The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-08

furnish place where such children
could he committed to.
There is no such organization in this
city, except the Associated Charities.
and the citizens are so very, very
backward in contributing to this soci-
ety's treasury that 1t would be impos-
sible for it, under existing conditions,
to take up the work
THE REMEDY.
II would. therefore. seem that only
| that portion of the act providing for
separate trial could be put into force
| in this county, unless a few public spir-
| tied citizens get together and organize
such an ASSOCIATION as the one above
mentioned. or contribute more literally
| to the depleted treasury of the Associ-
| ated Charities.
Judge Edwards Is in receipt of a let
| ter from Mrs. Frederic SChoff presi-
| dent Of the Pennsylvania Congress of
| Mothers, urging the establishment of
| the court and enclosing a letter from
Judge Tuthill. of Chicago, explaining a
| length the operation of the juvenile
| court in that city
| With reference to the probation Of
fcers, Judge Tuthill said:
Probation officers should take an
oath to support the constitution Of
the United States and the state and
to discharge their duties of office faith
fully and honestly. He wears no
badge at all. but when a boy or girl
| is placed under probationary care, a
card is filled out and given to the
child to take to his home to remind him
of his duties. and the time and place
to make his report, the probation off,
Ger fixing the time and place and the
only restriction upon place is that it
shall not be Il police station.
| These general requirements of the
probation officer, find the most sug-
gestive, that is, the probation officer
should have a real regard, even love,
for the child. such feeling as a good
parent should have for his or her own
child. and then, In all respects, they
should endcavor to act wisely i'm Civ
ing the child this proper parental care
that is needed to keep him in the
right way. Th exercise of good COM
mon sense in this matter is most
helpful and valuable trait. Each pro-
baton officer who exercises good COM
mon sense will adapt his methods to
each individual child, and if one
method fails, try another. OF course,
a probation officer should not endea-
lNor to proselyte or in any way inter-
fere with the religious belief of the
Ichild's family, for this would at once
larouse antagonism that would render
the work valucless.
| MEETING OF OFFICERS.
II have had meetings of the proba-
tion officers held from time TO time and
in coming together they would discuss
and tell of their work and the various
methods which they had adopted, Civ
ing instances, and in this way would
hear what each other had to say, and
from their different experiences derive
valuable lessons for their own conduct
| Another thing, probation officer
should be optimistic, always, and hope.
full and one, two, three or seven fail
ures should not discourage the officer
but should persist in the work for this
poor child that had been entrusted tC
care, as if the child We're the officers
own. No one can tell at what time IN
a child's life the work done in giving
him moral direction and the disposi.
tion to do right. will bring forth fruit
| "The juvenile court is very informa
| III It's Nature. i usually tdlh 10 lIt
child that is brought before me tn,
first time in rather fatherly and con
fidential way and ask him to tell ms
all about what the witnesses are ther,
to testify about. l tell him that h,
knows all about it much better thar
the witnesses do and that l want hin
to tell me, and he usually does. i tr!
to get the confidence Of the child and
spend great deal of time in talking
} to him.
TALKS TO THE CHILD.
II tell him about the probation off
GERS and what the probation officer viii
do for him; that she will be a fren,
of him and his mothers friend; tha
she will come to see them, and als'
impress upon the parents that the!
must treat the probation officer Will
courtesy, and by so doing will shop
respect to the court that they ar
! friends that will be Of value, and | sa.
to the child. that if you don't do a
: the probation officer tells you, an
about your conduct in the future, tha
, you will be brought back to me and
will have to put you away: put yo,
t away from your father and mother
where you will be compelled to obey
II dwell much on the necessity of tn
lesson of complicit obedience, and Il
homely phrase try to impress upon tn
child the law. That each child mus
obey the law as we'll as older persons
that the child must obey the law of hi
, parents and teachers"