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JUVENILE COURT RECORD

T. D. HURLEY, Editor.

637 Unity Bldg., Chicago, Ill.

ASSOCIATE EDITORS.

Hon. B. B. Lindsey, Judge Juvenile Court, Denver, Colorado. Thomas D. Walsh, Asst. Secretary New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 297 4th Ave., New York.

DAVID R. BLYTH, Business Manager. Publication Office, 637 Unity Building, Chicago, Ill. Eastern Office, 1416 Broadway, New York. Boston Office, 71 Kilby Street, Boston, Mass.

The Juvenile Court Record is published monthly except in the month of July. Single copies, 10 cents. Subscription price, $1 per year. Entered at Postoffice, Chicago, as secondclass matter.

New Subscriptions can commence with current number. Change of Address.-Always give both your old and your new address when you ask us to change.

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Letters should be addressed and checks and drafts made payable to Juvenile Court Record, 637 Unity Bldg., Chicago. Advertising Rates made known on application.

EDITORIAL

Juvenile Court Statistics

We publish in this issue a map of Kansas City, showing the delinquent and neglected neighborhoods of the city for the year 1908. This map will undoubtedly prove very helpful to the workers of the Juvenile Court of that city. There must be some cause or reason why the great majority of the truant, neglected, dependent and delinquent children come from certain localities. When the cause is ascertained, then efforts should be put forth by all interested persons in attacking the cause. The Juvenile Court, to accomplish lasting results, must go beyond the particular child and find out the reasons for the child being in court. A map, such as appears, will show at a glance the neighborhood where the Juvenile Court children come from, and investigation of such neighborhoods will demonstrate what evil influences are to be overcome, and what good influences are essential to the betterment of the particular neighborhood. In some cases it will be shown. beyond a doubt that it is the overcrowded conditions of the neighborhood, where the children are forced to spend their leisure time in the streets or in the alleys, where playgrounds are lacking, etc.

No doubt in many of these congested neighborhoods will be found the cheap dance halls, the penny slot-machines, and other devices that will tempt the youth of the neighborhood. When all this information is forthcoming, specific and drastic measures can and should be taken by

a combination of the church, school, and neighborhood centers, who, through their combined efforts, can apply such efforts as to drive from the neighborhood evil influences.

Again, the building laws can be enforced in the neighborhood. Tenement houses can be remodeled, more breathing space and outdoor facilities may possibly be provided. In short, such information is absolutely essential to a thorough understanding of the causes of dependency and delinquency. No great labor is entailed in preparing such a map. The map of any city can be procured, and each day or each week the children can be checked up on the map without much time or expense being spent on the work. It is to be hoped that the Juvenile Courts throughout the country will adopt this map system, and thereby enable itself to become acquainted with the actual conditions within the jurisdiction of the particular Juvenile Court.

The Juvenile Court workers of Kansas City are to be congratulated on the splendid showing of the work being performed by that court. They are certainly getting at the causes, and in a short time they will be able to not only take care of the particular children that come into the court, but will be able to attack the causes that bring the children into court.

The Cincinnati Conference

The Juvenile Court workers of the Middle West are to be congratulated on the splendid Conference of Juvenile Court Judges and Probation Officers held in Cincinnati on November 10, 11 and 12. The Conference proved exceedingly interesting to all persons who were in attendance. Much valuable information was supplied by the different judges and probation officers of the various courts. The splendid results accomplished by this Conference would seem to justify similar conferences being organized in the East, in the far South, in the Mountain and Western States. It is almost impossible and impracticable for many of the probation officers and judges to attend conferences that are held in the extreme ends of the country. The Cincinnati Conference demonstrates that it is not hard to procure a large attendance at a meeting that is held accessible to a number of courts. It is to be hoped that similar conferences will be organized throughout the country.

Announcement

THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD for 1910 will contain many new features. We are going to put forth every effort to make the magazine as good a book as hard work, together with your co-operation, will make it. So please do not forget your co-operation, as we need it. Our readers do, too. You know something that some of our other readers do not know. It will help them in their work, this exchange of ideas. Tell us, and we will be only too glad to tell them.

Are you aware of the fact that when a publisher promises his readers certain articles by certain authors that in nearly every instance he has these articles all completed and safely stowed away in his vaults? He has. We have many excellent articles by the highest of authorities in their respective lines promised for the coming year. As they are all special articles (not fiction), it is impossible for us to make any definite statement so far in advance of publication as to their nature. They are promised to us, and we in turn promise them to you. Renew your subscription and take our word for it.

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NORTH EAST WE

EST

SOUTH

NEW YORK CITY.

The special sessions justices have appealed to the board of estimates to provide better quarters for the Children's Court. The building now in use at Third avenue and Eleventh street is a small two story structure, and was set aside for the purpose when the court was in an experimental stage. The justices ask to have the building remodelled and extended at a cost of about $75,000, and have submitted the plans for the board's consideration.

