Evening star., 1936-05-12
JUVENILE COURT
BILL IS OPPOSED
BY FEDERATION
Citizens Group Holds 1t Will
Give Tribunal Unlimited
Power.
COLLECTIONS PRESENTED
] AT HOUSE HEARINGS
Monday Evening Club Indorses
: Measure-Dr. Smith Appeals
for Child Protection.
BY JAMES E. CHINN.

First opposition to the bill designed
to modernize Juvenile Court proce-
dure developed today at the fourth
of a series of hearings on the meas
ure before a special subcommittee of
the House District Committee.
George E. Sullivan filed with the
subcommittee a report adopted by the
Executive Committee of the Fedora
ton of Citizens Associations oppos-
ing the bill on the ground it would
give an unlimited grant of power to
the Juvenile Court.
Another hearing-probably the last
will be held Friday at 10 am. to
give other opponents of the measure
an opportunity to express their views.
Sullivan augmented the report OF
the Executive Committee of the fed
Grafton by explaining various legal
features of the bill which, he said,
were Objectionable. First, he declared
the assistant corporation counsel. who
always has been an important factor
in Juvenile Court procedure, Is vir-
tually eliminated in the proposed new
set-up. in so far as juvenile cases are
concerned.
THE bill has been drafted from
beginning to end" he declared, with
the consistent idea that all power
should be placed in the judge of the
court"
Ufford Indorses Bill.
Walter S. Ufford, representing the
Monday Evening Club, however, in
dorsed the bill as a great step for
ward because it will substitute
chancery procedure in Juvenile Court
for the present criminal system. He
also pointed out that one of its
"strong" features will link the parent
more directly with the delinquency OF
q child, and through preliminary in
vestigations obviate the necessity of a
child being brought into court in
many cases.
The bill also was approved by DR..
Carrie w. Smith, superintendent OF
the National Training School for Girls
THE ideal Juvenile Court pro-
eedure," she declared, lis first of all
the protection of the child-not what
the child has done-but the consid-
Grafton of his needs and the needs Of
his family.
The red tape that surrounds the
present system is hazardous to chill
drer. I am more fearful of the re-
suits of their ENHANCEMENT in this
Red menace than I am some of the
Red menaces which recently received
considerable publicity"
Attitude Held Penal.
DR.. Smith described her institution
as "a logical result of wrong attitude" ="
s'The attitude toward children in the
present law is penal, not protective" p"
she said. THE institution was
erected as a place of punishment. The
children necessarily thought Of
themselves as prisoners and their re-
'sponse was naturally on the level of
prisoners. To make juvenile mis-
demeanant feel he is a criminal is
spne of the greatest factors in making
him a confirmed criminal"
( A juvenile court, DR.. Smith said,
should be removed both in practice
and location from the environment
of an adult court and jail and located
adjacent to the Department of Edu-
cation or child health center.
! Chairman Nichols of the subcom-
mittee and Representative Dirksen,
Republican, of Illinois. both ques-
toned Dr. Smith about activities at
her institution and the steps that are
contemplated to improve conditions
for the inmates.
Nichols said the subcommittee would
make careful study Of all teSti-
mony before it writes a report. He
believes the report will be ready for
submission to the full committee at
Its regular meeting, May 20.