New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-08-18
Alberta's New Children's Act.

Congratulations to the province of
Alberta, Canada, on the new "child-
ren's act" which it is putting into eff
feet. It is a good one, and there are
American states that might study it
with profit. It was drawn after con-
situations with Judge Ben B. Lindsay
OF Denver and Judge George S. Ad-
dams of Cleveland, both experts in
the judicial management Of children.
The law was drawn with particular
heed, according to the survey, ''for
Alberta's special problem of assimi-
lating the Heterogeneous people who
are assembling in that province. The
British, the Canadians and the Amer
leans are easily managed, but the
multitudes from continental Europe
must be patiently dealt with. Their
peasant longing to get rich quick, by
compelling their children to contri-
butte steadily to the family purse, has
to be replaced by desire to see their
children we'll educated, with whole
sale respect for the laws and institu-
tions of the dominion.
The act makes provision for forcing
responsibility On cruel or negligent
parents. who may be fined or jailed
for ill-treating child. Parents may
be supervised by an oHcial charged
with the duty of seeing that children
are properly dealt with in the family
home. II the parents refuse compli.
ance with the acquisitions of the Off
cial, then they may be compelled to
pay for proper care of the child by
other persons.
In cities OF over 10000 population
there is to be provided refuge or
shelter for the temporary detention of
children who are either on trial as
delinQuents, or neglected and in need
of temporary protection while await
ing their transfer to foster homes. In
smaller towns arrangements may be
made with private individuals for the
temporary care of the children.
Children's aid societies may be orga-
nized, having for their object the su.
pervision and management of child
rem in temporary homes, the securing
Of foster homes, of parks and of child
ren's Fairgrounds. These societies
may appoint a juvenile court commit
tee to aid and advise in the handling
of juvenile delinquents. They may
act as voluntary probation officers,
and as friends CT the children or of
| their parents. Children's courts may
be established by appointing two suit
able men to act as a commission to
try juvenile offenders and children
may be transferred by the court to the
care Of children's aid society, or
may be allowed out on probation.
No child may be confined in a COM
mon jail used by persons charged
with crime. a heavy fine with an al
tentative of Imprisonment is provi-
ded for anyone who interferes in any
way with child that has been made
a ward of the superintendent of DEEPEN
dent Or neglected children or OF any
children's aid society, or with any
child that has been put under the care
of probation officer. Supervision
of the whole work is centralized at the
offices of the government. Individual
cases are cared for as may be needed.
Everything possible is done to put the
sponsibility for the success of the
work where it should be, upon those
members Of the community who stand
for all that is best in citizenship.
Alberta is to be congratulated upon
this progressive evidence of it's recog.
milton of the fact that society's re-
sponsibility toward childhood rises
higher than the rights of parents where
there is conflict between them: since
the proper rearing of the child is a