted  by  Boys  Town  of  ;Massa('busetts.  Inc..  which 
was  filed  with  the  New  York  regional  office  of  DHIOW.  This  GSA  ruling  has 
been  rightfully  challenged  b.v  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts  as  l)eiiig  invalid 
for  two  reasons.  The  facts  pertaining  to  their  challenge  will  be  discussed  at 
a  pending  United  States  Senate  subcommittee  hearing  to  be  held  during  the 
month  of  June. 

(3)  On  Thursday,  May  31,  1956,  the  regional  office  of  GSA  made  a  second 
announcement  tliat  bids  would  be  advertised  on  a  new  and  earlier  date,  Svnulay, 
June  10.  1956. 

This  June  10  Sunday  date  happens  to  coincide  with  the  previously  selected 
date  on  which  the  members  of  the  Massachusetts  congressional  delegation  had 
been  invited  to  inspect  the  base.  In  view  of  the  questionable  statement  made 
by  the  assistant  regional  director  in  the  Thursday,  May  31,  release  "in  expressing 
the  belief  that  industry  could  and  would  outbid  Boys  Town  for  the  site"  and 
previous  statements  by  the  same  assistant  regional  director  which  were  stated 
in  a  letter  to  President  Dwight  D.  Eisenhower  (Jan.  8,  1956),  it  is  my  strong 


jm'ENILE    DELINQUENCY  89 

belief  that  the  timing  of  the  opening  bids  for  the  sale  of  the  Squantum 
base  could  have  been  set  for  June  10,  195(:J — a  Sunday — in  an  attempt  to  em- 
barrass the  contemplated  visitation  by  members  of  the  Massachusetts  congres- 
sional delegation  or  their  representatives. 

However,  I  want  it  clearly  understood,  at  this  point,  that  I  do  not  object 
to  the  site  being  advertised  for  bids.  In  fact,  I  welcome  the  same,  because 
this  action  should  facilitate  a  decision  concerning  the  disposal  of  the  base. 

With  the  d(x;umented  facts  in  my  possession  pertaining  to  questions  which 
should  be  raised  regarding  the  proposed  sale  of  the  entire  base,  as  one  unit, 
for  industrial  use,  I  am  confident  that  an  informed  pulilic  will  urge  that  a  com- 
plete and  imjiartial  investigation  be  made  ccmcerning  the  planned  disposal  of 
the  base,  in  behalf  of  the  Federal  Government,  the  State  government,  the  resi- 
dents of  Quincy.  and  the  contemplated  new  national  Boys  Town  type  of 
program. 

I  also  want  you  to  know  that  the  Boys  Town  group  has  been  under  the  im- 
Itression  that  the  original  GSA  ruling  of  January  16,  19.")6,  for  "no  considera- 
tion," is  still  in  effect.  Yet  you  will  note  that  in  the  news  release  of  May  18, 
1956.  the  regional  director  announced  that  "GSA  would  now  honor  any  request 
from  DIIEW."  This  is  the  first  indication  I  have  had  of  any  change  in  the 
attitude  of  GSA,  and  I  feel  that  the  Boys  Town  group  should  be  otiicially  notified 
of  such  a  change  of  policy  by  GSA  so  that  the  former  ruling  can  be  considered 
void.  The  organization  has  intentions  of  requesting  that  their  application,  still 
on  file,  be  processed  by  DHEW,  in  spite  of  the  handicaps  which  have  resulted 
from  certain  local  Quincy  actions  in  conjunction  with  officials  of  the  i-egional 
GSA  office. 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc.,  also  intends  to  submit  a  cash  bid,  with 
reluctance,  for  a  portion  of  the  Squantum  base,  in  proportion  to  its  present  ap- 
praised value.  (Eleven  acres  of  the  Squantum  base  has  already  been  allotted 
for  educational  use.) 

Taking  everything  into  consideration,  I  predict  that  no  industry  will  be  able 
to  outbid  the  Boys  Town  organization  for  the  requested  100  acres  of  the  available 
648  acres. 

In  order  that  the  Boys  Town  group  can  keep  to  its  schedule  which  was  formu- 
lated on  the  basis  of  the  May  18,  19r)6,  release,  stating  that  the  Squantum  base 
would  be  offered  for  sale  to  the  highest  bidder  during  the  latter  part  of  June, 
I  am  requesting,  in  all  fairness,  that  the  sale  be  held  up  for  at  least  10  days 
so  that  the  Boys  Town  gi-oup  can  complete  its  planned  inspections  by  interested 
persons,  in  a  normal  manner.  If  this  is  not  possible  because  of  the  announce- 
ment already  made  by  the  GSA  regional  office  of  May  31,  1956,  it  would  be  con- 
sidered even  more  vitally  important  if  the  closing  date  of  the  bids  could  be 
extended  to  July  31,  1956,  since  there  is  so  much  at  stake  for  Boys  Town. 

