Omaha daily bee., 1904-11-27
viii Push Juvenile Court.


| In my judgment the revenue tax law
should be amended so as to exempt from
| taxation $50 worth of household furniture
and fixtures to every head of house. This
amount would cover the bare necessities
for housekeeping and would encourage poor
\ men I'm maintaining homes, men who now
| board and make up the floating population.
This would help to establish homes, and
American homes are the bulwark of the
nation.
1 favor the enactment of state law
compelling all dealers in gasoline to sell 1t
| only when put up in cans painted red and
plainly marked gasoline" This may seem
small thing, but when one takes into
account the fatality from gasoline it as
sumes proportions which require the en-
actment of a state law to govern 1t. Min
nesota has a similar statute, which has
been of great value to the people.
l favor the enactment of any legislation
| which would reduce the taxation to the
Douglas county taxpayer by consolidating
the numerous county and city offices which
are now duplicated and which could be
| feasibly consolidated without detriment to
the monduct of the several offices.
| I favor the enactment Of a law which
will take the Omaha public schools out OF
|
public schools is very evident and as HARM
full as evident. The city of Toledo, O., is
governed by a law which effectually takes
the public schools out of politics and
thereby has secured the best results ever
obtained in any city In the United States
| in public school education.
/ also favor a careful and judicious in
spection of the Omaha charter and the
| revision of it where 1t is evidently weak
and needed. This should be preceded by a
| meeting of representative citizens who
! should thoroughly discuss the existing
charter and the proposed amendments.
After this charter may be suggested
4 which would be adapted for many years to
the needs of this great and growing city.
| That a juvenile court should be estab-
lished In thir city There is something in
the cry Of the ill-treated child which
| reaches the hearts of all men and women.
The child who, by evil or immoral example
OF parents or associates, falls into the evil
| path Is not to blame-nor is the parent or
associate to blame entirely. The state al
large, the great father OF all the people,
is primarily to blame for allowing such evil
influences as surround the child to exist
| I propose TO use my best efforts to see that
something is done for these poor unfortu-
| mates by putting on the statutes law
which will allow the state to step in and
be father and guardian of children who
are not rightly treated. or are under i'm
moral or vicious influences. would sug-
gest a law which would prevent their being
thrown in jail with a lot of hardened Grim
| lnals where they would be come more hard
| ened and more evil by coming in contact
with people of low and immoral tendencies
| A law which would carefully watch over
| these children, change their surroundings
and place them under good influences would
be of incalcllable benefit to the growing-up
! generation. This is broad and scientific
charity and the state is the proper party
to administer 1t.
Take the case of the four boys lately ar
rested for robbery and who were contem-
! plating robbery of the street car conduc-
4 tors There were Joe Trattner and Mike
/ Doran boys of 1S; Harry Madison, a boy
of l6, and Roy Case. young man of q.
Only one of these had reached the age of
manhood. Does anyone think that these
four would now occupy the unfortunate
position they now are in II they had been
under proper influences when they were
children?