The herald., 1897-06-28

bered that delinquent children are but
seldom, comparatively speaking, the
product Of grinding poverty, as In the
extreme east or in England. Oscar
Wilde, a man Of unsavory reputation,
but of marked ability along certain lines
of literary effort, recently published a
letter bearing hardly upon the treat
ment of child prisoners in England.
Doubtless every word of 1t was deserved,
and yet In the struggle to solve most
intricate problem England has made
gigantic strides, and so successfully met
difficulties incident to large population
condensed into small space, that the
work there done is worthy of considera
tion. Since 1870 the number Of children
in English schools hae increased from
100000 to 5000, 900. and the number Of
persons in English prisons has fallen
from $4,000 to 5000 in 1896. Juvenile
offenders have fallen from $4,000 to 5000.
Each year the authorities responsible
for reformatories and industrial schools
are required to eend return to the gpv-
ernment Of the condition of those who
have been discharged during the three
years last preceding. The return for
last year dealt with 1863 boys and SOB
girls discharged from reformatories. OF
the boys rs per cent were doing well, 2
per cent were doubtful. 16 per cent had
been convicted and Z per cent were un-
knwn. OF the girls II per cent were do
ing well, per cent were doubtful, per
cent had been convicted and II per cent
were unknown.
A still better return was made from
the industrial schools, IS per cent being
reported as doing we'll in the cases of
both girls and boys. OF the 1890 ad-
mitted to them in 1894, 1893 were illegiti-
mate, 1865 had lost one or both parents,
1856 had been deserted by both parents,
both the parents of 172 were either desti-
tute or criminal, while 2674 had both
parents alive and able to take care Of
their children. In Southern California
no such complicated conditions of mis-
cry and crime complicate the question
Of child delinquency.
A peculiar feature of the Kittie Ran
som case, in the local court, lay in the
fact that the case wae continued for one
day. In the interim the girls case was
written up in the papers, and next day
the girl was saved from confinement at
Whittier by lady who offered her a
home. That mode Of dealing with de-
linquent children has been found to
yield the most successful results in
France, England and in the east where
ever tried. Here there are many families
who would gladly admit young girl if
they only knew the circumstances in
time. A commitment upon the first ap-
pearance of the girl in court debars
anyone from having knowledge Of a
girls unfortunate predicament until 1t
is too late to extend helping hand.
The case of Kittie Ransom illustrates
the fact that there are those who have
sympathy ard compassion to extend a
helping hand when case of an erring
one is brought under the public notice.
In the several places mentioned chill
dren, that otherwise might drift to the
reformatory or the poor house, are
boarded out with reputable but gener-
ally poor families, and in this way the
home atmosphere is not lost, as Of neces-
sity 1t must be in a public institution,
and the cost is infinitely less in admin
stration.
Some new and original ideas were
mooted in department elk on Saturday,
somewhat to the following effect: That
inasmuch as the judges of the superior
court have agreed that Judge Clark shall
pass upon all insanity cases, the same
rule shall be tablished with regard to
incorrigibles. and that Judge Allen be
selected for that duty. 2. That boy or
girl ehall not be committed for two days
after the examination, that the public
may have cognizance of the circum-
stances in the case, and that any philan-
thropically disposed person may have
opportunity to offer the child home.
8. That the existing congestion at Whit
tier be relieved by deporting all the in
mates who were arrested for crime to
lone, thus leaving Whittier free for in
corrigibles in the narrower but essen
TALLY more truthful sense. T. C.