Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-02-22
To Conserve Family Life.

tt1hdi hIiUie HcaTlItS pc1OTe the JUulCl
airy committee of the Legislator,
Several eloquent speakers. nVtabl.
President VIM. Dewitt Hyde OF Bow
dom college and Dr.. II. II. Hart o
New York. head Of the child helpine
department of the Sage Foundation
Several members Of the Legislator,
brought out the distinctive features OF
the measure under discussion. While
Miss Mabel 5. Daveis, a meI.ber or
the Maine prison association. and Mrs.
Durham, police ,L;,tron of the city OF
Portland, lent Voice and sympathetic
touch to the measures appeal.
Wills b. Hall. vi Caribou, directed
tile presentation of the case for his
Juvenile Court bill and said, in open
ing that his views ON tho measure
We're contained i'll the report of the
Legislative committee which consid-
cred the matter during the recess OF
fhe Legislature. lie asked that tn,
committee consider q now draft which,
contained the best features of all the
attorney OF IA Years practice at the
Maine bar. want TO say that just as
.he title 10 real estate never lapses. so
the title of the State 10 the custody OF
its children never lapses. This is cvi-
denccd by our compulsory school laws
and by the fact that We send children
to the reform school during their mi
nority. Why not carry II to its logi-
cal conclusion
The provisions OF tile bill are for the
establishment of a special Juvenile
court in any county containing over
10000 population. III such a county
the court shall be, and in any county
of $1,000 srr more inhabitants court
uIay be established upon the petition
Of the county commissioners while in
ali counties where no such court is
provided the probate courts are to
have original and exclusive jurisdiction
in all cases coming under the provi-
sloas OF the Act. For a court of this
sort the bin provides that the judge isl
to be appointed, commissioned AMI
qualified in the same manner rs JUS
tees Of the supreme court and Is To
have a salary OF $500 a year. He is !
also to be the clerk of the court, pro-
vided he finds it compatible with pub
lie interests. He may name a proba-
zion officer or any person in the COUNT
TO act as clerk and keep the records.
The law is to apply TO any child less
than IS years Of age, who violates any
penal law ur any municipal ordinance,
or who commits any act or offence liza
BILE to be prosecuted as criminal act,
or who so deports himself or is in such
Conditions or surroundings or under
such improper or insufficient guardian
shin or control as TO endangcr the
morals, health or general welfare Of
tie child. Whenever child is arrest
cd, instead of being taken before q
trial justice he may be taken directly
before a juvenile court, and the cour:
may rehder suca judgment as lie
deens best for the welfare o, the child
after hearing the case. The idea is
that 1t is Impossible IN the municipal
courts to have the privacy which Is in
x.ic f cd in, tlt.1 ihN1nitf Nd
IL is universally conceded that children
hurst not be where they shall be
brought in contact with criminals.
The advocates 1T the hearing de-
clared that judges and lawyers now
recognize more fully the Importance of
the Juvenile courts than when they
were first established. DR.. Hart said
that il docs away with, the idea of re-
riputive punishment. I'VE do moi
have an indictment or complaint
against the child" Representative
Williamson asked what objection there
was to having municipal court judges
act under the provisions of this law
and Mr.. Fogg answered that the OBJ
ject Of the bin was to get the child
away from criminals.
The advocates Of this meas are are
convinced and have been told by Judge
Lindsay and others that it is one Of
the best provisions thus far conceived
in the way of Juvenile court law. Its
primary object is. of course, provision
against the making of criminals. The
child whose first o.feDse is founded on
mistake or who has followed an older
companion into mischief may be easily
moulded into the worst criminal OF his
generation. if he is smart enough and
intelligent enough and has the capaci-
~ for imitation which is given TO some
cf us, IL he is herdtd with criminals.
IN eourt. IL iais aud elsewhere. s.Jh.
Gg1e law SHOULD be such as not to at