While it can with truth be said that no movement for the betterment of mankind has made greater progress than the effort for improved methods in preventing and curing child delinquency, and, while each year we are steadily diminishing the number of recruits to the great army of dependents and criminals, yet our work is but just begun.

Enforcement of Law.

In our efforts to prevent and cure child delinquency, the strict enforcement of all laws for their protection will always be a powerful factor.

Some of these statutes, the rigid enforcenient of which means so much for the future

welfare of the youth of this country, are those fixing the responsibility of the parent for the health, morals and acts of the child the statutes regulating street trades and vagrancy; the compulsory education and labor laws and those fixing a penalty for permitting children to frequent saloons, concert halls, gambling establishments and various kinds of evil resorts; the statutes which forbid begging, picking refuse and peddling; the restrictions in regard to the sale of liquor and tobacco and the circulation of lewd and immoral literature and illustrations; forbidding junk dealers to buy from, and pawn-brokers to loan to, children, and the wise and judicious application of the probation laws.

Other Agencies.

Other agencies and forces that are aiding in this work of saving and reclaiming the young boys' clubs and associations, where the evil effects of the home and corrupt influences of the street are being to some extent counteracted by the inculcation of normal and healthy ideas. Public play grounds, where high-strung and spirited boys and girls are being sheltered from immoral companions and permitted to work off surplus energy under proper supervision. Children's libraries, where clean, wholesome reading is instilling into the mind high ideals and giving the child a normal and natural view of life as well as a taste for books of the right sort. The fresh-air outings, which, for brief periods, bring the children under the uplifting influence of tender-hearted men and women, who labor zealously to improve the children both morally and physically. Tenement house and settlement work, which is bringing about better sanitary and moral conditions in our larger cities, and especially important the practical efforts that are being made to introduce and promote humane education in the schools, which, in brief, means the education of the heart as well as the intellect.

Work in the Home.

It is generally conceded that the largest percentage of child criminals come from homes that are either directly or indirectly responsible for their downfall.

We are coming more and more to realize that the home is the unit of society, and that if the home is right the intervention of the State w seldom be required. To preserve the entity of the home, is, or should be, our first effort, whenever possible, and this means that we must safeguard the future of the children by a helpful supervision.

Our work of prevention must begin in the home, where we must either raise the standard of living to a point that will insure a fair chance for the children, or, this being impossible, they must be removed and placed in an environment conducive to their future welfare. The law provides for the enforced separation of children from homes that cannot be reconstructed on a decent and moral basis, and, although always anxious for its preservation, we should not hesitate to invoke the law when other measures have failed.

In fact, it is being demonstrated constantly that many of the homes of delinquent parents can be reconstructed to an extent that

will give reasonable hope for the future of the children.

The failure of so many parents to properly train and govern their children arises from a variety of causes. Chief among these are immorality, drunkenness, selfishness, ignorance, poverty and a general indifference.

Our first effort is naturally along the lines of education and encouragement. A firm but kindly supervision finds many of these people open to suggestion and advice in regard to the care and supervision of their children.

Parental instinct is seldom, if ever, entirely dead, although it may be dormant, and when intelligently brought to bear as a factor in our efforts to better conditions it is a powerful lever. Incompetent, ignorant, careless or thoughtless parents have a much greater depth of feeling for their children than we usually give them credit for, and are seldom without qualities that will respond to a spirit of helpfulness and co-operation.

That it is quite possible to transform or greatly improve the environment of such children by coervice measures against the parents, followed by sensible and sympathetic co-operation, is beyond question.

While discipline and repressive measures in themselves will not inspire right ideas of living or change one's character, yet they will frequently bring a delinquent parent, whose neglect is endangering the future of the children, to a thoughtful frame of mind, when kind and earnest effort in their behalf may result in permanent betterment.

Unquestionably the neglectful father is a prolific source of juvenile delinquency. There are many cases where the mother, if she were not compelled to become the breadwinner of the family, would give the children fair oversight and training. Here very effective and practical work can be accomplished by compelling the father to do his duty. It is surprising how many of these men can be brought to their senses by advice and warning and, in the event of this failing, by a judicious application of the law. In this class of cases we now have the probation system, by the aid of which many homes are being kept intact by compelling the father to contribute regularly toward the maintenance of the family. Humane Education

Aside from the work in the home no other factor means so much for the future of our children as the teaching of kindness and jus