The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-02
Detention Home and Probation
Officer Problems Hamper
ing Its Work.
CITY MUST FOOT BILLS,
But HAS No VOICE
Legislature Passed Laws Which
Threaten Friction Between
City and County.

| Members or tno Legislature, VINO I'm
agine that they perfected the Juvenile
court law at the recent session, are evi
IDENTIFY mistaken; and from all appear
ances the cities of the first and secont
classes and the county governments are
going to lock horns over the payment
of the cost Of administering justice tc
delinquent juveniles, while the welfare
OF the aforesaid juveniles will suffer
during the process.
-Four new bills were passed by the
Legislature touching juvenile courts,
and two of them are causing trouble,
One is the act creating the court, in
so far as it relates TO probation officers,
and the other is the act providing for
the establishment by the various coun-
ties of detention homes. the cities of
! the first and second class TO pay to
| tho counties the cost of maintaining
in such homes juvenile delinquents who
may be committed from such cities.
Is Serious Problem.
The detention home act, in its opera
| tions In Salt Lake county, for example,
would result in the control and super
vision OF home by the county, while
the city would bear most of the expense
OF maintaining the institution, for nat
urally majority of the delinquents in
this county would come from Salt Lake
City.
When the Legislature passed the new
detention home act, the city ceased to
appropriate money to keep up the Nor
ris home, md, as a result, there is now
no place to keep juvenile offenders ex-
cePt IN the city or county jails. AT the
IL.
mitment of Juvenile offenders to prison.
The County Commissioners are un-
willing to make any move toward estab-
fishing detention homo until they as,
certain whether or not the city is will
ing to bear its expense, as defined by
law. for maintaining such an institu-
ton, Assistant County Attorney Job
p. Lyon, representing the County Com
missioners, has interviewed Mayor
refused to express an opinion, and ad
vised Mr.. Lyon TO lay the matter before
the City Council. That is where it
will be threshed out ultimately.
There is a possibility, however, that
test case will be brought in the courts
to test the validity of a law which
compels the city virtually to support
an institution IN the management of
which it has no voice, DR.. e. G. Cow
ans, the new Judge of the Juvenile
court, says he thinks the law is an un-
Just one.
Probation Officer Muddle.
The probation officer muddle is on a
par with the detention home difficulty.
Judge Gowans is juvenile judge for the
Third Judicial district, which embraces
Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties.
The law provides that the Juvenile
Court ommission-composed of the
Governor, the Attorney. General and the
of Schoos-shall ap-
point. one probation officer for each |
and that cities of the first class
may appoint three probation officers and |
cities OF the second class, two. The
pay of these officers is So per day.
Salt Lake City has thus far refused !
to appoint any city probation officers, |
members OF the city government. in. |
cluding Mayor Thompson, being in
cllned to the belief that so long as the |
State has taken from the city all voice |
in the control of the Juvenile court,
the State should foot the bills This |
matter is likely TO come before the City
Council ut the same time tho detention
home matter comes up. 1t was before
the Council once, but was merely re.
ferred to the Mayor for his opinion, and
le has not as yet formally expressed
hlmself, though he is known to lean to
the belief that the State should take
care of the expenses of the Juvenile
nent and control is vested in the State.
Officers Are Needed.
1t is generally conceded that the ad,
litional probation officers are badly
leeded by the Juvenile court There
IRE over 600 boys and girls on proba.
ION in Salt Lake now. The duty of
he probation officers is TO see to il
hat these probationers are leading
good lives, that they attend school, aud
hat their home conditions are good.
The court has but one probation officer
the one appointed for the county by
he State commission, and he cannot do
I'll the work
Those interested in Juvenile court
york are hoping that an amicable un-
lerstanding may be reached whereby
he city and county and, if possible, the
state, can get together and share in
he expense of maintaining the expenses
II the probation work and of the de-
ention home. 1t is doubtful, however,
or such purpose, The act creating
no Juvenile Court commission does not
onfer any such power upon it, and
secretary Of State G, S. Tinpey OK.
PRESSED the belief Wednesday that the
state Board of Examiners would have
'oWcr TO appropriate money for such
purpose 1t is, therefore, up to the
lty ana county authorities, apparently,
o reach an understanding
Council Will Take 1t Up.
1t is probable that the County Attor.
ley 8 Office will send communication
o the Council mt it's next meeting on
nc detention home proposition. and
hat The Committee on Municipal Laws.
ne Mayor and the City Attorney will
AXE up the problem. There is, how.
ycr. strong disposition on tho part
! city officials to test the validity Of
he law which throws upon them a
'urden OF expense for maintaining a
ourt and a home, concerning the man
o say.
The probation and detention home
,llls, 1t is said, are, in part at least,
ne handiwork Of ex-Judge Willis
'rown, who was angry at the citv gov.
TnmPnt IL