64 other adults was investigated and in most cases, as children were involved, plans for relief were worked out or discovered.

The ultimate aim and purpose of the Child Caring Division and of the whole department is not that its services be merely remedial or palliative, but rather that of mending weak or broken homes and finally raising the standard of family life.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEGISLATURE

The law establishing the Child Welfare Department has received condemnation from social workers, educators, and other prominent men and women in quite a number of the states of the Union. We are proud of the legislation of 1919, however, three years of experience of administering this law have made evident the necessity for certain amendments in order to achieve the purpose contemplated in the original Act.

It is commonly agreed by those who have given attention to the situation in Alabama that the State-controlled institutions for dependent and delinquent children should be under the supervision of the State Child Welfare Department upon the same terms as the private institutions in the State. We likewise feel that the State institutions for blind and deaf children (and for crippled, epileptic, and mentally inferior children, when such institutions shall have been established) should be under the supervision of this department, as in South Carolina, with the understanding that the educational work of these institutions be under the direction of the State Department of Education.

It is the custom of the department to issue permits to institutions for a period of one year only. It would probably be advisable to have the law state that a permit is to be issued for a period of not more than one year.

Protection could be afforded a larger number of children if the law would clearly define the terms "maternity hospital," "lying-in homes," and "boarding home for children," and would define the functions of such institutions and the conditions to be met before a permit could be granted to them. The law should be so amended as to confer upon the Child Welfare Department in specific terms, the authority to accept legal guardianship of children.

The department should also be authorized to develop a bureau of probation and parole which would have supervision of all probation and parole officers in the State and which would assist in the development of juvenile courts. The chief of this bureau should be constituted chief probation officer for the State and he and his assistants should be given all the powers of a probation officer in any county in the State.

The department should be authorized to develop a bureau of child study and to establish and co-operate with clinics for the psychological study of dependent, neglected and delinquent children.

At present anybody, fit or unfit, can adopt a child by going before the probate judge and going through certain formal procedure. The law should be so amended as to prevent any probate judge from issuing a decree of adoption of any child until the Child Welfare Department, through its regularly constituted machinery, shall have signified its approval of the home applying for the child, also, its approval of the child as being a proper subject for adoption into a family home. The department should be required to make investigations in such matters, either through one of its own employees or through some other agency or worker who has a permit or certificate from the department, within thirty days after receiving the request from the probate judge.

Confusion, duplication and misunderstanding could be avoided by conferring upon the Child Welfare Department authority to pass upon appli

cations for charters of all institutions subject to permits at the time such applications are filed with the Secretary of State.

In order to maintain the unity and efficiency of child welfare administration, juvenile courts should be forbidden to commit any child to any private institution which does not hold a permit from the Child Welfare Department.

Because the law does not make it a misdemeanor for persons or institutions not holding permits for homes for children nor put any limitation upon the bringing of children into the State for purposes of adoption or permanent custody, numbers of children from other states have been taken into Alabama homes where they are not subject to any supervision by the Child Welfare Department and where they are not under the jurisdiction of any court. It is easier to disapprove a home as a place for a child than it is to establish in court the unfitness of that home. The consequence is that some children have in this manner been placed into some homes that are decidedly unfit. The law should be amended in this respect.

Because no act prevents it, any person or organization can, without holding a permit from the department or even without operating an institution, solicit funds for the maintenance of the real or fictitious work of such person or organization. This should be prohibited by providing that no person or organization not holding a permit from the department can solicit money for child care.

In line with this last suggestion, the department should have the duty of certificating all probation officers of the juvenile courts of the State and no court should be allowed to employ a probation officer who is not certificated, provided that the department may issue temporary certificates for definitely stated periods, and provided, further, that this provision shall not apply to probation officers who are actually employed at the time of the passage of this enactment.

The department should be charged with the authority and duty of supplying courts with lists of approved applicants for the position of probation officer and of supplying the State institutions for delinquents with lists of approved applicants for the position of parole officer. It should also be the duty of the department to furnish to the courts uniform, model blank records for the use of probation officers both in court procedure and for making monthly reports to the department.

The department should be required to file with the Governor and the Secretary of State, each, a formal report covering the quadrennium closing with the fiscal year next preceding the regular session of the Legislature. A larger appropriation for the department should be made.

The juvenile court laws applying to 66 of the counties of the State are laws that are enforceable and that go far toward the protection of children. The local law applying to Mobile county is very weak in many respects. This law and those applying to Jefferson and Montgomery counties should be repealed by a general law applying alike to every county in the State, except that provision should be made, on the basis of population, for more intensive and extensive orgagnization in the larger counties.

In this general juvenile court bill we would like to see it provided: That the juvenile court be given jurisdiction in matters of children who are employed in violation of the child labor law or not in attendance at school as required by the compulsory education law.

That the number of probation officers for any juvenile court be determined by the judge of the court and his advisory board (or the county child welfare board, if established).

That the law instead of providing a rigid salary for probation officers in any court allow some range of discretion to the judge and the advisory board (or the county child welfare board, if established).

That the right of transfer from the juvenile to criminal courts be restricted to children charged with crimes which, in cases of adults, will be punishable by death or life imprisonment.

That jurisdiction of children may be transferred from one juvenile court to another within the State. (If possible, it would be advantageous to arrange a similar transfer with courts in other states.)

The temporary detention in private homes, when approved by the judge of the juvenile court, shall be a valid charge against the county.

That jurisdiction of any child shall pass from the court to the State institutions for delinquents upon commitment and delivery of such child.

That State institutions for delinquents shall not release any juvenile ward without first securing the approval of the court which made the commitment, provided that this restriction shall in no wise limit the authority of the Governor.

That probation officers shall be reimbursed for reasonable actual expenses incurred in making services and investigations and in transporting and caring for court wards when such accounts are approved by the judge of the court.

