he.

complicated an already difficult problem. Occasionally en amazed to find the existence of a sort of competween the juvenile court and other social agenv what is considered a usurpation of rights. which should not exist. A calm conference estion should result in an intelligent undertion and leading to permanent cooperation. .t I close this paper by a reference to my own ally requested to do so; besides, I feel that it is ty-six chief probation officers, with their nine ning of their efforts as well as my own.

of state organization and supervision has raised our juvenile court workers from five to twenty-nine, and venile court purposes is six times as large as it was in eral counties, through the preliminary state educational able to obtain appropriations which have guaranteed the robation officers-with transportation and adequate office was accomplished before the worker began her duties, and in ..ported officer, before she was even on the ground. pride-and not a tinge of regret-that I tell you that in a few ve been able to secure better salaries for the local officers than I ve, and I state with even more pride that they are earning every vir salaries. Full time service, with transportation, office equipment, ies commensurate with the work done, is ever my plea to county quorum courts, and county juvenile court boards. The advantage of over institutions for all our children, and the wisdom of the administraof mothers' aid rather than paupers' pensions is constantly stressed. We ize that we have not even approached the standards that are set up for cient juvenile court work; but we feel that by our constant efforts to cooperate, to increase our skill, and render real service, we are moving in the right direction.

You will readily recognize that my own share in this "moving forward" for the sake of Arkansas' unfortunate children has been very small, since we have seventy-five counties and the state department has ever been crippled by a lack of funds as well as of personnel. The most I can hope to do, barring the securing of appropriations, is to help create and maintain that "intangible equipment" of which we have already spoken.

The probation officers themselves, who have battled against great odds, are largely responsible for the ground that we have gained. For almost four years I have watched them with eager and impartial eyes. I have considered the conditions under which they have labored, the progress they have made, the service they have rendered, and the place they have won. Naturally, I have arrived at certain conclusions as to the requisite qualifications of a good pro

chinery of the school might move. True, the effor nor scientific nor even systematic, but a general of physical and moral fitness in connection wi gaining ground, even in rural districts.

But the group represented by these childre into the house of worship. Or if it has (as the creased attendance or membership), the sharp has been too great, and the following Sunday remained at home. Meantime the church b custom of glorifying God in its cushioned p in the last decade I think an elevating of c1 about. We are coming to believe that the as the reflection of the light of his simple li than an indication of a mystical birth or organizations are becoming more and mo: right appeal is made they frequently ar it is evident that they do not respond to

I have dwelt at some length upon rural communities these two are the We are rapidly coming to the place, more men's civic clubs. These men at County federations of women's vides the remote rural woman from⚫ a needless one, and with the arrival home-economics workers, it bids f at last, to know that every wom her obligation as a citizen she i children.

It is difficult to win and ho since the educational program regular work of the court rec worth while, and we should re institutions and general pub clearer conception of what we the requisite equipment for confused as to our needs. 1 the minds of men, must al ment.

I have not spoken of t lished law-enforcing agen here. Neither does it see specialized agencies of l rural probation officer's

m

wl

tiese, ...hope

I give to

REN
NORMAL

Dring School

to announce in clerical ters of Youth in Conflict by very human Miriam by anyone whose humility i have been superintendent rs, but never have I so clearly

'it not to have done, and left as I did when I read Dr. Van ally I fell to singing that wonderOh Lord, standin' in the need of ore you, attempting to answer the an institution to fulfil its divine mishas in any sense arrived, but who, in have enough faith in the possibilities of

use of what may seem the "vain repetition the question that has been put to me, by a

'for normal, social relationships? Not if it eships characterize the great world outside the statement of a cynic. The foundation of "ed "correctional institution" is laid when an eve that between her and the normal a great be brought to the training school because her ar out of line that the normal community would ows that, in the immortal words of David Harum, re in some folks as there is in others, if not more."

zations. This greatly complicated an already difficult problem. Occasionally in my own state I have been amazed to find the existence of a sort of competition that amounted to envy between the juvenile court and other social agencies. Usually this is brought about by what is considered a usurpation of rights. Whatever its cause, it is a condition which should not exist. A calm conference as to what is best for the client in question should result in an intelligent understanding ending the temporary friction and leading to permanent cooperation.

It is with some hesitancy that I close this paper by a reference to my own work. But I have been specifically requested to do so; besides, I feel that it is only just to Arkansas' twenty-six chief probation officers, with their nine assistants, to tell you something of their efforts as well as my own.

Three and a half years of state organization and supervision has raised our number of full time, paid juvenile court workers from five to twenty-nine, and our annual budget for juvenile court purposes is six times as large as it was in October, 1921. In several counties, through the preliminary state educational work, we have been able to obtain appropriations which have guaranteed the service of skilled probation officers-with transportation and adequate office equipment. This was accomplished before the worker began her duties, and in the event of an imported officer, before she was even on the ground.

It is with pride-and not a tinge of regret-that I tell you that in a few counties I have been able to secure better salaries for the local officers than I myself receive, and I state with even more pride that they are earning every dollar of their salaries. Full time service, with transportation, office equipment, and salaries commensurate with the work done, is ever my plea to county judges, quorum courts, and county juvenile court boards. The advantage of homes over institutions for all our children, and the wisdom of the administration of mothers' aid rather than paupers' pensions is constantly stressed. We realize that we have not even approached the standards that are set up for efficient juvenile court work; but we feel that by our constant efforts to cooperate, to increase our skill, and render real service, we are moving in the right direction.

You will readily recognize that my own share in this "moving forward" for the sake of Arkansas' unfortunate children has been very small, since we have seventy-five counties and the state department has ever been crippled by a lack of funds as well as of personnel. The most I can hope to do, barring the securing of appropriations, is to help create and maintain that "intangible equipment" of which we have already spoken.

The probation officers themselves, who have battled against great odds, are largely responsible for the ground that we have gained. For almost four years I have watched them with eager and impartial eyes. I have considered the conditions under which they have labored, the progress they have made, the service they have rendered, and the place they have won. Naturally, I have arrived at certain conclusions as to the requisite qualifications of a good pro

bation officer. There is nothing new in my conclusions, yet I would set them forth here, and in the following order: love for people and for work; knowledge, which includes technique and skill; wisdom, which is a mixture of love, knowledge, and understanding; courage and faith in abundance, and having all these, I would add the medium of magnetic personality—for thus only can we hope to cross the bridge which divides us from our unfortunate children, and give to them those things which they need.

INSTITUTIONS FOR DELINQUENT CHILDREN
CAN THE INSTITUTION EQUIP THE GIRL FOR NORMAL
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS?

Carrie Weaver Smith, M.D., Superintendent, Texas Training School
for Girls, Gainesville

My first inclination in considering this subject is to announce in clerical tones, "The morning lesson will be the first twelve chapters of Youth in Conflict (not, thank Heaven, by Saint Miriam Van Waters, but by very human Miriam Van Waters), after which we will be led in prayer by anyone whose humility does not inhibit his powers of articulate speech!" I have been superintendent of a state training school for girls for nearly ten years, but never have I so clearly realized that "I have done those things that I ought not to have done, and left undone those things that I ought to have done" as I did when I read Dr. Van Water's great, understanding book. Automatically I fell to singing that wonderful negro spiritual, "It's me, it's me, it's me, Oh Lord, standin' in the need of prayer." So my frame of mind in coming before you, attempting to answer the question of whether or not it is possible for an institution to fulfil its divine mission, is, I assure you, not that of one who has in any sense arrived, but who, in spite of recognized failures, continues to have enough faith in the possibilities of the job to travel hopefully.

Even though I may have to make use of what may seem the "vain repetition of the heathen," I propose to answer the question that has been put to me, by a series of "not if's."

Can the institution equip a girl for normal, social relationships? Not if it assumes that normal social relationships characterize the great world outside of institutional walls. That is not the statement of a cynic. The foundation of failure with a child in the so-called "correctional institution" is laid when an effort is made to get her to believe that between her and the normal a great gulf is fixed; that she had to be brought to the training school because her standards of conduct were so far out of line that the normal community would no longer tolerate her. She knows that, in the immortal words of David Harum, "There's as much human nature in some folks as there is in others, if not more."

Says Dr. Van Waters, "Almost all delinquencies of youth are the expressed social standards of a part of the adult community, which is under no indictment, and which flourishes without condemnation." For, in the processes of-juvenile justice as practiced, one is reminded of the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, "Two women shall be grinding together at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left." The moral delinquent may not have read Dr. Catherine Davis' startling report of the sex life of college women, but, paraphrasing Kipling, "Sallie ain't no bloomin' fool, you bet that Sallie sees."

As in a case of our own, Sallie felt the injustice of sending the Baptist preacher's daughter, with whom she had engaged in what is familiarly known as "hustling," to a finishing school in Virginia, allowing the eighteen school boys in the case to go "scott free," but sending her, the widow's daughter, to the training school. And, therefore, to what is already a difficult problem is added the still greater task of trying to make a sophisticated cynic of fifteen believe that while the "world," as she fondly calls it, is not Utopia, neither is it Babylon, but is the city of "Everytown," where Everyman and his family live, and where in spite of the injustice and hypocrisy of society there moves a great and ever increasing caravan marching steadfastly toward the Celestial City of Bunyan's dream, "wherein dwelleth righteousness" naturally and uncoerced.

Can the institution equip the girl for normal, social relationships? Not if the institution fails to give to its girls standards. There is no story in history more inspiring than the account of the Battle of the Standard between David of Scotland and King Stephen. In this battle a ship's mast was erected on a wagon and placed in the center of the English army. To the mast were nailed the standards of battle flags of the English. On the top of the mast was a golden casket, containing a consecrated Host. This standard, as we know, became the rallying point for the hard-pressed soldiers, around which they gained new courage. The chronicle records: "The fierce hordes dashed in vain against the closed English ranks around the Standard."

Have we, as institutional administrators, realizing the inevitable battle in which our children will be conscripted, provided for them a towering standard? In a "world not right" can they rely on the moral teaching, the habit-training, the self-dependence, the joy of workmanship, the recognition of the impositions of noblesse oblige that they should have achieved from their institutional experience?

Can the institution equip the girl for normal, social relationships? Not if the members of the staff of the institution are themselves lacking in the prerequisites so imperative for passing on to impressionable children the characteristics just enumerated. The institution for the delinquent girl is too much of a combination of a home for the aged, who for some political reason are state retainers, and whose lack of education and physical strength necessitate the use of mechanical means of control; too much of a training school for the inexperienced, whose motive in coming into the work is based on morbid curiosity, whose