I  feel  that  it  will  be  for  the  best  interest  of  all  concerned  if  you  will  give  this 
letter  your  i>ersonal  attention.  Furthermore,  please  consider  this  letter  a 
cordial  and  urgent  invitation  for  you,  or  your  designated  representative,  to 
attend  the  an-anged  inspection  of  the  Squantum  base  on  Sunday,  June  10,  1956, 
at  2  p.  m. 

With  best  wLshes, 
Sincerely, 

Fred  P.  Amershadian. 


Exhibit  No.  14 

General  Services  Administration, 

Washingtfm,  n.  C,  June  21,  1956. 
Re  naval  air  station,  Squantum,  Mass. 

Mr.  Fred  P.  Amershadian, 

Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc., 

Boston,  Mass. 

Dear  Mr.  Amershadian  :  Your  letter  of  June  5  refers  to  the  planned  dis- 
posal of  the  surplus  industrial  property,  formerly  known  as  the  Squantum  Naval 
Air  Station,  about  which  you  have  had  considei'able  correspondence  with  mem- 
bers of  my  staff  and  our  Boston  regional  office. 

An  advertising  schedule  has  been  in  preparation.  However,  we  are  now  ad- 
vised that  the  Department  of  the  Navy  is  in  process  of  preparing  a  report  of 
excess  covering  an  additional  23  acres  of  land  at  the  subject  installation.  This 
land,  with  its  improvements,  when  determined  surplus  will  materially  increase 


90  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

the  sale  value  of  the  offering.    Therefore,  we  have  postponed  our  schedule  until 
we  are  able  to  advertise  the  entire  property  for  sale.     The  report  of  excess 
from  the  Department  of  Defense  should  be  received  in  60  days. 
Sincerely  yours, 

Franklin  G.  Floete,  Adtninistraior. 


Exhibit  No.  15 

JtTLY  4,  1956. 

Dear  Congressman  McCormack  :  Thank  you  for  your  recent  letter  of  June  25, 
1956,  stating  that  you  "intend  to  follow  the  hearings  before  Senator  Kefauver's 
subcommittee  with  special  interest."  With  your  permission,  we  would  like  to 
submit  a  copy  of  your  letter  of  January  25,  1956,  to  the  Senate  subcommittee 
when  you  voluntarily  notified  the  Quincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  that  you 
"favored  the  Boys  Town  petition." 

It  is  recognized  that  you  have  championed  the  cause  of  proposed  educational 
use  of  Government  surplus  properties  for  some  time,  and  I  know  of  your  sin- 
cere concern  regarding  actions,  taken  in  recent  DHEW  requests,  by  GSA,  which 
have  not  been  granted  assignment  after  being  officially  recommended. 

Last  week  while  in  New  York,  a  DHEW  official  confided  in  me  that  several 
recent  worthwhile  educational  requests  which  had  been  originally  approved  by 
DHEW  had  been  turned  down  by  GSA  in  favor  of  commercial  interests.  It  is  my 
opinion  that  this  could  be  considered  somewhat  of  a  national  tragedy  since  it 
can  be  avoided.  Industry  and  industrialists  have  themselves  recognized  the  im- 
portance of  the  social  welfare  of  our  Nation  and  in  this  regard  I  am  attaching 
a  recent  story  which  appeared  in  the  Boston  Herald,  written  by  Bill  Cunning- 
ham, entitled  "Youth  of  United  States  No.  1  Problem." 

On  Friday,  June  22,  1956,  I  received  the  following  letter : 

"An  advertising  schedule  has  been  in  preparation  for  the  planned  disposal  of 
the  Squantum  Naval  Air  Station.  However,  we  are  now  advised  that  the  De- 
partment of  the  Navy  is  in  process  of  preparing  a  report  of  excess  covering  an 
additional  23  acres  of  land  at  the  subject  installation.  This  land,  with  its  im- 
provements, when  determined  surplus  will  materially  increase  the  sale  value  of 
the  offering.  Therefore,  we  have  postponed  our  scheduled  until  we  are  able  to 
advertise  the  entire  property  for  sale.  The  report  of  excess  from  the  Department 
of  Defense  should  be  received  in  60  days. 
"Sincerely  yours, 

"(Signed)     F.  F.  Floete, 

"Fbankxin  G.  Floete, 

''  Admin  istrator." 

From  this  piece  of  Gorrespondence,  it  was  my  understanding  that  there  would 
be  an  extension  of  60  days  during  which  bids  might  be  received.  Previously 
we  had  appealed  to  the  Administrator  for  a  20-day  extension  of  time.  (Copy 
attached. ) 

However,  on  June  25,  a  news  item  appeared  in  the  only  Quincy  daily  news- 
paper : 

"Reports  that  GSA  would  readvertise  for  bids  for  the  sale  of  640  acres  of  the 
abandoned  Squantum  property  were  unwarranted,  Paul  Healey  of  the  Boston 
district  office  said  today. 

