The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-15
House Passes Bill Providing for
One.
Probate Judge Is Made the
Presiding Officer.
UNDER THE AGE OF is.
Law Applies Only to These
Children.
New Good Roads Law Is Fixed
Up.
UNDER THE AGE OF is.

a VIC u o. ~ " tlAG 4AOuSC VI
representatives at the close of a long
days work on Tuesday passed ]. l.
Brady's juvenile court bill
There were a good many efforts made
90 inject amendments into the bill, but
Brady put up a good fight. and sue
seeded in getting the bill through with
suit a scratch.
The bill invests the probate court
with new authority. The probate judge
As made judge Of the juvenile court. and
Is to be provided with the necessary
record books and dockets. He shall re-
ceive fees for his services such as are
provided by law, and these fees shall
be IN addition to his present fees.
The Jurisdiction of the court is defn-
ed as follows:
This act shall apply only to chill
dren under the age of Is years. not
now or hereinafter inmates of any state
institution or any Industrial school for
boys or industrial school for girls or
some institution incorporated under the
laws OF this state; provided, that when
jurisdiction has been acquired under the
provision hereof over the person of a
child, such jurisdiction may continue
Tor the purposes of this act until the
child has attained its majority For the
purpose of this act. the words depend
ent child and neglected child shall
mean any child who for any reason. is
destitute or homeless or abandoned, or
dependent upon the public for support,
or has not proper parental care or
guardianship and has idle and immoral
habits, or who habitually begs or re-
selves aims; or who is found living in
any house OF ill-fame or with any vici-
GUS OF dlsreputable persons; or whose
home. by reason OF neglect, cruelty or
oepravity on the part of its parents.
guardian, or other person in whose care
4t may be, is an unfit place for such a
III \
years who is found begging peddliug
or selling any article, or singing or
playing any musical instrument upon
the street or who ACCOMPANIES or is
used in aid of any person SO doing. The
words delinquent child shall include
any child under the age of Is years who
violates any law OF this state, or any
city, town or village ordinance, or who
Is incOrrigible, or who knowingly asso-
ciates with thieves. vicious or immoral
persons, or who is growing up in idle
ness or crime
The bill gives to the probate Judge
the right to appoint one or more pro-
baton officers at a salary of 81 per
day for actual services in counties of
less than 80, 900 population and g
a day in counties OF over $4,000. The
judge may. if he desires. designate the
truant officer of the county as the
probation officer, and the truancy Of
dcer shall serve without extra pay.
If on investigation, the probate
judge finds that the child is guilty
under the terms of the act he NAV
place the child in the custody of SOM.
vate family. The child, or its par
ents. may appeal to the district court
court. Or the probate judge can send
the child to some state institution for
reform.
It is the duty of the probation Of
hcer to look after the children who
come before the court, both during
and after their hearing.
The purposes of the bill are set
forth in one OF the concluding sec
This act shall be literally con-
gtrued, to the end that its purposes
may be carried out. to wit, that the
care. custody and discipline of child
shall approximate, as nearly as NAV
be prOrer, Parental care; and in all
cases where the same can be properly
done, that a child may be pIace,I in
an approved family home by legal
adoption or otherwise. And in no
case shall any proceedings. order or
cases coming within the D1rview Of
this act, be deemed or held to import
a criminal act on the part of any
enid; but all proceedings, orders and
judgments shall be deemed to have
been taken and done in the exercise !
OF the parental power of the state"
Good Roads Law.
Out OF the great mass of proposed |
road legislation the house committee
on roads and highways has hammered
a brand new law of only nine sections.
The committee found itself utterly
unable to agree upon the intricate /
provisions in some of the lengthy bills
which have been introduced. and
finally decided to cast them all aside.
This will no doubt make lot of COOL
roads reformers mad and there NAV
be fight on the proposed law when
It comes before the house
The principal changes which are
made by the new law are these:
The road overseers are appointed
by the township board. composed Of
the trustee. clerk and treasurer. in
The overseer is held accountable bv
the board, instead OF being a little
monarch in his own domain.
The road taxes must be paid in
cash, unless the township board sees
Mt to issue a special permit for soma
citizen to work out his taxes.
The money which the township
board receives in taxes it can expend
for road Improvement and it can con-
tract for road improvement if it sees
1T to do so.
In order to carry out the provisions
of the bill and give the township board
a fund with which to work. the COM
missioners of roads and highways Ct the
various townships are required 20 rec
ommend to the county clerk of each
county in this state on or before Au-
gust I of each year levy of not more
than mills on the dollar on all prop
erty in the township. 1t is the duty of
the county clerk to place such levy on
the tax rolls
The following are some of the import
ant sections of the bill:
'Au taxes assessed for the purpose of
construction and maintaining public
roads and highways. shall be paid in
cash and collected as provided for in
relation to other taxes: and when so
collected. the county treasurer shall pay
the same to the township treasurer to
be used exclusively for road purposes:
provided that the commissioners of
highways may order anv person to paw
the taxes levied upon his property in
work. as now provided bv law: and such