Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-05-22

est phases OF Charity and Correction
work:
NEWEsTTHINGS IN PHIUANTHRO-
Ply.
The farther we advance the more 1t
becomes impressed upon us that we
are our brothers keepers. The dis
cussons and papers Of the National
Conference of Charities and Correc- |
tion. at Washington, last week would .
convince any doubter on that subject |
The delegates were impressed with a
real sense of their responsibility for
their brothers welfare, as was shown
by the scope and earnestness of their
speeches. The programme ranged
from the Tramp Problem" to Needy
Families in their Homes. from the
Proper care of the Insane" to the "Ju
yenile Court" from the Proper care
of the Imbeciles' to the Placing out
of Homeless and Dependent Children,
and from the "Unsanitary Condition of
the Slums to Neighborhood and Civic
improvements" These are only sug-
gestiye topics as there were so many
more of kindred nature that we can
only give these as samples.
Thirty states and ,erritories besides
Canada. Cuba, Porto Rico and Japan,
were represented. The delegates con
s.sted of two kinds, those represent
ing institutions supported by private
charity and those supported by public
charity. OF taxation, in city, county. or
state. Again the delegates We're of
two kinds. those who were serving the
institutions Ior a salary and those who
were serving without salary. Our del
egation consisted mostly of the latter
sort. There are several movements IN
Charity and Correction that may be
said to be new although not broached
at this conference for the first time.
'Nedy Families in their Homes was &
subject that probably called out the
most discussion and excited the most
enthusiasm. This new phase of ,--e
great alms-giving problem grew out
of the Charity Organization movement
that has taken such fast hold in nearly
all of the cities or the country. How
to make people self-supporting who
have become public charges. How to
induce people to support and keep
their children. This is the problem OF
/ Needy Families in their Homes. 1t is
| great question and one that seems
almost too great to be handled by men
and women who are working for hui
manity fer sweet cnaritys sake, but
they are going after it and no doubt
if not entirely successful they will ac-
complish much good.
SAVING HOMELESS CHILDREN.
ne battle still goes on between tnt
advocates of no institutions and the
adhereits of Children's Homes Mos
of our Eastern friends hold up theil
hands in holy terror at the idea o
keeping children in an institution
They have what are called Children
Aid Societies with paid Secretaries ant
officers and no doubt a large percent
age of workers who work without pay
They take child from the slums ant
hurry it cut into a family where 1t
board is paid and it is regularly visit
ed by an agent of the society IN
objection to this system is that as
rule such children are not fitted to b
taken right away into a family. The,
need to be trained somewhere for
sufficient length of time, to correct Da
habits OF speech and conduct. Anoth
er objection is that boarding out, III
duces people to take the children 10
the money there is in it and not 10
the sake of the children. There ar
other objections, but on the Whol
these people with their unbounded en-
thusiasm are doing good work. Mos
of the states, however especially thos
: which Lave taken up the question i
late years of providing for dependef
7 children by law, have adopted the Onl
2 idea of having an institution whel
, the dependent children can be kel
temporarily, until such time as 1t
thought advisable 10 place them out
- private families. Coming later, how
! ever, they have improved on the OH
j idea. Every state that has any sue
d law now has made adequate proYislo
y for visitation of the children after the
have been placed out. Ohio is the ol
ly state which has no such proyisio
n at least no law. that meets the diff
e Guilty. There is no doubt but what a
$ important part of the work of sayir
homeless children, comes after II
child has been placed out. If Ohio hi
y a law providing that the Board
State Charities should appoint sue
number of ChiIdren's Visitors as mig
be necessary to place all of the chi
II dren in the Children's Homes of Il
II State who might be placeable, '
4 =