"The  report  was  that  GSA  would  readvertise  for  bids  because  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment had  declared  as  excess  an  additional  23  acres.  The  hitch  would  hold  up 
the  sale  of  the  property  for  2  months,  it  was  feared.  After  talking  with  GSA 
officials  in  Washington  this  morning,  Mr.  Healy  said  that  since  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment had  need  for  some  of  the  23  acres  involved,  there  was  no  plans  made  to 
add  this  plot  which  lies  north  of  Victory  Road,  to  the  area  to  be  sold.  Bids  ^ill 
be  opened  on  July  10." 

This  typical  inconsistency  by  GSA  and  the  attitude  of  the  assistant  '-eglonal 
director  during  the  past  2  years  has  caused  Boys  Town  of  jNIassachusetts,  Inc.,  to 
change  its  plans  completely.  Whereas  Boys  Town  intended  to  submit  wliat  they 
considered  a  fair  bid  of  $1.50,000,  with  the  required  deposit  of  $7,500  available, 
they  have  now  been  strongly  advised  to  submit  only  a  token  bid.  (Actually  the 
Boys  Town  bid  is  for  100  of  the  available  648  acres.) 

In  view  of  the  potential  savings  value  to  the  Federal  Government,  estimated 
at  $150  million,  the  lioys  Town  token  bid  of  $1  can  be  considered  a  fair  price. 
This  Boys  Town  estimate  has  been  substantiated  by  Russell  G.  Oswald,  com- 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  91 

missiouer  of  the  Department  of  Correction  of  Massachusetts,  and  as  you  know, 
Mr.  Oswald  is  higlily  regarded  as  a  national  authority. 
Here  is  an  excerpt  from  his  letter  of  July  6,  1956 : 

"These  potential  Massachusetts  Boys  Town  savings  would  be  the  result  of 
keeping  youngsters  out  of  public-training  schools,  reformatories,  and  prisons,  and 
it  is  my  feeling  that  a  sound  program  which  could  accomplish  this  could  actually 
effect  savings  that  great  ($3  million  annually  for  a  period  of  50  years) . 
Very  truly  yours, 

Russell  G.  Oswald,  Commissioner. 

Also,  the  metropolitan  district  commissioner,  Charles  W.  Greenougli,  per- 
sonally, assured  me  on  July  6,  1956,  that  there  was  still  a  general  interest  on 
his  part  concerning  Squantum  Air  Base  for  a  proposed  marina.  This  was  based 
in  a  study  and  recommended  program  of  development  of  parks  and  reservations 
and  recreational  facilities  of  the  metropolitan  parks  district,  1956.  At  a  recent 
hearing  in  the  State  House,  Qiiincy  Chamber  of  Commerce  representatives  were 
the  chief  opposers  to  the  proposed  use  of  the  base  for  this  general  public  benefit. 
I  intend  to  notify  leaders  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  of  the  commission- 
er's continued  interest  in  spite  of  the  recorded  opposition  by  the  Quiucy  group. 
The  type  of  program  recommended  by  the  metropolitan  district  commission  would 
blend  with  the  proposed  Boys  Town  program  and  this  would  still  leave  over  500 
acres  for  industrial  use.  This  new  decision  to  submit  a  token  bid  was  further 
prompted  by  two  industrialists  who  stated  that  they  were  prepared  to  submit  a 
substantial  bid  on  the  entire  base.  If  their  bid  is  declared  he  highest,  they  claim 
that  since  most  of  the  buildings  will  be  useless  to  them,  they  would  plan  to  tear 
them  down  or  they  might  consider  giving  them  to  a  charitable  organization  which 
could  use  them.  In  fact,  they  stated  that  they  cannot  see  how  most  of  these 
buildings  would  be  useful  to  any  industrialist,  which  verifies  what  Boys  Town 
has  been  claiming  to  GSA  for  same  time.  Yet  GSA  insists  that  the  entire  base 
is  suited  for  industrial  use  only. 

We  have  attempted  to  keep  each  member  of  the  Massachusetts  congressional 
f'elegation  informed  of  developments  concerning  disposal  of  the  former  naval  air 
^;ation  at  Squantum.     Your  past  assistance  has  enabled  Boys  Town  to  keep  its - 
proposals  alive  and  your  continued  support  is  invaluable. 
Sincerely, 

Fred  P.  Amershadian. 

P.  S. — Our  application  submitted  to  DHEW  in  1955  has  still  not  been  processed 
because  of  the  ruling  by  GSA  on  January  16,  1956.  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts 
is  confident  that  they  can  meet  the  DHEW  requirements. 

Copies  of  this  letter  to  Franklin  G.  Floete,  Administrator.  Washington,  D.  C. 
Senate  Subcommittee  on  Juvenile  Delinquency.  Mr.  William  Madden,  Northeast 
regional  surplus  property  officei'. 


Exhibit  No.  16 

The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 

Department  of  Correction, 

Boston,  July  6, 1956. 
Mr.  Feed  Amershadiax, 

Coordinator,  Boys  Town  of  Massachusetts,  Inc., 

Boston,  Mass. 
Dear  Mr.  Amershadian  :  This  confirms  the  discussion  we  had  in  my  office  yes- 
terday, at  which  time  you  told  me  something  of  the  proposed  program'  for  a  Boys 
Town  ill  Massachusetts. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  there  is  great  need  for  a  properly  managed 
private  program  for  dealing  with  predelinquent  youngsters.  It  is  my  understand- 
ing t'  r>Mt  is  your  hope  that  this  type  of  program  can  be  established  here  with  a 
soune  {-jMlosophy  and  with  able  staff. 