*

MISSOURI.

The announcement has been made in Kansas City that the Kansas City Boys' Club, and the Boys' Hotel are going to consolidate, and in the future will be under the supervision of the Juvenile Improvement Club. They will have their headquarters at 710 Woodland street. The organization will furnish room and board to boys for $2.50 and $3.00 per week, as well as conduct an employment bureau to find work for the boys. During the past year Probation Officer G. M. Holt, who has been in charge of the employment work, has found positions for over 275 boys.

SOUTH DAKOTA.

The first juvenile court established in Dakota under the state law which went into effect July first, has been established at Yankton. Probate Judge Boyles has been placed in charge of the court. The sessions are conducted behind closed doors, and the general public and newspaper reporters are excluded, unless their presence has direct bearing upon the cases before the court.

ROCHESTER.

The Rochester Volunteer Probation Officers' Association, which was formed the first of October, held its first meeting in November in the Juvenile Court room of the Municipal Building, with the following members in attendance: Secretary, William A. Killip; Rev. James A. Hickey, rector of Holy Apostles Church; Rev. Charles R. Allison, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church; Mrs. Max Landsberg, Mrs. E. M. Ford, Miss Rebecca Rosenberg, Mrs. Lewis Bigelow, R. S. Redfern and Miss M. J. Van Zandt.

Mrs. Alling, the president, occupied the chair.

The association was organized for the purpose of uplifting delinquent children, who come under the observation of the probation officers of the city. Miss M. J. Van Zandt, a teacher at Public School 3, told of the work in which she is engaged in attempting to abolish the game of "craps" among youngsters, especially on Sunday afternoons. The difficulty is in detecting the boys in the act, she said, as they protect themselves with vigilant watchers, who give warning upon the first approach of danger.

Father Hickey said that he had advised Sunday baseball as a substitute for "crap" games, and Rev. Charles Allison spoke on conditions in his parish. He said that probation work was to be done by sending visitors to 100 families where there

was no religious instruction to urge attendance at Sunday schools. Mrs. Alling, Mrs. Killip, Mrs. Bigelow and Mr. Killip discussed various phases of the work.

PENNSYLVANIA.

The Pennsylvania Juvenile Court and Probation Associa tion, at its first semi-annual meeting at Harrisburg, took steps to enlarge the number of county associations and discussed proposed legislation. The legislation will be framed next May for submission to the General Assembly.

The association is designed to secure co-operation of public with courts in dealing with juveniles and to secure better probation supervision. There are twenty-three county associations.

Officers were elected as follows: President, Judge F. M. Trexler, Allentown; vice-presidents, Mrs. Frederick Schoff, Philadelphia; Judge C. B. Staples, Stroudsburg; E. Z. Smith, Pittsburg; former Judge E. W. Biddle, Carlisle; secretary, J. S. Heberling, Redington; treasurer, Rev. W. Q. Bennett, Allentown; directors, Mrs. Watson Marshall and Mrs. Enoch Rank, Pittsburg; Miss Mary S. Garrett, Mrs. Morris, Pennington, J. M. Patterson, Philadelphia; Miss Jane W. Pressley, Erie; Mrs. George L. Cutler, Chester; Mrs. J. A. Griffith, Easton; Vance C. McCormick, Harrisburg; John M. Rhey, Carlisle; Dr. N. C. Schaeffer, Lancaster; Dr. A. T. Smith, Mansfield; A. B. Farquhar, York.

The Select and Common Councils of the City of Philadelphia do ordain:

Section 1. That from and immediately after the passage of this ordinance the selling of newspapers, flowers, postcards, matches and other articles of merchandise upon the streets of Philadelphia by any person under the age of ten years, be and is hereby prohibited.

Section 2. And that the selling of newspapers, flowers, postcards, matches and other articles of merchandise upon the streets of Philadelphia between the hours of 8 P. M. and 6 A. M. by any person under the age of sixteen years, be and is hereby prohibited.

Section 3.-Any person or persons violating the provisions of this ordinance shall be liable to a penalty of not exceeding five (5) dollars for each and every offense, to be collected before any magistrate in the city of Philadelphia, as like penalties are now, by law, collected.

The passage of this ordinance is important because it eliminates small children from street trades, and keeps growing boys, who are at the age when they are so susceptible to evil, from the selling of merchandise all night, when they are so liable to meet all sorts of low characters. Then so many boys have used the privilege of selling all night as a blind, when they have been, as we so well know, boys who have run away from home. This night selling upon the streets about Chinatown, the Tenderloin, and the centre of the city is not a good influence in the life of any boy, so that the passage of this ordinance will save many boys for all time from influences that are far from good. Let us hope for its passage.

