The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-11-22
PROBATION
DISCUSSED
Mrs. G. B. Alexander Ad-
dresses the Woman Sllf-
fragists on Prison
System.
WORK or THREE YEARS
Speakers and Their Topics
at Yesterdays Session.
Officers Elected.
WORK OF THREE YEARS

The State officers and local presidents
Of the New Jersey Woman's Suffrage
Association which held its convention in
the library yesterday had an executive
committee meeting at noon. This was
followed by business meeting, which
was open to all members of suffrage
clubs. The state reports were read, and
an election Of officers was held, as well
as the selection of delegates to the ma
tional convention to be held in Portland,
Ore.
Mrs. Florence Howe Hall, of Plain
field, honorary president of the organiza-
tion, presided at the late afternoon meet
ing, which was opened with prayer by
Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, Of
East Orange, Mrs. Grace Y. Grice. cor
responding secretary of the National
Congress of Monthers, gave talk on
Power
Miss Mary Fl. Watson, of the New
ark High School faculty, spoke on the
/ subject '"Teachers' Salaries" and drew
attention to the disparity in the amounts
paid to men and women teachers. She
referred to the stand taken by the New
York City Federation of Womens clubs
in the matter as displayed by their
avowed disapproval of the arguments put
forward against the equalization Of sal
aries as presented by Principal Crowson,
Of New York.
In taking up the professional aspect of
the disparity in salaries, Miss Watson
| spoke at-length of the resolutions adopted
some time ago by the Male Teachers
association of New York, showing, she
claimed, hostile attitude toward wom-
EMS teaching.
'sThose resolutions said Miss Wat
san, ''are quite as hysterical, quite as un-
fair, specious and illogical as was ever
any srant' on woman's rights.
''Probation Work. was discussed by
Mrs Caroline r. Alexander. assistant
probation officer in Hudson county, Mrs.
Alexander said in part:
Probation is large subject, for it
| touches not only. those who fall into the
hands Of the law, but it enters into the
every day life of every one of us, for
the true wisdom of conduct it to realize
that what we do today determines our
welfare tomorrow, and we thus become
trainers of our own future. The ideal
training of child is to bring him to re-
alize that by his actions he is shaping his
own future.
criminals and children resemble each
other in an imperfect sense of response
bility for the future. When they can
be taught that they must suffer tomor-
row if they disobey today they have
then learned the all-important lesson of
self-restraint. So probation is nothing
more nor less than this lesson Of self
restraint exercised in the freedom Of
society.
In order to accomplish this law
has been framed in New Jersey, which
was passed in 1900, giving the judge Of
| any court Of quarter or general sessions
the right to name one or more probation
officers, according to the size of the
county. In 1902 md 1908 amendments
were passed extending the provisions of
this law to police magistrates and JUS
tees of the peace. and in 1904 a further
amendment was passed giving probation
officers the power to arrest any proba-
toner who has violated his parole.
ia our county probation has been in
existence for over three years. Since the
present probation officer Richard Stew
ems was appointed in January, 1904,
AGO persons have been placed in his
hands, Of whom 200 were under sixteen.
These are almost universally first offend
ers, many Of the boys having been
arrested for stealing coal. They are AL