The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-15

ConTercncc-FTuaI Meeting VIII BE
Held Tonight at Foundry Church.
Certain work of the Conference of
Charities and Correction promises TO be
greatly facilitated by the aid of the Gov
eminent. At the business meeting of the
conference this morning Frederick II.
Wines, Assistant Director Of the Census.
and a prominent member of the confer
enCc, presented ii proposition from Bi-
rector Merriam. of the Census Bureau
The Director offered to cooperate with
committee of three from the conference
in work before Congress to obtain author
ity for the collection of statistics regard
ing charities and corrections. Govern
ment aid has been generally desired by
the members Of the conference and the cs-
Enlistment of a National Bureau OF Char
ity similar in scope TO the Bureau Of Ed
ucation has been a matter much dis
Cussed.
The only objection to the proposition
made by Dr. Wines was on the part of
those who want to take immediate steps
for the establishment of a permanent bl1-
reau- Under the plan which Director
Merriam suggested the statistics in which
crimiuoIogy VIII play large part viii be
compiled under the direction of the Cen
sus Office Those who favored the per
manent establishment OF bureau were
led by E T. Devine. Of New York After
considerable discussion a resolution ap-
proving DR.. Wines plan and empowering
the president OF the conference to ap-
point the committee, was adopted
There is little doubt that the necessa-
" authority VIII be obtained from Con
gress- The statistics viii include figures
regarding inmates of all public institu-
Of
peCted that a permanent bureau VIII be
ultimately established
The sessions at Columbian University
this morning were the last Of the confer
ence- The closing meeting VIII be held
tonight at Foundry Church. AIr. Wa Ting
fang, the Chinese Minister, VIII make an
address After the business meeting this
morning the general session was given
over to the section on treatment Of the
criminal. This afternoon q number OF
delegates made an excursion to the Ma
tional Junior Republic at Annapolis -
ton.
At the opening Of the general session
this morning the Rev. Hastings Hart, Of
Chicago, presented his report of work
done in States Il was printed and dis
tributed among the delegates and visitors
In IL were contained reports of the prog
ress made in the various States in chart
table and corrective work.
The report Of the committee on treat
Tnent of the criminal was an interesting
document, the sentiment Of which was di-
rectIy opposed TO the present system O!
penal confinement It was to have been
submitted by Charlton II Lewis, Presi-
dent e the New York Prison Association
He was. however unable TO be present
The report declares directly against tbs
-,
the fixing OF certain terms Of sentence.
for each. In no mild terms this system
is characterized in the report as absurd
Then il goes on 10 state that recent at
tempts TO graduate more accurately hi
degrees Of criminality involved in partic
ular offences had failed because convic
ton for specified offerce in no name
can furnish a measure Of the desert o
the person who commits it.
The remedy for the evil proposed By III
report is what IS generally termed tn
'indeteTminate sentence or probation
policy The principle Of this system j
based or the belief that Imprisonment
never eZerts healthfUI effect on the of
tenders character However, It was ad
mitted in the report that there is a Ger
tam class whom II was necessary to kee
In confinement for the safety Of society
1t follows necessarily" said the re
port, that the duration of the confine
ment must be determined by this necessi
ty- Every sentence to Imprisonment
should be ended only by the attainment
OF fitness for freedom. Another princi
PIE intimately associated with this, an
which is also gradually forcing its wa
into recognition. is that Of probation 70
convicted offenders
'-Of the majority Of those who are de
tected in violations Of law and brough
before the courts to answer for them,
cannot be said with truth that IL is
danger 10 society for them TO be at large
in every such case It is wrong 10 the OF
fender to send him 10 jail A far bette
course is to extend the paternsl and pro
teCTiug care OF The State over such casel
through the agency Of responsible an
trained officers, for such time as IS nee
essary to obtain the assurance that thei
perus nent freedom is consistent with tn
rights Of others. In this spirit the vel
known Probation law Of MassaChuSeJt
has been framed and II is gradually find
ing imitatOrs in the Legislatures OF othe
States It has done much to diminish j.