Evening star., 1924-01-16
sren Soz Sosn! !!toan'e' are with en''-
Yet he who wants them counts
htmgelf forlorn.n

How many troubles are with chill
aren born! ~ I.
Yet he who wants. them counts
himself ,forlorn."
Congress has put all authority in
the care of dependent children Of the
District of Columbia upon the Dis
trict Commissioners. The District
has caned for its child wards with
good intentions. but, like many an.
inexperienced parent, has felt the
need OF expert direction.
Last year. the Commissioners re-
Quested DIR. Hart Of the department
of child welfare of the Russell Sage
Foundation. to make a careful sur
vey Of the city as to its chiIdren's
institutions, public and private, and
to report what he found to be the
situation. As a result of that pre-
'liminary survey the foundation has
now sent william w. Hodson to
guiC,e and advise In shaping needed
Legislation and advising especially as
to the best methods of, court pro-
cedure in handling children.
There are now pending in Congress
some twenty-four proposed amend
ments. to the Constitution, giving
Congress power to leEisiate In child
welfare These all bear upon gem
Senator Capper has introduced q bill
which provides directly for home care
of children in the District Of Colum-
hia. Senator Ball has bill provid-
Fairgrounds In the District for child
The fact that the District Of CO.
lumola ~ a FEDERAL district, having
FEDERAL courts and only federal laws,
save the children OF the District from
extreme penalties Of the law. with
out waiting for constitutional
amendment. as Is the case where
state rights prevent congressional
The principle which the Russell
Sake Foundation experts uphold,
through Mr.. Hodson, is that the Dis.
trict courts. In handling all children's
cases should act as courts OF equity
law. by the leniency Of what. in
England. would be called "the kings
conscience; rather than infictinE the
letter OF the law, whether statutory
or common: The aim is TO save and
and. to do that. IT is necessary not
merely to ascertain whether the child
DID the act Of which he is accused,
but why he did II. Mr.. Hodson Is
thus especially interested in bringing
about a change in court procedure
IL is recognized, he says. that for a
court to arraign a child as a criminal,
have the "culprit" tried before a tury
Or judge sitting high above him, to
be accused by witnesses and SEN
tencsd is to stamp that child with
infamy for the rest of his life.
Yet, too often. that Is the only
method by which children are legally
treated for their offenses. Scientific
clinics would nnd that the causes of
many offenses are physical, or mental,
or that the home surroundings are
such as to misguide and handicap
him In development and viewpoint Of
his duties.
What is. the child's handicap? Re-
move 1t. Give him chance to go
right.
There have long been efforts to ire
form" children. There have been
homes" or institutions for bad
girls" and also for bad boys" These
have not always accomplished their
avowed aims-perhaps through no
real fault of either the management
of the homes or the characters of the
restrained and profiteering baby
farms" 1t Is the hope that all homes
and baby farms" will come under a
licensing and supervision. under i'm
proved legislation.
Dr. Hart found that the board of
children's guardians Of the District
Of Columbia has acted with devotion