The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-11
THE CONGREGATIONAL CLUB
ADDRESS BY JACOB RTIS OF NEW
 YORK,

Upon "The Condition of the Poor In New Xork"-Report of the Outlook Committee Upon the "Curfew Ordi- nance"-Social Supper Served by the Ladies of Davenport Church.
 The New Haven Congregational club held one of it's pleasant meetings at the Davenport Congregational church last night. At 6;SO a social supper, much enjoyed by all, was served in the Sun day school room by the ladies of the church. About 200 sat down to the tables, which were prettily decorated Mrs. Rorer presided at the guest table. After the supper the club adjourned to the auditorium of the church, where the business meeting was held. After prayer by the president, Rev. J. Lee Mitchell, and two selections by the Davenport choir, which were received with applause, the minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. The nominating committee reported s. s. Adams and A. +. Irvine as candidates for membership subject to the approv al of the club
 Richard Nckerson, Samuel R. Chid- sey, and J. Sheldon filling were elected members by unanimous vote.
 The outlook committee brought in a report concerning the investigation which they had been able to make in regard to the curfew ordinance. This was the subject of Colonel Hogelands address before the club in April of this year. The report, which was read by MT Allen, follows:
 REPORT OF THE OUTLOOK CON-
 MITTEE.
 At the June meeting of the Congre- gational club of New Haven the follow ing action was taken:
 Voted, That the outlook committee be requested to take into consideration the curfew ordinance, which was the subject of the last meeting Of the club: to ascertain in what cities such an or dinance has been adopted and what has been the result; to inquire whether such an ordinance would be beneficial to New Haven, and whether it is advisa- ble to attempt to secure it's adoption, and report to the next meeting of the club.
 Regarding this matter your commit tee reports as follows
 The request of the club has been com- piled with in so far as circumstances have made compliance practicable. The committee had much difficulty in reach ing by correspondence persons from whom information was sought. The one man who knows the facts desired most completely is Colonel Alexander Hogeland who addressed the club on the subject in June. Four letters were sent to him at two addresses before a reply was obtained, this reply being dated Louisville, Kentucky, September 20'' In response to later letter some useful documents have been received, but the committee have been unable, up to the present time, to obtain list of the places where the curfew ordi- nance has been adopted, and conse- quently are unable to report upon the results of it's enforcement except in those places from which reports appear in the published documents supplied by Colonel Hogeland. Other attempts to obtain specific information at first hand have proved equally futile. The req son for this want of success is that the persons applied to were absent from their homes for long periods.
 But the members of the committee, independently and in conference, have given much consideration to the sub- ject, and have reached certain conclu- sions which they are willing to present nf club, if further action shall seem de- sirable.
 All the information that we have re- garding the operation of the ordinance in places where it has been practically tested is distinctly and emphatically favorable Colonel Hogeland says that it has been adopted in more than two hundred places, chiefly in the western and central states. The pamphlets published by him, or by the society of which he is president, contain official commentators of the operation of the ordinance in about twenty of these places, among them such cities as Chi cago, Indianapolis, Denver, Leaven- worth and Louisville.
 In general it may be said that the testimony establishes these points:
 
 without increase of police force; that its enforcement necessitates no increase of municipal expenditure, but, on the contrary, lessans the cost of police courts, reform schools and penitentia- = ries, by reducing from fifty to eighty per cent the number of arrests, trials and commitments of juvenile law breakers; that public sentiment ap- proves of the ordinance after experi- ence of it's good effects; that it affords needful support to home authority in the control of unruly children and of children who are restive when others have a larger liberty than themselves; that it prevents truancy and promotes good order and studiousness in the pub lie schools, the better physical and mental condition of the troublous ele- ments being secured; that, for the same reason, it assures more faithful and ef- ficient service by young persons of both sexes who are working for wages; that it discourages youthful tramps, breaks up .hoodlum'' organizations and bands of young robbers; and that it protects young girls from the temptations that