Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18
Report for Year of Judge McMas-
l., ter and Probation Officer
Brown.
NUMBER OF CASES HANDLED
Omcinls Much GratIficd With Prog
ress Made During Year
Just Closing.

tha Juvenile court OF Salt Lake county
has handled a grand total OF s4' minor
children and prosecuted 1 adults tor
contributing TO the delinquency oil
children. according to the report oil
Judge Alexander. McMastcr and Chlet
Probation Officer Guardello Brown'
which was submitted to Governor Will
liam Spry Friday afternoon. The pro-
bation officers have done great WORK
outside of the court among tamiiieS'
.hcre heinr a total OF 56S cases handieu
o,,t of court, The total number OF poSs
brought within the jurisdiction % %
the court was 1877 and totai OIL ~
1irls Rows ls years old appear 10 DC
sha most mischlcvous, 121 of that age
having been before the courts nei
were "a girls IA years old, which 10 ene
highest number OF one age. There were
5oeah;Idran under the age of seven who
wcro dependent and neglected ch'i-
dren handled by the officers
The statistical report submltteu oy
+bo officers shows that there were ..
boys charged with incorrigioiity aIlu
eS girls: 2os boys charged with mai
icious mischief and girlsi27 boys VISIT
ing saloons and pool halls ana no snis
no girls: rs boys charged with truancy
ana girls: 155 boys charged WIN
netit larceny and 6 girls boys cnarg-
81 with assault and battery ana no
girls; Ii boys growing up IN ldiehess
and crime and l girl; AZ boys WIN
smoking and no girls; 10 boys with
f1Ichting and girl; 21 boys Dependent
and neglected and Is girls; ~ poys Ss
charged with immoral conduct and 20
urtfh
order Of the court and 9 girls;
boys charged with obtaining
money under false pretenses ana
no girls: 9 boys with violating inc
curfew ordinance and IL girls " poys
with violath y the bicycle ordinance ana
no girls. 3 boys with abusive language
and no girls. IA boys with discharging
firearms and no girls. ~
In the disposition of the cases -
hoys were sent to the reform school
and is girls Thirty-eight boys were
committed to the detention home but
no girls. Fifteen boys and 20 girls
were placed in other institutions
There we're 100 boys and 10 girls plac-
ed on probation. The cases of ~ boys
and 10 girls were continued. Three
boys and . girls are now under sus-
pended sentence, Thlrty-iour 1@oYs @
Wero dismissed with admonition. Two
cases against boys and girl were DIS
missed on account of insufficient evil
dence.
RECEIVES EARNEST SUPPORT.
Judge McMaster in his report says in
regard to the juvenile court work;
1Perhaps In no one year since It's IN
PRODUCTION into the Jurisprudence oil
this country has the juvenile court
system received more earnest ana UNI
versal support than In the one Just
closed. Its advocates have been unttr-
ing in their endeavors to enhghten
and educate the people, and their ell
forts have met with gratifying success.
The wave of public sentiment in favor
of this method of handling delinquent
children that is sweeping over the
nation has been greatly accelerated by
the favorable attitude of the hlgh-
er courts in the states where
Juvenile courts have been estao,
llsbed. They have not only upheld
the constitutionalIty of the law. but
have said many encouraging things
about the good being accomplished by
these institutions.
while this Is true in a general way,
II is particularly so of Utah. Splen-
did Juvenile court laws have been en-
acted. and many intelligent men ana
women have rendered their services to
help convert our people to the neces-
sity OF doing verything possible TO
assist unfortunate boys and girls. AS
a result many schools and pubic
meetings have been addressed. and
number of newspaper articles pub
lished which have tended to post the
people as TO the. aims and advantages
of the juvenile court, and friends from
all classes and crecds have pledged
their support In Salt Lake City many
volunteer probation officers have been
appointed who have rendered excel
lent service, especially in the matter
Of keeping children of the streets at
night and in breaking up gangs OF
boys who have been In the habit OF
gathering at stores, on street corners
and near public meetinghouses. There
are stIn complaints made about such
nuisances. and the attention of the
probation officers Is being directed
toward the elimination of the trou-
BILE"
MORE LEGISLATION NEEDED.
Speaking of the Juvenile court law
now In effect and the need of some
more legislation. Judge McMaster
says;
while the Juvenile court laws at
present in force are splendid ones. the
best results cannot be expected from
them until the court is in a position
financially to enforce the law against
adult offenders. for 1t Is not to be
hoped to check the delinqucncies OF
minors unless we are able to punish
the adults who contribute to that de-
linquency. And while the Justices OF
the peace have stood Loyalty by us ir
our endeavor to enforce the law, the
highest achievements Will not be Sc