The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-27
BILLS ARE OF
 INTEREST TO BIRMINGHAM
Fly HUGH w. ROBERTS.

provision for the care of the Alabama In- dustrial school for boys at East Lake, tine same consideration for the Mercy Home, Industrial School for Dependent Girls at Woodlawn, a juvenile court for Jefferson county, and state reformatory at Tuscaloosa for small negro boys. In an interview with MT. Willows today he said: ...
 "Step by step Alabama is realizing the most important matter before the state is adequate care and protection of her youth.
 ''The one boy who has taken his first nisstep in life, Or who is being neglected, needs more careful attention from our hands than the boy who has a good home and normal moral surroundings, and like wise the girl; formation, instead of so much reformation. And we must have a thought for the care of the little negro. who can easily be trained in the right direction if taken in time.
 ''The local juvenile court bill for Jeff ferson county is well studied matter. For several years our Childref's society
 has been in close contact with the work of Judge Lindsay, Judge Baker of Bos- ton, Judge Mack of Chicago, Judge Stubbs of Indianapolis and Judge Feagin of Bir- mingham. and we believe, considering To- cal conditions in the south, our Boys club bill covers the best features of all with an added feature. that of being
 able to hold informal sessions of the court in any place In the county where an urgent demand exists. It calls for a hearty cooperation with all private insti- tutions and societies doing childrens well fare work.
 '.The Boys club contemplates carrying On the active cooperation with the court in inc flIt1Irp as in the Da st o statement By Board The following statement authorized by
 the board of control of the Boys club and Childrens Aid society, relative to the juvenile court for Jefferson county, has been issued: "For five years previous to 1907 this or ganization furnished funds to pay the expenses of a probation officer for the police court of Birmingham. In 1907 @ bill creating a juvenile court law was | drafted and presented to the legislature for passage. It became law, and again | in 1909 the law was amended to meet conditions in other parts of the state. | "Jnder the present law, however, a | child must be under IA years of age iand must commit some misdemeanor be- }fore coming under it's provisions. The l power to commit has been taken from the 1 police courts, and so for the past three years 90 per cent of the cases or miSde- l meanants, neglected and destitute children have been taken care of and disposed of satisfactorily in the majority of cases without ever going into court. | Now we come with a bill seeking tt give legal sanction to do the very things | we have been doing for years, with the county of Jefferson at our backs. | 'The administration and procedure o 1.-the court need not differ materially from that already very common occurrence 1T
 our rooms Provision Is made whereby l cases of felonies and cases involving prop l erty rights are left with the crimina
 courts and courts of equity. as hereto l fore
 "The proposed law is a thorough,
 studied effort to fill the need of the sit l ulation for years to come. M
 "The requirements of the juvenile cour
 law are simple enough. In the law itself