Newark post., 1911-06-07
New Court In Delaware

Those loyal Delawareans, who
have felt the criticism, whose
power to hurt has been IN the fact
OF its trutFfulness-tllat "Dela-
ware is years behind the times
have been afforded pleasure re-
peatedly this year. The conser-
vatlve old state is about to inau-
gurate number of changes.
Among these hopeful signs o:
the time IS the establishment of
a Juvenile Court, in Our one city
OF Wilmington.
One writer has mentioned the
points at which government is
most rapidly developing at the
present moment, first in relation
to the young criminal, second, in
relation to the poor and depend
ent." From these have sprung
one OF the latest developments, the
Juvenile Courts, which the large
cities are inaugurating.
Less than twenty years ago, if
boy was arrested on some trihing
charge in any of our American
cities, the only possible way to
secure another chance for him to
grow into a law-abiding citizen,
was through the alderman of the
ward, who sometimes would
speak to the judge and secure
the release of the boy. This gave
the impression that the govern
ment was harsh and that political
friends alone stood for kindness.
For years only those orphans
who had at least a small amount
Of money were considered pos
sible candidates for kindness, but
of later years the Juvenile Courts
have assumed parental duties.
The workers along this line in
Wilmington were addressed in the
High School last Wednesday eve
ming by Mrs. Frederick Schoff,
president of the Philadelphia Ju-
venile Court Association, editor
OF Child Welfare and president
of the National Mothers Con-
gress. She explained the work in
Philadelphia, and gave sugges-
tions for carrying ON the new
work in Delaware.
She has come in contact with
10000 children in the last eight
years, and has talked to adult
men and women prisoners as to
how they came to be there, all
over the country.
She said the majority o: men
and women in prison were just
like the other people outside OF
prison, and came there because
they were not rightly taught as
children. The children who broke
laws were perfectly normal child
ren, but they had never beer
taught by their parents what peo-
pies rights were, for many par
ents, said Mrs. Schoff, made tbs
mistake of supposing their child
rem would know instinctively.
Mrs. Schoff hoped that the Ju.
venile Court Judge to be appoint
ed in Delaware would be a man
who would realize the importance
of his position, and would know
how to handle children. Sht
hoped that woman probation Of
ficer would be appointed, because
for the salary they oculd get {
better type Of woman than man
Women had been found most suc
cessful in Philadelphia, she said
and in all matters concerning
children. Mrs. Schoff had founc
that the combined thought Of ;
man and a woman was better thar
either sex working alone. Sh,
urged that the woman be not ;
girl just out ofcollege, but a wo
man OF experience who was ole
enough to command the respec
of parents and to have common
sense.
Mrs. Schoff said boys were no
worse than girls, but there wa.
less given as an outlet for tl1ei
activity, SO they got into mischief
| Manual training, she thought, p1i
into the schools, would be thei
salvation. Another point she EN-
phasized was the getting tn
churches to work with the Asso
citation, sending representative
to it, entertaining the boys in TIL
| church basement, and SO on.
| Delaware should not expec
great changes all at once, she said
1t required years to build UP char
acter.