The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-03-05
ERMONT WORK
WAS CRITICIZED
BY Mrs. E. A. Linderholm,
Who Attacked Court Sys-
TEN and Charity Work
WERE MADE
BY TWO SPEAKERS
Judge E. M. Harvey and
Sec. Jeffrey of the State
Board of Charity

The report of the proceedings of the
Vermont conference on special work
has been received in Montpelier. 1t
contains an address upon "Phases of
Child Welfare Work in Vermont" ac-
credited to Mrs. +. A. Linderholm, until
recently of Chicago and who, it is
claimed by sone who attended the
meeting of the Vermont Children's Aid
society at Montpelier Thursday after
noon, had only been in the state two
months when she delivered the crit
icism of the court system and board
of charity work in Vermont.
A reply to the charge against the
court procedure was made by Judge
J.. NJ Harvey Thursday afternoon in
speaking to the society, in which he
showed that the Juvenile work as han
died by the municipal judges in Yer
mont is more of parental disposition
of a matter than from a judicial point
of view.
The address referred to above enters
into detail to show that the court
shonld not have jurisdiction over chill
dren who are not delinquent, claiming
the child is the helpless victim OF the
faults and misfortuaes of others"
Judge Harvey, IN explaining the
work, went on to tell of the family
court as it exists in Vermont and the
results that have been obtained with
the laxity that the Vermont law gives
in disposing of such cases. He ex
planned that no fixed policy can be laid
down, For every juvenile case that
comes before the court the Judge has
new problem. The Judgment given il
generally such as develops out of an
experience meeting" which generally
occurs, in which the child's condition
and the history which brought him be-
fore the Judge are discussed and the
problem solved more frequently by a
dismissal of the case than by punish
ment
Judge Harvey told how the old day
plan of handling child cases has dis
appeared in Vermont under the child
laws of the last few years He said 25
drunk cases can be disposed Of in city
court while one juvenile is being dis
posed of in juvenile court. He said the
practical workers in the field do not
believe in doing away with the courts
az conducted in Vermont He explained
the difference between. city work and
work in Vermont, showing that per
son who has done nothing but city
work knows little Of how to handle the
rural problems Of Vermont. He ex-
planned that under the law an inyesti
CATION occurs before the petition is
signed to bring child before the iu
venle court He explained there Is
big chance for prevention of crime by
such an organization as he was ad
dressing, that the world Is full Of neg
lected children who need help but that
in handling the cases Vermont is con
fronted with conditions each of which
must be practically handled and not
handled by theory He explained how
the publicity of such cases has been
reduced for the most part, thus giving
the child all possible advantage to re-
cover from any condition.
Sec. Jeffrey's Reply
Mrs. Linderholm also claimed that
the board of charities and probation
should be re0rganized, citing the way
the work is handled in New Hampshire
and other states. In New Hampshire
the child work Is handled through the
educational department w. II. JEFF
frey replied to this by the following
remarks
Il appreciate the fact that statistics
are always dry and should be avoided
whenever possible but at this time,
and in this kind OF gathering, ! am
sure that you will be glad to know
Just what j. being accomplished by
Your state agency.
Since the establishment Of the board
two and one-half years ago, 2l0 chill
dren have been committed to our Gus
tody and care. One hundred and six
were committed during the year 1919
and % during the first two months of
this year
During the five months ending Feb.
20 we have had investigated by our
field workers and the secretary $50
eases, and during that time 20 children
were committed to US by the courts.
Il want to say just a word to you
the finances Of the depart
ment The last legislature gave us an
annual appropriation of $4,000. This
became available with the new year,
July /. 1919. Dividing the fund into
u equal parts, We might use for our
appropriation 81 ,0S3.33 for the