Page:EB1922 - Volume 30.djvu/693

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CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO
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History. Carter H.Harrison (Dem.), who was elected in 1911 to his fifth term as mayor of Chicago, was succeeded in 1915 by William Hale Thompson (Rep.), who was reflected in 1919. After the United States entered the World War, Thompson was sharply criticised for various actions that seemed to indicate a reluctant support of the war policy of the Government.

The disappearance from the newspaper field of the Inter-Ocean and the Herald left Chicago for a time with only two English- speaking morning dailies, the Tribune and the Herald and Ex- aminer. In 1920 the Chicago Journal of Commerce was estab- lished as a morning paper for business men, with no Sunday edi- tion. The Joseph Medill School of Journalism was opened in Feb. 1921 , with over 100 students, as a part of the Northwestern Univer- sity. The Chicago Tribune, of which Joseph Medill was foun- der, agreed to underwrite the deficit of the school for a five- year period.


CHICAGO, UNIVERSITY OF (see 6.125). The grounds of the University of Chicago increased between 1908 and 1920 from 60 ac. to 92, so that the university's holdings occupied both sides of the Midway Plaisance continuously for three-quarters of a mile. During the same period new buildings were erected, at an aggregate cost of $2,000,000, for a general library (the William Rainey Harper Memorial), for classics, for geology and geography (Julius Rosen wald Hall), for pathology (the Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory), and for a women's gymnasium, refectory and clubhouse (Ida Noyes Hall) . Funds amounting to $3 , 2 50,000 were in hand in Jan. 1921 for further building projects a theology building and chapel, the Rawson laboratory for medical research, the Billings hospital (250 beds) and the Epstein dis- pensary, and the founder's chapel. In 1916-7 funds amounting to $5,461,000 were secured for the development of the medical work of the university, and arrangements were made for the closest cooperation with the Presbyterian hospital, the Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute and the McCormick Memorial Institute. A Graduate School of Social Service Administration, continuing and developing the work previously done by the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy, was added to the schools by the university in 1920.

The libraries of the university contained in 1920 685,000 volumes and 200,000 pamphlets. By a novel arrangement of bridges con- necting the third floor of the Harper library with adjacent buildings, reading rooms with an aggregate capacity of 900 readers were brought into connexion upon the same level and virtually under one roof. The University Press, the first to be organized under university ownership in the United States, publishes from 30 to 60 books annually, and II scientific journals, the Biblical World and the American Journal of Theology giving way on Jan. I 1921 to the American Journal of Religion. Beginning in 1914 the Meadville Theological School united its summer quarter with that of the Divinity School, and in 1915 the Chicago Theological Seminary (Congregational) became affiliated with the university. While the trustees of the Divinity School were Baptists, theological instruc- tion was given by members of five Protestant denominations to students of every denomination. In celebration of the quarter- centennial of the founding of the university, June 2-6 1916, the university published three volumes: The Quarter-Centennial Celebra- tion of the University of Chicago, 1916, by D. A. Robertson; A Bibli- ography of the Publications of Members of the University, 19021916, edited by G. J. Laing; and a History of the University of Chicago, 1891-1916, by T. W. Goodspeed.

Upon the entrance of the United States into the World War, the President placed the resources of the university at the disposal of the Government for purposes of experimentation and research and for military training, and the members of the university entered actively into war work. President Judson himself led a political and philanthropic mission to Persia in 1918-9, and, in all, 4,355 mem- bers of the university, including students, alumni, and members of the faculties were in the service of the Government ; 70 of these gave up their lives for their country. Between 1908 and 1920, under the administration of President Judson, the university's total resources more than doubled, and on June 30 1920 exceeded $50,000,000, rather more than $30,000,000 of which was in invested funds. The members of the faculties numbered 328. Between 1892 and 1920 87,600 students matriculated and more than 12,000 took degrees, 1,200 of them the Ph.D. In 1920-1 the university enrolled 11,479 students. (E. J.G.)

CHILD LABOUR: see JUVENILE EMPLOYMENT.


CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO (see 6.138). In the United Kingdom little actual legislation for child welfare was passed between 1908 and 1920, but an immense work was done by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which now has branches all over the United Kingdom. The worst as well as the most numerous cases of cruelty take place at home; parents and step-parents are worse than employers. The society, authorized by name in the " Children's Charter " (Children Act 1908), was founded at a meeting at the Mansion House in 1884 and dealt with 95 cases in that year. The number of cases dealt with in the year ending March 31 1921 was 38,174 in England, Ireland and Wales, but this was 16,598 less than in 1913-4. The number of children involved was 101,085. Only 3% of the cases were brought into court. Out of 1,140 prosecutions only 22 failed. The cases are thus divided:

Cases investi- gated.

Neglect or starvation 33, 089

Ill-treatment 3,036

Exposure, abandonment, etc 398

Moral wrongs 54 1

Cases where improvement took place by warning were 33,757 or 88-4% of the whole. More than half of these cases (22,095) were reported by the general public; reported by the police, 3,205; school officials, 6,584; other officials, 3,936. Discovery by inspectors, 2,354. The children died in 533 cases in conse- quence of neglect or cruelty.

By the Children Act 1908 any person " over the age of 16 years who has the custody, charge or care of any child under 16 years of age and who causes or procures such child to be assaulted, ill-treated, neglected, abandoned or .exposed in a manner likely to cause such child unnecessary suffering or injury to its health including injury to or loss of sight or hearing, limb or organ of the body and any mental derangement" can be punished at the Assizes by fine of 100, and two years' imprisonment, with or without hard labour, or before a police magistrate by fine of 25 and imprisonment for six months. The punishment may be ordered although the child be dead. If the defendant was directly or indirectly interested in any money payable on the death of the child (e.g. insurance) the fine can be raised to 200 and five years' penal servitude can be inflicted. Restrictions are also placed on employment of boys under 14 or girls under 16 for begging or performing or selling anything in any street, public place, or show (Sect. 2) except under licence if over the age of 10 years. Application for a licence requires the con- sent of the police and also the Local Education Authority (Rules 1920). A constable may take any child to a place of safety pending trial of an offence under the Act (Sect. 5), and the magistrate may order the detention of the child by a relative, or in a home. After conviction the court can remove the child out of the control of the offender and hand it over to a suitable guardian, including a society. There is also a provision for emigration. The parent of the child can also be ordered to contribute to its maintenance, and any pen- sion or source of income may be utilized and charged for the pur- pose. The religion of the child is protected (Sect. 8). A search warrant may be issued (Sect. 10) in cases where cruelty to a child is suspected, but the child cannot be communicated with. The magis- trate may take the evidence of the child by deposition and not in the open court, on a medical certificate. Evidence of a child of tender years may be taken although the child is not able to under- stand the nature of an oath, but there must be some circumstance or other person to corroborate such evidence. The court may dis- pense with the attendance of the child. The onus of proving that the child is older than 16 is (Sect. 7) thrown on the defendant. The prosecution must be within six months of the offence. Besides the offences specified in Sect. I of the Act certain other violent and criminal offences against the person under an Act of 1861 and the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885 are also punishable.

Baby Farming. The Act provides for inspection and control. The persons having the care of infants for reward must give notice to the local authority which appoints visitors and inspectors of both sexes and, if thought well, in conjunction with philanthropic societies. Search warrants can be issued, and it is an offence to refuse admittance to a visitor. Persons who have committed an offence under this or previous Acts cannot receive or retain chil- dren. The number of children received can be limited. Children can be removed. Notice of death must be given to the coroner. Insurance policies cannot be taken out on the lives of such children.

Miscellaneous^. A penalty is imposed for exposing a child to danger of burning or scalding by reason of an open grate (Sect. 15) or for allowing a child to reside in or frequent a brothel. Two years' imprisonment is the penalty for encouraging the seduction or prostitution of a girl under 1 6 years of age, or for allowing her to consort with or enter the employment of any person of immoral character (Sect. 17). The magistrate may require security from the parent or guardian not to expose the girl to such risk. Further