Arizona republican., 1903-11-22

nearly 500 cases of children placed un- der the care of probation officers, and all but about 200 have never been | brought back to court again." In this address by Judge Tuthill from which l have quoted, he pays a fine tribute to 1 the faithfulness of the women who have served as probation officers. He says, Tt is the particular sphere of the women; they are mere faithful, more persistent, more tactful If I could have. for instance, twenty-five successful proba tion officers like Mrs A. r. Stevens of Hull House. I think we could pretty nearly turn our jail into a warehouse, for from the ranks of such children as are brought into the juvenile court as delinquents, near ly all the criminals come"
 From the mass of the records which have been collected from the juvenile courts of many states we could find scores and hundreds, yes thousands, of cases which prove how successful the plan is in saving children from moral degredation; from lives of crime which place them in jails and penitentiaries and entail enormous expense upon the state. Mrs. Schoff. president of the National Congress of Mothers, says Tn the three weeks before the adop- tiCn of the juvenile court law there were in prison in Chicago 11O5 children in the years since it's adoption (which were at that writing three) there have been but twenty-five and the system Of caring for the children and helping them in their homes has reduced the number coming into the courts. The state has saved in board bills alcne enough to pay the salaries of many probation officers.
 Before the adoption of the juvenile court law. Judge Tuthill said in an address, "I call attention to the fact that there are at present confined in our county jail. children of eleven, twelve, thirteen and fourteen years of age, where they are exposed to the evil association of older criminals Indeed. in the county jail I found children Cf nine years Of age. who mad been bound over to the grand jury by incompetent or corrupt justices of the peace"
 The states attorney (of IllinCis) stat ed recently that the expenses of the criminal court had been materially de- creased because of the opera ton of the
 juvenile court law. Less than fifty
 boys, cut of the 3,4O0 children brough;
 before the juvenile court have been
 held to the grand jury. while before
 the enactment of the juvenile court
 law, there was an average Of forty
 boys in the jail all the time awaiting
 a hearing before the grand jury.
 Another writer says. "There is an
 Industrial School in Cincinnati, one of
 the best in the country. and its sta
 tistics show that of the bad boys sent
 to the school ninety-three per cent.
 have been turned cut good citizens"
 Does the juvenile court pay in dol Jars and cents? Does it pay in child
 ren saved from crime and led into
 lives of decency and obedience of law ?
 Does it pay in homes purified and elevated by the intelligent tactfuI sug- gestions O.. the faithful prcbaticn off lcers? Does it pay in the rescuing of little lives from the depths of poverty, ignorance and debauchery and placing
 them in comfortable homes in which
 their moral as we'll as physical nature
 may be developed? Yes abundantIy
 But new what about Arizona? Does
 she need the juvenile court law and
 why? l will let those who are in au-
 thority. who have had years of practi-
 cal experience with crime answer the questions
 Tn the preparation for the presenta. ti0n cf this subject before this fedora
 tiOn, I interviewed, personally or by . letter. Justice Talbot of Prescott. Jus , tice Burnett of Phoenix. Justice Rit- chic of Tucson and Justice Williams oi Bisbee.
 The letter which I wrote to the jus } tices I will not quote here. as our time . for the consideration of the subject is limited. but the questions, which thc l c. Is there in your vicinity sufficient youthful misdemeancr or crime tC ) warrant the establishment of a tuve- . nile court?
 A. Prescott No. Phoenix - Cireat need of it. sTucson-We very mucf need it. Bisbee-Yes.
 Q. Would it be advisable to combine it with the probate court and have ons judge preside over the two courts? A. Prescott-Yes. if the court is es-
 tablished. Phoenix-Yes. Tucson Would be practical and economical , BisbeeAYes
 Q. About what number per year oi ) boys and girls below the age of 21 ir your county is brought before youl : courts on arrest or before your magis- , trates without arrest?
 A. Prescott-NOminal number. Phoe-
 nix-At least 100. Tucson-No definite
 estimate now. but think several hun
 dred per year would be brought before
 juvenile court if it were established
 Bisbce-Two or three per month cn ar
 rest; more without.
 c. About what number is sentenced and what number is allowed to Gc (after receiving reprimanD because
 there is no suitable court before which
 to bring them, CT suitable place of con finement in which to keep them if they were sentenced?
 A. Prescott-Gives no estimate Phoenix-Very small per cent. sentenc- ed, but probably upwards of fifty boys
 who ought to be restrained and largC number of girls. Tucson-Probably one-tenth sentenced; nine-tenths all } lowed to go for reasons given in the question you ask. Bisbee-About one
 half sentenced.
 e. About what number of minor; per year in the whole territory, whc
 should be cared for in an industria school?
 A. Prescott-Have no immediate