Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-05
DETENTION HOME
SITE PURCHASE
URGED BY JUDGE
BUENA VISTA STREET ESTATE
RECOMMENDED
JUDGE WILBUR SENDS LETTER
TO SUPERVISORS
Juvenile Court Head Explains Why
Wills Property Would Be Best
for the County to Buy
at Once

One of the most important matters
to be taken up and decided by the
board of supervisors in the near future
is that relating to the establishment of
detention home, present facilities
being all too small to accommodate
the large increase in Juvenile court
work since that department was added
to the superior court.
Three sites on which a home might
i be built have been submitted, to the
supervisors. One of these, it is said,
is regarded favorably because of its
close proximity to the court house. 1t
is located on Buena Vista street.
Broadway and Fort Moore, and Is
| looked upon by Judge Wilbur of the
| juvenile court as the best place for
the establishment Of home. Judge
Wilbur leaves today for the east to be
absent until October 20. and, as the
detention home matter may be decided
while he is away, he expressed his
views on the matter in a letter sent
to the supervisors yesterday.
The cost of the site favored by him,
says Judge Wilbur, would be about
$4,000, and an expenditure Of $4,000
more would be necessary to erect a
suitable building. To pay for this, a
tax levy must be made, and Judge Will
| bur suggests that the price, If the
purchase is made, be paid in two in
stallments, S55,000 this year and $4,000
next year.
VIII Be No jail
In addition to his suggestion regard
ing the site for the detention home and
the building, Judge Wilbur takes oc-
casion in his letter to explain briefly
the purposes of the new Juvenile law
and the importance of the fact that
! children and parents alike should get
away from the idea that the home is
in any sense a jail.
| Judge Wilbur's letter is as follows:
From time to time there have been
| conferences between your honorable
body, or some member appointed by
you for that purpose, and myself with
regard to the detention home. Recent
ly appeared before your body, in re-
/ sponse to an invitation, with reference
to certain proposed sites for the deten-
ton home and the probable cost there
of. and said that this would be con-
sidered by the probation committee
as we'll as myself, and that we would
report to you the results.
ain pursuance of that Statement.
beg leave to inform you that, afrer
visiting various sites suggested, the
committee unanimously favored this
Wills property, which has a frontage
of 432 feet on Buena Vista street, 2s3
feet on Broadway and 202 feet on Fort
| Moore. After a conferences Will tlLo
owners of the property I feel author
lied in saying to you that while the
owners consider the property worth
$50 900, they feel sufficiently interested
in the detention home to reduce the
price, by way of donation. to $5O,oOo.
Will Accept Two InstaIIments
"This price may be paid in two in
stalIments, If desired by the county.
one-half payable in this fiscal year and
the other half payable in the next
fiscal year, with per cent interest on
-deferred payments. If this property
Is purchased, a tax levy should be
made sufficient to build a detention
home upon the property and, make
some comparatively small changes In
the building now there.
ITO build such brick building as
would be needed would cost at least
$4,000 for such part of 1t as is needed
at once, and the building should be
planned to have additional room
added later If found necessary. This
would make the tax levy for this year
$5500O and for the next year $4,000.
| in the event the board does not desire
to levy the whole amount this year
"The principal advantages of this
property is the fact that 1t Is sur
rounded by three streets, and the
fourth side is of such a character that
probably no buildings ever win be
erected on it: indeed, I am Informed
the city contemplates improving the
land to the north of the Wills prop
erty as a park, although OF this have
no assurance While a portion of this
| property is very steep and not avail
/ able for building purposes, there Is
ample level ground for such buildings
as will be needed.
Three Buildings Needed
"As I said to you verbally, it is smy
idea there should be at least three
| buildings; one the detention home
/ proper, for the detention not only of
/ children under 1S years of age, but all
| children 1nder the jurisdiction of the
Juvenile curt up to Is years of age
| The two other buildings, one for boys
and one for girls, to be used for child
rem who have demonstrated their trust
worthiness to be allowed to go out and
work, and in these two buildings. it is
my desire that the girls and boys pay
! the cost of maintaining these two
homes. In other words, that they
| should be allowed to go out and do
such work as they can obtain In the
| city, and during the hours when they
are not at work they will be under the
supervision of those in authority over
/ them. Thus we will avoid institution
/ alizing the children or taking from
| them their own environment, except so
1 far as it is absolutely necessary
"As you understand, the purpose OF
the Juvenile court is to help the boy
or girl make good in their own sur
roundings, and to better those sur
roundings as far as possible and neces-
sary to assist the children in making
good. The plan suggested has been
operated to a slight extent in our own
detention home heretofore, and by using
other institutions in connection with
the Juvenile court it has been in practi-
cal operation for some time"
Judge Wilbur says he does not think
the present building should be used as
the detention home proper, but might
be utilized as an office for probation
ary officers and a courtroom for the
juvenile court.
other Sites Unattractive
The other sites suggested for deten-
tion home are regarded by Judge VIII
Continued on Page Ninel