Evening journal., 1919-04-23
MENTALLY NORMAL
KIDDIES SCARCE
Juvenile Court Finds Only
One in l03 Examined
at Random
INSTITUTION, MORE
OFFICERS. URGED

from Juvenile Court cases In this city
last year, only one crslld was mentelly
normal, according TO the annual report
Of Chief Probation Onlcer ]. Paul Green,
which was submitted last night, at the
annual meeting of the Wilmington Ju-
venile Court and Probation Association,
held In st. Andrews parish house Need
Of an institution for feeble-minded chill
dren, and OF more probation officers
were the most emphasized points in
the report.
DR.. Louis N. Robinson, chief Proba-
ton officer Of the Philadelphia Juven-
lie Court, made an address on Ideals.
Conditions and Aims Of Probation in
which he called probation constructive
friendship"
Commenting on conditions locally,
where probation officers average one
hundred probationers each, DR.. Robin
son said this city was far ahead Of
Cleveland, Ohio, in this respect. In
cleveland. he said. three probation OIL
GERS are in charge Of 2,i00 cases. Su-
peryisjon and Investigation OF proba-
tioners under such conditions, Or. Rob
inson exclaimed, was utterly impossl'
HE He said not more than fifty cases
should be in charge OF one oillcor.
The election of officers last night re-
sulted as follows: E. Paul dupont
president; Miss Katharine Pyle vice
president; Mrs. d. Herbert Way sec
retary; James A. Fulton, treasurer.
Miss spiesman. court psychologist
told Of new work planned, especlallE III
regard TO testing the mental capacity oi
7 paul Green, chief probation Of
0cer for the Wilmington Juvenile
Court. reported 1879 cases on the coart erI
docket last year. an increase ol 20
cases over the preceding year. Inc
0S9t a0f This number i.O76 were males
and 2O3 females; i,i06 white and 10
black. Last year l66 girls were brought
before the court, an increase this year
Of 81. ~ n,o
year were as follows
"Disorderly conduct, III; truancy'
IS: incorrigibilty, n; assault and bat
tery. 81: larceny. 25I; trespessing, o.
absentlng from home, 81; contempt OF
court IS; dependent children, 81; play
ing crap, 40; miscellaneous, violating
speed law. discharging firearms, forg-
erv. highway robbery. breaking terms
of probatfon, receiving stolen goods
street car riding, etc, etc, lOI; io4
probationers were discharged.
'.The dispositions Of cases before tne
lcourt were as follows: On probation,
9O6: Delaware Industrial school tor
Girls 10: Ferris Industrial School, 40;
delaware Children's Home. Is; Private
homes and farms, 10; 81. Marys Indus
trial School, 30; ST. James Male Pro
icetory. &: House OF Good shepherd,
10; ST. Peters 0rphanage, 2; Edgewood
Sanatorium, 2; Home for Friendless 9nd
destitute Children, 3; 81. Mary's Or
phanage, 4: boarding school, ); navy
IL British government, 4.
During the past year we have nad
10 deal with i2j repeaters, win IL
double repeaters and triple repeaters
About 900 cases were settled out oi
Fcourt. The report continued:
ITO Miss Elmira G.. RunyOn, acting
as chief probation officer, Mrs Min
ME Middleton, Miss Winifred Bach, aud
later Mrs. Ella G. TruaX, belong the
credit. The good they have done and
the value OF their efforts far eXcels the
remuneration they have received.
Miss Winifred Bach resigned TO do
overseas work, and Mrs. Ella G. Truax
was appointed to flll the vacancy. she
/ has done exceedingly we'll"
! Mr.. Green attributed the increase in
the number Of delinquqents last yeas
to increased vigilance and cooperation
z on part Of the police: the absence OF
male authority at home because Of mcn
being taken away by war conditions,
/ leaving children 20 run the streets at
all hours and with plenty OF money to
spend. poor housing conditions, and
an increase Of voluntary requests from
I parents or other relatives for help
with boy and girl problems.
A great need at present, said Air.
Green. is a place Of commitment for
/ feeble-minded children. The court
psychologist examined i03 children last
| year, taken at random from Juvenile
| Court cases. Only one Of these chill
| dren examined was found to be nor
NAL. Mr.. Green praised Miss Spies
mans work highly. The report further
says:
when a defective child comes be-
fore us we cannot do otherwise than
commit IL TO one Of our industrial
schools or place It on the farm The
! farmer does not care 10 be burdened
with such a boy; even though the boy
is not defective 10 such an extent as TO
hinder him from doing farm work,
sooner or later he becomes dissatisfied
and runs away. The problem Of the
defective girl, placed out in a home, is
far from being solved too. The harm
in placing such a child in either one
Of the industrial schools is great. Such
a placement is just neither 10 the child
nor to the head Of such an institution
The right kind OF instruction cannot
possibly be given. Personally l will
not suggest for commitment a child OF
such a type TO either institution except
as the last extreme. II is true that the
State offers the Pennsylvania Training
School at Elwyn as an outlet. but the
number OF vacancies is limited and we
must reserve them for the worse cases.
Then, too. much time, sometimes two
months, Is required 70 secure the
placement.
Il am not ignorant Of the fact that
the sale Of the farm in Sussex county
for feeble-minded institution has been
accomplished. | urge every member OF
our association, as well as its friends
TO do all in their pawer 70 cooperate
with those having the matter in
charge, and 70 make the dream Of