Arizona republican., 1903-11-22
A JUVENILE COURT
Mrs. Fowler Makes Eloquent Plea for
 This Reform in Arizona.

In the Penal COQe or ArlZONa we read. All persons are capable of com mitting crimes except those belonging to the following classes: "O Children under the age of ten, in the absence clear proof that at the time of com mitting the act charged against them. they knew it's wrongfulness.'
 It follows then that these children Gnfants in legal phrase and infants in reaity) may be arrested by uniformed policemen, just as hardened adult criminals are; taken to the police sta ton or before police magistrates with men or women who are adopts in crime: brought before the same court and, it sentenced, sent to the same jail or prison in which are confined the past ters in crime and viciousness, who are ready teachers of their de- grading vices.
 Does it seem difficult to believe this statement? Yet it is true, not in Ari- zcna alone, but in the majority of our states and territories; and it was true of all our states and territories prior to July l. 1899 (only little more than four short years agC) when the juve- nile court was established in Illinois and had it's first sittings in the Cook county court house in Chicago.
 Since then the legislatures of many states have been persuaded by the great success Of the Cook county juve- nile court to enact similar laws.
 The following states are thus equip ped for this child-saving work: New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana. Wisconsin, Mis- souri, Kansas, Colorado. California. Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan. Massa- n
 Judge Hurd of Illinois. the author of the juvenile court law, says that it is the result of much trying experience and close study"
 Over obstacles, through adverse cri- ticism and much Encouragement it was pushed but it still seemed far from the goal when a woman, Mrs. Lucy L. Flower, of Chicago. induced Judge Hurd to present the scheme to the Woman's Club of Chicago. They listened. approved, and then worked, with Mrs. Flower as their leader. until the Chicago Bar Association appointed committee to draft a bill which was later adopted by the Illinois legisla ture and became the juvenile court law.
 had the pleasure this summer of hearing Mrs. Flower speak of her many years of experience in striving t0 elevate the standards of child life. Her face glcwed with satisfa ction as she spoke of the wonderful success of the juvenile court in ,child-saving and the Industrial school for girls for which she had been working for twenty years.
 In the face of such experiences how light is our task. who simply have to follow where she and other noble men and women have blazed the way,
 Now what are the provisions of the juvenile court law
 I will quote them from Judge Tut hill, the first judge of the first juvenile court. He says: This law says these children under sixteen years of age shall not be called criminals. shall no5 indicted, shall not be put into pc lice stations. and shall not be sent to jail. It says We shali have a court to hear these Childrens cases-the judge shall find out about them from what ever source he can and shall then make such disposition of them as shall seem wisest for them and for the states best interest"
 It provides for the appointment of probation officers who are to receive nc compensation from the public treasury VI bht olA pi ODdllDu OlIlCbTS aDDO40teC for the first juvenile court-three were supported by the personal efforts ot Mrs. Fiower-and three by contribu- ticns by the churches and the Chicago university settlement. the Northwest ern settlement and Hull House Later the judge urged the chief of police to appoint one officer in each police district to assist in the work, and he particularly requested that they be humane men of clean habits. men with families that the love Cf children mignt be already develoned
 These probation officers constitute the most important arm of the servicc fer when child is brought into court they at once begin an investigation tc discover, not how much punishment Inc should receive. but why he went wrong in the first place and how to remove the cause or remove him from the cause
 They visit the home of the child and see if his environment has been clean and moral, or unclean and vicious. they then report to the judge and bring witnesses, if necessary, to ac- quaint the judge with all the condi- tons. and on these findings he bases his deCisiCn. If the home be unfit for tHt HOTal development of the child the judge places him in the charge of probate officer. to be cared for in the officers own home or boarded with q family known to be moral. cleanly and intelligent. or boarded temporarily in an institution. But the family home is much preferred to the institution.
 To show you something of the at mosphere. the characteristics of the Juvenile court and how different it is from the ordinary criminal court. quote again from Judge TuthilI: When a child is brought before me. talk with him, talk in kindly, father ly way, appeal to him as well as can; in a confidential manner enquire into his case, tell him to- what his course of conduct will ultimately lead him, if he persists in it: that he may be taken from his home and deprived of his liberty. That I am going tc send him home to his father and moth CT (and do this whenever I can pcs. sibly in justice to the child-becaus, the parents need the reforming influ ences in most cases quite as much as the childD l say to him, this lady haV TgTr