Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-07
Madison. March /


on charitable and penal institutions by
mend for passage. the bill which adj
mits children under three years of age
to the state schools at Sparta. 1t was
the final hearing, and the session was
a stormy one. Rev. Charles ID. Merrill
of Beloit, district superintendent of
the Wisconsin Children's Home soci-
ETY.. attacked the state school, charg-
ing that it was, in a measure, tncom-
petently managed. and that in some
instances it had been a detriment to
the state.
He claimed that children were held
there longer than they should be, and
that many of them after having been
placed in homes had run away and
had never been found since. He
claimed that this statement was found
ed on the reports of the institution.
He thought that these things showed
incompetent management and he in
sisted that such occurrences as these
made it difficult to find good homes
for children, and materially interfered
with the work of the private societies.
This was strenuously denied by
Supt. M. 7. Park of the state school.
He explained the methods employed in
looking after the continued welfare of
those children placed in homes Last
month, he stated, the inspectors had
visited 1877 homes where dependent
children had been placed, and had in
vestigated the surroundings of the
child, the care that was given it, even
to the school it attended This, he in
sisted was better and more thorough
supervision than the children's home
societies could possibly give.
w. II. Graebner, president of the
Lutheran Childrens Home society,
did not object to the passage of the
bill. but rather thought that the state
had an obligation to perform in caring
for dependent babes. He felt that
the commonwealth should be allowed
to step in and do this work without
opposition from the children's home
societies, inasmuch as the proposed
law would not bar these private or
CARNATIONS from continuing their
work as heretofore, but would simply
place the state on an equal basis with
them.
Rev. Mr.. Leavitt of Beloit, argued
that the states method of taking care
Of these children in large numbers
was wrong, and the societies. method
is right. He believed that this was
the experience of those states which
had made the greatest progress in
benevolent matters. In support of
this proposition he referred to the facs
that Massachusetts had closed the
doors of its orphan asylum, and had
adopted a method, under state super
vision, quite similar to that employed
by the private societies now operating
in this state
c. e. EstabroOk of Milwaukee said
that he did not appear either for u
against the bill His chief objection
TO widening the scope of the work Oi
the Sparta school was that it i'll
creased the tendency to hold children
there. He believed that if the bill
upon the time for which children may
be retained at the state school. He
thought, however, that the societies
were better able to find good homes
for the children and they were more
closely cared for in private homes
than at state schools.
Rev. J. ?. Dysart, superintendent OF
the Wisconsin Children's Home So
cicty. said that he did not question
the right of the Legislature to pass
this or any other bill thought to be
needfCl iOr the care of dependent
children. He admitted that the COM
monwealth was supreme in such mat
tiers. But" said he, Eve believe the
state should continue to encourage
private charity in relieving her Of
burdens whenever generous citizens
are willing TO do it and when they can
do it best We believe that it would
be a backward step in legislation on
charity. The passage of this bill
would delay the adoption of young
children. and extend the time of their
dependence: and while they are kept
waiting many of them would be
thrown together and as experience
proves a large percentage of them
would die" Mr.. Dysart thought
that as the state now had
full supervision Of all the children
placed by private societies, that no
further control by the state was neces-
sary He also thought that private
societies were more likely to abide
than the state school itself, as the
Sparta institution depends for it's con.
tinuance on the favor of successive
legislatures. He also said that the
necessity for the provision contained
in this bill did not exist because all
dependent children under three years
of age were now cared for by private
societies.
George Bishop Of the board of con-
troll explained the conditions existing
at the Sparta school and the methods
employed in finding homes for chill
dren. 1t was the intention Of the
management of the school and the eff.
fort of the board of control to make
the Sparta institution simply a depot
or clearing house where children
might be kept while good homes are
being found for them, He explained
that this school had many applications
for children under three years of age
some of them being from the best
homes in the state, and he thought
that inasmuch as these little ones
could be cared for without extra ex