New-York tribune., 1922-09-18
W elfare Work
Held to Qualify
For JudgesInil,
Miss Taylor, Candidate for
Westchesier ChiIdren's
Court, Makes I3 Years
Experience Her Platform
Post Pays $4,000 a Year
is Not a lawyer, but Be-
lieves knowledge of Child
More Essential Than Law

ahirteen years Of experience in
child welfare work is the platform of
Miss Ruth Taylor, candidate for Judge
OF the newly created Children's Court
oil Westchester County.
III IS n particularly desirable posi-
uon' carrying with 1t salary of sfo,-
WV year for six years, and is, there
lore, storm center of interest in this
iails campaign, Old hands, who shud-
der at the thought of so delectable a
political plum falling into the hands of
woman, are answered from the oppo-
site camp by hundreds OF women who
ordinarily take little interest in Judi
e'di contests, but are rallyinC to the
support Of one whose qualifications are
so noteworthy
MISS Taylor has the Endorsement of
the regular Republican organization.
She also has the support of a non-par-
tisah committee Of men and women and
the college women OF the countv-
graduates of Vassar, Smith, Barnard
ana bryn Mawr-are making the towns
ring with her praises, from Mount Yer
non to Peekskill. She is graduate
VI NasSar, class OF 1909.
Accepts Candidacy Calmly
The candidate herself, quiet-voiced
young woman, with steady blue eve
and the perfect poise of one fitted for
responsibility, accepts her candidacy as
the logical next step in her thirteen
years of work with children
81 never allowed the childron's work
to be mixed up with politics, and so it
IS bit surprising to find myself run
ming for Office" she smiled as she con-
fessed the inconsistency of it all; ''but
my friends had me designated by the
Republican party while was in Europe
this summer, and, as | do believe
that the head of the Children's Court
should be one experienced in child well
fare work, am candidate for a po-
litical job"
Miss Taylor has been head of the
Westchester County Department OF
Child Welfare for seven years. Last
week she announced that she would
accept no salary for the time she was
campaigning, but the work of the de-
partment goes on and Miss Taylor was
at her desk in the oulthouse as usual
Saturday.
Oppose Woman for Office
She declared that the opposition
against her was chiefly concerned with
the fact that she was a woman and that
she was not a lawyer.
eyes, I'm a woman I admit it," she
smiled. "As for the fact that am not
lawyer, believe that the work OF
this new court will be concerned nine
tenths with the human problems of the
child and only one-tenth with techni-
calities Of the law. The court must be
conducted under the law, of course,
and the judge must be familiar with
the more than twenty bodies of state
law which deal with the care of chill
dren. However, | believe that /, who
have been handling children's cases for
thirteen years, know more about these
laws than the ordinary lawyer who sell
dom is concerned with the affairs of
children.
Must Understand Children
"The Children's Court would fail in
its purpose, however, if it administered
merely the letter Of the law. 1t is for
that very reason that we have taken
it out of the hands of the ninety four
disconnected courts scattered through
out the county and have centered it in
one court, the business of which will be
to get at the heart of the child, rather
than the letter of the law. If Johnny
steals a hen eny police court Judge can
mete out punishment according to the
law, but what we must do for Johnny's
good and the future good of the COM
munity is to find out why Johnny stole
the hen and what will prevent his want
ing to steal another"
The large area Of Westchester
County presents a new problem for the