Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-05
COURT BILL AIMS
At CHILD RESCUE
Official Explanation of Johnson
Measure Found in House
Report.
WOULD CREATE A MODEL
FOR REST OF THE NATION
No Additional Expenditure of
Money Called for Through
Proposed Reform.

Inc oHclaI explanation of the john
son Juvenile Court bill is found in the
report submitted to the House today
from the District committee and writ
ten by Representative Tinkham of
Massachusetts. The bill was intro
duced by Representative Johnson
chairman of the committee. and has
met the approval of the Department OF
Justice, the judge of the Juvenile
Court, Miss Julia Lathrop, chief of the
children's bureau, and various other
persons in position to know the scope
Of the proposed change
The report is as follows:
This bill is the result of the efforts
of committee appointed March 6,
; 1914. by the then Attorney General of
the United States, and is recommended
for passage by Congress in a supple
ment to the present Attorney Generals
annual report, dated February 10, 1915,
Studied Juvenile Problem.
This committee was composed of
Bernard Flexner, Chicago, ILL.,, chair
man; Miss Julia c. Lathrop. chief of
the childrens bureau. department of
Labor. Washington, d. c.; Rev William J.
Kerby, professor of sociology. Catho-
lie University of America, Washington,
ID. C., and William II. Baldwin, Wash
ington, D. c.
This committee was directed to con-
slider the question of an amendment,
revision and codifica ton of the laws
of the District of Columbia pertaining
to children, and to draft bill ade-
quate and satisfactory in relation to
children and their care, SO that the
bill might be used as a general model
for the several states.
The present juvenile laws of the
District of Columbia were found an
tiquated and working injustice
The present Juvenile Court, estab-
lished by an act of Congress March 10,
1906 GA Stat. l.. P, 73), was found to
had original and exclusive jurisdiction
of all persons under seventeen years of
age.
Punishments Required.
TT was found that the present Juve-
nile Court must punish or fine for all
crimes that are misdemeanors, and for
all crimes other than misdemeanors
must hold the person for the grand
jury. So. under this act, children must
be charged with a crime. and. if cor
victed, have a permanent criminal rec
ord established. Between June 30, 1907.
and June 30, 1918, more than 1000
children were found guilty of crime.
and. ipso facto, are disqualified from
jury service. holding Office and Of en-
tering public service.
The proposed bill rests upon u :, o..
and humane theory Numerically op-
ciates the generous and clement prin-
ciple that the child who finds his way
into court is not to be regarded as
criminal. but rather as the ward of
the nation, whose individual welfare
comedies with the we'll being of the
state and should be saved to it, rather
than prosecuted by it.
The present law Furnishes the child ::
the proposed bill establishes a judicial
guardianship of the child to protect and
help, not to punish and stigmatize it.
Every provision in the bill has these
principles in view. Ia the proposed bill
criminal Technology is abandoned and
petition is substituted for the crimi-
nal information and complaint, and a
summons takes the place of warrant
Protection for Records.
"Indiscriminate public inspection OF
the records of the court and the pro-
ceedings are not allowed in the discre-
ton of the judge The court is given
plenary authority to treat individually
the juvenile problem. The proposed
bill increases the age of the child from
seventeen to eighteen over whom the
court shall have Jurisdiction.
The present law does not allow the
court to directly commit any child to
any care, except that of a training
school. The proposed bill gives the
court a complete discretion as to the
custodial care of the child.
THE present law practically pre-
vents any proceeding against adults.
who NAV be really responsible for the
cbild's DELINQUENCY. The proposed bill
makes easy such proceeding.
Tho proposed law calls for no APP
propriation, the appropriation for the
present court being sufficient.
The tenure of the judge is increased
from, six wears under the present law
to ten years under the proposed bill"