The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-27
Council Committee and Other officials
Agree Upon "A Plan After
n Conference.
FRIDAY is CHILDREN'S DAY
JUDGE STUBS WILL KEEP CLOSE
WATCH ON YOUNGSTERS.
Two Ordinances Considered by the
Committee, but Present Laws Are
Sufficient If Enforced.

AS the result of a meeting of the Council
committee on public safety and comfort
yesterday afternoon with Police Judge
Stubs, Police Superintendent Taffe, Pros
ecutor Collins, Chief Truant officer Perry
n. Hiser and the Rev. w. V. Wheeler, SUI
perintendent of the Rescue Mission. new
methods of dealing with juvenile offenders
of all kinds and sizes were adopted, and
Will at once be put in force.
The committee meeting was held for the
purpose of taking action on general ordi-
nances Nos. 90 and 70, recently introduced
by Mr.. Negley. chairman of the committee.
The first ordinance provides for taking into
custody vagrant and mendicant children,
and gives to the authorities a sort of pa
ternal supervision of youngsters without
proper connections. The other measure
was Drawn with the idea of providing a law
by which youthful offenders might be sep
arated from older and hardened men and
women when incarcerated in the police sta
ton.
Judge Stubs, Prosecutor Collins, Super
intendent Taffe, Truant officer Hiser and
Mr.. Wheeler are greatly interested in
measures tending 70 better existing means
of dealing with boys and girls who sin
against the law, and were asked to attend
the meeting. During the consideration of
the ordinances they volunteered a number
of suggestions, several of which induced
the committee to decide against favorable
action on one measure and TO delay action
on the other.
THE ORDINANCE KILLED.
The ordinance providing for the taking
into custody of truant and vagabond chill
dren was killed by the committee because
discussion indicated it was the general
opinion that the Board of Children's
Guardians act and the truancy act passed
by the Legislature and the city ordinance
against lettering furnished enough law on
the question. and the ordinance could be
dispensed with If more care were taken by
patrOlmen in looking up cases and in max
ing exact reports to headquarters.
When discussion of the ordinance provid-
ing against Incarceration of children with
older persons came up Mr.. Hiser suggested
to the members of the committee and to
Judge Stubs that the ordinance is not nee
essary providing one or two new ideas were
put in force by the police department and
by Judge Stubs. Mr.. Hiser recommended
! that the cases of all juvenile offenders who
are arrested during one week be continued
until some afternoon toward the close of
the week, when their cases could all be
heard at the same time. In that manner
children could be tried separately from
older and more hardened criminals. Mr..
11lSeT utCldICu lldl II al GlltCG VI
such a course would be great. Judge
Stubs agreed with Mr.. Hiser as TO the
value of the idea, and remarked that he
would put it in force at once. He set Fri
day afternoon as the time each week when
he would consider juvenile cases exclusive
". The purpose of the judges action is
TO give him more time to examine the cir
cumStanceS affecting each case and TO al
low him to confer in each case, If possible,
with the parents of the children. The COM
mittee expressed its approval of the idea
MR.. HISER'S SUGGESTION.
Another suggestion made by Mr.. Hiser
governed the committee in it's decision to
set aside the ordinance, temporarily, at
least. The truant officer suggested to Su-
perintendent Taffe hat he instruct his pa
trolmen to report to him all the children
who may be found on the street during
school hours or at IN unreasonable hour
at night. Through the superintendent Mr..
Hiser, as chief truan officer, would then
be in a position to investigate each case
and see if the child in question could be
got into school or kept off the street with
out having il arrested and subjected to the
ignominy and danger of arrest and incar-
~ceration in a station house. Prosecutor
Collins warmly commended the plans out
lined by Mr.. Hiser, and declared they
would go far toward solving one Of the
most difficult problems with which the po-
lice department and school authorities have
to deal. The Rev. Mr.. Wheeler, who made
several suggestions to the committee dur
ing the meeting, spoke in favor of the
adoption of Mr.. Hiser's suggestions, and
believed they would prove more effective
than the passing of the two ordinances, as
first suggested. Superintendent Taffe eX-
pressed the same views and promised the
active cooperation of the police depart
ment in carrying out the reform.
The members of the committee came to
the conclusion that the suggestions were
more valuable than the proposed ordi-
nances, and. setting aside both of them.
recommended to the judge and the police
superintendent that Mr.. Hisers ideas be
executed in detail.