186 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



children — the by-products of our broken homes. If I should name 

 the private and public institutions for children in Missouri you 

 would be' astonished at their number. If any of you are inter- 

 ested in this or in any other phase of the subject I am presenting to 

 you and wish fuller information, an inquiry directed to the State 

 Board of Charities and Corrections at Columbia will be cheerfully 

 answered. It is possible to make out a pretty complete list of the 

 various agencies that now exist for the protection of children, but 

 I will mention only a few such agencies, and those especially with 

 regard to which changes in our laws are sought. 



The State, as represented in her laws, is the natural guardian 

 of all children. Less than a decade ago the people of Missouri 

 awakened to the fact that often young children, of immature mind 

 and morality, were being thrown into the county and city jails, 

 there to absorb from adult prisoners the ideas of worse immorality 

 and crime. The awakening affected first the larger cities, and 

 often the most pathetic scenes were described of the way our laws 

 operated to the injury of children who had committed only petty 

 offenses. As a result of that first agitation, juvenile courts have 

 been established in the six counties of Missouri having the largest 

 population, and they have saved for upright lives hundreds of boys 

 and girls who merely got the wrong start. But we have stopped 

 before the task was finished. In one hundred and eight counties 

 children are still thrown into jail with adult criminals. The less 

 populous counties of the State are still suffering this disgrace, and 

 the board I represent has in its investigations discovered in the 

 jails of the rural counties many cases just as pathetic as those 

 found in the big cities before 1903. I need not take time to ex- 

 plain why children who commit thefts or other offenses should not 

 be given the same treatment as adult criminals and be housed with 

 them. The reason is evident to all. And you can all see also that 

 the less populous counties should also have the benefits of the 

 juvenile court. S'o the State Board of Charities and Corrections 

 and various other organizations and associations in the State are 

 this year asking the Legislature to extend the provisions of the 

 juvenile court law to the rest of the State. If this appeals to you 

 as needed legislation, I suggest that you take the matter up with 

 your Senator and Representative at Jefferson City, and ask them 

 to support the bill that will be introduced on this subject. 



But we intend to go farther in our legislation for children. 

 Most of you know of the recent establishment of a children's bureau 

 as a part of the government of the United States. Some may know 



