The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-13
ASKS AID FOR
JUVENILE COURT
Commission Issues Appeal for
Cooperation in Work OF
Saving Children.
ENFORCE CURFEW LAW
MORE PROBATION OFFICERS AND
DETENTION HOME NEEDED.

nile court commission. That present con-
dttions neeessitate immediate steps is
pojnted out by the commission, which
suggests that the citizens of Salt Lake CO.
Operatt with them. Enforcement of the
curfew law, establishment of detention
home and other reforms are suggested as
a means to the desired end. Following Is
the statement of the commission:
ITO the Public:
'Tn view of recent developments, show
ing a derlorable condition among some
of the young people of Salt Lake Clty
which condition exists, perhaps, in smal-
Ter proportion among young people III
other communities in the state, we con-
slider it opportune to issue TINS ADDRESS.
For a little more than two years 1u-
Veniie courts have operated IN 5alt Lake
City and some other cities CT ULah. Inc
object of these courts is TO take young
people lust starting in WrOng-dolns ana
turn them back by loving and gentle
means to the path of rectitude In TINS
work the courts so far established nave
been eminently successful.
Provisions of Law.
Recognizing the vital and far-reaehing
Importance of this work, the recent leg
islature enacted a comprehensive law
covering it. aid making the juvenile
courts state instead of municipal courts
A Juvenile court commission was created
to consist of the governor, the attorney
general and the superintendent OF public
instruction. This act took effect on
March %. 1907 Under it's provisions Ju-
Venile court is established In each or the
seven judicial districts OF the state In
the first four of these districts, each OF
which contains a city of the first or
second class, a special judge of the Ju-
veniIe court is appointed by the commits
sion. In the other three the work or the
juvenile court is performed by the regu-
iarly elected district judge aside from MS
ordinary judicial duties.
"A provision OF the law which is OF
immediate public interest is the clause
which makes parents who are negligent IN
the care and training of their children re-
sponsible for their delinquency, and sub
iects them to punishment for eontributory
negligence 1t also provides that any
other adult who contributes in any way
to the delinquency of Juvenile shall be
suitably punished.
But the commission and the several
courts are laboring under some serious
handicap. 1t is to these that the COM
the public in the hope that a way may
be found to overcome these difficulties
and thus secure more efficient work.
Need More Probation Officers.
Under the law each city of the first
or second class is authorized to appoint
additional probation officers, to serve UNI
der the direction of the juvenile court
JuQEe, ana 10 DC PAID Dg the CITY a Ger
tain sum per day of actual service: 1t is
the intent of the law that these additional
officers shall be appointed Immediately
upon the call of the judge.
urgent need for these additional Off
GERS has developed in two of the cities
of Salt Lake county, Salt Lake City and
Murray. The latter responded promptly
10 the request of Judge GoWans for help;
Salt Lake City. where the greatest need
exists, has so far failed to appoint prOba-
ton officers. From present indications,
the refusal to do SO seems to be premedi-
tated. AS il is possible fer the probation
officer appointed by the commission for
Salt Lake county to do successfully only
d fractional part of the work at hand,
and as the commission has no funds to
pay additional Officers, the situation in
Salt Lake City is deplorable, and is likely
to become worse.
Detention School Urged.
In Salt Lake county, the need of a de-
tention school is-urgent. Early in April
of this year. the commission presented to
the county commissioners the need Of
such a school. The commissioners signi-
fled their willingness to provide it, il
they could be assured that Salt Lake
City would bear its proportion of the eX-
pense This the city authorities would
not do, basing their refusal on the tech
nicaI ground that the city should not pay
for an institution which it could not con-
troll And so the juvenile court is nut
in a quandary. The law wisely provides
that children under Is years of age shall
not be kept In a common Jail or lookup.
There is no other place to keep young
people who are under probation The
work of the court is vitality crippled by
the lack of Q detention school,
One other difficulty is worthy of men
ton 1t affects Salt Lake City in partic
ular. The curfeW law requires that chill
dren under 16 years of age shall not b,
on the streets after o'clock unless &C
cOmpanied by responsible adults. TIL,
power of enforcing this ordinance is il
the hands of the police force of the city
enforcement OF this law is greatly neg
lected. Children Of tender years are al
lowed by parents and the police to run
the streets until late hours. They yisi
places and form associations and SCI
sights which are most demoraliZing. Thi
is one of the most demOralizing of iu
Venile delinquency. Add TO this the fac
that some business men, who place tn
dollar far above public morality and safe
ty, openly sell forbidden articles to tn
young people, and a condition is fount
requiring for it's correction the imme
date activity of the people.
Suggestions of the Commission.
I'VE venture a few suggestions whicl
appear to us appropriate and helpful, il
the hope that the public will render sue
assistance as they can in carrying then
out. We wish, first Of all, TO appeal +
the parents, For the sake OF their chill
dren's future, they should give them bet
ter present attention. They should loo
more closely to their hours and their as
soeiates. Eternal vigilance is the Ike
TO the situation. If the curfew law is {
be enforced, the parents can and shout
do most to enforce it. And it is not
threat but merely a statement of inten
ton, when We say that parents who per
sistently contribute to the delinquenc
of their children by neglecting to Civ
them common care will be punished unde
the law. If their solicitude for their chill
dren will not lead them to do their duty
the law will be invoked.
1T seems TO us, too, that the ehuTche
have a great interest I'm this matter. The
are established for the saving of soul:
There is no larger or ripper field than tn
one under discussion. If a Representative
of each of the Salt Lake churches eoul
attend the sessions of the Juvenile cour
and when members of mis- church are aC
cused assume a fatherly care of the chi
dren and be answerable to the court 70
them Ii would appear that great goo
must result For II is individual car
that will accomplish most. Each cas-
should be treated separately, and as pr
vately as possible
Resort Managers Warned.
1.-THE managers of the various resort
in and around Salt Lake City have a larg
share of responsibility for the conduC
of the young people. Ii is a commo