The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-14
,NVENILE JUDGE
TALKS To TEACHERS
Salt Lake Institute Hears About
Boys From Judge
E. G. GOwans.
WILLIS BROWNS VIEWS
DIFFER FROM SUCCESSOR
The Best Juvenile Court, He
SAYS, Is the One That Has
Charge CT Fewest Boys.

Judge Z. G.. Gowans, newly appointed
20 the Juvenile court, yesterday adj
d-e.sed the Salt Lake County Teac hers
;Ost;tute, which met in Judge Ritchie's S
eourtroom in the city aud county build
ing. The Judge emphasized strongly
,be value OF prevention rather than cure
in the matter of juvenile immortality,
and seid there should bo q righthaud
relationship between churches, schools
and courts, as all were working for
,be betterment of the youth Of the
ladd
.b,t mvenile crime is on tho increase,
and thought the fact that there wcro
mora statistics today than formerly
WAS responsible for this idea.
"The causes Of dcgeneracy, he said,
uaro not 50 much retrogression as the
taking Of a wrong direction, [ be
Geye 80 per cent OF all juvenile crime
i the result Of bad education. 1t is
Nd TO the teachers IN the schools to do
their duty in improving the condition
"I have great deal of sympathy
With the truant He is but displa aying
his racial instincts. All men were for
merly of nomadic and predatory natures
and the child reaches these stages in
his development He is bound to mani
fest his inherent desire for freedom
and il is difficult to keep him confined
or hard seat all day when has soul
longs for activity. II IS this matter
Of inactivity which leads TO the for
nation Of gangs such as the Juvenile
court has been called upon to deal with.
7. : IL. >1,,+,y ~ ha 10
this desire for activity, which they will
find in every healthy boy, toward good
ends. Prevention is the best kind of
medicine. The man who prevents an
endemic is far greater man than he
who cures the sick in one, This holds
ii education, In tho matter Of the
prevention Of Juvenile crime the teacher
can do much.
"What is demanded is broader
philosophy OF education, taking into ac'
count grades Of morality, Teachers
should be trained to get at the boy IN
diyidually, to study individual cases.
There must be NATURALIZATION TO
achieve success.
Tho Judge told the teachers that he
was proud OF being n teacher himself,
and felt there was no greater work,
He asked their cooperation in his work.
Retiring Judge Speaks.
Judge Willis Brown, the retiring
! Judge spoke at some length. He said
the boys already had passed upon the
new Judge and pronounced him all
right. He wanted to impress upon the
teachers that n boy will do tho most
disagreeablo things and yet play fair,
In many cases when boys do not play
fair it is because they do not know
The rules Of the game. He disagreed
with Judge Gowans, saying that there
should be no connection between the
teachers and the Juvenile court. When
parents and teachers were educated
there would be no connection. He said:
"Tho kids are all right. IT is the par
snts who need teaching He depre:
Gated the practice of some teachers and
parents in threatening boys with the
Juvenile court, and he would not have
| buch teachers in the public schools. The
court was the last resort. One-tenth OF
his time had been spent in the Juve-
nile court and the other nine-tenths IN
fighting it and keeping boys out Of it:
The teacher who threatens tho child
Il with the Juvenile court he called the
wickedest element in the school system
Ho alluded to the disease Of delln'
qcncy, and said the teacher was prob
rably in better position to first detect
1t than any other person, He or she
should be in q position to know when q
child first becomes inoculated with the
disease.
he advocated the appointment Of 9
delinquent commission, in charge of Z
man who understood boys, and there
would be fewer cases in the Juvenile
courts. The really successful court OF
| this nature is the one that has thu
fewest cases
Il The announcement was made that the
date Of the holding Of the summer Uni
yersity school would be from june. il
to July 10, instead Of as announced II
! The press. -,
i The eighth grade examinations Wi
be held on May % and 20, and the sew
enth grade examinations on the Mon
/ lay preceding.