The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-22

It will be further observed that the whites arrested for violating the sanitary laws exceed the negroes by nearly 100. This comes from the fact that foreigners, the many recently arrived emigrants, are not accustomed to our modes of life. and are ignorant of our sanitary regulation, and slow to appreciate the rigid health laws enforced through the police court
 Too much praise cannot be given to your health department in its vigilant ef- fort to stamp out the causes of disease and to prevent the spread of infectl )us and contagious maladies.
 The weights and measures laws and their enforcement have raised the stand ard of morals among our merchants. I am informed that there has been an as- sociation formed guaranteeing fair dealing in their line of all commodities sold. There is yet much to be done in the field of operation of these beneficial laws. Proofs before this court show that large quantities of goods are stills shipped into and sold in this city in short weight pack ages which cannot be stopped without a rigid enforcement of the law. It is the consumer who suffers.
 The building and plumbing laws have been made more perfect by amendments to meet the demand for better health. and for greater safety in construction. It Is the avaricious spirit, the greed for gain that often leads to the violation of the building, plumbing and weights and meas ures laws. It can be attributed to the reckless disregard of the rightsAof others.
 Causes of Crime.
 The history of the human family tells us that the more ignorant a people or a race, the less moral restraint, the more brutal, the more they live in the realm of fhair na GGiOnQ n fhair qnnatifpQ The record of the police court shows that 80 per cent of the arrests made come from the lowest strata of our city life. These violators of the law are the weak mem bers of our social organism, weak men, tally and weaker morally. Their welfare is largely in the hands of the strong-you, our city fathers.
 The city council has done much to bet ter social conditions by minimizing with wise laws tn e fostering spots of vice that lead to crime. As you continue, by restraining ordinances, to weed out temp tations to wrong doing you give the weak a better chance for a better life. These unfortunate burdens to the city are large ly the wretched victims of wretched en- vironment. Rob by wholesome laws the plague spots of their social and attrac- tive features and they will cease largely to lure the young and the innocent and ihe weak into crime.
 The probation officer for the care of juvenile offenders reports that juvenile crime decreased over 20 per cent during the year 1907 as compared with 1906. You could make no wiser investment than you are now doing in staying this class of crime and in training the wayward child into good citizenship There were 4l1 children arrested for violating city laws in 1907 Of these 119 were whites and 29S negroes. There were 219 placed on proba- 4A l.AR in a country. 10 sent to the East Lake Indus trial school for boys 23 negro boys sent to the Mount Meigs reformatory near Montgomery 47 sent to Sam Dalley's farm near Tuscaloosa, and the rest sent to homes on farms in the country
 To Better Social Conditions.
 most earnestly recommend for the bet torment of social conditions that as soon as the financial conditions of the city make it practicable that you establish;
 l. A detention home for wayward chill dren.
 2 A trade school for boys and girls who are compelled to help the home in money making
 sA night school for foreigners and working people.
 4 The compiling of a city code to be taught in our public schools.
 The advantage of the first of these rec concentrations is evident when you real ize that the wayward child Is now locked LID with the hardened criminal In our iails-a veritable school of crime.
 In A trade school the boys and girls, who are unable to complete the studies or our grammar schools and high schools oy the necessity and demand of the nome for means of support can be given manual training that will fit them more rapidly for the industrial pursuits of our city
 tar aN-Vy pacity of which they are now sorely deprived
 The night school would bring untold blessings to the emigrant, ignorant of our languages and institutions, who are rapidly pouring into our city. It will give them a means for training and culture in every vocation in life. Our ambitious working people who are desirous Of ac- curing the theory of their respective trades can gain greater skill in hand, and knowledge of those things that will en- able them to master their vacations, can reap great advantages and become bet-l ter fitted for our industrial and economic life. To be able to do things intelligently would give an opportunity to many who are now without heart and hope in our civic life.
 will take pleasure in aiding, free of charge the compiling of civic code to  the assistance of your superintendent Of education and the principals of your grammar schools I am of the opinion that some of the laws and ordinances of the city bearing on health. morals and good government could be so -formu- lated and classified as to make an inter- esting text book. Such a study could be utilized in inculcating civic pride. foster ing patriotism and promoting good citizen ship in the rising generation. It Is maxim of the law that Ignorance Of the law excuses no one,' yet 1t works great hardship upon the poor, the ignorant and the weaker members of society. The child thus taught through his instruction in school life would impress the spirit of re- spect for the law upon every inmate of his home. This civic code besides would add a greater zest to and deeper inter- est in the self-government methods that are now in force among the pupils in. many of our public schools It's influence for good on the future life of the child and it's home cannot be well estimated. Respectfully submitted,
 N. B. FEAGIN,
 Judge of Police Court.