The Cincinnati Juvenile Court Conference

By L. H. Weir

L. H. Weir, Chief Probation Officer, Cincinnati.

The Juvenile Court Conference of judges and officers held in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 9-12, 1909, was significant in two ways, viz., the manifest and intense interest in Juvenile Court work as shown by the unexpected large attendance and the enthusiasm of the delegation, and in the tendency of both the judges and officers to lay increased emphasis upon the causes of delinquency and dependency and the necessity of the co-operation of all the various social activities with the court in an active campaign of prevention to right these causes and thereby save the child before the necessity of court action.

It was the original intention to call a conference of the judges and officers of the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana only, but as the work of organization progressed the interest grew so that on the evening of the opening of the conference delegates reported from Pittsburg, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City in addition to Louisville, Lexington, Columbus, Toledo, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and a score of smaller cities and towns in the states represented by the last named cities.

In spirit the conference was informal, partaking of the nature of round table discussions. A special effort was made and successfully carried out, to acquaint each delegate with every other one. In this way a spirit of close companionship was formed making discussions in the meetings frank and free, and at the same time giving opportunity for individual communication which was quite as valuable if not more so, than the regular set discussions.

The social side of the conference was an important feature, and was planned for the purpose of cultivating a wide acquaintanceship among the outside delegates and the social workers of Cincinnati. The Wednesday noonday luncheon at The Children's Home; the delightful sightseeing trolley ride throughout the city and suburbs; the entertainment and luncheon at the Cincinnati House of Refuge; and reception at the Anna Louise Inn Thursday afternoon and evening were the mediums through which this aim of the conference was accomplished. And if the many expressions of pleasure and appreciation on the part of the delegates be an index to its success the effort was highly successful.

One of the most striking features of the conference was the large attendance of judges and their keen interest and appreciation of the wide possible social advantages in an efficient administration of the various Juvenile and Contributory Delinquency Laws. It was pointed out that Ohio has almost a model Juvenile Law, while the laws of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan and even Illinois need much strengthening, especially along the line of contributory delinquency features to make them really efficient. There was manifest a decided dissatisfaction on the part of the judges of the rural counties and small towns from the fact that they were burdened with the juvenile work in addition to their regular duties without extra compensation. This will probably lead to a modification of the laws of several of the states. Frequent changes of judges was considered a distinct weakness and there was a decided sentiment in favor of a special and separate Juvenile Judge and Court. On the whole, the trend of the thought of the conference was toward the increase of the powers of the court rather than their curtailment.

The discussion upon the practical administration of the court led by Judge John A. Caldwell, of Cincinnati, developed a decided difference of opinion over the question of the Open vs. the Closed court. Judge Caldwell is a strong advocate of informality and privacy in the court proceedings. The practice of most of the courts represented is the reverse of this.

Mr. Roger N. Baldwin, chief probation officer of the Juvenile Court of St. Louis described the system of probation as applied to the delinquent in the Juvenile Court of that city, and the essential prinicples underlying this system. He is a strong advocate of accurate records and up-to-date systematic organization and management of this department, and believes in the higher efficiency of the personal assignment system over the district system such as found in Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburg and other cities. The question of the value and efficiency of the volunteer officer precipitated an animated discussion. The Juvenile Court of St. Louis makes little or no use of the volunteer officer while Indianapolis, on the other hand, depends almost wholly upon such officers for detailed, intensive work with probationers. It developed that nearly all the courts have and use volunteer officers, and generally with marked success. Emphasis was laid, however, upon the necessity of having such officers under the immediate control and supervision of the chief officer.

As a distinct problem, the delinquent girl aroused the greatest interest and the most earnest discussion. As a subject

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for probation the delinquent girl seemed the one problem unsuccessfully coped with by the courts. Although many concrete cases were cited showing the wonderful results accomplished through probationing immoral delinquent girls, yet these results were meager compared with the great mass of failures. Miss Minnie Low, of Chicago, touched the crux of the whole problem when she said: "The delinquent boy generally sins against some one else while the delinquent girl generally sins against herself." Dr. James E. Hagerty of the State University of Ohio described the chief causes of the downfall of girls and the woefully inadequate provision made by Ohio for the care, education and training of this class of the State's wards. Judge Black, of Columbus, made an impassioned plea for the reformation for the entire system in Ohio, and truthfully declared that none other of the State's wards is so shamefully and outrageously neglected, both in law and treatment, as the delinquent girl and woman. No positive practical plan for the successful treatment of the delinquent girl was presented by any of the delegates so that the institution seems still to be the main factor in the treatment of this class of delinquents.

