The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-28
DEFENDS THE HOME
G. E. Faulkner Says Orphan Asylum
Is Often the Best Place for.
t-. a Child. -
Local Workers Discuss Action of
: Lutherans in Declaring Against
..I the State Homes. -.

II am much gratifed at the action
taken," said e. P. Savage, superintendent
Of the Minnesota Children's Home society
in referringi to the recent movement of the
united body of Evangelical LutheraIss IN
favor Of the rearing of orphan childpen in
Christian homes rather than in state In
stitutions. i" q s,':a's - : .
THE Lutherans have heretofore stead
lily opposed the home societies. continued
Mr. Savage. 1.-The only Lutherans whom
ever heard of as having favored us up
to this time was a small body Of German
Lutherans in Wisconsin, who, after a
strenuous struggle, managed to carry their
conference, and who, In few months
had all but six of the 160 inmates of their
institution established In homes. For In
spite Of the fact that only persons Of high
character and the best training are in
charge of the state homes, the system
itself Is so at fault that the children must
necessarily receive something of mill
tary training, which units: them for the
normal life of society. ""5-.. @<' -.
THE heavy expense Of running the
state institutions is another point to be
considered. According to the state board,
the average cost of child to the state per
year averages just about $119. In our
| society the total expense from the time Of
taking this child off the streets to placing
it in a home amounts. to $50. This year
we had 216 children In charge and all
have been placed In homes. AS matter
OF fact there are more families desiring
| to adopt children than there are children
to go round.
But while we believe that there should
be as little Of the institution as possible
in the life of a child,'' resumed Mr.. Say
age, 'yet it Is fact that most of the
children In state institutions are what we
call non-placeable. That is, they have
relatives, who, though not able to support
fha onf hay nJx 1i,,or
to lose sight of them entirely, and for this
| class the state homes offer welcome
compromise" .''>
THE frequently made assertion that
any home is better than any asylum is as
absurd as it is uncharitable,'' said G. E.
Faulkner, superintendent OF the Wash
burn Home. 1T is a difficult matter to
make a hard and fast statement on the
subject at all, for while neither system
Is perfect, each has its good points. In
some cases it might be we'll to place a
child directly in the family; in other
| cases preliminary training in an inst1-
| tuition of this kind to obliterate bad hab-
its and to cultivate good ones is necessary
| before experimenting with home life
| among strangers.
| In 1893 the president of Girard college,
the Oldest and most influential institution
| in the states for the rearing of orphan
| boys, said that the building out system
| nad proved unsuccessful And While there
is a great difference in legal adoption and
the system OF indenture, undoubtedly
there are families where the child would
not be given the care and attention which
the state gives him. On the other hand
the secretary of the New York Children S
Aid Society declares that asylum life for
any great length OF time units children
for practical life.
1.-THE truth Of the matter is that, at
present, the whole question Is largely a
question of expediency."