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Calls for Miss Tillson.

Assistant District Attorney Edward F. Van Vechten, who has prosecuted all the cases against the boys, explained the attitude of the district attorney's office, and he thanked the boys for their share in the work.

Then some boy called for Miss Tillson. Miss Tillson, as a clerk in Mr. Zuerner's office, has become a friend of the hundreds of children who call every Saturday to report.

When she thanked them for their kindness and wished them happiness and luck, every boy wanted to applaud, but didn't know how. They didn't want to offend Miss Tillson. Finally one of the braver ones precipitated an avalanche of noise.

Then Mr. Zuerner made an announcement for which the boys had been waiting.

Joy in Parents' Hearts.

And they marched out so crammed full of joy that they were bursting. Mothers who had remained in the background crowded around Judge Neelen.

"Thank you, thank you," said one. "You don't know how happy I am, and how good our boy is. He is going to be a fine man. I used to worry so about him, and I didn't like it when you arrested him, but now I am so glad."

"You've fixed my kid so that he'll amount to something," said a father. "You know what I think about it. I just want to shake hands with you, that's all." And then the judge was surprised.

First Boy Calls on Judge.

A tall, young man, not old, but a man from the ground up in spite of his years, walked up and extended his hand.

He was the first boy brought into the juvenile court when it was established. And he was proud of it. Strong, broad-shouldered, clean, neat, every inch a man, he was a surprise even to the judge, who had believed in him.

Down the elevators they went then, the 283 boys. Out into the world, with a clean record. It was a great day for the juvenile court. Many of these boys had been babies when first brought into court. But they were well started on the road to crime and its punishment. Some of them were hard cases.

Some of them were children of rich parents, some of poor. Some were verging upon a criminal nature. Some were mischievous. Bad company explained their trouble in nearly every case. They were boys who wouldn't work, and who wouldn't go to school.

And of the 283 boys who were discharged yesterday not one is missing from his class, or from his work wherever he is employed.

This means 300 children placed upon a solid footing for good citizenship in two years, 1905 and 1906.

JUDGE BLACK'S PROPOSED NEW JUVENILE COURT LAW.

By Rev. John Jay Gorham.

The surest way of demonstrating the real value of any law is by an honest endeavor to enforce it. The mere theoretic defense of any legislative measure does not, and cannot, demonstrate its practical value. Or the other hand, theoretical criticism of a law or an institution of any sort, does not necessarily reveal all the vital weaknesses of it.

The originators of any legislative measures looking toward the welfare of society, or the improvement of any class of society, will welcome kindly criticism as a helpful influence, whether such criticism be based upon a theoretical or practical knowledge of the matters involved. But the actual value to society of any proposed measure will be determined only by an honest endeavor to put into operation all the provisions thereof. This will apply as a test of the value of the Golden Rule, even. As a method of treatment of criminal classes, or any other rule looking toward regulations necessary to the welfare of the largest number.

It will be difficult to find, during the last quarter of a century, any more important legislative efforts than those looking toward the moral protection of children in establishing in the different states the juvenile court. It cannot be too strongly emphasized, however, that the primary object in view in establishing the "children's court" is not that of punishing delinquent juveniles. Every juvenile court worker knows, of course, that there are boys and girls who are so far incorrigible that they must be made to feel the hand of punishment before their lives can be turned away from their tendencies toward wrongdoing. But in dealing out punishment of any kind or degree the court does it with the prime object of all juvenile law held clearly in view, viz., that of preventing the child from developing any tendencies that make for a life of crime, not only for the sake of the child, but for the good of society as well.

This object of saving the child in this broad sense is not only the foundation of every state juvenile court law, it is also the object and purpose of certain institutions established and maintained by the state. An impressive illustration is furnished by the Boys' Industrial School, at Lancaster, one of the finest and most perfectly equipped institutions of its kind in America.

The large expenditure by the state for the equipment and maintenance of this one institution is not for the purpose of inflicting punishment upon the ten or twelve hundred boys there, but every facility is furnished them that they may be fitted to become useful to society and good citizens of the state. By the state juvenile law, the juvenile court is established

as one of the child-saving institutions of the state to be supported by taxation.

