The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-12
JUVENILE COURT TROUBLES.


fault of carcessness and iuatteniion in
its dealings with the Juvenile Court OF
Salt Lake Its slipshod legislation on thi:
subject two years before should have
been warning. 1t was evidently tho
intention of the Legislature to provide
q clerk for the Juvenile Court, but II
appears that it provided no way for
paying that clerk. 1t was personal ami
mostly on the part of County Commits
sioner Mackay that discovered this
fault in the law, through which he could
exercise his hatred of Mr.. Irvine, who
was appointed to be such clerk. But
of course, as the law provided no way
for paying that clerk, Mr.. Irvine was
compelled to vacate the office. And
now the court is not able to do any
business, because it cannot have a
clerk. Cases are reported as piled mp
on the desk of the Judge with no way
| to handle them. because of Mackay s
discovery, melted by his desire to air
| his hostility and political revenge,
though he has never allowed the I'M
lawfulness Of the act to prevent his
making an appropriation that he wanted
to make
Something more than year ago. the
city entered into an amicable arrange
ment with the county, whereby quar-
tcrs were provided for the Juvenile
Court temporarily; the city. of course,
rcservjng the right TO occupy for its
own business purposes, these premises,
at the expiration of certain time, in
case they should he needed The time
has expired. the need has now arisen,
and the city is about to take possession
of those quarters for use in its official
business There would be no object,
either. in continuing the Juvenile Court
in the occupancy of those premises, as
long as it is not able TO do any bust
ness.
The necessity for detention homes for
the boys and girls is urged inGistently
upon the county officials. Those de-
tcnticn homes would be under the gen
eral jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court,
and would be the appropriate places of
refuge for the boys and girls taken in
charge by this court. But it Is hard
TO do even this part of the work with
out having clerk of record. so that
the business can be forwarded officially
and promptly. And so the County Com
missioners. themselves, appear TO be
headed off from taking the action that
is urgently needed, through Commits
sioneT Mackay s zeal in prosecuting his
personal and private politica! revenge.
The legislative carelessness in the
drawing up aud enactment of laws has
become proverbisl. There is. very com.
monty. lack of cXactness in the Ian
guage used. There is often apparently
plausible and even good reason TO con
strue the meaning of a statute in diff
ferent ways And there is general
loosoness in the wording and drawing
up of bills that is altogether deplorable.
Prior 10 the session of the Legislature,
The Tribune suggested that there ought
to be provided. as other States have
done, sort Of counselor TO the Legis-
lature. who would have an office.
suitable library on the enactment of
laws. who would communicate with the
different States. getting their routine
Of legislation and forms of bills, and
proposals for new laws as shown in the
drafts OF measures submitted by differ
ent members Of the Legislature. This
would provide sort of hand book on
legislation, a guide TO every necessary
thing that the Legislature might be
called upon to deal with With such
counsel properly equipped, AS the Legis
laturc itself should provide, and of
submission TO such counsel of proposed
laws before their final enactment, meas.
urcs could he put in cXacte eand unmis.
taxable forms of words, and the adj
iudication of statutes in the different
courts where those measures have been
man would know precisely what every
statute meant. Every State needs such
head TO help legislatc through expert
guidance: and Utah needs it more than
almost any other State. \ large mum
Der Of States sec the necessity for, and
the advantage in snch a course to aid
in the legisla tion and the proper draw
ing mp of statutes And every State
that docs so, is well paid in so doing
Utah could amply afford such help
to the Legislature. In fact, without it,,
we do not see how thc State is going to
get along with the enactment of laws
The bills as submitted and so many
Of the laws as passed. arc crude beyond
even the most pcssimistic expectations,
and deplorablc in their obscurity and
contradictory terms. Examples come to
light frequently. as in this Juvenile
Court case, and the need of n legislative
steer has become So evident that the
demand for il cannot much longer be
resisted.