SCHOOLS FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN 19
short a stay in the school as can reasonably be demanded, and in some cases more time is necessary in order to reform the truant.
If no backward step be taken, it is safe to predict that the money spent in support of this school will in time save hun- dreds of thousands of dollars to the city of Chicago, and start thousands of boys and girls on the way to a noble manhood and womanhood.
For years "compulsory education" was a failure in Chi- cago, but now, owing to the existence of the Chicago Parental School, and to one of the most efficient compulsory-education departments in any city of the Union, the compulsory-education law is being enforced as never before. No department of school work is more important than this, and it should be liber- ally supported. The board of education and the people of Chi- cago are realizing more fully than ever the importance of com- pulsory education, and the good work will undoubtedly con- tinue.
IV. THE JUVENILE COURT.
The legal agency by which boys and girls are committed to the above-named schools is the juvenile court. This court was established by an act passed in 1899, and by its establishment Illinois took a front rank in reform work. In counties having over 500,000 population the judges of the circuit court are required by the aforesaid act to designate one or more of their number to hear all cases of dependent or delinquent children, under the age of sixteen years, and this court is called the "juvenile court." A petition must be filed by a reputable citi- zen of the county ; the parents or guardians must be duly noti- fied of the proceedings about to be instituted ; a jury may be demanded by the parents or friends of the child, or the judge himself may order a jury to try the case ; the person having control of the child is summoned to appear at a time and place specified ; and the court, after hearing the evidence, disposes of the case in a summary manner. The court is authorized to appoint a number of discreet persons of good character to act as probation officers, during the pleasure of the court, such
