Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-19
Home Rule Held
| Vital 10 Success
OF Youth Council

The Commissioners Youth
Council must have elected Dis
trict legislators to whom it can
carry needs, If it is to be fully
successful. the council was told
last night.
DR.. Bertram M. Beck. director
Of the special juvenile delin-
quency project of the Children's
Bureau. told a progress report
meeting in the District Building
that "some degree of home rule
in the District is necessary be-
fore this co-ordinating COM
mittee can reach its goal"
Among the cities in the United
States with organized councils.
the District is alone in the prob
lem of not having its own elected
legislators to turn to. he pointed
out.
"We have only the overworked,
hard-pressed legislators elected
by others who must assume the
ultimate responsibility for legis-
lation affecting our District on
top of all their other RESPONSE
bilities and obligations" he said.
Discusses Trial Authority.
DR.. Beck went on to discuss
proposed law changes (which
would allow persons other than
the juvenile court judge to de-
termine which juvenile should
be tried in the criminal court"
While there are some social
workers and some juvenile court
judges who are not sufficiently
aware of the interests of the
community. he said, surely cor
rection does not lie in the direc-
ton of altering the function of
the institution"
If instances of poor practices
can be cited, he said, "let us
remedy them by holding those
responsible accountable.
DR.. Beck also discussed the
Zeckendorf proposal for rede-
veloping Southwest Washington,
but he expressed concern over
the people now living in the
area.
What part will they have in
shaping the destiny of their
neighborhood." he demanded.
He suggested that block by
block neighborhood rehabilita-
ton such as Baltimore has un-
dertaken may have consequences
far greater and more earth
shaking than the fastest, most
streamlined plan put down in an
area by some extraordinarily
able and intelligent group who
are not of the area"
The council also heard reports
on area committee progress, in
Guiding one by Harry E. Polk,
chairman of the Area v Com
mittee. who cited these infiu-
ences on juvenile delinquency:
Business establishments that
permit youngsters to earn pen
mics for odd jobs during school
hours, increased truancy, lack of
attendance personnel, unsuper-
vised teen-age parties in private
h ONES, inadequate lighting
around recreation halls, play
grounds and schools and lack of
enforcement of the laws per-
tanning to minors lettering
around pool rooms and beer par
lorS. 81 70.
His report recommended rigid
enforcement of attendance laws.
Business houses should be
warned against employing chill
dren during school hours, he
went on, and f1oodlights should
be installed Immediately at the
Barry Farms and Turner recrea-
ton centerS. In addition, police
should be asked for strict en-
! forcement of the laws governing
pool rooms and beer parlors, he
said.
/ Job a Problem.
| 1t was reported on the ques-
ton of employment that Juvenile
Court has noticed increasing diff
! ficulty for youngsters under it's
supervision not only to find jobs
but to keep them.
Miss Winifred Thompson,
council director, said that the
gathering of information on en-
ployment is one of the main
projects of the area committees,
and that they might be Of help.
Miss Thompson reported that
nine of the area committees have
now organized, nine are in the
process of being organized, and
nothing has been done so far
IN the rest of the 26 areas.
Commissioner Samuel Spencer
welcomed the meeting on behalf
of the Board of Commissioners,
and Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle,
council chairman. outlined the
philosophy behind the councils
efforts.