The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-22
ASSOCIATED cHARlTIes.s
Interesting Addresses Msde ON child
saving.

4 a00Hts1ks Es.<*S ~
saving.
meeting Of unusual interest was held
oy the Associated Charities on Monday. =
There was more business sDan usual on
hand. but this was hsstsned IS much ss
Its Importance would allow, as all were
anxious to listen 10 the interesting speak.
ers on the subject OF "Child Saving"
The committee on work room have not
yet found the person willing TO assume
the management but many ready to as
sist under the right leader. Arrange
ments have been made with shsse various
Charitable associations to purchase this
articles made thus reducing the financial
responsibility.
strong effort will be made to open
the room carly next season. The COM
mittee on the subject of the "Children's
Protective Board" were continued with
power to add to their number and sp-
point such board.
Mrs. k. @. jordan Was introduced and
said. In part; "Our ideal is to have every
person earn what they have. and go with
out what they cannot.earn. Every one TO
have his own home and live in IL, and II
charity be needed. work IL In indirectly by
the private individual; but in the practi-
cal reality we find incapacity by heredity.
environment, etc., and we must not un ..
derrats the present nesd, but meet It as
best VIZ can while coming nearer and
nearer to ous ideal
She gave full credit TO what the Asso-
ciated Charities are doing In quiet
practical way, and with characteristic
zeal and whole-souled interest told of the
excellent work being done at the Frater-
nifty house on Spring street. She said !:
1--WE stand simply as o home. taking up
what is crowded out ION the social Dide)
| of the public schools, for want of time
and strength on the part Of the teacher,
cooperating many times with the teacher,
| visiting homes, providing hot baths,
cooking classes which are very practically
carried on by Mrs. J. G. White, sewing
classes for $50 pupils. penny savings
banks and social clubs, seeking through
| out all to improve the manners as we'll as
| the morals. Our hope for better things
must come Through the children. The
habits of the adult are in great measure
fixed but the child as rule Is quick to
respond to opportunity"
Miss Harriet A. Lesvitt gave an In.
teresting account of the work for children
In Boston. The three largest of tho many
agencies are the Massachusetts, Society for
Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the
Children's..A aid Society which was bsgun
by Mrs. Charles W. BiFtwell who now
has Is assistants. This society has placed
In homes ESQ children, and during the
past year came In contact with 2940 with
greater or less control.
The "Children's Institutions Depart.
ment' is In thes city OF Boston,. and
through its board of seven trustees (iour
Protestants and three Catholics, -four men
| and three women) has control OF
those whose parents are too poor to care
for them, technically called "pauper chill
dren," and those proven by the courts to
be abused or neglected by parents, called
"neglects. These W ere formerly sent to
the Marcella street home which was in
reality an almshouss for children. Here
surrounded by fence ten feet high with
barbed wire on top, with very unsanitary
| surroundings under lock and key were
some hundreds Of children, deprived OF
their homes BY no fault Of their own, and
expected to grow up into self respecting
citizens.
The trustees fully approaching the
great advantage OF letting children grow
up In families instead of Institutions have
adopted the plaoing out plan, but they al
so appreciate tie importance of securing
only good homes and carefully watching
the children. For this purpose 30 or %
| paid visitors have been secured. who care
fully investigate the home and visit the
| child every six weeks Lot at stated times,
but unexpectedly. As far as practicable
they are placed in families of the same
religious faith as their parents; q per
week is paid for those too young to be
self supporting, and there are now about
500 OF these In homes. A bout four hun.
derd are In free homes. These are visited
once in three months.
Very recently the Marcella street house
has been closed. every child having been
placed out. except those OF mental In
capacity who were sent to institutions for
such.
Miss Leavitt gave many interesting ex-
peFienoes in her work as q visitor. She
has rs on her list.
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION.