Section 1 of the same act provides that

no child sixteen years of age or less shall labor or work in any mill, factory, manufacturing establishment, shop or store, or in or about coal or other mines, or any other occupation not herein enumerated which may be deemed unhealthful or dangerous, for a greater number than eight hours in the twenty-four-hour day, except in cases where life or property is in imminent danger, or in the week before and following Christmas Day: Provided, That any child between the age of fourteen and sixteen years coming within the provisions of this act may be exempted from the provisions thereof if, in the opinion of the judge of the county court (which is the juvenile court) of the county in which said child resides, it would be for its best interests to be so exempted. Application may be made in writing to any county judge (juvenile court) by any such child. its parent or guardian, to be granted such exemption, when it shall be the duty of such judge to hear the same and inquire particularly into the nature of the employment sought. No fees shall be charged or collected in any such case.

SEC. 2. All paper mills, cotton mills, and factories where wearing apparel for men or women is made, ore-reduction mills or smelters, factories, shops of all kinds, and stores may be held to be unhealthful and dangerous occupations within the meaning of this act, at the discretion of the court.

The penalty for the violation of this section of the act by employers is a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or imprisonment in the county jail for not less than two nor more than four months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the court, for each offense.

IMPRACTICABLE FEATURES OF CHILD-LABOR LAW REMEDIED.

The juvenile court was permitted to add an amendment to the present child-labor law, which, in the opinion of the writer, saved it from defeat and gave us the present act in its rather unsatisfactory form. It is much better than the old law, where the age limit was 12 and the extent of the penalty was $50 fine. The somewhat impractical feature of the law in forbidding children 16 years of age or under from working more than eight hours in a store or any possible occupation, has been eliminated by the discretion that now vests in the juvenile court to exempt those between 14 and 16 from its operation where it would appear to be for the best interest of the child. But for this amendment we feared the act would have been in many cases impracticable and might have thrust boys and girls into idleness and crime if there had been a serious attempt to enforce it. In fact, the governor would have probably vetoed the law if left in its original shape. There are a great many stores, shops, and offices in which it will not injure children between 14 and 16 years of age to work nipe hours, the usual time for such industries to be open in Denver. The law should be amended to make more certain the penalties provided, as it now contains two rather inconsistent provisions, one of which was forced in the bill contrary to the wish of those interested in it.

WORK AND PLAY.

I firmly believe in play and happiness in childhood, and yet I fear at the present time there may be more occasion in Denver for alarm at the failure of boys, in particular between 14 and 16 years of age, to do any kind of useful work than there is at the danger of their being overworked. After all, in such cases it is not so much a question of work as the kind of work and the time employed. One of the greatest difficulties with Denver boys, and I think with boys generally, is idleness. If not employed at some useful thing they are generally on the streets or in the alleys, the downtown public pool rooms and bowling alleys, engaged not always in wholesome play, but too often in the most demoralizing character of dawdling, idling, cigarette smoking, and dirty story-telling, with absolutely no thought of work or the serious side of life. They are too constantly occupied with thoughts of "having a good time" and some rather perverted notions of what a good time is. Too many of our boys thus reach the age of moral and legal responsibility without the slightest conception of work. They are too often more concerned as to how much they earn than as to how well they do their work. This is one of the features of work with boys and will be spoken of more at length under the head of "administrative work" of the juvenile court.

WISDOM OF CHILD-LABOR LAWS.

We must not be understood as depreciating the importance of wise child-labor laws and their rigid enforcement for the protection of the children of the Union, but in enforcing this protection we must be careful lest we overlook the importance of work, the right kind of work, and a certain amount of work, especially good impressions as to the importance of work and the exaction of a certain amount of work as one of the most important preventives of delinquency.

On the other hand, it must be said that most boys will work if given any kind of an encouraging opportunity. The lack of this chance is more responsible for idleness than any disposition that way. Ninety-six per cent of our boys are forced out of school into life in the grammar grades. They must have a chance to earn a living or become idlers and loafers, sure beginnings of crime. Their education too often has not equipped them for earning more than the most scant wages. An opportunity between the sixth and eighth grades in our city schools for the children of the toiling masses to learn some kind of useful trade or valuable work with the hands would do more to prevent delinquency than any other one thing, in my judgment. A boy of 13 to 16 might then go to the plumber, gas fitter, or carpenter at a decent wage, instead of to the messenger service and the street.

SUMMARY OF LAWS.

It will be seen from the preceding that by the juvenile-court system of Colorado is meant a number of things, to wit:

First. The act concerning delinquent children.

Second. The act concerning dependent children.

Third. The act holding parents and others responsible for the moral delinquency of children.

Fourth. The act holding fathers legally responsible for the physical support, care, and maintenance of children.

Fifth. The compulsory-education law.

Sixth. The child-labor law.

Seventh. The various statutes providing for the punishment, of cruelty to children.

Eighth. That cooperation between officials whereby all of these laws for the protection of the children of the State are enforced in one court having a complete and unlimited jurisdiction to deal with every aspect of the situation before one judge, with a set of earnest and efficient paid officers for the enforcement of the laws. This court is called the "juvenile court."

Ninth. The active, persistent, and earnest enforcement of these laws.