The dependent and the neglected child and the delinquent parent were considered together. It was shown that the neglected child and the semi and non-functional home as a social problem is the gravest and most important one confronting the courts today. The intimate relation between delinquent and other social problems and the semi-functional home calls for the development of some adequate system of home supervision and relief, if not by the courts, then by some other public or private agency or agencies. The pensioning of mothers was advocated so that they might remain in their homes and care for their children or permit their children to remain in school instead of going to work at an early age. The wonderful social possibilities of the public schools were pointed out and illustrated by the example of one school in Cincinnati where such a spirit of community interest, unity and conscience was aroused that all their problems of relief, neglect, dependence and delinquency were solved within the district itself. Under the present waste of social forces through the lack of co-operation and unity the treatment of the dependent and neglected child is still too frequently institutional. A more rigid enforcement of parental responsibility laws was insisted upon by both judges and officers and a uniform law for the arrest and punishment of family deserters throughout the states was strongly advocated.

The subject of the relation of the Juvenile Court to other social activities and to preventive work was discussed by Miss Minnie Low of the Bureau of Personal Service, Chicago. Her account of the wonderful work done by the bureau in co-operation with the Juvenile Court and other courts of Chicago showed the far reaching possibilities of co-operation in social work and the absolute necessity of such relationship if any effective permanent work be done in the large field of reconstruction, construction and prevention. Dr. F. B. Dyer, superintendent of the public schools of Cincin nati described the wonderful results accomplished in dealing with truancy, relief, medical inspection of schools, visiting nurses, founding of a special school for incorrigible boys and for backward and defective children through the cooperation of the Juvenile Court, Associated Charities, Medical Fraternity, Health Board of the City and the Public Schools. No subject considered during the conference occupied the attention of the delegates so deeply or was referred to more often than the matter of co-operation of other social agencies with the court for prevention. This is hopeful. It indicates a keen appreciation and a positive understanding of the real problems back of delinquency, dependency and neglect and

augurs well for an aroused public conscience in those communities from whence the delegates came.

On Thursday morning the question "Shall a similar conference be held next year?" was proposed. It was the unanimous opinion of the delegates that it should be. The chair was therefore authorized to appoint a committee to draft a form of organization and designate a place of meeting. The committee was appointed and in session that same morning decided that a permanent organization be framed and known as the Juvenile Court Conference of the Middle Western States; the officers to be a chairman, an honorary chairman, vice-chairman, general secretary and a State secretary from each of the states represented at the conference, and that Indianapolis be the next place of meeting. It was also decided to hold the meetings in the fall.

On the following day the committee reported to the conference, and its report was unanimously adopted. The conference thereupon proceeded to elect the officers for the ensuing year. They are as follows:

Chairman-Mr. L. H. Weir, Chief Probation Officer, Juvenile Court, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Honrary Chairman-Judge Stubbs, Judge Juvenile Court, Indianapolis, Ind.

Vice-Chairman-Mr. John H. Witter, Chief Officer, Juvenile Court, Chicago, Ill.

General Secretary-Miss Alice B. Graydon, Chief Probation Officer, Juvenile Court, Indianapolis.

State Secretaries-Miss Jessie M. Keys, Chief Probation Officer Columbus, Ohio, for Ohio.

Mr. John H. Witter, Chief Probation Officer, Chicago, Illinois, for Illinois.

Mr. Marcus C. Fagg, Chief Probation Officer, Pittsburg, Pa., for Pennsylvania.

Judge Henry Hulbert, Judge Juvenile Court, Detroit, Mich., for Michigan.

Mr. Bernard Flexner, Attorney, Louisville, Ky., for Kentucky.

Mr. Roger N. Baldwin, Chief Probation Officer, St. Louis. Mo., for Missouri.

THE MAN WHO DELIVERS THE GOODS. There's a man in the world who is never turned down, wherever he chances to stray; he gets the glad hand in the populous town, or out where the farmers make hay; he's greeted with pleasure on deserts of sand, and deep in the aisles of the woods; wherever he goes there's the welcoming hand-he's The Man Who Delivers the Goods. The failures of life sit around and complain; the gods haven't treated them white; they've lost their umbrellas whenever there's rain, and they haven't their lanters at night. Men tire of the failures who fill with their sighs the air of their own neighborhoods; there's one who is greeted with love-lighted eyes-he's The Man Who Delivers the Goods. One fellow is lazy and watches the clock, and waits for the whistle to blow; and one has a hammer, with which he will knock, and one tells a story of woe; and one if requested to travel a mile, will measure the perches and roods; but one does his stunt with a whistle or smile-he's The Man Who Delivers the Goods. One man is afraid that he'll labor too hard-the world isn't yearning for such; and one man is always alert, on his guard. lest he put in a minute too much; and one has a grouch or a temper that's bad, and one is creature of moods; so it's hey for the joyous and rollicking lad for the One Who Delivers the Goods!

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