The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-25

on some equitable basis and paid by the county and let the claims now payable out of that fund become charges against the county. and let all monies now appli- cable to the payment of this fund be paid to the county and accounted for as other county monies are, and we, there fore recommend that the necessary leg islation for that purpose be requested in the next session of the legislature.
 Books of the Justices of the Peace.
 We have examined the books of the justices of the peace, and while we found some of them well kept. some others are badly kept, either through carelessness, or with an intent to deceive, and fail to give as full information as they should. We feel that an examination of the books and methods of the justices of the peace such as body like ours is able to make Is insufficient. and we most earnestly recommend that their books and methods be subject to regular inspection by either the county auditor or some other compe- tent official, and that the justices be required to be more careful in making entries of fines assessed and monies col- lected, and that they also be required to make quarterly statements to said officer showing all of the cases passing through their courts and disposition of same and fines assessed. We had such evidence before us of irregularities and malpractice as to cause us to recom- mend impeachment proceedings of one justice of the peace, and in one or two other instances, while the majority did not agree that there sufficient grounds for impeachment, a number of us thought that there were sufficient grounds for impeachment of other justices.
 Reformatory.
 Under the existing laws persons under the age of IS who are convicted may be sent to the reformatory. The county has no reformatory of its own, but there Is at East Lake, Ala, the Alabama Indus trial school for boys, and some of the youthful criminals of Jefferson county are now in that reformatory. We un- derstand that the county is paying $41.66 per month to that reformatory, and at present 1t has ten boys there. There are also fifteen boys in this reformatory from the city of Birmingham. The Industrial school at East Lake now has sixty-three boys, while their accommodations can only take care of forty-two properly. The state appropriates s5000 per annum to this reformatory, and so far as we know this is the only place of that kind in this state.
 
 under the age of 12 years are not allow ed to be sent to jail or police stations. If unable to give ball they are committed to the care of the sheriff or police officer, who shall keep the children fin suitable place provided by the county or state, outside of any police station. There are similar laws in many of the northern states. In Chicago they have a juvenile court presided over by one of the cir otrif ft1dO and 10 afa ha Ia salary of any judge off of the supreme bench of that state; and all youthful criminals are tried in that court.
 Ohio spent last year for its reforma- tories s121, ,231, covering s27 boys, being an average cost of $14659 per boy. Michigan has invested In reformatories S259,000, and last year spent for current expenses $49,- 900. Tennessee has invested in reforma- tories $250.000. and last year appropriated for current expenses S50O00.
 We most urgently urge upon the board of revenue that they shall consider and, if need be, secure the necessary legisla- tion to authorize them to contribute the necessary funds to enlarge the Alabama Industrial school so as to provide for ad- ditional boys from Jefferson county, and that they pay to the school fair and reasonable price per month for the main tenance of such boys as are sent there. We have had cases to come up before us during our term where boys from 2 to IA years old were clearly guilty of petit larceny and similar offenses, and where the evidence showed that. in some in- stances at least. these young culprits had the worst home surroundings. To send these boys to the county jail and then to the coal mines. where they would be associated for some years with the most hardened criminals, must mean that these boys will remain criminals through life. and probably cost the state and their fellow countrymen large sums of money; yet in obedience to our law, and in jus tice to the other boys who might be con- taminated by these youthful criminals, we cannot leave them at large. We believe that at the reformatory a large number of boys who go there are reclaim ed and made honest and useful citizens, and the cost to the state Is but a little greater than where they are sent to the