Evening journal., 1915-03-05

tinct court. and surely given a longer
time to prove its merits before its
abandonment. and it certainly should
ibe out OF politics entirely.
] furthermore believe that the new
judge. whoever he may be, should
receive a fair and reasonable salary.
You are at liberty to use this let
ter for reading before the General
Assembly or in any other way that you
may desire.
Very truly yours.
HARRISON w. HOWELL.
Mayor.
Mr.. Wolcott Defends Law.
Mr.. Wolcotts letter Is as follows.
Wilmington, Del. Feb. p. 1915.
70 the General Assembly of the State
Of Delaware.
Gentlemen: ] understand that there
is a bill I'm the Legislature the OBJ
iect of which is to destroy the sepa-
rate identity OF the Juvenile Court
OF the City Of Wilmington by merg
ing il with the Municipal Court OF
the City OF Wilmington. Being very
much interested i'm the handling of
crime in general In this State and
especially in the disposition Of crimes
committed by juvenile offenders.
take the liberty of addressing TO you
my views upon this proposed bill.
] wish TO express my opinion that
the proposed bill is an unwise meas
ure In saying this. I do not wish to
be considered as rejecting IN any
way upon the Municipal Court Of the
city Of Wilmington or upon the judge
who presides in that tribunal.
| base my views solely upon what
| conceive TO be the best interest and
welfare OF the unfortunate juveniles
who run counter TO our criminal laws.
II seems to me that juvenile delin-
quents ought to be brought before a
tribunal which deals solely with their
cases. No matter how perfect the
judge of the Municipal Court may be,
il seems TO me 10 be inevitable, con-
sidering human nature as IL is, that
such judge, having to handle as lie
does criminals OF all kinds including
the worst day after day. must by rea-
son of his contact with other harden
ed cases unconsciOusly become tenn
peramentally disqualified to some eX-
tent at least to deal with the other
! delicate and difficult problems with
/
! handling of the cases of children.
Then. too, it seems to me that chill
dren when they are brought before
the courts ought not TO be brought in
such a way as will lead them TO think
: that they are going through the ordi-
nary channels through which harden
ed criminals have to go. They ought
! TO feel that their cases are distin
al. !. IffN
criminals. To have them brought be-
fore the Municipal Court where muir
I derers, thieves, burglars and all the
! rest of the more helnOus offenders
are brought, cannot but have the ef-
feet upon their minds of making them
feel that they are worse than they
really are
believe that experience from
other States has demonstrated that
the purposes of the Juvenile Court
are much more effectually secured IL
such a court is maintained as sep
arate and distinct court in itself, en-
tirely unrelated and completely dis
associated from all other criminal
courts.
The judge OF the Municipal Court
has a great deal of business to trans
act. II seems TO me that any judge
who presides over the problems in
yolved in child's life. should have
ample time and leisure TO thoroughly
investigate and inform himself con
corning the facts Of the case and
should not have TO rely too much
upon agents that he might select.
Certainly the judge of the Municipal
Court would not have at his disposal
the time necessary TO post himself
concerning the many facts involved
in the case of each particular iuy-
emile delinquent have seen Il
stated upon apparently reputable su-
thority that i'm one city in this coup-
try the Judge who undertook to pass
upon the momentous problem of what
to do with a child. was so busy that
he could only devote on an average
OF fifteen minutes to each child's
case.
To place upon a judge SO many
duties as TO prevent him from givinl
any more time than that to the seri
Gus problems of "a childs life. seem.
10 me to be nothing short of crimina
in the Legislature. II the Juvenile
Court is allowed TO remain as a sep
arate and distinct institution with ;
Judge of its own. such judge in view
Of the number of juvenile offender
we have I'm the city of Wilmington. I
he were conscientious in the per
formance Of his duties, would hav
ample time to thoroughly inform him
self before he passed judgment upol
the child before him.
l consider il a most serious and, il
one sense of the word an awful re
sponsibility for a judge to assum
when he undertakes TO make that dis
position OF the child which undoubt
edly will have a lasting and perma
nent influence throughout the Who'll
OF the child's life
Therefore, | think il csiremal
dangerous to put the disposition G
such children's cases in the hands q
any judge unless that judge is al
lowed to devote all of his iudioia
time 10 consideration Of the iuvonil
cases before him.
Very truly yours.
]. o. WOLCOYT. y
Attorney-GenerM
City Solicitor Hastings Objects.
III City Solicitor Hastings letter fo
| lows:
To the Members OF the Legislature
Sirs: Mrs. Satterihwaite. who
interested In the Juvenile Court, ha
requested me TO write letter 10 yol
urging the adoption of the bill. whic
has for its object, the continuing {
| the Juvenile Court. with a salary fc
the Judge. This request probabl