The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-12

The Institution
 Some orphansge or reformatory was previously the natural destination ot such subjects. The modern tendency is opposed to institutionalism. It dampens the ambition of the child, destroys in- dividuality and hampers him through all his after life-
 The modern idea is to train the child toward the home- If he has no home of his own find sone for him that is not only congenialr but where the moral and social atmosphere is pure and wholesome.
 This is the work. that was under taken several yearst ago by the Boys club and Chi1d's Aid Society of Bir- mingham.
 The last years work is best shown oin the annual report for 1910, which has just come from the press.
 The bare figures express but little of the real humanitarian good that has been accomplished.
 Children Foun Homes
 Take. for instance the 37 children for whom homes were found in the country and small villages away from Birming gham. Under the old method those 37 children would have been rail- roaded to some institution without con- sideration of persolnal sentiment or 
 future.
 know, personality some thing of some of these children who have found pleas ant homes and indallgent foster par ents l know something of some of the homes that they have frightened; I have seen some of the bright lettsf' of appreciation that came volunta Fl! from those children to the officeT 0 the BoySfclub.
 The-fBolics court of Birmingha an' the other crimfrrss-- sss3s-S..1 of JeAfersol county of recent years . 2 we tnrnet the children that have come unde their Jurisdiction over to the officers of the Boys club. The superintendent of the Boys club was made probation officer for the county as well as fol the city of Birmingham and is sup posed to handle all juvenile cases tha appear in the county
 Without Legal Authority
 Rut remember most c6 the work tha Is being done by the society Is without legal authority IL Is voluntary charity rure and simple. Juveniles who art brought into court on some crlfnlha charge may be handled under the new Juvenile court law that was first passed bv the Alabama legislature in 1907 ant which was subsequently, amended, bu there is no legal way to reach the ool who may become criminal by reason D bad environment This phase of the worl is being done by the Boys club througl personal contact and consent of persons involved without stated legal authority. To give some idea of the work that i being done the report of STperlntendeh Maurice Willows of the Boys club 10 he month of January, 1911, is appended The annual report of the superintendent 'or 1910 was published in The Age-Heral' few days ago.
 ID
 Negro ProbatiOnists
 The Rev. L. D. James, a colored preach CT, is probation officer in Judge Fea gins court for the negro children Hi nav is provided by one or two of tn leading negro fraternal orders and b. the Negro Women's clubs of Alabama James has done good work for the boy of his race. He handled 213 cases unde \ the direction of Judge Feagin last year. The total number of white Jnvenil cases that passed through the rec order courts of Birmingham including Ensle and woodlswn, during last year was 6i This is a marked reduction from thesnum Der of cases that annually came int these courts before the good women an other phianthropic agencies put in opera ton a system that steers the boy ava from the courts rather than toward them The total number of child cases handle z by the Boys club during last year tha never came in contact with trial cour was s30
 Following is the report of the super fntendent of the Boys club for the mont of January, which will give the reader some idea of what is being done wit the dependent and waywardly incline children of Birmingham
 C1fILDREN'S AID DEPARTMENT Reports investigated of neglected chil