The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-17

SHOULD be alb himself to study the ma
ture and character of every child in his
charge. but when too many are gathered
together altogether too much has to be left
TO his assistants.
Personally do not approve of the Aus.
iralian plan, since / have found by expert
ence that children who are kept in good
asylums kent in the home style, which Is
the only right one, until they are IA or 10,
are better educated, more refined and more
firmly grounded IN the fundamental prln-
clDles OF morality and good citizenship
than are thoseswh0 are scattered about the
country.
"Too many persons who open their
homes to children do so actuated by the
cheap servant idea. and il it became the
rule 10 farm out all children more abuse
than good would undoubtedly be the re-
suit. II might be good plan from
financial standpoint. but would not be
from Humanitarian Onr.
Mr.. Mauser, who has been connected
with institutional work for the past fifteen
years, manages the asylum of which he is
the head strictly in accordance with the
home" principle. OF the lis children
who are under his care. 80 attend the pub
lie schools, going to and Iro unattended.
There are no uniforms worn, and, although
there are no high fences or locked gates
around the house. there are no runaways
from his establishment, and no child
within it's walls who does not seem per-
fectly cOntented and happy.
Mrs. MeNear, superintendent of the
Protestant Asylum, has 221 children under
her care, and has occupied her present
Onerous position for twelve years.
I'VE practically work on the plan
spoken of now" she said. but find our
chief difficulty in securing suitable homes
for our charges. 1t seems to me. should
asylums be abolished, that it would be
absolutely impossible to find the right
kind of homes for the thousands of chill
dren whom that proceeding would TIL Ow
upon the world, and the proper supervis-
ION of those who were placed in families
would involve the expenditure Of much
time and money and require the assistance
OF small army OF people. 10 my mind.
also, the idea of paying Tor the support OF
children by private individuals is not
good one. since many would look upon the
money as desirable object and wrong
fully gain possession of children on that
account"
Mrs. McNear considered that life in an
asylum Is much better for many poor chill
dren than life with their own parents
would be. and does not think that it
brushes out their individuality or units
them for work elsewhere. These under
her care have proved the contrary of this
TO be true, since many bright, stirring,
successful business men a noble women
OF to-day were reared within the walls of
the asylum of which she is the head.
Sister Stanislaus of st. Joseph's Home
has a happy, cOntented. well-managed
family of 400 girls under her care, and
says that she has found by experience that
in four cases out of five children are bet
ter off mentally and morally when in the
shelter of an sylum than they are put out
into such homes as are willing to receive
them.
Previous to the establishment of the
Technical School, on the corner of Cough
and Geary streets, eight years since, the
overcrowded condition Of the home made
it necessary to send some of the chiidf N
out on plan nearly akin to that called
the Australian, but the results were far
from being satisfactory. In the home they
are protected, directed and educated and
fitted to care for themselves when it be-
comes necessary, and they are shielded
from many dangers which menace them
when they are given into the care of per-
sons who fer much of the time are not un-
der the supervision of others.
In conclusion, Sister StanIslaus said
that visit to the home aud the Tech
nical School would speak more strongly in
favor of both those Institutions than she
herself, being directly interested in both.
would care to do.