Boys are not unlike adults in that they are quick to make rulings
favorable to themselves or their party and unfavorable to others. The
surest way to make men honest is to make dishonesty unprofitable. A
state inspector of weights and measures, remarking recently upon the
fact that a certain town in Michigan had “fewer cases of short weights
and measures than any other town visited,” accounted for the fact by
saying, “It is an inland town with a settled population. The grocers
depend year after year upon the same group of persons for customers.
Under such conditions any habitual shortage would certainly be
discovered and in the end would work harm to the business. Hence all the
grocers are honest there. It doesn’t pay to be dishonest.”
The “paying” side of honesty may not seem a very high motive to hold
before children; but with the _habit_ of honesty once formed, the
altruistic ideal will be much surer of lodgment when the children are
old enough to appreciate it. On the other hand the high ideal without
the habit is simply another expression for hypocrisy.
Much is said today regarding play as a means of training for the higher
duties of life. It may indeed be so, but on the other hand play may be
the most effective training possible for trickery, selfishness, and
every anti-social instinct. The remedy is _supervision_ of play and
participation in it by leaders who know how to suppress the evil
impulses which there find opportunity for expression, while stimulating
the good. Such a leader will study individually the pupils under his
supervision and be quick to adapt his regulations to changes, not only
in place and time, but also to the personnel of his group.