The Sentinel=record., 1912-09-01
CANADA'S LAW
 FOR JUVENILES
NEW DOMINION ACT APPLIES NEW PRINCIPLE TO coRREc-
 TON OF THE YOUTH.
Care and Control to Check Evil Ten. dencies Is the Intent of the
 New Statute.

Edmonton, Alta, Aug. 3I.--Alberta, the youngest province in Canada, is the first to comply with the conditions of the Dominion act, respecting juve- nile delinquents, which will come into operation as soon as possible after
 the order-in-council and the certifi- cate of the provincial attorney gen eral are entered at Ottawa
 Authorities on the subject of child
 training. including Judge Lindsay of Denver, Judge Mack of Chicago, and Judge Adams of Cleveland, declare this will complete the best series of acts for the rescue and protection of
 children in force anywhere on the
 American continent.
 The act, which was introduced into the Dominion parliament through the
 efforts of w. l.. Scott, barrister at
 Ottawa, and assented to in July, 1908,
 extends the principles that have been applied to the delinquent and neglect ed child in Alberta since the adoption
 of the Children's Protection act pass ed by the provincial legislature.
 The preamble of the Dominion act fully sets forth the spirit of remedial legislation in the interest of children, as follows.
 It is inexpedient that youthful of lenders should be classed or dealt with as ordinary criminals, the welfare of the community demanding that they should, on the contrary, be guarded against association with crime and criminals and should be subjected 70 such care. treatment and control as will tend to check their evil tenden- cies and to strengthen their better in- stincts."
 Disassociating the child offender from all criminal taint is the primary idea throughout the act The term child" applies 10 boy or girl ap- parently or actually under the age of l6 years. This designation permits those who have authority to enforce the act to use their own discretion in regard to a child, which the par ents might maintain has reached it's 18th year, but which may obviously be in need of such protection as the law gives, though it applies chiefly to children whose exact age cannot be determined
 The act provides for dealing with offending children summarily in courts where the proceedings are pri- vate. It is unlawful for any newspa- per to publish the name of the child or parent or guardian without special leave. Courts shall not be held where l adult offenders are being tried and the child awaiting trial must not be placed in jail or other place where adults are or may be imprisoned.
 The children's court may be diyest- | ed of the customary majesty and rigid | formality, which usually attend the | of justice in the tribu- ! nals of record. A provision of the act dealing with this point, says: | The proceedings may, in the discre- tion of the judge, be as informal as the circumstances will permit" The | testimony of a Chlld may be received, 1 though not given on oath, but such l evidence, uncorroborated, is not suf ficient to convict a person.
 Several means are provided under the act for the child proved to be a juvenile delinquent. but the action taken must in every case be that which the court believes is for the childs own good and the best inter- ests of the community The offender may be fined, or placed under proba- tion either in it's own home or with a suitable family, or committed to the charge of any duly organized chil. drens aid society or the superintend- ent of neglected and dependent chil- dren.
 It is also provided that a child over the age of 12 years may be committed to an industrial school, but it shall not be lawful to commit a chili un- der F years" unless and until,' to quote fromA the act, "an attempt has been made to reform such child in it's own home,' or in the ways named in the foregoing paragraph.
 Another section provides that the expense of maintaining a child in the indstrial training school may be col lected from the parent or guardian, in the event they are able to pay The idea is to prevent any one from swearing his charge is intractable in the hope that the child will he sent to an institution to be fed, clothed and educated at the expense of tue prov ince. The penalty for an adult who. either wilfully or through neglec', tributes to a child's delinquency, is as high as $500 and year in prison
 The judge of a juvenile court is gwen the power of two justices of the peace or of stipendiary magistrate. The position is an honorary one and the selection VIII take into considera- tion the special qualifications of the person to be appointed for dealing with children Probation officers have the same power as eoHstabes. The present system will be enlarged snd Improved, volunteer and paid pro- hation officers being used more ex- tshsivcly than previously
 Arransements are being aade with two Protestant and Catholic instim lions Co care for girl delinquents.