Evening star., 1915-02-26

tablished, equipped and maintained under
| the direction Of the Attorney General,
entirely apart from any place of confine-
ment for adults. Suitable arrangements
| shall be made for the educa ton of all
| children under detention. To that end
| range with the board of education of the
District Of Columbia for the necessary
| teachers. (Section 49,
Clause Relating to Parents.
go The parent or other person having
| the duty under the law to support the
child may be compelled by order to
pay the expense of caring for said
child by any agency to which the
child is committed. (Section 22).
"(g) Whenever any child within the
jurisdiction of the court appears to be
in need of medical care it shall be the
have such child examined by a. duly
licensed and practicing physician.
(Section 23.)
"h)Whenever the conditions have so
changed that a child may, with safety,
be returned to. the home from which
it has been taken, the court may so
order. tSection 24.)
"i) In committing any child to any
custodial agency. or placing it under any
guardianship other than that Of It's
natural guardians. the court shall. so
far practicable. select as the Gus
todial agency some individual holding
the same religious belief as the par
ents of the child, or some institution
or association governed by persons OF
like religious faith. unless said instl-
tuition is Il public institution. (Sectior-
25)
"() Whenever a girl is in custody. she
must be in charge of woman attend
ant. tSection 21.)
.'tk) The court is authorized to seek the
cooperation of every organization.
public or private, having for it's object
the protection or aid of children. tSec-
tion 29.)
cd Ample provision is made for appeals
to be taken to the Court of Appeals or
the District of Columbia from any or
der of the court committing the child
to an institution, or from any order
changing the custody or guardianship
of any child. (Section 800
''tmD The court has plenary power to
try any parent guardian or other person
responsible for the childs condition
and appearance in court. (Section 31.l
'tn) The court may, in it's discretion, in
any case of a child brought before 1t,
against in accordance with the laws
that may be in force in the District of
Columbia governing the commission of
crimes (Section 1S)
Former Regulations.
Under the original act creating the
board of children's guardians Cap
proved July 26, 1922, the members OF
the board Of children's guardians were
appointed by the judges of the Police
Court and the judge holding the Grim
inal Court of the District of Columbia.
These courts had Jurisdiction OF Of
fenses committed by children. Under
the legislation proposed by the COM
mittee, the jurisdiction touching chill.
dren possessed by the Police Court and
the Criminal Court is taken over by
the Juvenile Court. Bearing this in
mind and for the purpose Of working
out a. close basis of cooperation be-
tween the Juvenile Court and the
board of children's guardians, the COM
mittee proposes that the members of
the board of children's guardians shall
be appointed by the Commissioners OF
the District, with the concurrence of
the judge of the Juvenile Court. (Sec-
ton 42.)
'The passage of the act in question
will not add anything to the burden of
the taxpayer. The act calls for no ap-
propriation; The = appropr,at;nont o,rt ;s - SCI ha
used for the new court The tenure OF
the judge is changed from six years,
as in the old act. to ten years. In do
ing this the committee had IN mind
the end mean better work on behal1
of the child.
Act to Emancipate Children.
NO extended statement is necessary
in favor of the proposed act submitted
herewith to ennancipate those children
who have judgments of conviction of
crime entered against them in the
Juvenile Court Exceeding 1000 chill
dren, in consequence of these judg-
ments, are disqualified from jury duty
and from holding Office. or entering the
public service, under the laws of the
United States in the District of CO.
lun1bia These convictions should not
be permitted to stand as permanent
criminal records against these chill
dren. The nation has nothing to lose
and has everything to gain by purg-
ing these records so as to enancfpate
the children, who have had to pass
through the court. from the stigma of
Il conviction for crime.
THE authorities which follow and
are made part of this report sup
port in every pa rtrcular' the principles
Of law argued herein and embodied in
the bill submitted herewith.
In submitting this report the COM
mittee is not unmindfu1 Of the I'M
portance of the remainder of the task
which the letter of appointment in
wolves. In expressing its apprecia-
ton of the honor conferred upon it in
being permitted to assist in this i'm
portant matter and in thanking you
and your predecessor for the many
courtesies extended to 1t, it also ex-
presses the hope that the result of it's
work, which is herewith submitted,
may speedily become a law. not only
because of the Importance of promptly
remedying the defects of the present
law. but also because of the connection
of this law with other parts of the
work of the committee"
MIR WEIR MAY OFFER RIII