An American Woman's Work.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 1, 4 January 1911, Page 60

An American Woman's Work.

Honouring Mrs. Sclioff, who Abolished Gaol for Children. THERE were six hundred children under sixteen years .of age in Moyamensing Prison, Philadelphia, in 1900. To-day there are none. There were three hundred children a month passing through police stations in Philadelphia. To-day there are 50 per cent of that number arrested, and these are held in the. House of Detention.

This is why the American papers just to hand by the ’Frisco mail are full of pictures and panegyrics concerning a Mrs Scholl’, who ten years ago was startled into taking in hand the reformation in the punishment of children. And, as showing what one woman can do, the story is not without Interest for us, even at this distance.

One day in May, 1599, a Philadelphia newspaper printed as one of its first page stories an account of the arrest and imprisonment of a little girl of eight years. She fire to the house in which she lived. M hen asked why she had started the fire, she said frankly:—

"To See the Fire Burn and the Engine Run.”

The account was accompanied by a picture of the child, and stated that the presiding Judge had sent her to a reformatory. The child’s history revealed the fact that she had been left motherless at two, placed in an orphanage, and recently been made a household drudge in a city boardinghouse, with no associates save ignorant servants. Tire whole account was surmounted by the startling headline: “A Prodigy of Crime.”

The city read, and was properly shocked by such depravity in one so young.

“Prodigy of erime!” she said indignantly. Then she looked at her own daughters at play. Suppose one of them had set fire to the house in a spirit of fun, would she have been sent to a reformatory? What was to become of this innocent girl, to be associated with companions whose ways had been proved evil? An hour later found her in the office of the Judge who sent the child to the reformatory.

“But, Mrs. Schoff’.” pleaded the Judge, “what am I to do with her? I have no other place to send her, and, truth to tell, they do not want her there, because of the character of her offence.” Mrs. Scboff was bewildered. She returned home determined to know more of

the law that branded eight-year-old children as criminals and sent them to reformatories. With, as she says, “an inward vow to work unceasingly until something better could bo done for unfortunate children,” she set to work to investigate local conditions. “I found,” she says, “that there were five hundred children, ranging from six to sixteen, in Philadelphia county prisons. There were from two hundred to three hundred children every month passing through the station houses of the city standing in critical need of intelligent direction and guidance, yet receiving nothing. There were children da every county prison in Pennsylvania, committed for triHing offences and submitted to influences that could not fail to confirm evil habits. There were eight hundred children in each of the two reformatories and no distinction was made as to the children committed there. Waifs, homeless little ones, children steeped in crime, were all sent to the same institution. Any magistrate could commit a child to a reformatory on the parent’s statement of incorrigibility, and no effort was made to prove the parent’s statement. The result was that stepfathers and stepmothers desiring to be freed from care of them took this method of throwing them on the State. More than half the children were in the reformatory on the complaints of stepfathers and stepmothers. "No sen-ole mother,” said Mrs. Schoff, “as a means of uplifting her boy, would condemn him to the exclusive association of naughty boys because he had committed a fault. And yet this -was what the State did. All trials were in the criminal courts, and in the cages for criminals the boys and girls waited their turn, listening to things too vile to mention and receiving lessons in evil never to be forgotten!”

With this material in her hand Mrs. Schoff appealed to the New Century Club, an organization of six hundred women, to help her. When a committee had been formed Mrs. Schoff demonstrated one of the remarkable qualities that assure her leadership. The women with her, horrified by the tales they had heard, were for proceeding at once to relieve single cases, but Mrs. Schoff insisted that nothing be done until a thorough study of every State in the Union be made, not only as to methods but as to results, both as to expense and as to effectiveness in saving the children.

These women worked all winter compiling a report, "The Statutes of Every State in the United States Concerning Defective, Delinquent and Dependent Children.” Massachusetts, Michigan and

Illinois had the best records, so Mrs. Schoff packed her trunk, kissed her own children and visited Massachusetts, Michigan and Illinois. Illinois, which had just.introduced a juvenile court and probation system, produced a profound impression. Urging the Reform. Armed with this data the wombil got to work. Mrs. Schoff went to the Governor of Pennsylvania, to various political leaders, urging that reform measures be taken. When questions were asked she was ready to answer. When statements were questioned she produced her data. At every turn she met them. Then she employed a lawyer to draft

two bills for the Legislature. These bills provided:— First—Separate time and place ton trial of children’s cases and no detention of children in police stations or prisons.

Second —Probation officers whose salaries were not to be paid to the publio treasury, yet who were appointed by the Judge.

Third—A house of detention in all cities of first and second class for children awaiting trial. Fourth—Boards of visitors composed of men and women for all children’s institutions.

Immediately the managers of the Eastern House of Refuge arose in opposition. Deprive them of children and lose their places! Nevertheless the bill went; through, and in May, 1901, the laws were made.

Then there arose a storm of opposition. Pennsylvania is a conservative State, Hundreds of persons really felt that the old laws were good enough, hundreds of place holders saw reformatories, orphanages, and “homes” emptied, and hastened to the politicians. Mrs. Schoff and her committee were privately termed “ a nuisance,” and although, as they were not officials, their position was impregnable, certain organs of the Press sought by satirical comment and much publicity to discourage them.

But Mrs. Schoff is not easily discouraged.

One year after the opening of ths Juvenile Court in Philadelphia, at her instance, a similar court opened at Pittsburg. Now they extend all through the State. <i!?«er States in which Mrs. Schoff has been a direct influence in starting the juvenile court and probation system are Connecticut, Louisiana and Idaho. The National Congress of Mothers, stimulated 1 by her influence, is establishing parentteacher associations in every State in the Union. Mrs. Schoff has been the recipient of unique honours. She is the only! woman who has spoken at their request! before the members of the Canadian Parliament. This was in 1907. Both Houses adjourned and held a joint session to hear her address. At their request she trained two probation officers, and, as a result, juvenile court and probation work is well started in Canada.