Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-13
COURTS COR JUVENILES
MRS. FREDERIC SCHOFF TALKS
oF THE WORK.
President of National Mothers Con-
gress a Strong Advocate for
Establishment.


tional congress OF smothers, is greatly IN
terested in the establishment of Juvenile
courts throughout the country and her eff
forts in that behalf have met with success.
The United States Congress has embodied
In a report of the international prison COM
mission her report on 'Childrens Courts in
the United States.
To reporter. for The Star Mrs. Schof
talked very freely of this work.
'"rhe children's courts marks decided
step in advance of any method ever used
for the prevention of crime" she stated,
land when officially administered give 10
every child help, care and encouragement
at the very first downward step.
1T means the wise guardianship or the
children. 1t means moral stimulus to the
homes and parents 1t means the saving
of over 80 per cent of the children.
1.-THE success of the court is wholly de-
pendent on the quality of the probation
work and on the comprehension of child de-
velopment by judge and probation off1cers
Child study is the essential of the best pro-
baton work, and this combined with COM
mon sense and love of the children, Will pre-
vent crime.
THE mothers congress in it's purpose to
provide the best opportunities for every
child in the nation has worked systematic
ally and earnestly to extend this method
of child care into every state and with
marked degree Of success.
Il planned and organized the movement
in Pennsylvania which has made it impos-
slble to try children'S cases with Others and
which makes it mandatory in every coun-
ty of the state that childrens cases should
be considered separately from others. 1t
also provides that no child may be kept in
the police station prison awaiting trial,
but that separate rooms buildings should
be provided for children, and that as far
as possible every child shall have the bene-
tit of probation care before being sent to
any institution.
AT every convention of the mothers con-
gress the promotion of their work has been
considered. Pennsylvania, Iowa and Con-
Decticur owe their Juvenile court laws to
the work of officers of the mothers con-
gress, and their influence has aided in es-
tablish1ng them in many other states.
have had charge of the probation work in
Philadelphia, raising the money for salaries
Of officers, and in many cases choosing
those who were to be recommended to
the court for appointment. and have been
IN close touch with the work, therefore
learning of its practical needs.
Means Very Much.
1T means more for the quality of the
future citizenship of the country than any
thing that has ever been done if efficiently
administered. My belief In the deep need
or this work. in it's possibilities for saving
children, has led me to speak for it hun
dreds of times in the last six years and as
reaching women and mothers 1 have been
able to arouse them to their responsibility
Ill caring for the children of the community.
The work in Philadelphia attracted the
attention OF New South Wales and by re-
quest of the governor the British consul in
fhlladeiphla was asked to prepare a re-
port of it sor New South Wales The re-
port was of such interest to the British
consul that he urgedme to prepare a report
Tor Great Britain to be presented to par
lament. This with the purpose of inau-
gurating the movement in England.
The British consulinterested the Austrian
consul, who sent the letter describing the
work of the juvenile court in Philadelphia
to the priVy councillor of the Emperor of
Austria, who announced his intention to
visit Philadelphia atEonce. Last June Con-
sui Thodorovitch and DIR. Baerureither of
Berlin dined with me and4a dayiand even
ing We've spent in explaining 5they work and
In advising the priyy councillor What other
cities to visit to see the working of the
system.
THE president of the international prison
commission. Dr.. Samuel ]. Barrows, also
asked for report of the work to be in
corporated in a public document to be pub
lished by the United States Congress under
the title Children's Courts in the United
States
This is just published and is for free dis
tribution to all who desire It, The little
beginnings have grown until foreign lands
are reaching out for the thought we have
been spreading so earnestly, and now the
government Of Belgium, through the Phila-
delphia consul has asked to have me pre-
sent the work for child protection in Liege
next September.
This brings to the children of the world
in the most far-reaching and vital manner
the protecting influence of mother thought
and care. 1t puts into government admin
istration the mother-thought for children"