You^jvjinted  out  to  me  in  your  discussion  the  tremendous  potential  savings 
that  can  be  made  for  the  State  if  such  a  program  becomes  operative,  and  I  be- 
lieve your  estimate  of  such  savings  is  approximately  $.3  million  a  year.  These 
potential  savings  would  be  the  result  of  keeping  youngsters  out  of  "public  train- 
ing schools,  reformatories,  and  prisons,  and  it  is  my  feeling  that  a  sound  program 
which  could  acomplish  this  could  actually  effect  savings  that  great. 
Very  truly  yours, 

Russell  G.  Oswald,  Commissioner. 


92  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

Exhibit  No.  17 

QuiNCY  Chamber  of  Commerce, 

Quincy,  Mass.,  January  10,  1956. 
Hon.  John  W.  McCormack, 
House  of  Representatives, 

'Washi7igtOn,  D.  C. 
Dear  Congressman  McCormack  :  I  understand  that  a  letter  lias  been  mailed 
to  the  President  by  F.  P.  Amershadian,  urging  that  the  President  intercede  in  the 
interests  of  establishing  a  Boys  Town  on  a  section  of  the  former  site  of  the 
Squantum  Naval  Air  Station. 

There  is  much  opposition  to  such  a  move.  Editorials  in  opposition  have  ap- 
peared in  the  local  newspaper — the  Quincy  Patriot  Ledger.  There  have  been 
several  meetings  of  neighborhood  groups  in  opposition,  and  several  city  officials 
are  very  much  in  opposition. 

A  community  committee  has  been  functioning  for  some  time  in  an  effort  to 
create  a  desii-able  industrial  development  in  the  area.  There  has  been  no  ap- 
parent opposition  from  any  source  relative  to  such  a  move.  The  area  is  zoned 
for  industry,  and  recently  the  city  government  amended  the  zoning  law  to 
prohibit  the  possibility  of  residential  properties  being  constructed  there. 

We  anticipate  industrial  development  in  the  area  that  will  create  some  $50 
million  in  new  assessed  valuations.  Such  an  improvement  will  help  lessen  the 
tax  burden  on  the  taxpayers  of  the  city,  as  well  as  create  considerable  new  em- 
ployment. 

The  site  has  an  18-foot  channel.  The  United  States  engineers  are  about  to 
redredge  the  Neponset  River,  on  which  the  former  air  station  is  located.  Rail 
facilities  are  also  available.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  industrial  sites  in  New 
England — over  500  acres,  and  within  a  short  distance  of  the  main  Boston 
Channel. 

A  copy  of  a  brochure  we  published  some  months  ago,  in  the  interests  of  pub 
licizing  this  area,  is  enclosed. 

Please  exert  every  effort  to  prevent  this  entire  area  being  made  available  for 
-anything  but  industrial  use.     Actually,  the  location  was  formerly  marshlan* 
and  poorly  adapted  to  any  other  than  industrial  use. 

William  A.  O'Connell, 
Executive  Vice  Preside'"* 

Senator  Kefauver.  Let's  hear  from  the  gentleman  of  GSA. 

How  are  you,  Mr.  Peyton.     Glad  to  see  you. 

Mr.  Peyton.  Glad  to  see  you,  Senator  Kefauver. 

Senator  Kefau\tce.  We  are  going  to  have  to  bring  this  hearing  to 
a  conclusion  fairly  soon.  Mr.  Peyton,  you  are  with  the  GSA.  Tf^n 
us  what  the  attitude  of  the  GSA  is. 

STATEMENT  OF  THOMAS  L.  PEYTON,  GENERAL  SERVICES 
ADMINISTRATION 

Mr.  Peyton.  The  attitude  of  the  GSA  is  that  the  highest  and  best 
use  of  this  property  is  for  industrial  use  and  development  and  as  such 
it  is  not  available  for  assignment  to  the  Department  of  Health,  Edu- 
cation, and  Welfare  for  educational  purposes. 

I  would  like,  incidentally,  to  go  into  some  detail  here,  because  the 
areas  at  Squantum  are  not  all  available  for  use.  There  are  100  acres 
of  marshland.  There  are  250  acres  of  dry,  level  land.  There  are 
264  acres  of  tidal  flats,  and  28  acres  of  mostly  marsh. 

Senator  Kefauver.  You  mean  in  this  800  acres  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  Yes;  you  really  have  250  acres  of  good,  dry  liy/jl.  It 
is  true  that  a  developer  with  sufficient  resources  could  bulkhead  this 
property  and  fill  it  in  at  a  very  considerable  cost  of  money,  but  as  it 
stands  today  it  cannot  be  used  except  for  the  area  that  I  mentioned. 

