The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-05-03
MINORS WILL Be
KEPT OFF STREETS
CurfeW Ordinance Will Be En-
forced and Parents Will Be
Held Responsible.
ABOUT THE AGE LIMIT
CITY ORDINANCE SAYS ETGH-
TEEN YEARS.

While the state law provides that IN
attended children fourteen years Of age
or under shall not be permitted on The
streets after O'Clock at night, the juve-
nile court Is operating under city or
dlnance which provides that children
eighteen years old or less shall be off
the streets when curfew is sounded.
For the sake of the children and their
parents, who are held equally liable for
violations Of the law, the juvenile court
takes advantage of the city age Limit.
Judge Alexander. McMaster Of the
Juvenile court explains that there
seemed to be a conflict in Salt Lake
as to the age limit. He said that boys
or girls under IS years of age would be
arrested by the juvenile court officers
when found on the streets after o'clock
at night. The state law places the age
limit at IA years, but this is declared
worthless in Salt Lake. Under the city
ordinances Is years is fixed as the juve-
nile limit, and the court is working I'M
der the ordinance.
las the state law places the age limit
at IA years, the most dangerous age for
children is eliminated-between II and
16 years. 1t is found that more children
go wrong when about 1e years old than
at any other time. The state law in re-
gard to the curfew says that children
street or in a public place after curfew
: hour, unless accompanied by the parent
ut guardian, or is in the performance of
an errand or duty directed by such pa
rent guardian or other person in whose
custody the child is placed.
Danger TO Children.
Il know from the experience I have
already had that the parent who will
allow his or her children upon the
streets at all hours of Inc night, viii
come into this court and Lell me that
the child was sent on some errand- a
woman who will not take enough inter
est in the child to protect him from
the dangers of being on the streets late
at night, will lie for that same child
when il gets into trouble. There is too
much danger in these street corner
games and gangs They play on the
corners until all hours of the night,
and are always open to suggestions for
immoral conduct or some other acts.
We have a more serious problem in the
street corner gangs, even. than IN the
boys and girls who are on the streets
downtown until late at night. But both
are most serious, and We should have
the cooperation Of the parents n the
work
We have received encouraging letters
and telephone messages from many pa
and declaring they viii aid US as much
as possible. And in these cases we find
that the parents keep their children
home at nights Why is il that mothers
viii permit their children, u ana Is
years old, to have parties at night, some
of them not starting until about
o'clock? For the good of the child's
health, if for no other reason, I should
think they would refuse this. Why is
1t not the best to hold the parties for
children in the. afternoons
We will pick UP all children, whether
they are on errands or not. Some pa
rents have called me I'D and asked
what I was going to do if the children
are sent on errands. And 1 have told
them that they viii probably be picked
up the same, no matter why they are
on the streets. There is not one case
in 100 where the child cannot be sent
before 9 o'clock. just as we'll as after.
Must Be Drastic.
1--WE must be drastic in this matter
at the outset. Children's parties In the
evenings and children's entertainments
at night cannot continue unless the pa
rents are with them"
Another roundup is planned for We'd
nesday night, when scores of special
probation officers will be on the streets
in various parts of the city clearing the
made by Judge McMaster to get some
room downtown, instead of police head
quarters, where the children are to be
taken when found on the streets. He
does not like the idea Of having them
taken 10 the old city hall
out of the 20 children arrested Sat
urday night there was not a child who
had been arrested before" continued
Judge McMaster. But we will prob
ably get some 'repeaters' Wednesday
night. And where it is found that the
children were taken in before, we VIII
have the parents before the court to
explain why they do not keep them off
the streets We do not wish to be tyran-
Iical IL the matter, but the law must be
enforced for the good OF the children
themselves and for the good of the city.
Il understand that there were many
children unaccOmpanied by parents at
the resorts Saturday night, and in the
future we will make this one of the
most important features Of our work.
We will write to the resort managers
and to the managers of moving picture
houses. informing them that they are
liable TO punishment for allowing minors
in their places after o'clock at night.
1T has been shown in Salt Lake and
throughout the United States in the
large cities that two-thirds Of the de-
Inquencies are caused after 9 o'clock
at night. thus showing the importance
of enforcing the curfew law In Salt
Lake. In Boston the juvenile court au-
thorities give no permits and allow no
excuses when children under Is years
old are around on the streets after that
hour. If they find the children, they
PICK them up and allow the parents to
hunt for them"