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THE GARDEN ISLAND, TUESDAY. NOVEMBER S, 1921
RELATION OF JUVENILE
COURT AND COMMUNITY
TO CASES DELINQUENT AND
DEPENDENT CHILDREN
(Dy C. Adelaide Barker, Probation
Officer, Juvenile Court, Head Before
the Social Service Association of
Kauai, November 5, 1921.)
I wish to speak first on the ques
tion of the dependent child. Accord
ing to the laws of the territory gov
erning the juvenile court a dependent
child is defined as any minor who,
for any reason, is destitute or home
less or abandoned or dependent up
on the public for support or who
has no proper parental care or whose
home by reason of neglect, cruelty
or depravity on the part of Its par
ents, guardian, or other person In
whose care it may be Is an unfit
place for such child.
For the period of the last six
months, ten cases of dependent
children have been brought before
the court. Six of these children
have been sent to the Salvation Ar
my Home, one to Susanna Wesley
Home, one to Kahili Settlement, and
two were placed in new homes on
this island. Of those sent to the
Salvation Army Home three were
finding suitable fosler homes for
both dependent and delinquent chil
dren. It is not alone a question for4
the juvenile court and probation of
ficer but rather one for the com
munity and particularly the organ
ized agencies dealing with child wel
fare. Our law for dependent children,
should include also the Illegitimate
child, the neglected child und the
defective child. The Illegitimate
child should not, where the mother
has passable degree of intelligence be
deprived of the mother's affection
and personal care. Our laws should
make illegimate paternity an offense
and whereupon proven beyond a rea
sonable doubt, the father should be
made responsible for the support
of his offspring as is required of
the legitimate parent. When a child
is removed from a home on account
of neglect, this again should be ac
companied by all practical compul
sion of the parental responsibility
for support. Wilful failure to sup
port should be an offense, and the
offending parent should be commit
ten to hard labor, the government
repaying to the dependent a sum
per day for his labor. For the de
fective child, who is not feeble mind
ed, instiutional training can do
much, and this should include voca
tional training, in order to return
him to the community with enough
them, without bringing them to court, , committee has decided to wait be
When ever possible cases are han- fore undertaking anything dufinlte In
died out of court. It has been demon-j the hope that the new Social Service
titrated by experience thnt a case Association will handle such work,
handled out of court leaves a better We are further asking for the defi
feeling and induces a greater amount nite support of this association In
of co operation with both the offend-' the preservative and constructive
er and his relatives and friends. As work for children, which the Juvenile
a result of this informal treatment court is endeavoring to curry on.
of juvenile delinquency out of court, j Continued next week.
-:-
THE RESTORATION
OF WAIOLI
the socialized court gradually bo-
comes more and more an advisory
agency to which parents and others
can come for advice when they stand
in need of help in controlling or pre
venting delinquency. When it is An unusual and striking feature
deemed best to bring a case before . of the convention of Hawaiian minis
the court, the child is usually placed
on probation. Probation can be de
fined as the method by which the
community through its court seeks
lo supervise, discipline and reform
offenders without imprisoning them.
The purpose of the juvenile court
is not to administer punishment but
to effect reformation, and commit
ment to an Institution is only to be
resorted to when other measures
have failed.
In order to have probation effect-
ters at Hanalei was, on November
1st, the re-dedication of the old Wal
oll church as the community hall.
The old church and mission home,
both of which this year have been
restored to much of their original
beauty and usefulness by the three
daughters of Mr. and Mrs. S. W.
Wilcox, are over 80 years old, the
mission having been started in 1834.
For the eventful day of their re-dedication,
Waloli, true to its name "the
valley of singing waters," sprinkled
Porto Rican boys, ages 3, 8, and 13 1 capnc,ty or BUficient mental habit
j earj wnose niuiner is ueuu unu
whose father is unable to support
them. The Child Welfare Board payB
$10 apiece for each of the children.
The other three in this home are
Portuguese brothers, ages 3, 5, and 6
years, whose parents are divorced.
Custody of the children was given
the mother who married and was
later arrested three times on charg
es of adultery. The father pays $10
a month toward the support of the
children and the court pays $20. Su
sanna Wesley Home is caring for a
white girl, age 14 years, whose home
was not congenial due to the dispo
sition of her step-mother. The fther
of this girl pays $12 a month for
her support. A Hawaiian boy, 12
years old, has been a ward of the
court since he was six. Through the
help o fthe juvenile court of Hono
lulu, he was admitted to Queen's
Hospital for treatment and later sent
to Kalihi Settlement?. A Portuguese
girl, 7 years old, crippled through
neglect, whose mother is dead and
whose father drinks and abuses the
child, was taken away from the fath
er and given to the custody of the
sister-in-law. The last was a Porto
Rican boy, aged 13 years, whose
case was referred by the Child Wei
fare Board. The boy was living in a
family where the man and woman
were not married and the man claim
ed to be the child's step-father. The
claim was based on the fact that
he had lived with the boy's mother
until her death, although he was
not married to her. This man has
a wife living on this Island and has
had children by both women with
whom he has lived. The boy has
been placed in a good home and his
board is being paid for.
