The spectator., 1920-12-07

problems usually included in the juve- nile court law itself. The extensive ness of this legislation, it Is avcrredy is inc best evidence of the previous unsatisfactory viewpoint Of th" law. How far the states have gone h mod ernizing their attitude toward the de- linouent and the neglected chlid ls- shown by a report just made publc oy the children's bureau.
 Juvenile court legislation every where deals with a complicated group of problems: that of the chllu ac- cused of breaking the law; the adult offending against the child; the neg lected and degraded parent; the in- competent and unfaithful guardlah' and the family that is simply poor. oh- der the old law the delinquent child was dealt with in the same manner with certain restrictions of age, as the adult offender He was tried beiore criminal court with all the fornallC and notoriety of a jury, sworn tesu- mony and confronting witnesses. II found guilty" the child suffered the penalty. If mot guilty he went 1ree'- In no case did the law extend any con structive help.
 chlId,s Riohts Now Recognized.
 Of recent years, however, the law has recognized the right Of the chiiu to reasonable minimum of care, or decencv and of well-being. Considera- tion has been given to the natural lm- pulses of youth and to the adverse conditions under which the chlfa may have been brought up. Because or uhe differences in the structure or their iudicial systems, the states nave hau to meet the problems by various meth- ods of legislative attack. In every state however, the attempt has been made through legislation to solve 'he difficult problems involving the un- favorable conditions-domestic social oud economic-undcr which children are living and developing today.
 The report recommends that every iuyenile court. not only in the cities but also in the rural districts. which has to deal with any considerable mum Der of offenders should have n chli- dren's probation officer. His duty would be not only to supervise cases himself but to secure the cooperation of teachers, scout masters. othcers or boys and girls clubs, and other so- cial organizations so that every child in his charge should be introduced to one or more of these agencies.
 IL seems altogether likely that the next. congress VII take up the qucs- tion of additional federal child labor legislation. The subject was discussed In the campaign in many congressional districts and large number If rep resentatiyes are pledged to heip along this line The legislation which Is now in effect Is not satisfactory to those persons who are interested Tn this ac- tivity, There are many persons who believe that the whole subject should be left 10 the states. but this Is not tine thought of those persons who have given most time and study to the prob lem.
 Teacher Supply Short and Poor.
 According 10 the federal bureau of education. conditions in the pub lie schools of the country with respect to the supply of teachers and the rate of pay have not improved to any appreeiahle extent during the last two years. Reports tO the bureau show that more than lS.oo0 schools. or about per cent of the total in the United States, were at the beginning of this school year without teachers of any kind and that more than 40,- GOO. or about : per cent of the total, were supplied with teachers whose qualifications '-ere below the minimum standards of the states .n which they taught. The shortage oc teachers np- plies 10 elementary schools and high schools alike. According to tie reports, it is especially difficult to find com petent teachers for the sciences and technical subjects.
 Studies made by the bureau just before we entered the World war in dicated thnt In the country at large f per cent of the rural teachers had less than eight years of elementary school % per cent had no high-school lf'l Ntiil ildu ltNS tiSth four years of highschool education Only "a per cent were hlgh-school graduates and only 10 per cent grldu- ates of normal schools or colleges. In one of the richest states of the North west orly S.2 per cent of the rural and village teachers were graduates of normal schools and colleges; 52.6 per cent had less ;han high-school educa- ton. In one or the Western states 5S per cent of the teachers had high school education; 42 per cent had no higher education, and only s per cent had as much as four years beyond high schools. In many states. 1t is asserted, conditions are still worse.
 On the average. the teachers teach less than IS months before quitting school for other occupations. In some