Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1939-05-11

of the Juvenile Court for Montgomery
county, has made public his report
for the year beginning on the first
Monday in May, 1888 and ending on
the same date in 1889.
The report follows in part: (The
Sentinel regrets that it cannot pub
lish the entire report as so interest
ingly presented by Judge Anderson).
The personnel of the Court at the
beginning of the year covered by this
report was as follows: Thomas M.
Anderson, Magistrate; Sadie M. Wis
ner, chief probation officer, and Mar
garet Harriss, stenographer. The Ju-
venile Court Committee was made up
of Ben A. Harlan, chairman; Mrs.
George X. Pariseau, secretary; Frank
H. Karn, Mrs. Milton H. Bancroft and
James Cunningham Rogers.
During this period the Juvenile
Court Committee suffered most I'M
fortunate loss through the death of
Ben A, Harlan, the chairman. Mr..
Harlan, as chairman of the commit
tee, was most active throughout his
period of Office in rendering assist
ance whenever possible to the Court.
He was an outstanding citizen of the
county, with great love of children,
and a deep understanding of their
misfortunes. By his death the county
lost one of its most valued citizens.
In his place the Governor appointed
Mr.. Adam Seek as a member of the
committee.
The only other change made during
the year was the substitution by the
County Commissioners of Miss Polly
Hawkins as stenographer in place of
Miss Margaret Harriss. The commit
tee has given to the Court it's usual
splendid cooperation and assistance,
and many of the members, and Mrs.
Bancroft in particular, have attended
a great many sessions of the Court.
During the year covered by this re-
port ITO chic were referred to the
Juvenile Court; of these 121 were de-
linquent, of whom " were white boys,
q were colored boys, II were white
girls, and were colored girls. Forty
nine children were referred to the
Court as dependent and neglected
children, and of these 16 were white
boys, IL colored boys, 6 white girls,
and Is colored girls. During this year
there were 112 hearings held by the
Court involving 1913 children. One
hundred twenty-five children were
brought before the Court on formal
petition, as children were brought be-
fore the Court for informal hearings
without petition, and 80 children were
brought before the Court on more
than one occasion. In comparison with
the previous year 81 more children
were referred to the Juvenile Court
The average case load of the proba-
ton officer during the previous year
was 100 per month, while this year
her average case load per month was
102, showing an increase of the bur-
den imposed upon the probation officer
and the necessity of assistance being
rendered her in this most important
duty.
Delinquency and Neglected Cases
Reasons referred: Without adequate
care or support from parents or guar
dian, 40; Abandonment or desertion,
S; Living under conditions injurious
to morals, A; making total of 40.
In conclusion it is interesting to
note the steady increase in the num-
Der of cases handled over the past
four years. This does not indicate that
delinquency in the county is on the
increase, but rather that there is a
growing realization of the advant-
ages to be obtained by the handling
of these cases by the Juvenile Court.
The public schools cooperate in
furnishing school reports of children
under the supervision of the Court.
DR.. Edwin Broome, superintendent of
schools, the principals of the various
schools and teachers, Mrs. Eileen
Wilkinson, the school attendance Off
Ger, and Miss Julia Folly, the school
nurse, have all been helpful in work.
ing with the Court and the probation
officer to aid and assist the children
who have come before the Court.
The police department under former
Chief ]. W. Garrett, and now under
Chief of Police. Charles Orme, have
rendered valuable assistance.
During the past year "a children
or their parents were examined by a
psychologist or a phychiatrist, or
both. Only seventeen received this
special study during the previous year.
DIR. Alice Rockwell, psychologist of
Baltimore and member of the staff