Evening journal., 1919-02-03
PROBATION OFFICER
Tells OF RESI- ming
Commune from page onel


II It advisable to Withdraw from the
field shall take the liberty 10 make
statement.
EARLY last fall The secretary OF the
New York Stale Probation Commission
received a communication on the mat
ter OF locating man to OIL The posi-
ton / now hold, ana for some reason
he saw nt 10 recommend me for tne
place, and after some communication
1 was inv tied Tor personal Interview
ana was promptly asAed 10 come on.
1t was only after / entered my duties
that / discovered an undercJrrent Of
opposition TO a n0n-citlzen, although
the same had been brewing for months
before / was apponted. / was advised
TO p oceed without special notice Of
this criticism, as the friends OF the
court beiie> ed it would soon be forgot
ten ana no more would be said. However
| ind City Council received a protest,
based on legal contentious against the
validity OF my appointment, although
thOse .olflcials made responsible by
Stat5 legislation to pass on validity and
qualifications, had certified my appoint
ment. Neither have there lbsen any
steps taken for the proper legal pro-
cedure to bring the responsibility TO
bear on those who supposedly were
violating their sacred obligation 10 the
people Of Delaware by making the ap-
pointment OF an official 10 an imporlantf
Office without the qualifications re-
quired by the fundamental laws OF the |
Stale. Thus far no Official or dOcumen- |
tary notice OF any kind has reached the |
probation ofllce TO inform me that my |
appointment was not legal or that m
services should not be continued.
After waiting patiently for two
months for some conclusion on the
action taken by the City Council,
made Inquiry as TO what explanation
the. was for the fact that | had not
received any salary from the city Of
Wilmington since ! had assumed my
official duties. | was shown that an
organization had presented TO Council
a protest. that the matter had been
referred to Council as a committee OF
Inc whole and that there was appar-
emily no further action takth, since
However. by This action, o. some other (
lnAnOwn 10 me, 10 was assumed that
The salary and expense money for the {
,hief probation officer should be with
leld IRON the pay roll.
Whether this method Is allied with !
hat by which legislation Is Killed in {
or whether the matter was I
)f such minor Importance as TO war {
ant no Immediate or further consider
alton, do not know, but | do know |
rat Withholding salary Of necessity, 5
10 me. speaks louder than words and {
my only conclusion could be that II my {
were unwOrth o. OF the ilnan-
jial consideration OF $50 per month to
ihe city, or II my appointment was IL
legal, or II q brOadminded body OF
men representing the legal and popu-
ar rights of the people Of Whining
lon along with a protest held out
against the advisability Of my ap-
| should be man enough TO (
from the feld. The cause
must always be superior 10 the indi-
'idual. ! we'll know that the cause !
annot get the essential cooperation :
ON the city through the Council as I,
ong as am not the accepted chief :
D my ofiioe. Even friends Of the court
nd Of my interests in the Office be-
eve that advisable and essential leg
Station has been made impossible by I
lls agitation aud other legislation has :
cen suggested, as result Of the agita- :
on, that would lessen the usefulness a
The court. All the friends OF the .
)urt seemed TO hesitate on any sug- Il
estion as TO adyisability for my with
rawal but ! should have been very g.,
nkind to have waited untll IL had y
cen the unpleasant duty OF any one d
advise me on the matter. and nv u
esignation to take effect at the close y
I this month was entirely a voluntary Y
ction on my part. z
1T Is only fair that | should say that II
very one has treated me royalty as an y
lulN.auai ana my office force as well u
oulers wih whom ! had 10 work
eemed TO have enjoyed a pleasant and 9
appy relationship throughout my =
tay. should be ungrateful II !. did
ot mention the fact that my helpers
, PROBATION work constitute one OF the
most faithful and self-saerlnclng group
u workers II has ever been my pleas
ire to work with BY faithful and per u
istent efforts they have become ex :,
'erts 10 their p 0fessiOn working lon. y
ours overtime and ever reauy. by dav =
n by night To- come 10 the rescue of n y
MID or TO my beck and call II there u
vas something important TO do. There .
5 materially no money available foi ~
my travelling expenses while going ove~ =,
ne whole city and they have 10 ente- >
ne shops, The houses and the slums % ;.
erVe legal papers, investigate llthy \.
omes, and bring TO justice the way- n
Vard. Besides long days OF service -
mere are many nights OF hard work al
lost into the wee hours OF ,lhe morn %
lg They sacrifice their dignity AZ el
mes and at other times risk their a,
ealth and their lives and all for an al n
'wance or a little over Sil per week. il
ven their little waSward prObatlonets r,
'equtntly get double their salary and
several instances four times their
larS.
'J' may be Of interest TO note that b.
e small force is having on probation. C
sitting and supervising about 800 chill il
en- in this city outside OF the routine u
new work and court work that is C
pil.ng up Yet all this
kes life worth living when they rea.- 8
that about s. per cent. OF the sup W
;edly bad boys that come under rneir
are growing up into worthy
useful men Often their work Is
asured ungratefully by the failures.
lie their good is overlooked. Not a
ek passes but what q score Of school
ants of the worst type are routed
* 10 their desks. Children are look
after for their physical and mental
nts as well as for the making of in
sElous law-abiding citizens The as