Evening star., 1924-05-13
DOUBLE DUTY HELD
/ HANDICAP TO BOARD
Guardians' Agent Says They
Should Be Relieved Of In
| i vestigating Work.
PROVES SERIOUS SETBACK
Broader Powers for Juvenile Court
Urged.

Is anxious for relief from its present
duty of investigating homes and COM
mitting children to its guardianship,
James E. Stuart, agent for the board,
told the Washington Council Of So
cial Agencies at a meeting yesterday
afternoon in the Raleigh Hotel. call
cd to discuss the pending Juvenile
Court law.
AS its functions in its present dual
capacity, the board, Mr.. Stuart ex-
planned, is seriously handicapped in
establishing the necessary good feel
ing with families after children are
committed to its care. He offered
strong opposition, however, to the
plan proposed by Mrs. Nina c. Van
Wrinkle, head of the women's bureau
of the police department, to nave
all preliminary Investigations made
by the operatives of that bureau.
The police department is the last
agency to handle children" he said.
Belief also was expressed by New
bold Noyes that the double duty or
preliminary investigation and guar.
drawbacks to the proper conduct of
the boards work. He urged that the
commission on public welfare make
some provision for separate conduct
of the work in its revision OF the
welfare laws.
Broader Court Functions.
J. Wilmer Latimer, former Judge
of the Juvenile Court, in discussing
the salient features of the proposed
new Juvenile Court law, advocated
the abolition of criminal procedure
and the broadening of the jurisdic-
tion OF the Juvenile Court in the cases
of all children up to the age OF
eighteen, except where capital pun
ishment is involved.
Under the present law, Mr. Latimer
pointed out, If a boy commits theft
it is necessary for criminal procedure
10 be started against him, and If he
is found guilty, he must be punished
for committing a criminal offense, as
is done in cases of adults in higher
nile Court law, he said, petition
would be filed against the boy, and
the complaint would be thoroughly
investigated by expert social work
ers, thereby eliminating the criminal
charge.
The powers of the Juvenile Court,
Mr.. Latimer declared, also should be
broadened to give the court authority
to commit to any particular institu-
tion to fit the peculiar needs of the
children, and power to handle nom
support cases and cases of those re-
sponsible for the delinquency of chill
dren arrested for a first offense.
a delinquent child under the pres
ent law, he empha sized, must be ar
rested at least twice before the par
ent or guardian may be punished.
Opposes Limitation.
There should be no limitation
placed on the Juvenile Court, regard
less Of the Nervousness or mildness
of the crime" said Mr.. Latimer. "A
limitation might be placed on the
trying of capital cases in the Juvenile
Court The court should be given
power in any particular case to pro
ceed against it criminaliy, but such
cases should be transferred to the
Criminal Court All other cases
against children, however. should be
taken to the Juvenile Court"
Mr.. Stuart spoke in opposition to
Mr.. Latimer's proposal that the Juve-
nile Court should be given the power
to commit children to any reputabl e
institution it deemed best. Such
broadening of the commitment pow
ers. he pointed out. would make the
court a child-placing agency. a work
which properly belongs to the board
OF children's guardians or to the new
public welfare department. which
would absorb the board of guardians.
THE decision of the court" Mr..
Stuart said, must be based on the
past record of child brought before
it. Under different training and en-
vironment the child may rapidly
change. and provision should be made
for changing the child's surrounding
to suit his development. Such work
as this is the task Of a placing or
guardianship agency and not the
court"
Not PIncing Agency.
Judge Latimer answered that the
proposed broad powers Of commitment
will not make the Juvenile Court a
placing-out agency.
william Hodson, expert consultant
of tfe welfare commission, spoke on
ohancery and equity procedure as
against criminal procedure in the trial
of children for various offenses and
voiced the opinion that the Juvenile
Court should aim to correct and train
children instead of furnishing them
Our Juvenile Court law" said Mr..
FodSon. lis drafted essentially upon
criminal theory. My thought is that
chancery procedure should be Substi-
tuted as far as a child is concerned,
especially here in the National Cap
ital. which should set an example for
the nation"
The Occupationa1 Therapy Associa-
tion of the District was admitted to
membership in the council