Evening journal., 1910-02-08

speak with caution but with conviction
born OF much observation that unless
probsted child has proper supervising
care. in which tho court orders are exact
" carried out It would be better for him
in most cases TO be committed in the old
way to Institutional supervision. Nothing
can be more harmful 60 child and more
demoralizing to government than a slip
shod administration Of court orders. No
subject is quicker to discern insincerity
than a child. II learns 10 despise law and /
looks on the whole procedure as Joke.
This is why some Juvenile courts have
been brought into disrepute.
Present System Abused.
I'VE are facing a serious situation IN
this city under our present system Of pa
role. The orders OF the court are not car |
ried out as they should be in many cases. !
boys and girls are allowed to sink back
into the old WAYS OF life with no proper
care over them and they are coming to
dispise our laws. The court is an ex-
cuse for justice. rather than are they the
enforcement OF justice. No method can be
corrective that does not provide for posi-
tive enforcement Of law, but the law must
be OF such a nature that il can be equit-
ably enforced under efficient supervision.
I am not rejecting on our present officers
rather I am defending them against
weak, worn out. scrap pile system that
ought to be sold for old junk and new
machine installed No man or set Of men
can do the work demanded with such
facilities as we have on hand. Whatever
else may ask 7 shall never be seeking
Iaxity Of law enforcement. The unsus-
pected authority and dignity Of the
court is fundamental In all citizen max
ing and It is to maintain this power that
make my plea for careful supervision
Of probated children. When the court is
sustained by competent officers who carry
out in a friendly and sympathetic way its
orders, then the ideal condition is reached.
The court is respected for its justice and
is loved for its mercy. tt co-operates with
every other constructive agency in the
community for the restoring TO citizenship
this wasted element-the school and the
home become auxiliary I would like to
tell YOU how a well organized system Of
probation works in other cities. How the
strong of society find it medium for as
sistlng the weak and both are brought
J into sympathetic relations. 1 have seen
its blessing come to the unfortunate and
to the more fortunate alike. The weak
need the strong but the strong often. so
self centred, need also the weak to open
up life to higher things.
Should Prevent Delinquency
'The third essential demand for city
child saving system is court supervision
over delinquent creators. We must have
power TO prevent delinquency. We we're
amazed when Judge Stubs. of Indianap-
oils, told us after a two years admins
e tration OF law in the interests Of children
Y that he was helpless to control the child
before II became an open offender OF the
law, except IN few specified cases Thai
u the man or woman who was tempting &c
runation the child could not be reached
by the law except for abuse or selling
liquor and cigarettes. So We had to Sc
cure additional legislation. This came and
a better day dawned for childhood. A drul
p store that sold soda water and ice cream
y employed girls and would let them out a
% ten and eleven o'clock at night. some
il times later. This place became a notori
Gus destroyer OF girls When they be
Il came offenders and were brought hefor,
u tho court their testimony reflected on tn.
II curse Of this drug store. But nothing coul,
be done to stop it until tho new law caml
into force. Then the court issued an or
o der to the man who had laughed AT IL
Il mild pleadings that unless he dismisse,
y the girls and employed boys CT younl
men he would send him TO the workhous
u for creating delinquents the man of busi
ness quickly changed his way Of doini
things The truancy law was now easy &
il enforce II became quite customary 70
r. parents to say. can do no more with m.
- child he refuses 10 go TO school and yo
le had better take him and send him to IN
81 Industrial school But now the court wa
j. able TO create an industrial school out o
ie that home and set the psrerrs TO work o
s. the boy under suspended sentence. Dirt
Is houses we're cleaned up and places G
staying we're turned into homes. Fam
Id lies were reformed under the court ar
- thority. Drunken, worthless fathers wer
compelled TO support their children. Th
! VIC shall find we need il We get thorough
" into the business OF saving our delir
quent children.
Auxiliary helps viii be created uud'
| the necessities that arise as we procee'
| Fairgrounds. under good control are
part Of the plan.
What I have SO briefly outlined Is L
| utopian dream; It is in operation in man
cities now. The plan supervises the chil'
hood OF a city. What waste We are pc
mitting every year. What expense TO ta'
payers by our expensive institutions thu
are largely tho declaration Of our veal
ness and incOmpetency rather than Of OF
glory A city Of this size can take care
it's weak and helpless children If it "
take the work 10 its heart. We must Z
something and that soon. The highly cor
piicated situation of our modern city Il
is trying at best TO childhood. The inn
cent prank Of yesterday under the o
town life becomes a crime to-day. A
iustment to the new conditions requir
great care or we shall go on creeth