Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-14
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
Life Insurance for the Poor and I'm.
IIghtenment for All.

nGntenmenG IOF All
DETROIT, May I3.-The exercises COM
menced with the reading Of paper by Mr..
EliZur Wright, of Boston, on "Life lnsur-
ance for the Poor" Il was in a large de-
gree technical, and devoted to developing
the writer's ideas on the general principles
underlying the life insurance business.
A report on the "WOrk of Social Science,
Past and Present" was read by f. b. San
born. II enlarges upon the enlargement Of
ideas induced BY the work Of the Associa-
tion, and among other things says "civil
service reform has gone forward at the orig
Inal suggestion, and under the practical
direction, of the members of the Society,""
among whom are specially named George
William Curtis and Dornan B. Eaton.
To the deliberations of this body is due, in
a large degree, the defeat Of the plans Of
the inhationists to destroy this country.
The report concludes as follows:
"Our science has this advantage, as l
conceive, over many of the physical sci
ences: That Instead of drawing away the
soul of man from the contemplation OF
spiritual things, and of the mutual de-
pendenCe Of mankind on each other, social
science in all its aspects stimulates us to
deeper sympathy with human weakness, a
nobler conception of human possibilities, q
more intimate reliance of that love and
wisdom which are dinly seen OF shine with
heavenly light at the end Of every vista in
this brief journey of life"
Immigration.
In the afternoon, Hamilton A. Hill, Of
Boston, read a paper on 'ImmigratiOn."
The paper starts out with some statistics,
ton
into the United States from Europe was
larger than during any year since then, and
that latterly there has been a very
great decrease in the influx Of for
eigners. This is accounted for
by the general rule that bad times in
America decrease immigration hither, and
bad times in Europe increase it; but, more
than this, the tide is actually setting back
to Europe, and many thousands took ad-
vantage of the low rates last year and Te-
turned to their native land. Mr.. Hill con
fidently predicts, however, that this will
change; that the falling of is only tempo
rary, and a reaction will make immigration
in the coming years greater than ever before.
A very moderate estimate Of the total
wealth brought into the country by immi-
grants at present is thirty millions per an
mum, and the economic value to the land
of course far exceeds this figure.
DR.. Angel, President of Michigan Uni
versity, read paper on the progress of
International Law"
W. T. Harris, of St. Louis, proceeded to
read a paper on "Ideal Education in Amer
ica."
ventilation of schools.
DR.. Harris, of New York, read reports
received from fifty-six schools, with the fol-
lowing results: First, only one school,
house had been prov ided with a ventilating
apparatus of the slightest use; second,
consequently the teachers and scholars be-
came languid and unfit for study and
work; third, that the only method Of secur-
ing good air, was the hazardous one OF
opening the windows and doors; fourth,
that the condition of the out houses is
abominable; fifth, Owingto neglect in placing
ing children at desks Of proper size, the
visual organs become impaired, and they
acquire awkward proportions and pOstures.
DR.. Lincoln gave some drawings to Illus
| trate the kind of desks that should be used,
and then read paper on School Architec-
ture, embOdying the sanitary requirements
Of school buildings.