Evening star., 1927-10-18
CHAOS IN JUVENILE
CASES LAID TO LAW
Gill Charges Welfare Work
Suffers From Lack of
Coordination.

Work done by the Federal Bureau
Of Efficiency, and its recomme mendations
to the District Commissioners to in
sure more efficient welfare work in
the District-particularly in connec-
ton with the handling of juvenile
cases--were explained by Howard b.
Gill, Investigator for the bureau, at
meeting of the Monday Evening
Club at the Young Women's Christian
Association last night.
Mr.. Gill told of the difficulties
caused by lack of legislation authoriZ-
ing certain functions on the part of
various organizations. While showing
| that the work of securing an adequate
program for all welfare work is still
going on, Mr.. Gill made it clear that
whatever is done, will have to be ac-
complished under handicap due to ex-
isting circumstances.
Conference Work Cited.
Beginning by describing the need
Of a basic plan Of coordination be-
tween the Board OF Public Welfare.
the juvenile Court, Police Department
and the Board of Education, in the
case of dependent, neglected and de-
linquent children, Mr.. Gill described
the organization of a conference on
| child welfare in the District of Column
bia," to secure more efficient ham
ding of cases by the various institu-
tions involved.
At the organization meeting of the
| conference, Mr.. Gill explained, it was
pointed out that there was no means
in the District of Columbia for co.ordi-
| mating the several agencies, due to
1n 1nr ~ L. =
mutual problems could be brought for
consideration.
The outcome Of the meeting, he con-
tinued, was an agreement that the
| conference should not take formal ac-
tion on the questions submitted to it,
but that the conference should arrive
at general conclusions suitable to all,
| and that the Bureau Of Efficiency
should then make recommendations
as it deemed best. From this now 1t
is hoped something may be accom-.
| plished, he said.
Views on Laws Conflict.
Conflicting interpretations of the
law governing the jurisdiction over
| Juvenile lawbreakers charged with
| felony were cited by the speaker as
showing the need for change.
In some instances youths were ena-
| bled to escape punishment entirely,
| and in others a situation equally bad
was created by sending them to jail,
where they would associate with hard
ened criminals.
Incarceration in some institution
| with others of their age, where they
would receive some academic and
trade education, is the proper remedy
Tor such cases, in the opinion Of the
speaker.
Mr.. Gill deplored the situation
whereby children, with poverty as
their only offense, are placed in the
Industrial Home School with delin.
quent children, the result of which
! he described as unfortunate. He told
also OF the recognized need of more
segregation in the House of Detention.
Congested conditions at the District
jail have engaged much Of the atten.
ton of the Bureau Of Efficiency, Mr..
Gil said. During the past Summer
l have found as many as 16 or 20 men
housed in a group of small cells, orig.
lnally intended to care for or Z men. -
he declared.
Private Society Urged.
Mentioning various other problems
which the Bureau of Efficiency has
been considering, Mr.. Gill advocated
the establishment inBthe District of a
private Children's Aid Society, which
would see to the placing Of children
In homes and looking after their wei.
rare, and thereby do away with the
combined activities of the Juvenile
Court, Police Department and the
Board Of Public Welfare in the
handling of certain cases.
He also advocated the establishment
OF regular juvenile officers Of the Wo.
mems Bureau, so that a uniformed
policeman would not be required to
go after a juvenile delinquent who
had merely run away or committed
some minor offense. In addition he ad.
vlsed the establishment Of a receiving
nome for children and Industrial
schools for children to come under the
head of the child welfare division Of
the Board Of Public Welfare.
Coming as an aftermath of Mr..
GilPS address was an address by Ed.
win A Moores, lawyer, on the codifi-
cation of the laws Of the District of
Columbia, and the need Of new and
specific laws to cover various phases
of welfare activities here.
Describing local laws, Mr.. Moores
declared: "You have a splendid exhi.
bition Of legislative chaos. II there
ever was anything confused this is
it," AS he made the latter statement
he exhibited volume containing all
District welfare laws which he had
spent five months in obtaining from
more than 40 volumes Of law books.
Cites Easy Removals.
Mr.. Moores declared there are four
laws defining what constitutes de.
linquent child.
Some day, for instance, Mr.. Moores
predicted, some Industrious lawyer Is
going to get busy and take children
out Of the Industrial Home School,
because, by law, there is no power to
hold them there" The speaker also
described other conflicting laws in the
District.
Following the address the club
adopted resolution to have the Dis.
trict laws gotten together by Mr..
| Moores, bound and kept as public
| documents.
The club also adopted a resolution
to support the District Commissioners
| in their effort to obtain adequate
housing facilities in a central location
for the Social Hygiene Clinic at Gal.
linger Hospital and the tuberculosis
Clinic at tuberculosis Hospital, fol.
lowing charges by DR.. d. Percy
Hickling, District alienist, that the
present clinic facilities are inadequate.
Paul u. Kirby was elected to the
office of recording secretary.
The following new members Of the
club were elected: Miss Ruth Deyine.
Paul L. Kirby. Maj. Bernard r. Ken.