We  have,  in  the  past,  been  perfectl}'  willing  to  work  with  HEW  and 
assign  to  them  for  transfer  to  Boys  Town,  which  all  of  us,  of  course, 
are  in  favor  of,  other  sites  of  a  nonindustrial  character  whenever 
HEW  asks  us  for  them.     On  the  other  hand,  we  do  not  feel  that  where 


JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY  93 

a,  ]f)roperty  is  so  highly  improved  for  industrial  use  and  so  strategically 
located  for  industry  purposes  that  it  should  be  considered  as  the 
highest  use  for  educational  purposes. 

Senator  Kefauv'er.  This  part  here  that  is  marked  out,  inside  the 
semicircle,  is  that  the  part  that  would  be  good  for  industrial  use  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  That  is  right;  and  approximately  150  more  acres,  I 
assume  that  represents  about  a  hundred  acres  within  the  circle.  There 
are  about  150  more  acres  of  dry  land. 

Senator  Kefauveb.  Wliat  is  this  hangar? 

Mr.  Peytox.  It  is  a  building  of  some  character,  but  I  doubt  if  that 
is  a  hangar  at  that  location.  I  think  the  big  hangar  is  located  within 
the  circle,  sir. 

Senator  KEFAtrv^ER.  Mr.  Amershadian,  what  is  this  building? 

You  are  talking  about  the  big  hangar  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  That  is  this  building  here. 

Senator  Kefauver.  What  is  this  building  here? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  A  warehouse  building. 

Senator  Kefaitster.  The  only  part  used  for  Boys  Town  would  be  the 
main  part  where  the  principal  buildings  are ;  is  that  right  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  Yes. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Where  was  it  you  said  that  you  thought  the 
steam  plant  could  be  built  that  would  not  interfere  ? 

Mr.  Amershadian.  There  is  plenty  of  room  right  in  there. 

Mr.  Peyton,  There  are  only  150  acres  according  to  our  Boston  office 
and  an  independent  contract  appraisal,  that  is  level,  dry  land;  the 
ba  Vince  has  to  be  filled  in  before  that  is  to  be  used. 

,  ..<ir.  Amershadian.  How  much  filling  would  it  need? 

Kr.  Peyton.  I  don't  know.  You  have  to  bulkhead  it  to  keep  tlie 
tides  out  bei'ore  you  could  build  or  fill  it. 

Senator  Kefau\'er.  Do  you  know  what  the  Boston  Edison  has  in 
mind  for  this  land? 

Mr,  Pey^;on.  Only  the  purpose  which  was  mentioned  in  their  bid. 
They  plan  to  use  the  property  for  a  steam  generating  plant  to  produce 
elect  icity. 

Se  lator  Kefauver.  I  would  assume  there  v/ould  be  portions  of  tliis 
pro{  ^rt^/  that  they  would  want  to  resell  as  being  in  excess  of  the 
amo  liittiey  would  need  for  that  one  purpose.  What  allied  indus- 
trie?  thej  might  want  to  being  in  in  connection  with  their  project, 
I  do  I't  krftw,  because  the  bid  did  not  disclose  it. 

M  r.  Pejf'U,  lilt  your  position  is  that  as  to  the  whole  area  that  thi^re' 
'S  IT'  >t  any  jlace  there  for  Boys'  Town  type  of  school ?     Is  that  it? 

M  r.  Peiton.  Our  feeling  is  that  should,  we  should  sell  surplus  prop- 
erty a-ccording  to  its  highest  and  best  use  which  is  for  industrial  devel- 
opment and  utilization. 

Senator  lOTAtrvER.  Are  you  familiar  with  what  other  surplus  prop- 
erty you  have  in  that  area  ? 

Mr.  Peyt^-ox.  Not  at  the  moment.  I  couldn't  list  them  for  you  at 
the.  moment.  I  will  be  glad  to  supply  the  committee  a  list  of  them 
for  the  record. 

SiBnator  Kefauver.  We  would  be  very  happy  to  have  not  everything 
but  I  mean  places  where  they  have  houses,  barracks,  buildings  which 
might  have  some  possible  use  for  a  Boys  Town  type  of  school. 

Mr.  Peyton.  AVe  will  be  glad  to  sum  it  up  and  submit  it  to  you. 

Senator  Kefaitver.  Anything  else,  Mr.  Bobo,  let  me  ask  this.  Don't 
answer  if  it  is  giving  away  confiidential  information.     Can  you  tell 


94  JUVENILE    DELINQUENCY 

US  whether  anything  further  about  this  bid,  does  this  meet  your  quali- 
fications, your  price,  will  there  be  some  disposition  or  some  action  oai 
this  Boston  Edison  bid  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  Yes,  sir.  The  price  does  meet  our  requirements  as  to 
the  current  fair  market  value  of  the  property  and  it  is  proposed  -to, 
I  assume,  accept  the  bid. 

Senator  Kefauver.  How  soon  will  we  know  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  That  has  to  come  in  from  the  Boston  regional  office 
for  the  approval  of  our  Administrator  and  I  imagine  they  will  send  it 
in  promptly. 

