The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-06
JUVENILE DEl|AQu{hTS
INCREASE DURING WAR
Says Judge Kicks, OF Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court, in
Annual Report.
BOOSTS BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT
Work of Court Shows Total Of 1886
Cases Handkerchief OF Public
) < Z .k1ysz ~, y
TONS Made

Justice J. Hoge Kicks of the tuve-
nile and domestic relations court has
submitted his annual report to Mayor
AlnsAe, covering the work done by the
court for the year 1918.
During the past two years there
mas been an alarming Increase in the
number OF children coming before the
court" says Justice Kicks. Details Of
his report show that a total OF 1885
cases came before the court in 1918,
an increase of seventy-flve over those
in 1917 but an increase OF $50 over
those In 1915. Richmond showed an
increase OF 20 per cent in Juvenile
delinquent cases between 1916 and
1917.
This Is attributable in part to the
fact that the country was In a state
OF war. according to the judge, who
says: Undoubtedly q considerable
portion of this increase In delinquency
is due to abnormal war conditions.
For Instance, fighting and running
away from home are evidences of this
spirit OF unrest as 1t manifests itself
among Children
In the report Justice Kicks could
not speak too highly OF the boy scouts.
He says: The boy scouts of America
Is wonderful organization and has
contributed largely to the direction OF
the energies of boys along the proper
channels" He recommends the in
crease of scout troops In the city, as
we'll a. the organization of troops
which will take care of older boys
between the ages OF sixteen and TWEEN
ty-one.
Constructive Work.
The staff OF the Juvenile and domes-
rf i~r t,sHn aDl4
Judge. a substitute. who Is Or. J. J.
scherer. Jr.: clerk, Miss Eleanor
Mccarthy: two Juvenile" probation
officers. Miss Sarah b. Roller and
Lieutenant James G. Pollard. and
three probation officers who handle
domestic relations cases. They are
3. r. Poitiaux,- ]. w Wheaton and
l. c. Tanner. all transferred from the
police force, This Is practically the
same staR with which the work Of the
, Richmond juvenile court was begun
Il few years ago.
Its work has been to keep law and
order among the younger generation
by constructive methods. as well as
to take care of the many questions Of
domestic relations which come up in
In,'dern city. The work OF the court
has been very valuable In that 1t
guides social work among children in
the city and offers an element OF cor
rectiOn In the sentences melted out
which have wholesome instead OF a
detrimental effect on the Juvenile Of
fender and the community at large.
The amount of the fines collected in
1913 was S3,673.2S, an increase OF
! 1928 over 1917. Justice Kicks says
| the following about the flnea In the
| case OF children: Where 1t Is thought
proper to impose a fine upon child
as part OF his punishment. the child
| is very generally permitted to pay his
| fine off in instruments out of his own
wages, We find this plan a more eff
fectiev lesson than to accept the fine
| In cash from the parent Fines
am ounting to $1,000 were melted out
to seventeen men brought from out
side the state on charges OF non Cup
| port of their families.
| Adult Offcnses.
! Wife-beating and husband beating
are second in the list. topped by nom
support, of ofrenses OF adults brought
! before the court There were ITO
cases involving this offense. Others
were abandoning child, assault and
/ battery OF child, contributory delin-
Quency, disorderly conduct. contem pit
OF court. violation OF child labor law
and of the compulsory education law
drunkenness and violation of proba-
ton. In the report Of the probation
officers there is shown that 1852 Wis
its were paid to the homes OF proba-
toners in 1918. In thirty nine cases
employment was obtained for proba-
Ittonerss and forty Three casen are
3. named in which they managed to rec
oncile husband and wife. $4,000
was collected by the officers from peo-
pie for the support OF neglected fam
| lies
In the reports OF the two city de.
tention homes for Juveniles 1t was
shown that total of ll.753 children
were detained during the year at th<
white detention home and SEA ut ths
colored homo. The average number
of children in costody at one tims
was about twenty. A sample menu FOL
each institution was submitted with
the report. showing how the boys and
girls are fed.
Extracts from Judge RickS repor,
follows:
Bad Homo Conditions.
We feel that frs, In importa noe Ii
the need OF proper training and dis.
cipline in the home. Parents often.
times not only fail to give their child
rem any instruction In matters Of NOR,
ais or religion. but set them the wors
example. Cases handled in the do
mestic relations side Of the court show
that parents frequently quarrel, ours.
and fight each other in the presenc,
of their little ones. The product o.
such environment cannot be a whole
some clean-minded youth.
1t hats been found almost impon
sible to bring about lasting reconctia
tons between couples who have M
relations background. Such peopl
are not willing to forgive or forget
each cherishes In his or her memoir!
every little wrong that has ever beef
j. committed by the other and when
ever the occasion permits revlves thes
. things and, hurts them at the offend
ing party. There La no spirit of low
or forgiveness In them.
May we not appeal to the mora
, and religious forces of this commune!
to take a determined persistent an,
systems tic effort to reach every nom,
, In the city to bring under their In
, fluences the parents and by all mean
reach the children, especially thos,
of tender years. supplmenting tn,
thraining OF the homer
No Playground For Coiorcd Children
. Second in importance to our mind
, is the need OF adequate year-rount
recreational facilities. Our play
grounds at present are like GASES II
the desert. II any one doubts thi
statement Let him visit ona of thea