Miss Julia Lathrop, chief of the
Children's Bureau, of the U. S. De
partment of Labor, has said that
"The practice of the most advanced
states shows that among the basic
elements of a reasonable system of
state care for dependent and neg
lected children are a state proba
tion system, mothers' pensions, state
placing-out and boarding-out, neces
sary institutions for feebleminded
and socially unmanageable children,
proper supervision and intelligent
and sympathetic administration. But
these are only emergency measures
in a child-welfare program. If, as
we must, we look further than cor
rection and remedy, and ask bow
to prevent the unhappiness of which
these children are the sign, we can
soe promise only in great measures,
in the slow sure development of
standards of life for the American
family bleed upon a universal wise
public educational policy, upon an
economic basis that permits a man
to earn en income 3ufficient to sun
j,o' t in safety and decency his wife
and young children, and leaves the
mother in the home to care for the
family A new sense of civic res
ponsibility for decent housing, the
surroundings and recreation will
come also."
In Massachusetts, public aid for
children whose only handicap is a
failure of support, is given almost
exclusively of the child's own home
Since o'-ptember 1, 19.13, when tile
Mothers' Aid Law, became operat
ive, i siistance in the home, gi.'tn
mostly in cash and totaling $3,8SG,
679, exclusive of administrative ex
penses, has been given 7 GM mother
in order, as the law states, to enab'e
them to bring up their 24.464 de
pendent children, under 14 years,
of age in their own homes.
This same work is carried on in
our own county by the Child Wel
fare Board. In the juvenile court
there is a fund of $1,000 a year for
dependent children.
It is generally conceded to-day
that in cases where it is necessary
to remove children from their ho:n
es, that the use of foster homes Is
far more preferable than institutions.
This is one of our greatest problems,
to get along without endangering
society. Unfortunately our home for
feebleminded is so limited as not
to be able to care for many cases
of feeble minded children, which are
proving a great menace to our com
munity. We are told that feeble-mlnd-
edness is transmitted by inheritance
in about three-fourths of all cases
and if this so the great menace is
in procreation. In some places this
been dealt with in the most humane
way, the segregation of the sexes.
A delinquent child, according to
our laws, shall mean any minor who
violates any law of this territory or
any city or county ordinance or who
is incorrigible, vicious or immoral,
or who is growing up in idleness or
crime or who is an habitual truant
from school or who habitually wan
ders about the streets in public
places during school hours without
lawful occupation or employment.
Seventeen cases of delinquency
have also been tried by the court in
the past six months. Ten have been
cases of boys and seven have been
girls. The nationality of these cases
is divided as follows: nine Hawaii
ans, three Portuguese, three Fili
pinos and two Porto Ricans. Four
girls have been committed to the
Girls' Industrial School and three
boys to the Boys' Industrial School,
ihe other ten cases having been
placed on probation. In looking over
the cases of the girls committed to
the industrial school, I find in each
case that they have had sexual re
lations with men, and in three of the
four cases this has taken place in
their own homes.
Delinquency among children aris
es, as I believe, from two chief
sources: (1) bad environment and
(2) abnormal mental development or
mental defect. If our work is to be
effective we must start working with
the children in their own homes and
try to teach the parents, while we
are looking after the children. And
what should be the most important
is our effort to raise the standards of
home life so as to enable us to keep
the child in his own home. A large
per centage of our people here are
absolutely unmoral and while I do
not believe always in forced marri
ages, I do believe that if something
is not done to check the number of
illegitimate children who are grow-
ing up in unsuitable home conditions
the problem will be an unending one
Now is the time to take a stand and
thus lighten the work for those who
come after us.
In the cases of the boys commit
ted to the industrial school, each
of the three boys have presented a
decided mental problem. These boys
have all been tried on probation and
failed but if our court had been
equipped to study their different cas
es as we should, I feel sure we
would not have committed them to
the industrial school, provided alsp
that we had such a place as we
would like to have to care for them
We must realize that delinquency is
in a large measure, preventable and
that the golden period of prevention
is In childhood and that prevention
can only be accomplished through
intelligently dealing with the causes
of delinquency. For this reason we
must take into consideration the
child himself, what he in and what
he needs. In order to do this our
court should be equipped with ma
chinery to understand and deal prop
erly with the delinquent. We need a
mental clinic, which will cost money
but. the (service of such a clinic
would render the public schools, the
courts nnd the general community
would more than repay the small
outlay.
