Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-04
JUVENILE COURT
ASSOCIATIONS WORK

Editor Every Evening VIII you |
please print this letter as correction /
Of the statement In your news col /
urnns of December 2S from which
quote az follows:
The Federated Childrei's Agencies OF
Delaware has just organized.
II comprises the Children's Bureau OF
Delaware, tho Juvenile Court of VIII
mington, and the Delaware Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chill
dren."
| / wish TO explain that of course the
Juvenile court. being a part Of the
part of the judicial system of the
city and county. whose being and
/ functions are entirely prescribed by
/ law. could not combine In any way
with any charitable or semi-charitable
institution whatever. and the refer
ence must therefore he intended to
apply TO the Wilmington Juvenile
Court and Probation Association, of
which I am president. Our association
was invited to join the above fedora
ton but when We came to talk It
oeer. both the members OF our execu-
tive board and those of the Federated
Childrens Agencies soon saw that our
various purposes and work were not
overlapping in any particular, so that
no advantage would be gained by
such an am6lgamation.
1t may interest your readers 10 know
that our association was organized
before there was Juvenile Court.
This associations efforts have result
ed in the establishment of a court
with probation officers and chill
dren's detention home. | came into
the presidency OF this association after
most of this work had been done and
find that the duties OF the association
now are:
l. To bring about legislative action
whereby the court system will be
completed. its scope increased and It's
/ jurisdiction broadened to include the
entire state.
| 2. Soliciting funds TO carry on such
parts OF the present .uncomplete sys-
tenn as are not yet part of the city
or county budgets.
II 3. Organizing and operating these
loose ends" which are later TO becom,
part of the judicial system officially.
/ Our association still provides certain
details relating to the detention home
and acts, under the direction OF judge
| Prickett, as a board Of managers
.Some of this work we hope will shortl.
be taken over officially by the city anC
H county, but until this is done we mus
continue soliciting funds for this pur
pose. These funds are paid directl!
and without any deductions, TO thes
\ purposes as shown by our annual re
ports, our organization containing no
L q single paid worker or member.
II We do not think IL would be righ
to saddle the Federation of Children
4 Agencies with any Of the above worl
| because. while our people would wei
| come being relieved of this. we canno
see that it is in line with the work O
! any OF the societies forming the fede
! ration or that II would benefit them i
II any way.
II In talking this matter over wit
/ Judge Prickett, he recognized that tn
/ Juvenile Court, whose existence an
| Functions are prescribed by law, coul
! lln not amalgamate with any othe
/ / agency, however, useful or importan
II He further said that he was great
II tpleased that the various agencie
! | organized for child welfare had bee
able 10 federate. thereby securin
H greater efficiency. He says that til
court has been greatly assisted by Ii
] cooperation Of these agencies in I'll