Sir.  BoBo.  If  a  private  organization  had  bid  more  for  a  certain 
portion  of  this  land  and  then  the  rest  of  it  offered  for  industrial  ase, 
that  would  have  matched  this  bid  could  that  have  been  consid©i"ed 
by  the  GSA  or  under  the  present  regulations  do  you  have  to  sell  it 
all  as  one  unit  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  We  don't  haA'e  to  sell  any  property  as  one  unit.  But 
we  do  have  a  number  of  considerations  that  we  have  to  take  into  at.  - 
count,  namely  the  disposition  and  the  maintenance  of  common  utilities. 
In  other  words,  the  Governnient  does  not  want  to  be  saddled  with  a 
continuing  responsibility  to  furnish  your  utilities  that  have  to  come 
from  a  common  source.  That  is  one  reason  why  we  in  cases  of  this 
kind,  we  do  not  want  to  attempt  to  subdivide  it  because  we  wo^ild 
be  in  the  position  of  attempting  to  furnish  the  purchaser  with  seyi.  n\ 
water,  gas,  and  electricity  unless  we  could  make  some  deal  with  Qui  vcy 
to  take  over  those  responsibilities. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Do  you  know  anything  about  steam  generaviig 
plants  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  No,  sir ;  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  don't.  .      , 

Senator  Kefauver.  I  had  always  thought  they  had  to  have,  a*  ffre«;t 
abundance  of  fresh  water.  ,      -  - 

Mr.  Peyton.  I  know  they  have  tremendously  large  water  nan  ins  in 
this  property,  whether  the  city  of  Quincy  has  a  sufficient  suT)ply  of 
fresh  water  to  supply  the  plant  I  don't  know.  But  I  am  J-ure  the 
utilities  there  would  know. 

Senator  Kefauver.  Where  are  the  railroad  sidings  and  the  ti  acks  ? 

Mr.  Peyton.  The  railroad  sidings  come  on  the  edge  oi  the  tank 
farm,  right  down  here,  that  comes  in  here  and  serves  this  :ow  ^^^  ^il- 

Senator  Kefauver.  Are  the  railroad  carlines  down  here/ 

Mr.  Peyton.  No,  they  would  have  to  be  brought  in  froii  thife,  ter- 
minus right  here. 

Mr.  Bono.  Was  there  any  consideration  given  to  the  Boys  Tow/i 
project? 

Mr.  Peyton.  Yes,  sir.  We  talked  to  Mr.  Amershadian  about  it. 
I  am  sure  the  Boston  office  discussed  the  matter  with  hiui.  Wc  always 
have  tried  to  be  frank  in  telling  him  that  we  felt  the  pioperty  should 
be  sold  for  industrial  purposes  and  that  it  wouldn't  be  valuable  or 
available  for  disposal  for  educational  purposes.  Mr-,  Amershadiar 
I  am  sure  will  agree  to  that  statement.  In  one  letter  from  him  dated 
June  5,  he  said : 

However  I  want  it  clearly  understood  at  this  point  that  I  do  not  object  tx>  the 
site  being  advertised  for  bids.  In  fact  I  welcome  the  same  because  this  action 
should  facilitate  a  decision  concerning  the  disposal  of  the  base. 

Senator  Kefauver.  All  right,  thank  you,  Mr.  Peyton. 

Mr.  Peyton,  how  long  will  it  take  you  to  furnish  us  with  a,  list  «nd 
some  descriptions  of  various  possibilities?  ,  ^      i   ,     , ,    . 

Mr.  Peyton.  Would  tomorrow  morning  be  time  enough  for  you  t 


jm^ENILE    DELINQUENCY  95 

Senator  \tvEFj»tJVER.  I  would  appreciate  it  if  you  could  do  it  by  the 
morning. 

Mr.  PijYTO-.  I  will  be  glad  to  do  it. 

Senat  Qj.  Kefauver.  Is  that  all  the  witnesses? 

^^i'-  ^BoBO.  That  is  all  the  witnesses. 

^6'  lator  Kefadver.  Thank  you  very  much,  gentlemen.  This  has 
beeji  an  interesting  hearing.  AVe  will  discuss  this  matter  in  executive 
^^ssion  with  other  members  of  the  committee  and  with  the  members  of 
^^v  stalf  and  we  will  have  some  statement  to  make  about  it  within 
*^;e  next  few  days. 

'1  t]iink  I  can  say  at  this  point  that  I  think  there  is  sufficient  evidence 
to  show  that  the  Boys  Town  type  of  school  in  New  England  serving 
the  nuuiy  States  in  "that  part  of  the  country  would  be  a  great  help 
^Y  ^Puth  opportunity  and  readjustment  in  giving  young  people  a 
clis.ii',^  to  get  back  on  their  feet,  and  prevention  of  deiinquency. 