The ten cases on probation are
being visited regularly and helped
as each individual case requires. Be
sides the 27 cases handled through
the court. 2S cases have been invest I
;'aled nv.il plans worked out for
Ive, we must have (1) cooperation : a few showers over the two hundred
In the home, (2) help from existing or more arriving guests whose en
social agencies, (3) supervised re- Joyment of the day, however, was
creation and (4) proper work. At not in the least affected. In fact, as
present there is a great need of re- ' Governor Farrington remarked in
creation. We are told that in Cleve-, his able address at noon, it was eml-
land, Ohio, spare time is an Import-! nently appropriate to have a little
ant factor in the delinquencies of . rain in that valley.
three out of every four Juvenile do-( After the organization of the min-
-linquents. It is in the leisure hours , isters' association by Rev. Kaauwai
of life that delinquency and crime . who for 30 years has filled the posi
often have their inception and fulfill- tion as moderator, Rev. Akalko
ment. Recreation does not have to Akana of Kawalahao church in Hono
be simply play, or sports, or active iuiUp took charge of the morning
physical pleasure. Recreation may be ceremonies. S. W. Wilcox, who was
found in study, self-improvement, in himself born in Waioli in the old
all sorts of satisfaction of strong de- mission home almost 70 years ago.
sires or cravings. Again we need ' gaVe a most able address on early
help In getting work for our proba-
tioners, both girls and boys. This is
our greatest handicap in carrying
on satisfactory probation work
days in Waloli. The address which
was in fluent Hawaiian of a sort
rarely heard to-day, presented vivid
pictures of the early life of the val
here. As soon as we are given help j iey the staunch character of the na-
hke this, I feel sure we will nave ; tives, their thorough methods of
very few children if any, commit- j fanning, their accurate knowledge in
ted to the industrial schools. j the use of natural resources such as
I have left until last what I con- soil, timber, fiber and fish. Follow
sider the most important point, I i ing this eloquent speech, a paper
wish to bring out is this: that juve-l was read by Miss Ethel Damon on
nile delinquency, in its causes, its : the history of the Waioli mission. Of
consequences, and its treatment, is itself, such a history makes most
a social or community problem. It ; interesting reading; but when there
cannot be understood without under- j is brought to it, as there was by the
standing the community; it cannot ' audience on Tuesday, a vital personal
be cured or prevented without effi-1 as well a3 religious contact, the
dent community organization. The ; subject becomes absorbing. After the
court can hardly maintain a high
degree of efficiency without a defi
nite method of co-operation with the
community, as represented by other
official departments, public and pri
vate agencies and individuals. The
same is true of dependency. The
community should plan a program
which will reach every child before
dependency or neglect has marked
him sufficiently to attract the at
tention of a service agency. Such a
plan must reach beyond the agency
specializing in child care. Adequate
agencies, public and private, must
be functioning in the dally consider
ation and care of dependency mat
ters; and the organized juvenile
court is morally an socially respon
sible for these dependent children I
until adequate agencies have been
created and are occupying this field
in a normal fashion.
In summoning up the needs of the
juvenile court, which can only be
worked out through the organized
efforts of the community, I wish to
present the following outline. It is
my hope that this organization com
posed of those in the community,
who are vitally interested in the de
velopment of Kauai's social service
work, will undertake the considera
tion and support of some, if not all .
of these needs, which we present:
1. A Survey or Community Study,
which will make it possible to dis
cover and analyze conditions of de
linquency in our local community.
(In Massachusetts alone, such a plan
as this is being worked out by over
60 women's clubs.)
2. The establishment of a Child
Placing Agency.
3. Institutional care, with voca
tional training, for defective children
who cannot he admitted to other
institutions.
4. Establishment of a Confidential
Exchange.
5. Establishment of a Mental Clin
ic.
6. Definite information as to the
extent of venereal disease so as to
get legislation passed, allowing us to
give free medical treatment for such
cases.
7. Laws.
(1) Revision of our truancy laws.
(2) A law for the prosecution of
adults contributing to the delinquen
cy of children.
And other laws.
8. A suitable Detention Home for
juveniles.
9. Censorship of the movies.
A survey, such as the one proposed
would bring out many other points.
In starting my work last May I
realized the importance and necessi
ty of making this a community pro
gram and as we had no organiza
tion at that time, I called together
a group of ten people, who represen
ted our different sections and social
work, and asked their help. This
dedicatory prayer by Mr. Akana, and
an appropriate responsive service in
Hawaiian, the key of the new com
munity hall was given over Into the
keeping of the chairman of the board
of trustees. Mr. Kaaeamoku, by Mas
ter Sam. W. Wilcox, a great grand
boii of one of the founders of the
mission. Another hymn closed this
significant part of the day's services.
