The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-19
Judge Sticks
 By His System Mathewson Disagrees Completely With Cowles Regarding
 Probation
J. C. COLLINS PRAISES CHIEF
Great Service to Country-State's At- torney filling Opposed to Sys-
 tenn Here.

New Haven, June l9-Declaring in emphatic language that he thoroughly believed in the probation system as carried on in New Haven Judge A. Mcclellan Mathewson of the city court takes occasion to record his disagree ment with the statement made rv Chief Cowles to the effect that the probation system is a farce. Inciden- tally Judge Mathewson said he did not see where Chief Cowles secured his figures, as he had previously asked the chief for them and was given to understand that he did not have them. The figures referred to by the judge are in regard to the ages of the boys and ,the proportion in which they were arrested.
 Judge Mathewson, who is a well known champion of the juvenile court system, said he had from time to time asked the chief for figures showing the ages of those arrested and the number of times they had been rear rested. Tn other cities this record is kept, but the chief informed him that no such record was kept here. The judge feels, however, that the figures given out by the chief show conclu- sively the value of the probation court. In other words the percentage once is very small indeed, Judge Math- ewson estimates it at 16 per cent.
 "The real need for such a court" said Judge Mathewson, Ifs because of the large percentage of children Of foreign born parents. They do not cases they have no proper regard for the law. We have got to educate them to our standard. and it has been my experience that the probation court has proved to be one of the best ed- ucators."
 It is well known fact that States Attorney Arnon A. filling is opposed, system as conducted by the city court here. In his address before the Judi ciary committee early in the session of the Legislature, he attacked this feature of Judge Mathewson's conduct of the city court declaring that ed under the probation fallacy-
 John c. Collins, secretary of the Friend of Boys Association" who has had a wide experience extending over 35 years of police court work, agrees very decidedly with Chief Cowles' theory. He has made study of the situation. and says that from figures that he has collected personal ly, the number of boys arrested more than once. from 1908 to 1910, had ir- creased 12S per, cent.
 MT. Collins feels that Chief Cowles has done a great service to the coun- try in calling attention to the faiia- cies of the system. Says MT. Collins: Nearly all the boys arrested belong quentIy we are under deeper obliga- tions than ever to give them square deal. The boy who has committed only a minor misdemeanor. such as playing ball in the street, is obliged to associate with those who have com o~tv o6 effect of such associations is bad.
 The old time method of dealing with boys was far superior to the 5u- venile court idea, declared MT. Col lins. The boys were never arrested unless they had previously been warn ed. Due allowances were made TOT the seriousness of the offense, and the punishment meted out was in propor- tion.
 Much of the work now done by the probation court falls upon the par ents of the boys. A boy once placed on probation, has stigma placed up- on him that he can never erase. He mates, and eventually the boy Is vir- tually driven "to the bad' through shame.
 Chief cowaes read a paper at the international convention of police chiefs, recently held in Rochester. in
 
 the probation system. He held that instead of doing a boy that was put on probation good the system did him harm.
 Chief Cowles said in part:
 '1n a very few instances, probation has been effectual, but a continued and indiscriminate use of the law breeds contempt for it, and is demor- alizing, both to the subject, and to | the officers who are obliged to sub init to 1t in the performance of their | duty And yet we go on from year to year, with fathers and mothers l continuously complaining of the con duct and waywardness of their chill | dren. Now what is to be done to remedy this evil?'
 The chief said that 75 per cent. of | the petty burglaries committed in l this city are by boys under 20 years | of age and that 90 per cent. of these | were placed on probation when ar rested. Continuing he said:
 "1t would seem to me that when | young criminals are apprehended and 1 brought before our courts, their cases ought to be disposed of absolutely by l the judge of said courts and not hand ! ed over to the recommendation of a | probation officer.
 Finally, deem the present proba- | ton system a farce and believe it has | tended to increase rather than de- | crease the number of young crimin- | als."
 Frank Mayne has cut out Meccas | and is smoking the Nugget (this