Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1919-11-20
JUVENILE
PROBLEMS
Address by Judge G. NJ. Orr BE.
fore Minnesota Organiza-
ton of Probate Judges.

Mr.. President and Judges of
the State, though we are inclined
to think that. when we are deal
ing with any particular subject
in the world, that it is the most
important subject to be dealt
with by any class of people, by
virtue of the Legislature you
have had an additional problem
presented to you within the last
few years which really is of
much greater Importance and
greater responsibility than any
of the duties you have had be-
fore.
1t is a great trust to see that
everyone who is entitled to par
ticipate in an estate receives his
just dues. There are a great
many intricate problems which
tax the vitality and sometimes
your ingenuity to render full and
equal justice to every partici-
pant, but the greater problem is
that which causes you to deal
with children, because it is not
dollars and cents. 1t means the
welfare of that child, perhaps
the happiness of the home; it
means the welfare of society; it
means the interest of the State,
because the value and wealth of
the State depends upon it's peo-
pie and the character of those
people.
While probably today we will
be denied some of the privileges
of individual liberty after the
18th of January, 1920, we probab-
ly also will learn that there will
be some fewer divorce cases, be-
cause there are many divorce
cases that are founded upon the
habit of a husband or wife, and
sometimes both, and a large pro-
portion of the dependent and
neglected children are due to the
indulgence Of the personal liber-
ty right on the part of the father
or the mother, or both. But we
are not going to be free from the
condition, because neglected
children and dependent children
and delinquent children are go
ing to be found until parents
cease to be delinquent, or until
they are capable of raising chill
dren. not only capable of raising
children, but capable of produc-
ing children within the rule of
discretion.
You have to deal with the in
sane and feebleminded, yet there
is not one Of you that has been
called upon to deal with any
more than twelve per cent of the
feeble-minded in your County.
1t is surprise in the cases
where we have a psychiatrist to
look over the children to find the
number the Court would be just
flied in committing to the State
School for Predetermined if the
State School for Predetermined
were large enough to protect
them. | have feeble-minded chill
dren that | do not bother the
Judge about at all. because
know his inability to deal with
the problem; we are taxed to the
capacity of the State Board of
Control in making them guardian
for all that class of children.
Predetermined men and
women very often intermarry,
and the children Of two feeble
minded parents will be feeble
minded. There is rare excep-
ton. but not enough to change
the rule. and the children of one
predetermined parent and one
normal-minded will be feeble
minded in the ration of three to
two-that is about the percent
age. This condition will con-
tinue until we are able to segre-
gate the Predetermined or place
some restrictions upon their in
termarriage. so that at least
ninety-nine per cent Of the chill