Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-19

Mothers Greatest Needs" Miss Newton
is an experienced kindergarten teacher,
and her address dealt with what the
home means for the child
Miss Constance MacKe nzie, of Phila-
delphia, the next speaker, delivered an
interesting address on "Play-Grounds."
Dr. H. Stanley Hail. of Worcester,
Mass, followed Miss Mackenzie, and was
the last speaker of the afternoon session.
He delivered an address on Some Practi-
cal Results of Child Study" A growing
child in Germany, said DR.. Hall, enters
school when about or 6 years of age,
and over per cent have a defective
eyesight. All tests show an alarming in
crease in defective sight during school
life. A great many of them have de-
fective hearing, which causes general
stupidity, and some times results in chill
dren being sent to schools for dullards,
when If they had their proper hearing
facilities they would undoubtedly be as
bright as the average child of the age.
When school work undermines the health.
continued DR.. Hall, ''the child shon,9 not
be educated, as the good accomplished
will not be sufficient te|offset the harm
DONE" In conclusion, DR.. Hall spoke OF
religion as the study which must be
taught to bring the child in closer reia-
tionship with nature.
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session of the Mothers
commodate the enormous audiences
which had been attracted to the earlier
sessions. The report of the press COM
mittee was prefaced by a statement from
its chairman, Miss Isabella Tyson, OF
Baltimore, regarding the impure press
and it's baneful influences. .,
The following resolution, offered by
Alice G. Robinson, of Baltimore, was
adopted by practically unanimous vote:
Realizing the almost limitless power,
,A1z 1xrfI In dOI
press, and that the proper education or
the youth of our land is of vital import
ance to the future prosperity of the state,
resolved, that we will admit into our
homes only those papers which inspire
to noble thoughts and deeds. and that
our influence shall go towards cultiVat-
ing the public taste, until it shall demand
from the press only that which eleVates
and refines.
Mrs. Margaret F. sangster of New
York delivered an appreciative address
on the subject of reading matter for
mothers and children replete with advice
on the character of volumes that should
be found in the library of every well
regulated domestic circle. She men
toned a number of biographical works
and seme fiction that should be used in
courses of reading for months and made
a strong plea for fairy tales for child
rens reading during the formative pc
riod. The final address of the session was
by Anthony Comstock, who cited sensa-
tional instances of his experience, show
ing to what an extent obscene literature
was circulated in the boarding schools
and colleges for both sexes Throughout
the country and the need of effective CO.
operation from parents and others to
abolish an evil which was destroying
the morals of half the population of the
United States. In conclusion he pro-
posed action by the congress supporting
national, and state legislation to pre-
vent the publication and distribution of
all kinds of literature of the dime novel
variety and to prohibit the printing of
murder trials and other descriptions cal
culated to inform children of criminal
methods.