Jackson
By Richard D. Jewett
Mail Tribune Staff Writei
The voice of the solemn-faced
magistrate sounded with author
ity in the small, packed chamber
as he asked, "Foreman of the
jury, what is the verdict?"
"Guilty, your honor," was the
reply.
The judgeturned to the youth
who stood before him.
"The jury has found you guilty
of swearing and tearing another
boy's shirt," he said. "You have
broken a school rule. Your
punishment will be suspension
from the guard for two weeks.
In addition, you will stay in Mr.
Davis' room for 15 minutes each
night after school for one week."
"Case dismissed," the judge
concluded.
In School Court
That scene was In no ordinary
courtroom. Officers of the tri
bunal were not adults. They
were school companions of the
guilty youth, students at Med
ford's Jackson grade school.
Since last fall similar scenes
have been enacted almost weekly
at the school. By participating
in the enforcement of their
school's rules and regulations,
Jackson youngsters are getting
basic preparation for their years
-as adults.
They are learning better the
reasons for rules of conduct;
they are gaining regard for law
and order; they are acquiring
respect for fellow students and
their views and feelings. The
youngsters are learning a basic
requisite of society the ability
to live in harmony with one
another. They are discovering
the virtues of democracy by
democracy in action.
Held Each Friday
Court at Jackson school con
venes on Friday afternoons. The
press was permitted to sit in on
a recent session. The trial docket
was average. Seven cases were
heard by Judge Ernest Tyler, a
fifth grader sitting on the bench
for the first time.
Judge Tyler kept strict order
in his court in character with a
true magistrate. He reprimanded
the court audience for disturb
ances and at one point ordered
two larger boys from the court
room. They went. There was seri
ousness about the entire proceed
ing. One of the cases was that of
the youth accused of tearing the
shirt. A second lad was also sus
pended from the guard (school
boy patrol) for two weeks and
assigned W 19 minutes in Faculty
Member Don Davis' room each
night for a week. He was found
guilty of using bad language.
Later this same boy was assigned
to Davis' room for an additional
five minutes nightly for alleged
ly riding his b i c y c 1 e on the
school grounds.
First Offense Warning
A girl, charged with riding a
bicycle on the school grounds
and not signalling for a turn,
pleaded guilty and was warned.
It was her first offense.
The jury found a third youth
not guilty of an accusation that
he failed to signal for a turn
while riding his bicycle. His case
was a month old. Original re
cords had been lost and Defense
Attorney Steven Wisely put up
considerable argument that the
case should be thrown out be
cause of the passage of time.
Still another boy was suspend
ed from activities for fighting on
the school grounds. In the sev
enth case the defendant was
charged with running up and
skipping stairs. Found guilty, he
was sentenced to stay im Davis'
room for 10 minutes one day.
History Outlined
During an interview with
Davis, court advisor, and H. W.
Gustin, school principal, follow
ing the court's dismissal, the
organization and history of the
court was outlined. It was insti
tuted last fall by the two men.
Attorneys Manville Heisel and
Stanley C. Jones Jr., gave the
youngsters instruction in court
procedure.
There have been three sets of
court officials so far this year.
Davis said that it is planned now
to have new officers every six
weeks. They are picked from
fifth and sixth graders who are
school-boy patrolmen. Curr ent
officers are all fifth graders. In
addition to Tyler and Wisely,
they are Prosecuting Attorney
James Boyd, Bailiff Jack Lilly
and Court Recorder Keith Bran
son. In addition to the instruction
from lawyers, weekly observa
tion of the court in action gave
the youths knoledge for their
jobs. Schoolboy and bicycle pa
trolmen. the school police, form
3 Jcwriemdk
""E" rJF i-
"Her children arise up,
and call her blessed."
Chapel
Across from
PHONE
Frank Morgah
Funeral
School Pupils Run Own Court; Learn Democratic
Medford
Second Section
WITNESS TAKES STAND One of Recorder Keith Branson's tasks in the Jackson grade !
school student court is to swear in witnesses. Procedure is altered in the case pictured above as j
Prosecuting Attorney James Boyd administers the oath to Branson, a witness for the trial. From the
left are Branson, Judge Ernest Tyler, Boyd and Defense Attorney Steven Wisely. Court sessions
are held almost every Friday and provide student participation in enforcement of school rules and
regulations.
the audience at court sessions.
Boy Girl Jury
Two boys and two girls each
from the fourth, fifth and sixth
grades form the the jury. A new
jury is chosen for each session
of court.
Jackson student court has
jurisdiction over student con
duct on the school grounds and
in the building and over bicycle
operation including routes to
and from school.
It has authority to exercise
justice for misdemeanors or row
diness endangering safety in
play; disorderliness at sports
contests; rowdyism or loafing in
the building; disfiguring or
throwing paper and trash on
grounds or floors, and rough
ness, loud talk or scuffling in
lines of march.
Bicycle jurisdiction includes
enforcement of riding regula
tions and safe riding rules and
Singer Company Sets
Move to New Location
Announcement was made Sat
urday of the rental of the store
building at 121 East Main street,
by the Singer Sewing Machine
company, now located at 40
North Front street. The Owl club,
which at present occupies the
East Main street property, will
move June 1 to 32 North Front
street in the building formerly
occupied by Frohmayer's Furni
ture exchange. The furniture ex
change has located at IS South
Front street.
It is reported that renovations
are now being made at 32 North
Front street property by Owl
club operators.
