The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-03
Juvenile Courts Made a Failure
in Many Counties.
Probate Judges Too Busy Look.
ing After Fees.
HAVE NO SYMPATHY.
Send Children Who Might Be
Saved to Reform School.
Board of Control Calls Attention
to the Abuses.

Because some probate judges in Kan
sas would rather have fees than to look
after the welfare of some of the chill
dren in their counties, the juvenile
court law is being made failure in
some sections of Kansas. This is the
belief of Harry Bowman, chairman of
the board of control. Mr.. Bowman has
much to do with the juvenile court law
as his board has charge of admissions
of boys and girls to the industrial
schools and the orphans home at Atch-
ison.
THE juvenile court law he said to-
day, was passed so that the hayward
and unfortunate boys and girls could
have real father. If the parents of
the child did not look after him if
then became the duty of the state to do
so and the juvenile court was organized
for this purpose. The juvenile court
was given to the probate court as an
added duty because that is the court
winch has charge of estates and I'M
fortunates and it was thought that re
bond of human sympathy between the
law and the small boy and girl would
be better exercised through that court
than through any other court where all
the sordidness of the world drifts at one
time or another
1T is the duty of the state to see
that every boy and girl has an equal
chance, if possible. 1t is the duty of
INC SAdlS " make SOOQ I1cIl ana WO-
men,. Some of. the probate judges are
not helping in this bit. If boy
or girl were very hungry and if they
are young and have not had care it is
probable that that boy or girl will beg
for food or steal it If they are too
proud to beg. That is nothing to be
held against either the boy or the girl.
They are protecting themselves. But
some probate judges seem to think this
is a terrible crime and they want to
send this boy or girl to the industrial
schools at once. Think of the stigma
that attaches to being sent to the in
dustrial school. They cannot ever live
it down and in a great many cases it
is entirely unnecessary to have sent
them if the juvenile court has exer-
cised the functions and powers given it
under the law.
Here is a case. There is in a Kan
SaS clunty, a very wealthy county-a
small boy and one of these careless pro-
bate judges. He wanted to send a boy
TO the industrial school. In the papers
1 found that this probate judge had
seen this same boy on the streets, cry
ing because he was hungry The boy
finally stole some food and the juvenile
court wanted to send him to an indus
trial school, It was that courts duty,
when he saw that boy crying to find
out what the trouble was, why the par
ents were not giving him proper care
and training and if they were too poor
to furnish the little fellow with food
and clothing, the juvenile court had
ample authority to supply this food
and clothing on an order to the poor
commissioner. But this judge had no
interest in the matter until some one
complained about the boy stealing and
then the first thing the judge did was
to apply for that boys admission to
the industrial school,
Useless Probate Judges.
There seems to have been a large
number of more or less useless pro-
bate judges elected last fall. judging
by the Juvenile court records. Some
of the old judges are as bad as the
new ones. Mr.. Bowman received an
application for the admission of two
boys, one and. one 8 years old, broth
ers, to the industrial school today.
There have been so many similar ap-
plications recently. all of which were
turned down, that Mr.. Bowman decid-
ed to read the judge who made the
applications a little lecture. In his
letter to the judge, Mr.. Bowman said:
I'VE can not give you an order of
admission of these boys for two rea-
sons. First, We have 3 more boys at
the boys school al the present time
than we have beds; and second, the
boys school is not a kindergarten, and
the admission of boys of this age
among the class that is sent to the in
stition would do them more harm than
Juvenile court law is to have a court
who will be a father to just such chill
dren as these. 1t is a queer thing If
your court, your probation officer and
the good people of your city can not
see that these boys arc properly
raised. The papers show that often
tim es the children have to go to school
in the morning without anything to
eat. What is the matter with your
county officers that such a condition can
exist? If the parents are too poor to
furnish the children something to eat
then your county ought to furnish it.
The most important thing in each COM
munity IS the proper raising of the
children and the juvenile court law
makes it your duty and gives you full
power to see after this. If you and
your probation ocer, your poor COM
missioners and the church and the
good people of your city can not help
out this family, then we would sug-
gest that you make application for the
admission of these two children to the
state orphans home"