,^  want  to  express  admiration  for  the  diligence  and  persistence 
^^^'^^  -.vliich  Mr.  Amershadian  and  those  associated  with  him  have 
worke^l  in  ordev  to  try  to  make  this  dream  a  reality.  I  can  also 
^^^^^^"and  the  jjosition  of  the  mayor  and  the  chamber  of  commerce, 
the  ^e,jgj.j^j  Services  Administration,  in  connection  with  this  par- 
ticular ;  ^^g 

We  w;n  ^g  qi_iickly  as  possible  so  as  not  to  have  our  decision  in 
question  r^^  ^^  what  our  attitude  is,  review  the  matter  with  other 
members  ^f  ^^^j.  committee  and  have  a  report  and  a  statment  to  make 
about  It  v.j.y  soon. 

i  y^V^^  o  tliank  all  the  witnesses  who  have  come  here  to  testify. 

1  leel  t^.^^  jj^  addition  to  the  discussion  of  the  specific  matter  here 
oi  this  na  ..^j  b^g^,  that  the  professional  and  technical  information  we 
have  g^j'^p^  •  as  to  the  needs  of  this  section  of  the  country  for  a  Boys 
low^]^^^_^^  ^f  school,  the  information  that  has  been  furnished  as  to 
how  \^^.^^  ^  sctiool  should  be  organized  and  managed  will  be  of  valuable 
gener:^  ij^formation  to  this  committee  and  to  people  in  the  United 
^^^^^'rwlio  are  interested  in  juvenile  delinquency  generally  and  more 
especi.jjy  jj^  ^i^jj.  type  of  school  so  I  think  the  hearing  has  been  of 
great  /aiue  to  us  regardless  of  what  decision  we  may  make  and  issue 
^^*^yie  merits  of  this  particular  location. 

(  ^^r"  following  was  presented  for  the  record :) 

STATE^if>j^>T,  OF  Nelson  S.  Bryant,  Selectman,  Assessor,  Welfare  Agent,  Town 
OF  West  Ttsbuey,  IMass.,  19B4  to  Date  ;  Secretary  of  Dukes  County  Select- 
men's Association  Since  1950;  Employed  by  Massachusetts  Department 
jF  Natural  Resources  in  Forest  Fire  Prevention  Work 

•^n  September  195.J  I  was  asked  by  State  Senator  Richard  Fiubush  to  serve  as 

a  J  interim  trustee,,  representing  Dukes  and  Nantucket  Counties  for  the  proposed 

io>*'  Town  of  Massachusetts  project.     I  was  also  asked,  as  a  trustee,  to  secure 

ames  of  suitable  individuals  who  would  be  agreeable  to  acting  as  town  chair- 

.oen  in  their  respective  towna      The  names  of  men  who  agreed  to  act  as  town 

{.hairmen  are  as  follows : 

Eilw.  INI.  Douglas,  retired,  active,  Boy  Scouts  Vineyard  Haven,  Mass. 

Edw.  K.  Simpson,  retired,  active.  Boy  Scouts,  luogtu-town,  Mass. 

Chas.  B.  Oook,' retired,  active.  Boy  Scouts,  West  Tislniry,  Mass. 

.^jhn  1j.  Hardy,  selectman,  Nantucket,  Mass. 

LenJ.  Mayhew,  .Jr.,  selectman,  Chilmark,  Mass. 

Theo.  L.  Howell,  active.  Boy  Scouts.  Gay  Head,  Mass. 

Robt.  H.  Hughes,  postmaster.  Oak  Bluffs,  Mass. 
In  November  lO-^.j  and  in  .January  1956  I  was  present  at  meetings  of  Boys 
Town  trustees  at  the  Parker  House,  Boston.     I  was  impressed  at  these  meetings 
by  the  evident  sincerity  of  the  men  present  and  by  the  fact  that  in  most  cases 


96  JirV'ENILE    DELINQUEXCY 

they  were  experienced  in  Boy  Scout  and  like  activities.  I  was  a:'*'"  iinpressed 
by  the  enthusiasm  and  capacity  for  hard  work  shown  by  Fred  AraeiT,"*^*^?^  ^^^ 
by  Gordon  Hnrd  in  furthering  the  interests  of  Ijoys  Town.  u'  a 

Having  in  mind  the  success  of  projects  such  as  CCC  camps  during  ti,^  depres- 
sion years,  the  GI  training  following  World  War  II,  and  Father  Flanagans 
Nebraska  Boys  Town,  I  cannot  help  but  feel  that  the  idea  back  of  Bo*?' J:^^" 
of  Massachusetts  is  a  sound  one.  I  am  convinced,  too,  that  the  citizens  oi  Dvjkes 
and  Nantucket  Counties,  and  for  that  matter  the  citizens  of  the  Conimonw"^^^^ 
of  Massachusetts,  will  be  solidly  behind  Boys  Town.  I  do  not  know  af  .^"^ 
better  investment  than  money  put  into  the  proi^er  training  and  education  of  '"^"^ 
young  people. 