Roy Minter. manager of Sing
er Sewing Machine company,
stated that while they will oc
cupy the present location for the
present, the East Main street
store will be completely remod
eled in line with needs from
growth of business and a more
desirable location for the store.
The sewing machine company
has already increased its person
nel now being trained in antici
pation of the opening of the new
store planned for mid-July or
August.
TO GIVE PLAY
Eagle Point, May 13 The
junior class of Eagle Point high
school will present a three-act
costume play entitled "Huckle
berry Finn." at the school gym
nasium at 8 p.m on Wednesday,
May 17.
Four score and seven years
ago on Nov. 19, 1863 Abra
ham Lincoln delivered his im-
mortal Gettysburg address.
3n Med
Proverbs 31:28
1
Mortuary
the Courthouse
2-8030
. Harold SnodgrasJ
Directors
MEDFORD, OREGON,
laws regarding storage, treat
ment and borrowing.
Complaints made by patrol
ment or other students are hand
ed to the judge who prepares the
trial docket with assistance of
the court recorder and the super
vision of Advisor Davis.
Determine Punishment
It is Davis' purpose to see that
punishments determined are
neither too easy nor too severe.
Although possible penalties are
talked over by Davis and the
student jurist, the sentence to be
imposed is determined by the
judge. Davis reported that he
has never had to countermand
the judgement of the court.
The court avoids corporal
retribution, although at least one
boy has been sentenced to his
father to inflict punishment.
While some penalties require"
labor, work is not the emphasis.
Stress rather is on the time taken
up by punishment t i m e in
which a youngster might be en
joying some other activity.
Effort is made in the court to
explain to children why they are
punished. A severe penalty for a
patrolman is suspension from his
police duties. Davis brought out
that this sentence is handed
Osteopath Licensed
To Proctology Practice
Dr. Francis M. Neff. Long
Beach, Cal., son of Mrs. Gertrude
E. Neff, 217 West Sixth street,
was recently certified as a
specialist in proctology, and has
been named secretary to the
board of directors of the Long
Beach Osteopathic hospital, it
was reported Saturday. He is
also chief of staff of Magnolia
hospital, with a staff of more
than 100.
Dr. and Mrs. Neff ' plan to
visit his mother and other rela
tives, and friends, in Medford
this summer.
I ! I"
' . . 1 : if;, tv ; 0 o x .
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down when a youth's actions in
dicate that he is not capable of
looking after himself and, there
fore, is not capable of looking
after others. A suspended patrol
man will be reinstated if he
keeps out of trouble and main
tains his schoolwork. If not he
may be dropped permanently
from the patrol.
Don't Play Favorites
Davis stated that, when the
court was first functioning,
there was a tendency among
those in charge to play favorites.
That tendency has been over
come. Thus a lesson in fairness,
squareness and equality has been
driven home. A community rath
er than clique spirit has been
fostered. Those convicted in the
court are made to realize that
not. individuals, but the group is
trying them.
The Jackson school program
has proved effective. Children
have shown more interest
through their opportunity for
self-discipline. Discipline has im
proved. There has been a re
duction in the number of viola
tions. Principal Gustin reported.
Youngsters take the program
seriously.
Teachers Responsible
Teachers arc still responsible
for discipline In their rooms and
to an extent in the halls. How
ever, Gustin stated that the stu
dent court has lessened the
efforts of teachers.
So far there have been only
two cases of parental objection.
Both cases were straightened out
when the facts were explained
and the fathers learned that
their youngsters were not being
"picked on."
Gustin and Davis began the
program in connection with the
safety of the children. It was
then enlarged to cover enforce
ment of other rules and regula
tions. Gustin said that plans are
being formulated to expand the
program for next year.
FA3 LINOLEUM,
iiiinipiiu
Tribune
Pages 1-8
Relief Fund Sent to
Canadian Townsfolk
Employees of Kogap Lumber
industries and associated com
panies this week raised a fund
of $100 during a lunch hour for
relief of residents in the yueoec
town of Rimouski, which was
largely destroyed by fire.
A reply to a wire informing
the city of this action was re
ceived Thursday from Dr. Marcel
Catellier, mayor of Trois Pistoles,
a nearby community, who said
he would extend the sympathies
of the Kogap group to the pe
Die of Rimouski.
On May 11, the night shift at
the Kogap mills decided to add
their contributions to tnose maoe
hv dav shift members, and an
additional $38.20 was collected
by Forest Martin of the planing
mill. The total of $138.20 was
forwarded Friday by wire to
Mayor Victor LePage of Rimou
ski.
Cape Agulhas, not the Capo of
Good Hope, is Africa's southern
most land tip.
S5475
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HANDCUFFED TO ANOTHKR PKISONUR, Eugcno Dennis (right),
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tempt of Congress in refusing to testify. (International Soundpltoto)
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Central Point, May 13 Bids
on $500,000 worth of bonds for
construction of new high school
facilities at Central Point will
be opened at 8 p.m. Monday,
May 15, at the high school here.
Final plans and specifications
were approved recently for the
building and June 6 was set as
the date for receiving bids on
construction.
School board members have
announced that a hearing on the
budget for consolidated school
district No. 6 will be held also
on June 6. The outlay approved
by the budget committee is $363,.
117. Despite added amounts for
principal and interest on the
new bond issue, the levy will be
about two mills less than last
year in the consolidated district
and four less than in the former
Central Point district.
The youngest regular coin still
in use in the United States is the
nickel, authorized by congress
in 1866.
Camellias for Mother
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Potted Plants Gift Wrapped
Tomatoes, Lettuce, Cabbage
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