The history of juvenile court legislation in Ohio. is brief but interesting. Previous to 1902 no effort seems to have been made to secure any law to separate the trial of juvenile offenders from that of the most hardened criminals, anywhere in the state. In that year, however, a bill was passed and signed by the governor, entitled "An act to establish a juvenile court in certain counties and to regulate the control of delinquent and neglected children." This was a beginning, of course, but was very inadequate, as it was confined to certain counties of the state, leaving a very large number of juvenile delinquents to be dealt with in the ordinary way in the police or criminal

courts.

In 1904 another bill became a law entitled: "An act to regulate the treatment and control of dependent, neglected and delinquent children." This law was in addition and supplementary to the act of 1902, the concluding section specifying that it "shall not be taken or held to repeal or affect the provisions of the law of 1902."

This law seems to have served a good purpose for a time, but less than two years of practical operation made manifest its weaknesses to such a degree that a movement was begun to secure a law which would give greater satisfaction and secure better results as a child-saving agency. To one of the woman's clubs. of Toledo belongs the credit of the initiative in the effort to improve the legal protection of juveniles from the stigma and influences of a beginning in crime. At the request of the club Mr. Brand Whitlock, with the assistance of Mrs. Cline and Mrs. Steinem, prepared and presented to the legislature a bill entitled "An act to amend certain sections of the bill passed April 25, 1904." This bill passed the legislation April 2, 1906, and was allowed to become a law without the signature of the governor.

By this process of amending certain sections, this latest juvenile court law is dovetailed into the previous law, thus really allowing many of the weakest provisions of all previous laws to be carried over and burden the good features of the present law, which was framed with the clear intention of marking an advance in the care of the increasingly large number of juvenile delinquents in this state.

In accordance with the provisions of this new law, the common pleas judges of Lucas county assigned Judge H. A. Merrill of the probate court, to sit as judge of the juvenile court. In Franklin county, Columbus, Judge Samuel A. Black was similarly assigned. In the larger and more populous counties of the state juvenile courts were soon in full operation.

During the past two years this state law has been given a fair test, and in many of its provisions, it has proven to be a means of helpfulness to many workers who are striving to change the environment of the

young so as to save them from becoming confirmed criminals. The good features of the law, in dealing with delinquent juveniles, have been established beyond a doubt, and it has furnished kind-hearted officials in this state the means of saving large numbers of juveniles from lives of crime.

Perhaps no juvenile judge in the state has given the law and its different provisions a fairer test than Judge Black, of Columbus.

Every important feature of the law was given a genuinely practical test in the Columbus juvenile court, until Judge Black was led, reluctantly, to acknewledge the failure of the law at certain important points. Sufficient weaknesses in the law have been discovered during the nearly two years of its operation, to warrant an attempt to secure an entirely new juvenile court law for the state. With his usual energy and activity Judge Black has prepared a bill which is designed to cover all the weak points in the present law, many of which are just where the law fails to fully meet the requirements of the constitution of the state. The Toledo juvenile court has been severely criticised for its apparent failure to do all that it was intended to do in protecting the youth of the city. That apparent failure was not due to any lack of appreciation of the importance of the work intrusted to it, but was due to the conviction in the minds of ali the judges of Lucas county that the law contained some constitutional weaknesses which made the complete enforcement of its different provisions difficult, if not dangerous to the proper protection of the juvenile. Judge Black's vigorous attempts to enforce all the sections of the law have resulted in his substantially agreeing with the opinions of our Toledo judges. Hence his commendable endeavor to secure from the next legislature the enactment of a new law.

It is earnestly hoped that there may be found a public sentiment strong enough to compel the passage of this bill, or one equally as good, at the coming session of our legislature.

Judge Black's bill is modeled after the celebrated Colorado juvenile law, which has enabled Judge Lindsey to accomplish such exellent results in the juvenile court at Denver. Such modifications as are necessary to make it conform to the constitution of Ohio have been made by Judge Black, and some of the best constitutional lawyers of the state have expressed the opinion that it will stand every test of constitutionality.

A layman may not discuss any of the intricate questions of constitutional law, but anyone interested in the welfare of Ohio boys and girls, and all acquainted with the efforts which are being made in Toledo to prevent the growth of youthful criminals, will hail with delight any attempt to strengthen the preventive forces at work in the city or state. This is evidently the purpose of Judge Black's bill, and, as far as an ordinary layman can see, it promises well.

Some amendments or modifications may be found necessary before the bill becomes a law, but in its present form it will be a decided improvement in one or two directions over the present law. In the first place, it repeals all previous legislation on any of the pints covered in the bill, so there will be no possibility of any conflict on any point of law whatever. That is one of the weakest points in the present law. In the second place it provides for trial by jury in certain cases which may grow out of action against persons who contribute to the delinquency of juveniles. Such provision is evidently demanded by the constitution of the state.

