The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-19
Dependent and Delinquent Chill
dren.

Prominence has been given IN this
community Of late to the most approved
methods Of caring for dependent and
delinquent children. Judge Tuthill,
who presides over the juvenile court OF
Chicago, talked to a Minneapolis audi
ence on the work Of his court several
months ago. During the past week,
Judge Hurley, Of the same city, engaged
in tho same work, has in response to an
invitation from Minneapolis and st.
Paul people interested in the same mat
ter, discussed here the operations Of the
Juvenile delinquency law in Illinois and
other states.
This agitation is good thing. We
have undertaken to do something here in
Minneapolis in the way Of correcting
truancy, relieving dependency and
checking tendencies toward juvenile
crime, but we do not seem to have sys-
tematized our effort as we'll as it has
been organized in other places. Part
Of this work devolves here upon the dis
trict court, part upon the probate, and
part upon the municipal. In Chicago,
in Denver and in other places practical
ly all Of this business has been COM
nitted to special court of full iuris-
diction, whose business it is to look
after the interests Of the children. The
officers Of this court discharge the du-
ties Of truant officers; they take charge
Of children under 16 years of age who
have committed petty offenses, and in
the case of incorrigibles, aid the parents
in securing better control Of their child
rem, or if necessary the court finds a
place where their incorrigibility may be
corrected.
There is no more interesting or en-
couraging sign Of the times than the
increasing attention given to the proven
ton of crime and the protection of
children from those conditions which
experience has proven make criminals
out of an increasing percentage from
year to year.
In an address at the laying Of the cor
nerstone Of the new Y. M. G. A. building
in Washington, last Saturday, Mr.
Fairbanks, e-president-elect, said:
, There never was an hour in all ou1
splendid history when our people were
more ambitious to advance in all the quail.
I tiles which mark the highest and bes
, citizenship than they are now. The.
: never gave more thought and effort thar
, they are giving today to their moral, in
tellectual and physical improvement
And of all thought and effort expend
= ed in this direction none Of it is cal
+ culated to produce greater results thar
4 the movement which is taking practi
cal shape in the larger cities for thu
y rescue Of neglected children from tn
: influences which tend to lead them int
lives of vice and crime. The result
Q already accomplished are surprising AM
J. gratifying in the extreme. And no
e only does intelligent effort for the pre-
It vention Of crime appeal to every right
>, minded person from the standpoint o
s. humanity, but it has already beer
demonstrated that from the bushes
n standpoint it is profitable and desery
le ing of support. The results show tina
"a capture and convict and punish or RI
y strain criminal as it does to save
u youth from becoming a criminal. An
:, !, yet the state has expended thousand
=, - upon the punishment Of crime to hui
= dreds devoted to it's prevention.
: We hope to see this effort so system
~ atized in Minneapolis that the best r
- suits may be obtained here. This ma
=. require some legislation, but the ma
ia ter is one which ought to appeal wit
a sufficient force to some member Of o,
he present delegation to secure proper le
ar islation on the subject. If, for i
Mt stance, it could be made the speci
Of business of one Of our six distri
OF Judges, Of whom we have probabl