STATEilENT  BY  Dr.  WII.LIAM  HaRTIGAN 

My  name  is  William  Hartigan.  I  reside  at  6  Spragiie  Street.  Rever*^.  Hass 
I  am  mai'ried  and  the  father  of  three  children.  I  graduated  from  In''"ac*iilat«' 
Conception  High  School,  Revere,  Mass.  I  attended  Suffolk  University  and.gi^]*-<V|^" 
atetl  from  Beacon  Institute  of  Podiatry,  Boston.  Mass.  I  served  4  year,  '^V^?f 
Revere  School  Committee.  I  am  a  former  chairman  of  the  Revere  branch  ■'^^^.^ 
American  Red  Cross  and  present  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  '^'^'*^' 
can  Red  Cross.  ,  ^.-      1.    , 

It  was  my  privilege  to  spend  3  months  at  Boys  Town  in  Nebraska.  'X'i  ^^  ,^,^ 
afforded  me  the  opportunity  to  study  and  observe  the  work  ags  of  rhis  P^^"^'^ 
and  successful  project.  At  the  time  I  was  there,  Boys  Town  had  ai>pr6"'*^"*  "^ 
800  boys  from  about  6  to  20  years  of  age.     It  now  has  about  1 ,000.  .  ' 

Boys  Town  is  divided  into  2  groups:  the  elementary,  grades  1  to  8;  *"^  ^-^^ 
high  school,  grades  9  to  12.     The  boys  have  a  choice  of  attending  eithV?  a  trade 
school  or  a  regular  academic  high  school.     The  elementary  group  Mv»  .^^.j^^'^ 
ment-type  living  quarters,  two  stories  high  and  divided  into  large  (j,"i""tMieH. 
The  high-school  group  live  in  cottages,  about  17  boys  to  a  cottage.  *    •>  ■"_.. 

Youngsters  come  to  Boys  Town  through  the  courts,  charitable  i^or-'^*®'!  W^  ? 
large  number  just  wander  in  on  their  own.  •     »rt    ' 

The  boy  are  first  tested  to  determine  their  mental  ability  and  ^]^  ^^^^^ 
complete  medical  checkup.  Tliey  are  init  into  groups  where  it  is  :  tnat  the 
boys  will  feel  more  at  home  and  will  make  the  most  progress.'  , '      . 

The  directors  in  charge  of  programs  and  supervision  are  clergyir  ,(ij^  rl^ 

tion  to  the  regular  educational  and  athletic  activities,  all  boys  ?^  .^  eu""/'^'^^ 
to  participate  in  religious  services  of  their  own  faith.  This  paVti-uhji.  _  ^^^^' 
in  my  opinion,  is  the  key  to  the  success  enjoyed  by  Boys  Town,  ^eb^askM  ^^^^ 
since  it  was  founded  by  Father  Flanagan.  A  person  visiting  Boyg  Town  ^^^^*'*' 
help  but  feel  the  part  that  Divinity  is  playing  in  the  success  of  . /u;  iu^*  -  *^ 
and  the  longer  one  stays  there  and  observes  the  activities  of  the  project,  sX^  ™ofe 
convincing  this  feeling  becomes. 

As  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Boys  Town.  Massachuser^'  ~^" 
Suffolk  County,  I  intend  to  do  everything  i>o.ssible  to  see  that  the  Massa* ,!'.  '•^ 
Boys  Town  follows  the  pattern  of  Boys  Town,  Nebr.,  particularly  the  rr^Sious 
training.  It  is  imperative  that  the  clergy  of  all  faiths  play  a  major  n'^  ^"  ^ 
project  such  as  this.  No  boy  should  ever  want  for  religious  guidance,  L*^iPi  ^^r 
advice.  The.se  boys  .should  be  literally  stumbling  over  sources  prepared  tpl^'*^^ 
them  from  a  spiritual  standpoint.  It  is  intended  that  these  .sourcQ>!  will  minuter 
from  their  own  chapels.  . 

It  must  ne  realized  that  preclellnqnent  children  hnA^e  nothing,  or  nolwdy  to  h;^*^ 
UP  to.  In  most  normal  families,  the  childien  look  up  to  their  parents.  Tl'y 
are  anxious  to  do  something  that  will  move  their  parents  to  praise  them.  tJs 
little  praise,  or  the  feeling  that  he  has  made  someone  happy,  or  has  accomplisheJ 
something  that  has  caused  his  parents  to  feel  proud,  is  his  reward. 

I  would  also  like  to  state  before  this  connnittee  th«t,  as  a  county  trusft^,  I  fe4 
confident  that  Suffolk  County  area  win  tio  its  share  when  the  iiutial  fund-raisin) 
campaign  gets  underway.  Boys  Town  project  has  set  $1  per  family  as  its  goal, 
which  .should  net  tlum  up|)roximately  ,$1  million.  In  tlie  pa.st  Suffolk  Count' 
has  always  raised  25  percent  of  the  total  moneys  raised  in  othpr  worthw>'ne 
drives.  I  feel  that  they  will  respond  in  a  like  manner  to  this  drive  and  raise 
in  the  vicinity  of  .$250,000.  . 

Senator  Kefaua'ER.  We  will  stand  in  recess  subject  to  furthei"  call 
of  the  chariman. 

(Whereupon,  at  12:  15  p.  m.,  the  hearing  was  adjourned.) 

X