All adjourned then to the old
house, which, like all old houses,
speaks wise words to those who
will hear. Mr. Bayless presided over
the short, informal ceremony of wel
come. All joined in singing the Dox
ology whose stately, solemn words
and measures seemed a natural ex
pression of the plain New England
home. The guests were greeted by
the four families, who had occupied
the house. Mrs. II. D. Sloggett, re
presenting the three hostesses who
throughout the day successfully mer
ged their identity with that of the
founders of the mission, spoke for
the Wilcox family, Bharing with the
company her love for and apprecia
tion of the old home in all its mys
tery and its power. Arthur Alexan
der of Honolulu, representing his
grandparents who built the house in
1836, brought greetings from their
descendants. Miss Dorothy Rowell,
unable to be present, had Bent greet
ings from the Rowell family which
were read by Charles S. Dole. Miss
Bertha Bindt then spoke for the
Johnson family who for 30 years had
labored in the mission, living just
beyond the great banyan tree to the
left of the Wilcox home. Wm. H.
Rice brought neighborly greetings
from the Rices, long associated with
early Kauai missions. Wm. O. Smith
spoke for the Smith family, who had
for many years carried on the Ko
Ioa mission. Appropriate greetings
from the Hawaiian Board were
brought by Rev. Henry P. Judd. The
guests then had the pleasure of
wandering at will through the clean
white rooms, of fingering the auto
graphed bed-quilt with its names and
epitaphs inscribed over 70 years ago
still perfectly legible,, of gazing up
the old stone chimney in the kitchen
"laid up by Father Alexander's own
hand" and lastly, of registering in the
new guest record, a great leather-
covered book made after the man
ner of one in which the minutes of
the general meetings of the thirties
were written down.
There followed then the most ap
propriate event for the middle of
the day, a matchless luau set by
deft Hawaiian hands on long tables
in the new community house. For
most people the day had begun at 10
with the opening of the old church
but for the many Hawaiians it had
commenced at 6:00 with the ringing
of the old church bell, and for the
watchman even earlier with the light
ing of his two cooking fires at 4:00.
For days the helpers had been mak
ing quiet, Bteady preparations, hang
ing sides of beef in the old belfry,
slaughtering a 250 pound hog.j gath
ering Backs of opihls and limu on
the rocks, Bending out for fish, cut
ting tl- leaves, going mauka for the
broad leaves of the lawal, doing up
bundles of savory laulau, stringing
leis of puhala nuts, lomi-lomi-lng the
eight squid to the required tender
ness, cracking jokes over the task
of scraping opihis which often took
them far into the night. This Hawaii
an contribution to the festivities was
long and arduous, covering almost
a week, but it was so well planned
and executed, so unhurried, that the
wonderful feast seemed to have
"just happened." Ample Justice was
done to it all. Toward the close of
the repast, Senator Charles Rice in
troduced Governor Farrington, who
spoke ably on the signs of rehabili
tation evident in the old Waioli mis
sion. During the afternoon session held
in the modern church, Rev. Akaiko
Akana addressed a most attentive
audience on the spiritual rehabilita
tion of Hawaiii a timely subject han
dled with the speaker's accustomed
fire and force. The final address of
the day "Recollections of the Wai
oli Pastorate," was delivered by Rev.
Puuki, bringing a wonderful day to
an appropriate close.
To estimate the potential value of
a restoration as that of old Waioli is
not an easy task. It speaks to all
alike, stirring emotions, ambitions,
aspirations even. It points one more
spirited answer to the great question
of the day, the imperative call of
community service.
GURREY GIVES TALK
ON MAKING ETCHINGS
A. R. Gurrey Jr., of the Gurrey
Art Store in Honolulu, addressed the
Mokihana Club last Wednesday af
ternoon. Mr. Gurrey took up the sub
ject of etchings, telling how they
were made and something of the his
tory of the art. "Very few etchings
that one sees nowadays are original"
he said, "as most of them came from
plates that are very old or are re
productions of the old plates." .
Mr. Gurrey has been making a
display of art objects for the past
week in the Mokihana hall at Lihue.
He brought with him a wonderful
collection of oriental rugs and curios
of all kinds. He leaves on the Kinau
this afternoon for Honolulu.
ft
AMERICAN LEGION
DANCE
SATURDAY, NOV. 12
AT
LIHUE ARMORY
REAL MUSIC
Dance to Best Jazz Bands' Music
in America
ADMISSION:
ONE DOLLAR PER PERSON
WAR TAX PAID
3