Tenth. The administrative work of the court, the work with the boys and girls as well as for them, and their work and cooperation with the court.

II. ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.

Of more importance than the law is the administrative work, and under this title we shall deal with what is at the same time the most interesting features of the juvenile court.

First in what we have termed the "report system" has at the writing of this report been in force for nearly four years. The boys brought to the juvenile court of Denver, as will be seen from the chapter relating to our laws, must necessarily belong to one of two classes-schoolboys or working boys. Three-fourths of the boys in our court are schoolboys.

TWO CLASSES OF BOYS.

Idling about the streets during school hours for boys 16 years of age or under is expressly prohibited by law. If, therefore, the boy is not in school he must be at work. Of course there are exceptional cases where a boy with good excuse is unable to get work or for some exception in the law is out of school. When a boy is brought to the juvenile court we ascertain his age, school, grade, teacher, neighborhood, and a few salient facts regarding his home and parentage. If for any reason exempted from school attendance, he is classed as a

working boy, and we immediately concern ourselves regarding his employment, the character thereof, the number of hours, etc. If he has no employment we make every effort to assist him to get employment.

GIRLS.

What is said about boys in this report applies generally to girls, but as there is not more than one girl to ten boys to be dealt with by the juvenile court we speak in this report rather of the boys. This must not convey the impression that the girls are neglected. Their cases are given the same careful attention, but in many respects present a more difficult problem than the boys.

Idleness is not tolerated if there is any reasonable way to prevent it. The "schoolboy," if a delinquent, is kindly but firmly impressed with his duty to obey the law, to respect authority, and obey first in the home and then in the school, with the assurance that there will be no likelihood then of his violating the law of the land. He is impressed with the idea that he must overcome evil with good and make up for his delinquency by being just as decent and good as he can in the home, the neighborhood, and the school.

WHY WE GET REPORTS.

Now, how are we to know of results? First, by our placing implicit confidence and trust in the boy (I shall speak of this more at length hereafter); second, by his giving some evidence of being worthy of this trust and confidence. We impress him with the idea that we have no doubt whatever that he will keep his word, that he will respect his honor and the confidence we put in him, and that no one will question his doing it, and that we may have a record of that fact we ask the boy himself voluntarily to get a report from his teacher every other Friday preceding the session of the juvenile court every other Saturday. This report is made upon a printed card and details conduct in school and school attendance. It is graded: Excellent, good, fair, and poor. It is soon understood that "good" is satisfactory, "fair" is passable, "excellent" is particularly pleasing to us, and "poor" is very displeasing. Any boy that brings a poor report at the morning session is made to understand that it is "not square." Very few people understand how the report system of the Denver juvenile court is operated, and I have never yet known of an individual who came to observe it who did not go away enthusiastic over the plan, though I have known some who had objections and criticism before witnessing its operation at the morning session. But after attending the court, these have been the most outspoken in commending it. It has the commendation of the school superintendents, school principals, and teachers of Denver. Of course there are some defects, and sometimes some mistakes and failures.

H. Doc. 701, 58—2——7

REPORT SYSTEM DESCRIBED.

Now let us get an idea of the report system in operation. The number of boys reporting varies all the way from 100 to 200 during the school year. Every alternate Saturday during the school year we have what is known as "juvenile court day." This does not mean that it is the only day upon which juvenile cases are tried. On the contrary, there is hardly a day in the week when I come from the bench at 5 o'clock after a busy day's session of the civil court, which grinds almost continuously and is occupied generally with commonlaw cases, that we do not have a "5 o'clock docket," which means some child's case. These cases are heard in chambers around my table and a great deal of time given to each, the probation officer being present with his reports, also the parents and only those interested. On the particular Saturday mornings of regular "juvenile court day" only a few cases may be tried, yet a visitor would find assembled an average throughout the year of 150 schoolboys. At least 80 per cent of these boys are mere average schoolboys, no different from other boys; they have simply been caught in some violation of the law which was of a sufficiently serious character to be brought to the attention of the court for correction. Probably half of all delinquent cases are what we classify as mischievous cases. Not to exceed 25 per cent require extraordinary care and attention, or visitation of the homes by probation officers, or frequent special reports to the judge in chambers. They have been classified as nearly as possible into two divisions"average boys" and "difficult boys."

The character of offense is also classified, as explained elsewhere herein. No girls are present. The girls have reported on the previous Friday afternoon. There are generally comparatively few girls whom it is considered necessary to have report. They have been taken in hand by the lady probation officer and talked to kindly and interestingly regarding their work in school. Quite frequently the judge also talks with these girls. None of these girls thus reporting have been guilty of anything involving their morality. Such cases are generally differently cared for. In the court room upon this Saturday morning counsel tables have been removed, chairs have been placed in the long court room, and it has the appearance of a schoolroom as far as possible. The probation officers are at the table provided in front of the boys. The judge does not occupy the bench. He comes down among the boys at the table immediately in front of them.

SATURDAY MORNING TALKS.

At the opening of court I generally proceed to deliver a short "Saturday morning talk." It is made as spicy and interesting as possible. No effort is made to preach to the boys. I talk to them very much as if I were one of them discussing some ordinary boy's troubles, in illus