Chairman's Notes
| Date | 01 March 1947 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455054700500801 |
| Published date | 01 March 1947 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
~J ‘ i°
a
The
Journal
of
the
hiational
Association
of
Probation
Officers
and
the
Clarke
Nall
Fellowship
.&dquo;.
CHAIRMAN’S
NOTES
Since
the
last
issue
of
&dquo;
Probation,&dquo;
the
third
and
final
report
of
the
Denning
Committee
has
been
published,
and
has
been
generally
welcomed
as
the
expression
of
a
wise
attitude
to
the
grave
problems
with
which
it
had
to
deal,
and
as
a
carefully-considered
series
of
suggestions
for
the
alleviation
of
those
problems,
so
far
as
they
relate
to
the
causes
of
marriage
breakdowns
and
the
possibility
of
remedial
action.
*
*
*
*
We
of
the
National
Association
of
Probation
Officers
may
be
pardoned
a
certain
gratification,
not
merely
at
the
tribute
which
the
report
pays
to
the
past
work
of
the
Probation
Service
in
the
field
of
matrimonial
conciliation,
but
at
the
extent
to
which
the
Committee’s
recommenda-
tions
for
a
court
welfare
service
are
in
accord
with
the
suggestions
and
opinions
which
we
had
ourselves
put
forward.
At
the
same
time
we
are
aware
of
the
challenge
to
the
Service
which
is
implicit
in
the
proposals,
and
the
heavy
demands
which
their
implementation
would
make
upon
it.
* * *
*
Pending
any
decision
as
to
giving
effect
to
the
Report,
a
number
of
matters
need
careful
consideration.
Some
of
these,
affecting
our
possible
part
in
any
scheme
which
might
be
adopted,
have
.already
been
referred
by
the
National
Executive
Committee
to
the
Branches.
’
*
*
*
*
Quite
apart
from
the
question
of
its
possible
extension
to
the
divorce
courts,
the
matrimonial
conciliation
work
of
probation
officers
is
at
present
already
the
subject
of
much
thought.
All
of
us
are
aware
of
the
growth
of this
work
in
recent
years,
and
the
changed
relation
between
it
and
probation
work &dquo; proper,&dquo;
so
far
as
concerns
their
volume
and
importance;
but
there
has
been
little
opportunity
to
take
stock
of
the
position
and
see
the
trends
as
a
whole.
The
whole
question
is
being
considered
by
the
Probation
Advisory
Committee,
and
we
may
hope
that
this
will
lead
to
the
clarification
of
a
number
of
issues,
both adminis-
trative
and
technical
in
character,
which
are
clearly
in
need
of
review.
* * *
*
Meanwhile,
we
can
welcome
one
development
on
the
&dquo;technical&dquo;
side:
the
setting-up
by
the
Home
Office
of
a
small
committee
off
probation
officers
experienced
in
conciliation
work,
for
the
purpose
of
compiling
some
notes
on
the
actual
work
of
conciliation for
the
guidance
of
those
engaged
in
the
work,
and
those
newly
entering
upon
it.
We
welcome
any
attempt
to
enhance
the
standard
of
work
in
this
vitally
important
field;
and
this
move
is
particularly
welcome ;as
a
recognition
of
the
fact
that
there
is
within
the
probation
service
a
vast
fund
of
wisdom
and
experience
which
could
usefully
be
recorded
as
a
guide
to
&dquo;technique&dquo;-experience
not
only
of
con-
ciliation
but
of
conciliation
in
the
particular
circumstances
in
which
probation
officers
are
often
called
upon
to
do
it.
We
hope
that
the
Committee
will
cast
its
net
wide.
* *
*
*
Turning
to
a
more
&dquo;selfish&dquo;
topic,
there
are
indications
-let
us
say
it
with
all
due
caution
and
reserve-that
the
matter
of
superannuation
may
be
dealt
with
in
the
measurable
future!
We
remember
the
fable
about
the
boy
and
the
wolf,
but
we
also
remember
that
the
wolf
did
turn
up
in
the
end!
At any
rate,
we
wish
to
be
on
the
spot
when
this
particular
wolf
appears,
and
the
National
Executive
has
appointed
a
small
sub-committee
to
deal
with
superannuation.
The
Committee
has
already
met
the
Home
Office
and
stated,
or
re-stated,
our
position
with
regard
to
the
proposals
to
apply
to
probation
officers
the
provisions
of
the
Local
Government
Superannuation
Act,
with
a
view
to
safeguarding
the
interests
of
the
officers
concerned.
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