conditions of the parole, we immediately report that to the court and the court directs that the child be taken into custody. Q. Your officers assigned to this district visit these children who are on parole? A. Yes, sir. Q. At their homes? A. Yes, sir. Q. Any rules as to the frequency of the visits? A. No, sir; no set rule as to frequency. Q. What would you think was the ordinary number in the first month of a parole? A. Two or three times; they visit them at their homes. Q. What do they undertake to do for these boys while they are on parole? A. If working boys and out of employment they would undertake to find a situation, if they had none, either themselves or through some lady of the different religious faiths. Mrs. Axeman finds a good many situations. Mrs. O'Keefe and Mrs. Irish have found a good many situations. * Q. What beside helping and getting employment do the officers do for those on parole? A. In the cases of children going to school they will visit the teacher of the school or the principal; they must do that the last week of the parole, in order to get a school report. That must be in writing and embodied in the report made to the court. Q. Does the officer who visits the child's home become personally acquainted with the child? A. Not more than the several contacts would bring; he would not endeavor to do more. I have not found it beneficial, where such an attempt has been made. Q. That is by your officers? A. Yes, sir; and by other volunteers. It has not been always beneficial; sometimes too much familiarity destroys the control over the child. I think a little fear is necessary in dealing with them, as well as the social meeting of them. I think that works to the benefit of the parole. I find it so in many cases. Q. Do you regard the personal relation between the probation or parole officer and the child as an important feature in influencing the child's conduct? A. I do not regard it in the same way as others do. Q. Do you regard it as an important element in the situation? A. I regard it as important that the child should be brought to recognize the authority of the parole officer, and also the further fact that everything done is for its benefit." The testimony above has been quoted somewhat at length in order to give, in the language of the Justices themselves and of the chief probation officer, the nature of the work carried on in the Children's Court in the borough of Manhattan. The statistics of children released on parole in the Children's Court in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx from its organization to September 20, 1905, as furnished by the society are as follows: Provided with homes after various periods of Bench warrants issued and unexecuted.... Committed to S. P. C. C. after parole.. During the year 1904 of 7,361 cases coming before the court, 1,148 were released on parole or 15 per cent. The total number of cases brought before the court increased from 7,631 in 1904 to 9,418 in 1905. The distribution of children on parole on December 8, 1905, by the magistrates' courts districts was as follows: 1st District 2d District 13 18 A special compilation, made at the request of the Commission, shows that of 623 children released under a suspended sentence during the year 1904, after one or more periods of parole, 75, or 12 per cent., have since such release been arrested for the same or other offenses and committed to institutions. In the Children's Court of the borough of Brooklyn special attention has been paid to probation work. This court was established by special act of Legislature in 1903, largely through the efforts of Hon. Robert J. Wilkin. The law provided for the creation of a Children's Court as a branch of the Court of Special Sessions, Second Division, and the appointment of an additional justice. Judge Wilkin, who had been for many years the Superintendent and Attorney of the Brooklyn Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, was then appointed. The Justices of Special Sessions by lot sit in rotation for periods of two months each in the Children's Court, but by special arrangement of his associates Judge Wilkin has presided for nine months each year. Judge Wilkin testified before the Commission at length. Some of the important features of his testimony may be summarized as follows: When the Brooklyn Children's Court was established, the special statute provided that the justice sitting in the Children's Court might appoint three probation officers. He considered that provision to mean that the different religions should be recognized, and called a meeting of the charitable and philanthropic societies of Brooklyn to meet at his office. It was decided that three committees should be appointed, one representing the Catholics, one the Jewish, and one the Protestant interests. These committees were to recommend the names of three persons as probation officers. The committee representing the Catholic societies selected an agent of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, receiving compensation from that society; the Jewish societies suggested the superintendent of the Hebrew Educational Society, and the Protestant societies suggested the head worker for the Italian Settlement. The last mentioned found, however, that he was unable to give the work as much time as it required, and subsequently one of the missionaries of the City Mission and Tract Society was selected. The superintendent of the Hebrew Educational Society resigned from that position, and his successor was unable to give much time to this work, and states that the Hebrews are not particularly desirous of having a Hebrew, as such, appointed as a probation officer. Leading members of the Jewish faith have said that as good results would come from a probationary officer of any faith, the chief point being that the officer should be kind hearted and intelligent. The superintendent of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has been called upon to act as probation officer in some cases, especially the Jewish cases, and for some Protestant cases. Mrs. Tunis G. Bergen, a member of this Commission, has acted as a volunteer probation cfficer for some girls, and Miss Leitch, who represents the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Court of Special Sessions, has taken charge of some Catholic girls. Justice Wilkin meets the probation officers in conference once a month and they talk over the cases. During 1904, 326 Catholic children were placed on probation, 108 Protestants and 44 Hebrews. Judge Wilkin thought he could count upon the services of the representatives of these societies as being sufficient for the needs of the probation work in Brooklyn. The child is placed on probation without time being stated, but required to report to the court in about thirty days. This period may be extended indefinitely, but usually ends in about three months. Occasionally it might be advantageous to extend probationary oversight for a longer period. In the subsequent examination of the probation officers, it appeared that the Catholic probation officer enlisted the cooperation of many members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in parishes in which the society is organized; that he also aims to visit the children in their homes, as well as to require them to report to him, but that the number is too great to permit him to visit them as frequently and become as well acquainted with them as he would like to do. A considerable number of Protestant and Jewish children were committed to the oversight of the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. When children are placed under the probationary care of the society, they report to the office of the society. This is required for the purpose of establishing a personal relation between the child and the probationary officer and to build up an acquaintance which might tend to influence its future conduct. Visits are also made to the child's home, seeking the reasons for his delinquency and to establish a friendly interest with the parent and child in the effort to encourage better conduct upon the part of |