The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-27
STATE NEWS
PLAN TO SAVE BOYS
Willis Brown Speaks in the Provo
Tabernacle Concerning the Juven-
lie Courts to be Established.

Provo, March 26.-Wilis Brown ad-
dressed the congregation at the Taber-
naCle this afternoon on the Juvenile court
aS solution of the boy problem Mir.
Brown gave an interesting exposition OF
the good that can bc done by juvenile
court I'm the reclamation of the maynard
hOyS and explained the provision Of the
law passed by the late legislature under
which Il chief probation officer can be-
appointed in all the counties of the state
The duty OF each officer will he to look
after BOYS who are arrested for OffeuSpS
and who are delinqUentS under tho pro-
visions of the law, That is. boys who are
going wrong. but WHO have not yet brok-
Mr. Brown was listened to with the
closest attention and his suggestions viii
without doubt be acted upon This even
ing ne spoke in the university before ap-
other large audience on tho evils of the
cigarette habit He viii come down again
Wednesday or Thursday and speak in the
Discussing the Boy Problem" Mr..
Brown spoke in part as follows:
While the boy is a question mark
from babyhOod to Is or % years Of age,
ne is the problem from 10 TO 16 years.
These years of formation, using Webster $
definition OF delinquency as failing in
ones duty" then we can well say every
boy is a delinquent
The state OF Utah has heretofore
watched these drifting boys, not checking
not protecting, but waiting until at last
the majesty Of the law is invoked and
the officer of the Just and stern law
brings one moro criminal before the bar.
and soon youth = footsteps are guided
into the shadow of the prison wall, and
crime brand is imprinted on tender
forehead.
Such as these make our criminal class,
for but 20 per cent of the adult iumat es;
of penal institutions were innocent in
youth Therefore, we grow criminals.
The state, by neglect at some time in
the career of the boy. contributes to his
downfall. and a lost citizen is the result.
We must recognize this fact. that fully
10 2er cent of the criminal class arrive
at the prison because of neglect and bad
formed between
age.
Now Utah has thought on these things
and is going into the business Of becOm-
ing the legal guardian of drifting boys.
The juvenile law as passed by the last
legislature is to help and assist the
chlld where 1t needs such help, and 10
compel the parents or guardians to per
form their duty towards the child.
The phase of the juvenile law which
seems pretty Wen understood is that
which conducts the trial of a child in a
separate room apart from the older Grim
from criminal record book. and in Ger
tain cases permits the criminal youth tC
/ continu" life under normal conditions I'M
der charge of an officer of the court.
The boy should love the law. appeal &c
it. and recognize its tender SOliCitudc for
his care and happiness. He should under
stand every agency. home. school and
court are trying to make of him a noble
true citizen
The Utah law. while it permits separate
courts in cities of the first and second
classes, provides for probation officers
who shall have charge of all juvenile Of
tenders, conduct examinations and report
| to the district Judge 1t provides thai
when a child under is years il arrested
] before any trial * he'd the probation Of
/ fiCCr must be notified and examine into
! tho environment, parCntage and causes
/ leading to the act. and represent the
/ child in any preliminary hearing The
probation officer is the legal guardian FOL
] the state Of such delinquent.
! In juvenile courts 20 per cent Of the
/ boys brought in are at the critical az,
Z Of
drcn'S court out of LILY children com
] mitted with a pTOba tionary system 81 pc
! cent were saved and sent on the path o.
! rectitudc. proving that at this age they
4 were simply misguided and misdirectcd
! and not criminals.
/ The juvenile court solves the boy prob
! Icm If II reaches the boys gangs anS
/ checks the drifting course. In this
/ whole city Is saved