The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-02-28
CONFERENCE
IMPRESSIONS
For the Chronicle by q Well
Known Local Worker.

States Charities Aid Association
now !" Central 2 for numerous
branches, all doing grand worI
/ in interest of Society. Wide scops
4 Of its work Discussions by Promi
nent Humanitarians.
The State Conference Of Charities
and Corrections held at Trenton,
February goth and 21st was, as had
been predicted, an epoch making
affair in the annals of New Jersey,
| The need had long been felt OF 3
4 great central that should unite al
one point all the charitable and cor,
Erectional lines that weave their net
work over the state. Such cen.
trail was the State Conference.
More than fifty towns were represent
ed there, almost every branch of phi
lanthropic work, public. and private,
in the state sent its delegate, and many
went who had no connection with the
State Charities Aid Association.
The whole number of those present
reached about two hundred. This il
significant Of the widespread interest
felt in this new movement for united
effort.
The program was an exhaustive one.
It has been objecJed that too much
was undertaken and TOO many
speeches were made. But this criticism
loses it's force in face of the explana-
tion that each speech made the Con-
ference the richer by the interest at
least, if not by the actual presen ce,
of the speakers family and circle Of
friends. Obviously it was Of primary
Importance to awaken popular in
terets in this first of our State Con-
ferences. This popular interest has
now been thoroughly aroused and
those who attended the first confer
ence look forward eagerly to the
second which will be held next year
The first session was held ON Thurs
day afternoon, the second on Thurs
day evening, and the third and last
on Friday morning. So many speeches
were made that little open, discussion
was possible. The air was charged
with thought. idea pushed hard upon
idea. and subject jostled subject.
Many Of the speakers were given only
five minutes, at the expiration of
which the wooden hammer of the
chairman was brought down upon the
desk with relentless punctuality, not
waiting until the speaker should reach
even a comma in his discourse, fact
which caused great deal Of amuse-
ment. But this severity was most
necessary as evinced in the fact that,
even in spite~of it, the program could
not be entirely completed.
One of the most important and far
reaching subjects dealt with was the
treatment of the prisoner. One Of
those who handled this question was
Judge Fort of the Supreme Court.
To the evident satisfaction of his
audience he declared that after long
period of indecision he had been won
over to the undeterminate sentence.
He spoke enthusiastically of the pro-
baton system which suspends sem
tence upon first offender, and plac-
ing him under the surveillance of q
probation officer. who must be of un-
lmpeached character, gives him an
other chance.
Judge Skinner of the Court Of Com
mon Pleas and Prosecutor of the Pleas
Erwin also strongly advocated the
system Of probation. Speaking, as
all these men did. from wide expert
ences in the courts, their words carry
vast weight Too much stress cannot
be laid upon this sweeping measure
# reform. II has in it as great pos
siblities as any other method ever
conceived, for dealing with the
criminal. It is economic as we'll as
humanitarian, for it saves the state
largesums in preventing the develop
ment of criminal propensities which
would brine men into the prisons and
thus add to the burden on the state.
Charlton T, Lewis, one of the warm
est advocates of the indeterminate
sentence, spoke briefly for reform
versus punishn- ent-the reformatory
versus the state prison He condemned
the ordinary prison as school for
crime, utterly vicious in its methods
Reformation, he insisted, should be
the end and aim Of all dealings with
delinquents.
The discussion of the care Of the
feeble-minded showed the most en-
couraging results. 1t was demon
strated that, by careful instruction
the majority of them could learn to
do some useful work, provided only
that they work under direction
Among those who spoke Of the care
Of the insane, was DR. B. D. Evans,
Medical Director Of the State Hos
pital at Morris Plains.
Dir. Henry Q, Mitchell urged the
need of StateEHospital for consump-
tives and both he and Dr. Mary J.
Dunlap insisted upon the economy
that such an institution would effect
\ for the state. So great is the number