The Detroit times., 1910-06-14
PLAYGROUNOsCURE
FOR JUVENILE
DELINQUENCY
JUDGE II. $. HUBERT.
Youthful Criminality May Be Nipped
in Bud by Providing Wholesome
!, Recreation, Local Expert Tells
IS Baptist Pastors.
Says Sending Children To Reform
School Should Be Avoided II POSI-
ble-Gives Detroit Court Statistics.

An interesting talk. filled with
straightforward facts about the juven-
ile court and tie handling Of Juvenile
delinquents In Wayne county was Civ
en- by Judge III. s. Hubert before the
Baptists Ministers weekly conference.
Monday morning, in the Woodward
ave. Baptist church parlors.
1T Is not a question of the offense
committed SO much as II Is the boy
who does it," said Judge Hubert.
Frequently the boys coming into nv
court, charged with the most serious
offenses, are the most amendable 10
good influences, while one whose
misdemeanor is SO slight as to De
almost not worth thinking about Is
the vicious one and the hardest to do
anything with In handling deiin-
Quents. the Judge must study the In
dividuality OF the child, his surround
ings and his training, not the onense
committed. One very bad feature OF
Cur otherwise excellent juvenile court
law Is the fact that the court has uD-
solutely no power over the parents or
guardian OF the child. AT preselr, We
have several able attorneys working
I'm this point. with view TO securing
IN amendment TO the law that viii
bring parents under the arm or ne
probate court of which the Juvenile
court is part. At present We have
only three ren,deies for delinquent
bcys-to send them to reform
school, TO put them on probation %
the court or guardian appointed, or
to make them repair the damage they
may have done TO property IL the
ofIense consists of q misdemeanor OF
that kind
IL always hesitate to send child
to the reform school, not tnat our
schools are not excellent. but institu-
tiona life Is not best for children II
II can possibly be avoided. In New
York. for instance, the authorities are
trying the cottage plan or caring Tor
delinquent children. that Is, housing
them IN small communities OF 10 or
H. rather than In hundreds as exists
In most state institutions OF the Kin !.
Here in Detroit ! want 10 see this
juvenile delinquent question aided Dy
the establishment OF public play
grounds. Tie children OF Detroit need
them. Only last week | had Is boys
from the district near the Bishop
school and 10 from the west side out.
Grand River-ave all charged with the
heinous offense OF playing ball In the
streets The law forbids this, yon
know, and patrolmen are expected 10
bring in offenders. The boys them
selves came to me and said. Judge.
we didn't mean any harm, but we've
got TO play some where and there isn't
a field or corner lot anywhere around?
Now. what are you To do In such
cases? The court room is no place
for boys whose natural exuberance
and physical activity cause them 10
play bali. even IL IL is on public
highway.
MANY citizens think that to spend
rubiic money in public Fairgrounds Is
foolish and merely, the result OF fail,
but. tell you, II you will come to the
Juvenile court for day or two and
listen TO the proceedings there, yon
will quickly learn that youthful GRIM
inality may be nipped In the bud oy
giving the children playground.
Since | became Judge OF the juvenile
court last September mp to the pres
ent time. | have had 699 cases before
me. 2l1 OF them girls. or these ! COM
mitte,. aeven 10 the reform school.
gent AZ TO the D'Archambal farm. and
mt 275 on PROBATE OF these latter
hut three were returned to me and
not one third time That is record
of which Detroit may be proud"
AT the close Of Judge Hulberts re-
mark he was bombarded with ques.
tions by the ministers. those present
exhibiting the liveliest interest In the
subject.
The Rev. Maurice p. Fixes an.
nounced that ground had been broken
Monday morning for the new church
house on Winder-st., in connection
with lis church, the Wcodward-ave.
Baptist. DR.. Fixes also Invited the
conference u ioin his church Ia tie
annual outing, June "a, - Walpo'ie
islani. which was accepted. II was
announced that the National conven-
ZION @. Gideons will be held IN Detroit,
July %, % and "a. Next week the
ministers will hold symposium on
the subject OF Church advertising"
all members to take part.