Evening journal., 1920-04-27
OUTDOOR life
FOR TOTS ILLS
Juvenile Court Finds Chill
dren Are Made Better
BY Open-Air Help
NEW DETENTION
HOUSE URGED

Thai mental rslardalion Is the
csuso OF much Of ihe Imperfect health
in children. and that outdoor exer-
else Mil easily overcome this all
ment. was the statement made al the
annual meeting OF the Juvenile Court
Association. held In the court rooms,
last Friday night This statement was
made in a report read by Mrs. f.
Paul dupont. of the work of Or.
Francis Lee Dunh1m psychialrist. in
connection with the Institution.
Tho reader cxp0unded the work Of
The doctor at Johns Hopkins Unlver-
sily snd DE phipps Institute, Of Bal
timore and related interesting tales
OF the minute attention Dr. nunham
attributes 90 the little proteges; how
he offers The children submitted 20
him a thorough physical. as well as
mental examination. which, in the
presenl unfortunate state OF being
without a physician, is OF great ad-
vantage
In this connection" she continued,
Il would like 10 speak OF the very
interesting effect outdoor exercise has
on mentally abnormal children who
have come into the court. II is not
cffen the clever boy who gels caught
his mistakes 10 st. Louis a group
OF six hundred Of these children have
been provided with playground
With splendid results. In three
southern towns where delinquency
was rampant, school gardens were in
shtulcd With the result that out OF
2.S children. only three fell before
temptation aud in another town
where i5O youngsters were provided
with gardens, only one was brought
back 10 court This may seeni .rrc-
vclant. but Tla grounds, gardens qnd
summer schools become very closet,
Connected with Juvenile Court wo, J.
in Wilmington two years asv.
summer scaOOl was organized toi
such children In The district which
rrodDced mOst Of our cases. Whi'
that school was in operation we &C
not have one child brought in from
that section
Mr. dupont regretted the loss O
Miss Anna Spiesman as court psy
chologisl. She said that the pas
year has been fairly successful.
The work Of the committee Of ihl
association durins the year has re
suited in developing and expandinl
fhe nature Of work OF this sort. Judg
Prickett, commenting on the co
operation OF probation officers, VIII
nie court. said. our standards ar
advancing. Not long since we fcl
thai the detention house was a grca
step forward. far superior TO the lal
and the city lookup. Perhaps wOnlel
who have volunteered 10 help Mrs
dupont and assist the association
could follow a schedule Of going I
thc detention house and forming
oarps OF assistants In recreation.
We are unable for the moment 10 IN
crease our equipment, we might IN
crease our personnel
Mrs. Wilson mairOn OF the deten
ton house, spoke OF the effect Of IN
hlrh cost OF living upon The fund
provided for the children's fold, say
Ing that Il costs az least nifty cent
a day 10 supply FOR each child, actu'
noiuishneni. The children br0ugl
are generally underfed. and with m
present high cost OF meat aud pots
Toes It Is almost imi ossiblc 20 az
pease their hunger.
Chief Probation On,ter Paul Gree
concluded The meeting by saying ihi
children kept under probation 4,
two or three weeks In the detentio
house. improve rapidly and the
cases are solved and disposed
sooner than when they are Visited
the old environment OF unhappy e'
pcrlences Ne urged that new d.
ic1uon house should be he immed
ate goal OF The association Tor ne
YEAR