The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-16
STATE COMES TO THE RESCUE OF THE BOYS
Great Things Anticipated from the
Workings of the Ju-
venile Court.
Plan to Lead the Child to Better
Things Rather Than Man
ufacture Criminals

When asked what are the most neces-
sary qualifications for the position Of
judge of the juvenile court, a man who
has given much of his time and his
thought to this matter, and who is IA
miliar with the development of the
work wherever it has been tried. said
First, he must have a fund of good
sense. He must have energy, a real
love for boys, an optimistic outlook
and enthusiasm plus"
The local court with Willis Brown as
judge and NJ M Woods as probation
officer would seem to be equipped with
the necessary outfit, and the evidence
Of the past few days has already shown
to those who are sufficiently interested
that the court is fairly begun along the
right lines. 1t surely has the right ma
terial with which TO work out its prob
I lens. for i'm the opinion of those who
have so far studied the matter Utah is
equipped with law which potentially
| is far ahead of any framed heretofore,
The movement in its entirety is but
five years Of age. and it grew as is well
known out of the needs of the criminal
! court of New York Hence in all the
other states where it is today in work.
ing order it Is handled under the Grim
inal code. and is not in the higher sense
educational.
Utah's bill has initiated new term
as it were in the realms of law, that of
the delinquent court as separated and
entirely distinct from the criminal
court Of every kind. It's purpose. there
fore, can never be cOnfOunded with
that OF the criminal court, but must be
included always among the educational
features Of the state For this reason
il is best separated from all questions
Of law and placed in the hands of some
one having nothing to do with the
courts.
Thus is surmounted one Of the great
est difficulties met with in the handling
Of Juvenile courts in Illinois. in Ne
braska and in Indiana. The last named
state has a law similar to that of this
state, but the judge must be elected
along with other officers. and the office
! becomes - plum
Although it may seem at first to fair
minded people that the fact that it is
so far from plum" here is against it..
( this very feature may be one of it's
best. BY this means men whose inter
eStS are not really ceHtered in this mat
ter of child saving will never be likely
TO seek the office, and Of necessity the
office must seek the man.
When Parents Are at Fault.
Another feature which is shared. it
is true. by Colorado with some reserva-
tions, is that the bill passed by the
/ last legislature creates an adult de-
| linquent,' as we'll as the juvenile de-
I linqUent or dependent. This is inter
preted by the fact that wherever q par
ent or guardian is guilty of contribute
ry negligence in the delinquency of a
! child, such as allowing it to pursue sin
full avOCations or to in any way be
guilty of a misdemeanOr, that person
becomes a delinquent and is required
to report to the court or to the prOba-
Z sill
First of all plans for the working of
J the court is that of having delinquent
children report to the court at stated
/ intervals. presenting a clean bill of
( health. as 1t were, and showing how
/ their conduct has been during the pc
( ricd imposed Among other practical
/ things this viii insure the child being
/ kept from the streets at night, from
/ truancy. from malicious mischief and
( from petty offenses which lead to
/ greater evils.
Home Help For the Erring.
Another plan is to remove the child
! from its environment. it should be
/ deemed best for his interests and fOT
] the interests Of the state and place him
J in better one. For this purpose a
( place must be provided, and this would
, appear to be Il difficulty at the first
/ glance. But the law provides that a
} small sum per diem may be expended
| lOT the DOdTQ OF SuCn a GIlliQ. ana Illhl
/ he may be placed either with people II
/ a private family. where he viii be
/ given proper care, or be taken care OF
I in any public home suitable for the
care OF such delinquentS. AS Salt Lake
/ already has some charitable places OF
/ this chara cter. the Infants home, on
street, the Orphans home, on State
( street. and others, this problem viii b,
/ readily solved till such time as a rea
/ detention home or school be provided
| Provision is already allowed for sUct
I a home or parental school. as it is
/ called. but the success of the present
! movement Will determine its estab.
Iishment-
But the great feature is that instead
/ of dragging the yOungSter down II
/ gives him a better chance than the
} poorly managed or poorly regulated
/ home can do. 1t is willing to take the
| boy for the best that IS in him, and for
get the worst. It leaves no stain be
hind him to live down. but provides
record that is clean for him to live nj
to. 1t calls him no such name as Grim
/ inal, but only delinquent, failing to live
up 20 the best for himself and his feI
lows.
How Denver Saves Money.
Taking for its fundamental idea IN
thought that lit is wiser and less eN
peDsIVe to save children than to pun
ish criminals the juvenile courts haV,
so Idr proved TINS TO be a real TACT tina
the people OF Denver have bought
home for the detention of delinquent
at a cost Of $4,000. and now pay saIa
~ to a man and wife TO run that HON
OF S1.40O annually. besides all the Othe
I expenses. and still shows a saving of
/ large sum Of money each year over tina
formerly used for the employment o
! lawyers and the expenses OF the chill
dren'S cases in a criminal court.
The real meaning of the juVenil
court law, the motives underlying ia
adoption and the attitude taken by tn,
court and the officer administering it
must be thoroughly understood IL
/ every detail before an intelligent con
/ clUsiOn can be reached as TO the re
( suits already accomplished by tn
1 workings of the law. and the possible
results which may be brought about il
the future.
The fundamental idea of the juvenil
court is 50 simple that any one ough
! 20 understand It, It is. to be perfect.
/ plain, return 10 paternaIism. It j
I the acknowledgment by the state o
its relationship as "A parent towar,
child within its borders. Civilization
for years lost sight of this relationship
and as consequence the utter demo
ralization Of society was threatened
The child, suffering for the sins Of it
] %