Evening star., 1909-06-11
Describes Juvenile Courts as
an Aid to Good Citizenship.
SUPPLEMENTS THE SCHOOL
Aims to Inculcate a Spirit Of 0bedi-
ence to Law.
SPEAKS AT BUFFALO MEETING
Addresses Conference Of Charities
and Correction-John Koren Tells
of Statistics to Be Gathered.

of Statistics to Be Gathered.
BUFFALO. N Y. June 11.-Today s
session of the conference of charities and
correction was opened with an address
by Judge William H. De Lacy of the
Juvenile Court of Washington. D. c.. his
subject being Juvenile Courts as an Aid
to Good Citizenship
Address of Judge De Lacy.
Judge DeLacy said:
THE young Of the irrational animals
speedily come TO the full enjoyment OF
their powers, including instinct. The de-
velopment Of the young of the human
kind is a long and tedious process to
maturity, giving time for the expanding
of all their POWERS to do and to dlscrim-
mate or reason. This is period of de-
pendency In which the children have an
abnormal status before the law: that is,
they are without legal responsibility or
full legal capacity. This is period IN
which to acquire habits of obedience in
the home and school which become re-
spect for the laws in the mature citizen.
Opportunity of the Juvenile Court.
The Juvenile court is born of these
considerations and the realization that
during children the young are IN
a formative period in which to develop
good habits. and for infractions of law
should receive correction rather than pun
ishment Now, correction involves the idea
of adjustment of conduct to approved
standards, involves the idea of education
and culture. and herein lies the oppor-
tunity of the Juvenile court to aid good
citizenship. This court, exercising the
chancery powers of the state as parens
patriae. places needy little ones bereft OF
their parents in proper care and guardian
ship. with due regard to the rights of the
conscience of the children. carefully seek
ing for the homeless child a home of its
own religious convictions and rescuing
children from vicious or immoral sur
roundings
These courts punish adults who de-
bauch the young or influence them to IL
legal acts. They enforce the child labor
legislation intended for the conservation
of childhood through its growing years
so that it may be saved from arrested de-
velopment and given chance to unfold
Its powers in a more natural way.
Safeguarding the Family.
These courts enforce the laws requir-
ing the husband and father to support the
wife and children in full conviction that
the securing of this right of support will
safeguard the family. the true unit In the
state. and preserve its children from the
starvation and the need that drive to the
temptations of the street and to crime.
The Juvenile court aims to so intelligent
ly handle the children who have violated
the laws of the state as to correct their
evil doings and save these children to
themselves and to the community.
I'm conclusion, these courts, in a pains
taking manner, instruct the children in
their duties and in their rights, and strive
to awaken their self-resDect. From the
Juvenile Court 1t is hoped that our citi-
.ZenS Of tomorrow will derive knowledge
and fmbibe spirit OF obedience to the
laws of their country. This truly educa-
tive function makes the Juvenile court
the complement of the public school and
demands in the judge the qualities of the
iJurist. the teacher, the sociologist and the
philanthropist."
Other Addresses.
The mornings program also includes
addresses on Rural Communities" by
Prof. l.. H. Bailey of Cornell University;
Investigations in Southern Mountains"
by John C. Campbell of the Russell Sage
Foundation of Demorest. Ga, and the
i'Prevention Of Blindness" by George
"A. Hubbell of New York, ex-secretary
of the special committee on prevention Of
blindness of the New York Association
FOR the Blind
; At the general session of the conference
John koren, expert special agent of the
United States census bureau read the re-
port OF the committee on statistics, of
Is CIldlIilidn.
Dependents and Delinquents.
Announcement was made by Mr.. Koren
that the census TO be taken next year will
include study OF the dependent, defective
and delinquent classes. The last enumera-
tion Of the so-called special classes took
place in 1904, or three years after the
general census of the decade
. The act OF Congress regulating the GEN.
sus OF 1910 provides that these classes
shall be included In the next enumeration,
SO that only six years will elapse between
such enumerations instead of the custom
ary ten. The bill for the thirteenth CEN
sus makes provision for a special emu
meration of the paupers. prisoners. juve-
nile delinquents. insane, feeble-minded,
bind deaf and dumb in Institutions, and
inmates Of benevolent institutions. Up
ward of 10000 institutions will enter into
the enumeration of 1910, consequently off,
cial relations must be entered into with
that number and special agents appointed
10 do the field work in each of them, for
the census of the special classes is not
left to the ordinary population enumera-
tor.
Several Million Inmates.
Mr.. koren estimates that the number
OF inmates in such institutions and those
admitted to them In the course of a year
concerning whom ii is necessary to obtain
Letail information number about 1000. .OcJ
persons. In addition to this there are two
or three million of institution inmates in
regard TO whose items of personal descrip-
iion. ETC.. are dispensed with. This part
or the census alone will cost several hun
dred thousand dollars. Mr.. koren pointed
out the advisability of studying such
members of the classes indicated as are
not included in institution populations, but
said that with the present lack of au-
thentic data in the courts, in institutions
themselves. and in the Offices of charit a bic
associations dealing with such classes il
was Impossible TO make such a study
Better Statistical Records.
The efforts of the committee on sta
tistics OF the national conference Of
charities have been directed toward the
development of DSlter statistical records
on the part of social workers, mot prj-
fnarily for the purpose of helping out CEN
sus reports but In order that the worker
may gain a better perspective of his own
activity and thereby become more eff
Cient. Some progress has been made and
there Is warrant for the belief that II will
be reflected in the reports of the next
census.
Tennis Tourney Resumed Tomorrow
The play in the Middle Atlantic tennis
tournament. which has been interrupted
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