That the expenses incurred by the juvenile court or its officers in the discharge of duty shall be made preferred claims against the county.

That when the judge shall certify the necessity the county board of revenue or the court of county commissioners shall provide typewriters and office supplies as well as equipment.

That dockets for juvenile cases shall be kept separate from dockets for cases of non-support and desertion and cases of contributing to the delinquency, neglect, and dependency of a child. (This prevents the recording of the name of the juvenile in the same book with an adult criminal.)

That referees may be appointed by the court-women to hear girls' cases at the discretion of the court.

That no girl's case may be heard in court unless a woman of good character be present in the capacity of friend to the girl.

That girls shall be accompanied by a woman when being transported by order of the court except that male officers, who are certified by the Child Welfare Department, may transport such girls.

That no person in this State other than parents or near relatives may assume the permanent custody, care or control of a child under sixteen years of age, unless authorized to do so by an order or decree of a juvenile court of chancery jurisdiction in this State.

That some form of examination and certification be devised for probation officers and candidates for probation officerships.

That the clerk of the juvenile court be authorized to sign all court papers except those partaking of the nature of judicial action.

That the judge be authorized to appoint any probation officer clerk and

any other probation officers deputy clerks of the court.

That wherever possible such children as are committed by the court to family homes shall be placed with families of the same race and faith.

That only the court may commit a child to an institution at the public charge.

That in the catalogue of acts constituting a child a delinquent, there be included "incorrigibility" and violation of Federal laws.

That no one shall have access to the juvenile court records of any child except by permission of the judge.

That when ordered by the court expenses incurred in medical and mental examination and treatment shall be a valid charge against the county.

That volunteer probation officers shall work under the direction of the chief probation officer of the court."

INSANE HOSPITALS

The State of Alabama, actuated by a spirit of Christian philanthropy, erected and acquired many years ago and is now maintaining two hospitals for the insane-one for white and one for colored patients. These institutions are accomplishing great re-. sults but one of them is full beyond its capacity. Patients can not be received except as vacancies occur by the removal of those now there. Since applications far exceed the vacancies it follows that there is a constantly increasing number of insane persons scattered over the State who can not be cared for with present facilities. While some relief will soon come from the use of buildings now under construction, which were authorized by the Legislature, it will be but temporary.

I feel it is incumbent upon me to urge upon you to do everything necessary to ameliorate the pitiable condition of these unfortunates and especially everything that can possibly be done for their recovery.

In my judgment, an appropriation of $500,000 for building and repairs, available during the ensuing four years, will be required to meet the needs of the institution and I recommend accordingly. I refer to the report of the Board of Control and Economy for a statement of the building and repairs during the present quadrennium.

An Act of the Legislature approved February 12, 1919, increased the appropriation for maintenance of the inmates of the insane hospitals from $3.50 to $5.00 per inmate per week, with the following provision: "Provided, however, that if at any time it shall appear in the opinion of the Board of Control and Economy that the needs of indigent and criminal inmates will be thereby met and adequately provided for, the Governor shall be and is hereby authorized to reduce said weekly payment and fix the same at not less than $3.50.”

On July 11, 1922, the Board made such representation to me and I accordingly reduced and fixed the allowance at $3.50 per week. That amount appears to be adequate at this time, but if future conditions should warrant an increase the Governor has authority to grant it.

INSTITUTION FOR FEEBLE-MINDED

The Legislature of 1919, responding to my earnest appeal to the conscience of its members, recognized the sacred duty of the State toward the feeble-minded members of her citizenship and made a start toward the relief of those unfortunates. An appropriation of $200,000 for the building of a home for mental inferiors was granted. That amount has been used for the purchase of a magnificent site, comprised of 118 acres adjoining the prop

erty of the Bryce Hospital, and the building of a dormitory, dining room, kitchen and power house. No provision, however, was made for the maintenance of the institution. I recommend that an appropriation of $5.00 per capita for the inmates be voted, with the proviso that in the event it be found from experience that a smaller sum is adequate for the said purpose the Governor be authorized to reduce and fix the amount according to his judgment. I further recommend that an appropriation of $200,000 be provided for the building of additional dormitories.

The State owes a sacred duty to the inmates of this institution. That duty should be discharged according to the standards of the most enlightened civilization and no monetary consideration should be allowed to block the way.

STATE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

On my first trip of inspection to the eleemosynary institutions I discovered that the conditions at this school located at Matsuyama, fourteen miles from Birmingham, were far from satisfactory and that its functions were seriously handicapped by its location and the character of buildings, which were wholly unsuited to the use of such an institution.

By an Act approved September 30, 1919, the sum of $50,000 was appropriated for the purpose of erecting new buildings. This amount was not expended because it was deemed unwise to place additional buildings on the unsuitable property. On October 5, 1920, authority was given for the re-location of the school. On October 14, 1921, the main building at Matsuyama was burned. The State collected $25,000 insurance. By an Act approved October 27, 1921, the Legislature authorized an additional appropriation of $75,000 for building purposes. This sum brought the building fund, including insurance money, up to $150,000. On July 30, 1921, the Board of Control and Economy purchased a tract of land consisting of 22 acres situated a mile southeast of the fair grounds in Jefferson county, and at once set about constructing a new plant for the school. Four cottages to accommodate about thirty girls each, a school building, a hospital, laundry, power house and dairy barn have been built at a cost of $140,000, including the purchase price of the land. Each cottage has its own kitchen and dining room with such equipment to make it a complete unit of the institution.

The hospital is designed to accommodate twelve patients. It has an operating room, a treatment room and a dental room, all fully equipped; also an apartment for the nurses. The physical condition of the girls when they come to the school suggested the absolute necessity for the services of a physician and a nurse.