St. Paul daily globe., 1885-02-04
INDECENT INFANTS.
Secretary Hart Tells the State Board Of Cor
rections and Charities How to Care
for Them

Secretary Hart Tells the State Board OF Cor-
rectiOns and Charities How to Care
for Them.
The state board of corrections and charities
held its quarterly meeting in the secretary's
room in the state house, yesterday morning,
all the members Of the board being present
except Gen. Berry, of WiDona. Those pres
ent were W. NJ. Campbell, of Litchfeld;
Reuben Reynolds. of Crookston; D. G. Bell,
OF Minneapolis; H. r. Wells, Of Preston;
Coy. Hubbard presided. No special busi-
ness was done more than to hear the secre-
tary's report and discuss general matters.
SUBMISSION OF PLANS.
In accordance with the law requiring all
plans for new jails aud infrmaries to be
submitted to this board for suggestion and
criticism, the plans fer Jail in Otter Tail
county were submitted, and referred to the
committee on plans Of building, consisting
of Messrs. Berry, Campbell and Reynolds.
THE sECRETARY's REPORT.
The secretary read a very long and inter
esting report, which was a review of the way
other states handle the poor children Of the
state, and a general recommendation of the
adoption Of the Michigan system, which he
regards as the best yet practiced. The fol-
lowing is a synopsis:
Minnesota has made such provision for her
deaf, blind and mbece children that have
but few such paupers. Most all children in the
reform schools restored to the ranks of In
dustry and honesty. Thus far, however, there
has been comparatively little need of provision
for children OF sound mind and body, there be
ing very few in the state entirely unprovided for,
and those few being easily placed in homes. We
had on the Both OF September last only twenty
children under the age OF fourteen IN poor
houses, most Of them with their mothers Prob
ably not more than thirty such children are in
the poor houses OF the state. The time will come
when this number will be multiplied aud provi-
zion must be made for Il E Il. Private benef-
ceuce has already done something and will do
more. The Protestants and Catholics
of ST. Paul have orphan asyums, and
in Minneapolis arrangements are to be made for
the erection Of the Washburn asylum. In New
York there are l40 asylums managed and con-
trolled by benevolent associations. Ohio and
other states have similar insti utions. The Ohio
system is a superior one. The average current
expense is abont S9GG6 yearly per inmate, or
Sl.S2 per week. The asylum system is rapidly
being abandoned in all children's institutions.
The whole tendency OF child saving work is not
IN the direction OF superseding the home, but Of
fitting children for home life and placing them
IN the best home attainable with the least possi-
bic delay. Children who have been from eight
TO ten years in large institution with sew
eral hundred others, know no other
life and lack entirely that independ-
ence and self-reliance which farmers
boys have. The placing out system has rapidly
grown In favor OF late years. Several thousand
children sent into western homes from char
liable societies. The Children's Aid society
places out some $500 annually in different parts
of The country. The children are not indentured
md sha hat MI drh
Is very loose. Secretary Hart then gives & his
tory Of what has been done in Massachusetts and
the establishment OF the state primary school AT
Monson. The dcmunl for children in New Eng
land is not as great In the west, where exper-
icnce proves that twenty children can be placed
in homes a weeks notice In any frontier coun-
try. In Massachusetts, supervision is
maintained by system OF visit
ors, who make a report to central
agency OF the state. The secretary reviewed
the ,ystem OF some other state, from
which It appea'ed that no perfectly
satisfactory souti n OF the question had been
attained a. to what should be done with the
children The conclusion seemed 10 be reached
that the state OF Na sachusetts had done good
deal toward lis solution. The commission of
Michigan recommends that the children should be
taken from the county poor houses and made
the wards or the state. SO that Michig n took
the first step in radical change regarding
the care OF its dependent children. In regard TO
Michigan, c. ID. Randall, chairman OF the COM
mission. declared that the proposed establish
meut was temporary house OF refuge while
the child Is on its way to its natural place In the
family. and that waS all that was meant by the
bill. The committee OF 1859, in Michigan, said
1--WE would express our conviction that insti-
tutional lie shoud be avoided much as pos
sible as we consider the raising and training
In families as far more natural and far superior
IN all respects" The way in wni Michigan,
which seems 10 be the leading state In this reform,
did. TO establish a state family institution
where the children are brought ana taken caro-
Of. number Of cottages we're built. AMI the
children placed In them under family influences,
while all the counties 10 the state were made the
auxiliaries OF the state family school iustitu-
tion. The number OF children In the poorhouses
OF Michigan had been reduced 10 about $50, OF
whom 200 were IDIOTS or imbeciles. The annual
expense OF the school per pupil for the past ten
ycsrs was size, little moro than half the cost
OF our Reform school. The school 4 located on
farm OF scyenty-twO Acresslu the outskirts Of
the city Of ColdNater, Mich. and is made attract
i've and pleasant and is provided with ali the
necessary cottages. with play grounds. Each
manager Is foster mother 20 her thirty chill
dren-does their mcnding. governs them when
out OF school, and watches them and takes care
OF them all the time. The secretary closes as
follows:
The children seem to be happy. com miortable
and well disciplined. Out OF about $50
pGblic institutions visited In the past
eighteen months, this + one OF the three or four
where saw the most 70 nd and the least
20 condemn. The administration building could
DO naturally improved upon The school rooms
are badly located, and imperfecty Eghtcd, but
taken as whole, &c Is my conviction that Min
nesota not DO better than TO initiate this in
situation Ia It's conception, its organization, its
Auxiliaries, It's management and It's general plan
OF buildings"
Ia this connection Mr.. Hart also
stated that he had communicated by letter
With Judge Burr, Of the 81. Paul municipal
court. upon the subject, and that that gen
tleman had written him a letter which be
read to the committee. Judge Burr has great
confidence in the Michigan system, and
saws, in bis letter, that bis attention has
many times been directed 10 this class Of
Young people. In his opinion il would be an
excellent thing to have such place as that
In Michigan TO send the children.
The seeretary's report was adopted and di-
reeted 10 DC placed on lie, aud the board
Edi0urned 10 meet sgsin tonight
They Net BY Chance.
ehain-hghtniug business man in St.
Paul. who has not time 70 descend fight Of