In the third place the bill provides a more sensible. and drastic treatment of any adult who contributes in any way to the delinquency of a juvenile. A father or mother who willfully neglects the proper training of their children ought to be severely dealt with by some adequate authority, and the father who deserts a family of his own children and leaves them to suffer or exist on charity ought to be compelled to earn money for their support, even in the workhouse or penitentiary. The number of such cases already existing in Ohio is simply amazing, and it is rapidly on the increase.

Here in Toledo, unless some provision is made for more drastic treatment of these rascally deserters, the next few years will see a tremendous increase of youthful criminals. Then, there are the unworthy and oftentimes brutal fathers and mothers who seem to know little and care less about parental 'kindness and real authority. Some of the revelations of such cases in the Toledo juvenile court during the past year have been sufficient to make any intelligent American's blood boil with indignation and righteous wrath. One beautiful day last summer a middle-aged woman came into the court with a daughter about sixteen years old. Every feature of the girl gave evidence of a naturally refined nature. The only complaint of the mother was that the girl. wanted to leave home. A home was found where the girl might remain until the case could be thoroughly investigated by a probation officer. The investigation revealed an unhappy home for the girl because of the positively brutal treatment at the hands of the father. It was a long, hard task for the court official to work a revolution in that home so that the young girl might have a decent home life with her own parents.

That is only one of many cases of that sort which the officials of this court have been obliged to work out under the limitations and imperfections of the present law during the present year. It does seem that when a brutal father will drive his own children from home and compel them to sleep in sheds or outhouses or under the sidewalks, the law ought to be absolutely certain in providing a punishment equal to the brutality of such a human monster. A whole vol

ume might be written describing such cases as the one mentioned above, that have appeared in the Toledo juvenile court during the last eighteen months, and every week bring to light one or more new cases.

Surely intelligent public sentiment in the city. ought to be ready to welcome any attempt to strengthen the forces which are working for the saving of the great multitudes of young lives that must. be developed amid the evils of this city to become. either good citizens or hardened criminals. Judge Black's bill seems to offer some better facilities for the work of this young institution. If it is not the best that can be devised, he will surely welcome any suggestion from any source that will help to secure the best possible agencies for the work of saving the boys and girls. Toledo Blade, Dec. 21, 1907.

TOLEDO, OHIO.

SEEK TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE
JUVENILE LAW.

An important change in the juvenile law is sought by the association of probate judges of the state, says the Blade, which has just closed a session in Columbus. Judge Merrill returned today from the meeting.

The legislature will be asked to amend the law so that when a man is sent to the workhouse for contributing to the delinquency of his children a larger portion of his earnings in that institution shall be paid to his family for its support. The law as it now stands merely authorizes the juvenile court to impose imprisonment upon a parent who does not, or will not control his children, or contributes in any way to their wrong doing.

But it is obvious that, under the present law, depriving the family of the man's support by sending him to the workhouse, does not help matters any, and the courts are practically prevented from inflicting such a punishment on a neglectful parent. The juvenile judges think that if they were allowed to sentence a man to hard labor at a fixed compensation, a part of which is to be paid to the family, they will be greatly aided in enforcing proper conditions for their young charges.

The judges will also ask the legislature to change the law so as to allow each county in the state to have a probation officer where the juvenile court judge thinks one is necessary. As the law now stands it allows probation officers only to the five larger cities of the state.

Juvenile Court Law

How To Work Under It

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MANUAL

Frank E. Willard, Vic -Pres. George Essig, Sec'y.

Directors:

Thos. F. Keeley, Pres. of Keeley Brewing Co.

M. J. Naghten, of John Naghten & Co.

Z. P. Brosseau, of Brosseau & Co., Board of Trade. Edward Cluff, Insurance, New York City.

James I. Naghten, of John Naghten & Co.

Frank E. Willard, Sec. and Treas. of Willard Sons & Bell Co.

Peter Fortune, Pres. of Fortune Bros. Brewing Co. M. W. Kerwin, Capitalist.

Eugene M. Keeley, Sec.-Treas. Keeley Brewing Co. JOHN NAGHTEN & COMPANY General Managers, 159 La Salle St. Phones 1159 Central, Automatic 4195

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