The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-02-07
SMALL CHANCE FOR
JUVENILE COURT
Bill Still in Committee in
House and Senate.
CAMPAIGN NOT VIGOROUS
Measure Is Too Complex to Be Dis
posed of Quick1y-Means Many
Changes and Much Expense.

Il was admitted at the Capitol today
that there IS little or no chance for
the bill establishing q juvenile court in
the District to become a law during the
present Congress.
The measure has not yet been reported
by either the Senate or the House Com
rnittee on the District of Columbia Now
when II will re a matter OF some dir
ffcuItv to have enacted those bills winch
have already been fdVOraDly reported by
committees, the probabilities of a meas
ure in so embryo state as the juvenile
court bill being passed are reduced to
nudity.
Still in Committee.
On the House side the bill is now be-
fore u subcommittee of the District
Committee. called the subcommittee on
the judiciary. Representative Smith
who is iii with pneumonia, is a member
of it. Consequently, little more work
will be done by this subcommittee, which
has about nineteen more working days
left in the present session OF Congress.
The chances of the juvenile court bill
being reported by 1t to the full commit
tee are TOO slight To be reckoned on
On the Senate side the bill is also be-
fore subcommittee OF the Committee
on the District of Columbia. Even if it
should be reported to the fun commit
tee, the latter would have little time 10
pass on it.
Reasons for Failure.
The reasons given for the failure of
the bill to become q law during the
present Congress were today given as
being two, the following:
First. the agitation in favor OF it was
not started early enough ana Vigorously
enough: secondly, the measure as 1t
came from the District Commissioners.
was too long and too full of minor pro-
visions to be acted on quickly by the
committee.
The bill was sent to the District COM
mittees last April. only short time
before that session of the present Con-
eress adjourned, and 1t was not thef.
expected that il would be passed by
that session. During the present session,
however, those who favor the measure
were not particularly in evidence before
the committee. and no special effort
was made to have II enacted into law
until a few days ago, when petitions be-
gan TO pour into the committee room
from various sources Championing 1t for
immediate passags-
Success Not Probable.
At this advanced stage of the session.
however. 1t is the general view that no
movement could end in success If start
ed 50 late for che passage of a bill.
In addition 10 this the bill covers fif-
teen pages. ana contains twenty-five
sections. with various PROVISIONS N
those sections. Moreover. such q bill
provides for sweeping changes in the
judicial system Of any locality IN which
it may become a law, and 1t necessi-
tateS the expenditure OF more money
for the operation of the courts than IS
now the rule in the District
4 long bill comes in for more extended
consideration than a short one, and the
committee inquiries rnfnuteIy into the
provisions of each section. This ses-
sion. as has been heralded abroad. the
cry is economy. and the fact that the
juvenile court measure calls for added
expenses for the benefit of the District
Is prina facie evidence that it meets
with more or less opposition. either If
the committee or on the floor of the
House and Senate.
Consequently, the District Cornmis-
the Board of Children's Guard
ians and others Interested in the pas
age of the bill. will have to have 1t
in the next Congress and
make a vigorous campaign for its enact
ment into law. II they take the cue
given by the opinion at the Capitol that
the measure stands a better chance if
in fewer words. they viii have
il mt into more condensed form.