The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-26
Juvenile Delinquents.

These opinions VIII De passed upon per sonal contact with the youthful offender and while conditions are essentially the same in all sections, the conference will show an improvement in those states where A long step forward has been made in the establishing of reformato- res.
 In addition to several other delegates Alabama will be represented at the con ference by Superintendent c. D. Griffin of the Alabama Industrial School for Boys.
 His report will be interesting. That Alabama Is able to point to three years of reform work along institutional lines indicates that progressive steps, however slow cannot be retraced. Just what Ala bama has done In this reform movement will be known and discussed at this con- yention. There will be no state secrets The part that this state Is taking in this economic problem. the effort to grapple with crime. the extent to which the work has gone will be sent broadcast over the land.
 Convention Significant.
 This convention Is considered to be the most significant of the entire year. There are smaller conferences being held just now, where reform work is the principal topic. Alabama is represented at the meeting InlS week Ol the tueidtloh OA Womens Clubs of South Carolina.
 Mrs. R. D. Johnston, president of the board of control of the Alabama Indus trial school, will address the federation on the management of reformatories, and next week she will speak to large au- dience in North Carolina upon the same subject.
 The national conference in Atlanta will be attended by many superintendents Of
 1,d anad 0f MT. Griffin ranks with the ablest men who are at the head of reformatories.
 As a student of social problems he Is fully abreast with the ideas advanced by other thinkers, and he is able through years Of active experience m reform work to master the problem alone. He has worked out for himself the best methods of dealing with the crim- inally inclined. His work at the indus trial school is not based on theory It is no longer a problem with hm-this work of reducing criminal statistics. He does not need a Bertllon system to measure the juvenile delinquent sent to him from the police court. Instinctively he seems to measure at glance the physical as well as the mental attributes of every petty offender that has baffled the police force of a great city.
 The daily problem confronting MT. Griffin is not how to deal with the juven- ile delinquent but how many must nec- essarily be turned away from the in dustrial school for want of accommoda- tion.
 This question is one that presents it. self every day With the vetoing of the bill providing for additional facilities the outlook was most discouraglng until the recent action on the part of three of the states most prominent women in en- dorsing notes to the amount of S20O0
 This makes 1t possible for the work to be carried on, work that in its very clements of development distinctly fore shadows the limitless possibilities that will be the result of the present we'll directed energy.
 As a notable instance of the respon- sibility of the individual states in off, setting crime is the recent case of the arrest and detention of a 12-year-old Ala bama boy in Indianapolis, Ind.
 Superintendent Griffin was notified of the case by Judge George w. Stubbs of the Juvenile court in that city.
 The Case Stated.
 The letter from Judge stubbs states the case follows
 Indianapolis Ind, April II, 1903. Superintendent Alabama Industrial School, East Lake, Alabama
  dianapolis a 12-year-old boy, who has been beating his passage from his home in Mobile Ala. toward New York city, where his ambition is to become one of its street Arabs"
 In reply to a letter of inquiry ad- dressed to his father, we have received the enclosed communication stating that the boy is now ineorrigible and needs institutional training, but that so far he II. |. f-- I.t and cannot send for him. The father furthermore suggests that we place the boy here in our own reform school. This suggestion we cannot. of course, fol- low out as he Is a nonresident.
 Apart from that he should be near his own people, so that he could be returned to them if ever advisable. The boy is bright, active and apparently not lazy. but he has been absorbing hobo" mo- tions from some one or other. He Is likable and well worth saving, but this cannot be accomplished if he Is allowed to go loose again-our only alternative unless he can be returned to his own state and placed in an institution
 Having obtained the name and address of your institution, we write hoping that you can aid us In the solution of the case. We should like to transfer him directly to your institution if possible TOT We are ANXIOUS that every child pass ing through our new Juvenile court should be disposed of in some permanent way.
 If you can make a special effort to help us out at your end of the line, we will make one at ours. and try to manage the question of transportation.
 Enclosed you will find the fathers let ter which I will ask you to return for fil- ing with the case papers. Please let us hear from you at your earliest conven- fence. as the boys case has been con tinued for that purpose.
 We trust tat you will cooperate with us even to the extent of making special arrangements for this case. Sincerely yours
 GEORGE ". STUBBS,
 Judge Juvenile Court
 Superintendent Griffin receives similar applications every week. ,ut owing to the over-crowded condition If the indus trial school he is compelled to refuse them
 In this instance. the reputation of the state was at stake, and Superintendent Griffin has written to Judge Stubbs to art.op0a for the trauenorfofior .h.