The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-16
STATES DUTY TO THE CHILD
1T is DISCUSSED AT THE ASSOCI-
ATED CHARITIES PARLOR
CONFERENCE
Supt. Brown, Judge MahOney, Supt.
Merrill and Miss Alice Mott Dis
cuss MinnesOta's Work at the
Residence of G.. w. Hackett.

-Four able papers told in succinct fash
ion last. evening what Minnesota is doing
for her delinquent, crippled, dependent
and defective children. 1t was the thir-
ty-hfth parlor conference of the Asso-
ciated Charities, held at the residence of
e, w. Hackett on Dayton avenue, and
was we'll attended. Rev. Father J. j.
Lawler presided. The general subject
was The Child and the State' J. w.
Brown, superintendent of the State
Training school at Red Wing, read a
paper on 1.-THE Delinquent Child" Hered-
ity and neglect, Mr.. Brown considered,
the two prime causes Of delinquency
Hereditary tendency to crime was easily
overcome, however, unless that tenden-
cy were strengthened by environment
Mr. Brown referred to the prevalence OF
crime among the very young in England
at the beginning of the century, and
attributed It's rapid decrease to general
education and the improvement of the
environment. Minnesota, he said, does
not punish youthful offenders. She edu-
Gates them. They have the advantage
of the best school In the state and statis-
tics prove that SO per cent of the children
who leave that school do so with the
intention of leading; honest lives.
Judge Stephen ,Mahoney, of the board
of regents Of the state university and
chairman of the committee having
charge of the hospital work for Grip
pied children, told something of what
is being done for the deformed in this
state. "Only recently" said Mr. Ma
honey, has the care Of the crippled
child been undertaken by the state.
Minnesota was the first state to take
up the work, her legislature in 1897 MAX
ing an appropriation for this purpose
The money was turned over to the re-
-, Of sta % r.
rangements were made by them with
/ the city and county hospitals to care
for the crippled. Though the work has
as yet only partly developed results
have been most hopeful. One of the
greatest obstacles the board has had
to contend with Is the prejudice or
parents who fear to give their deformed
little ones over to the care of strangers.
On account of this prejudice many chill
dren in this state are suffering from
some deformity that might be cured We're
it properly treated Judge Mahoney
spoke hopefully of the future Of the
work, saying that people were just
beginning to realize what science was
accomplishing.
S. A. Merrill superintendent Of the
state public school at Owatonna, Mimi.
read a paper on "The Dependant Normal
Child" giving an instructive account OF
the WORK IndC IS DcuiS Ocilc III tRiO SNfAOOA
there 1.-The question which interests the
people most" concluded the speaker, is
how these children turn out. The state
has been doing this work only thirteen
years and 1T is too early to tell how the
majority Of the children 1t has cared
for will turn out, but of SO4 who are past
eighteen years Of age, 255, or "a per cent.
have done we'll
The concluding paper, "The Defective
Child" was read by Miss Alice Mott, of
the Faribault school for detectives. Miss
Mott thought parents entirely too willing
to shift the burden Of caring for their
deaf, dumb, blind or imbecile children to
the state. Between u humble, but low
ing and helpful home and a palatial In
stitution for the care Of these unfortu'
mates. I would unfaesitatingly choose the
latter, but unfortunately, all homes are
not IDEAL Granting that such institu-
lions are a necessity, that state benevo-
lence must be callednp, it was only fair,
she thought, that those parents VINO
were able should contribute to the sup
port of their own defective children. An
informal discussion followed the papers.
Rabbi Rypins was present at the con-
ference and spoke briefly of the work.