The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-22
CITIZENS WILL ENLARGE
JUVENILE COURTS SCOPE
Commercial Club Scene of Gather
ing Which Is Addressed by
Judge Stubs.
ANNIVERSARY OBSERVED
Committee of Seventy-Five Volun-
teers to Act as Probation Off
GERS for Young Offenders.

eff present plans are carried out and the
work of the Juvenile Court results in as
much good in the years to come it has
in the one just past the character of the
future citizens of Indianapolis will be great
ly elevated and much above the present
standard was the opinion of Judge Stubs
last night in an address at the Commercial
Club.
The meeting was the occasion of the first
anniversary of the court and to effect a
preliminary organization of the probate Of
ficers of the city That a great deal of in
terest is being taken in this work of philan-
thropy was manifested by the large audi
ence that filed the assembly and ante
rooms at the club. When the work of the
court and what it had accomplished were
related expressions of surprise and COM
mendation for Judge Stubs were numerous
As chairman of the committee TO secure
a larger number of probation officers c. A.
McCotter presided, and explained its object
and reviewed the work of the court. Judge
Stubs briefly made clear to those who had
never before clearly understood the work
Of the court and what it was doing and
what it meant to the future Indianapolis.
Through the medium of this court" he
said, 1.-The juveniles of the city are made to
see that there is something more in life
after all than in the life of a street urchin
He gets started here on the better road,
and is inspired with the hope of future
achievements.
Under the care of the probation officer
he is admonished what to read and what
companion TO keep; he is shown that there
is nothing TO gain by living on the streets
and in fact he becomes enthusiastic in the
work for his own good.
James A. Collins told of the origin of the
court and of its progress since it's inception
He believed that there were very few peO-
pie who understood the work of the court,
especially the attorneys, who thought it a
means of robbing them of clients.
The work of the probation officer" he
said, lis to reach the boys who meet in
the rear sheds, in back alleys. in the COM
mons and other places of boys who made
Jesse James a saint and Deadwood Dick
martyr. 1t is the duty of a probation
officer TO act as a social supervisor and
to act as an assistant father. Nothing is
more pitiful than to see a boy without the
care OF father and mother and to be alb
GERS are in a sense, and as far as possible,
to take the place of these homes"
The disadvantages TO the work of the
Plainf1eld and other reform schools be-
fore the organization of the Juvenile Court
were pointed out 1t was shown how at
these schools a boy would be installed with
new hopes and inspired TO forsake his old
manner of living, but that upon his return
home such hopes would be blasted.
THE best investment that one can make
is 10 take one of these boys into his care.
1t will bring him larger moral returns than
anything else he said
There were seveEtyrfive names handed in
last night to the committee by parties
volunteering to become probation officers.
Later Mr.. McCotter will appoint a COM
mittee OF five to draw up bylaws and a
constitution and to appoint committees to
bring permanent organization. The next
meeting will be announced later.