Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-06
PROBLEMS CHARGES
Annual Meeting Of the Society Of Charitis,
and Corrections.
WELCOMED TO LINCOLN BY GOVERNOR
President clark Delivers HIS Annual
Report and Addresses Are
Made b. n Number of
Others.

The Nebraska State Conference OF Charities
and Correction began its annual meeting al
81. Paul's church this morning with a good
number Of delegates present.
Governor Mickey and Mayor Winnett de-
lvered addresses Of welcome on behalf o.
the state aud city.
President Clark Of Omaha delivered his
annual address, as follows:
The state has very properly undertaken
idiots, Predetermined. crippled and depend
ent children: also to do reformatory WORK
for the delinquent and criminal classes and
TO assist the old SOLDIER as well as the des-
titute, blind and deaf. The state has no
higher duty and responsibility than thts.
She r. under obligation also to protect her
citizens against the evils of commingli1g
with any OF these classes. The manage
ment of state Institutions has engaged the
scholars and philanthropists ever since the
first State board OF Charities was estab-
lished in Massachusetts In 1883. Tn dis
cIssion has lasted for thirty years. On
one side are those who advocated a State
Board Of Public Charities with advisory
and supervisory powers to cooperate with
local boards for the various Institutions.
g On the other side, are those who advocate
a Central Board of Control with fun eN-
ing away with local boards.
You may not be aware OF the anomalous
condition OF things IN Nebraska. The sit
uatioh is pecv;isr and differs from all other
statea- Mogt OF the other states have local
poaTus OF lEu6lttt HOf Inc NHTlonE t4aAe III
stitutions. We have no such boards In
-Nehraska. unless we maxi an exception
Of the two educational Institutions for the
blind AND the deaf and dumb. For both
these institi lions there E I Email board OF
three inemberS.' one re-ictnr at Nebraska
City. one at Omaha and the other at Pa
pillion. Two other Institutions have advis-
ory committees Of women but no local
boards N'lrstka mad. "a iJng step in thu
right direction when the Advisory Board
or State CharttleS was created two years
sEo.. but additional legislation Is required.
Having stated briefly the situation, allow
me 10 mention some specific needs of our
stale.
tics from the begins1ng. Iliticians Nth
out natural o. acquired htt ess have many
t1mss beccme sUperiuteLdents OF state In
prs money and sunk the inmates TO lower
levels by neglect and incompeteney. The
anomalous situati9n IN Ne5rafRs makes makes
out OF politics and impossible to avoid the
dangers of political corruption when the
repeated changes in administration come.
A nonpohtical system IS needed.
waste of Public Funds.
Nebraska has paid out from $4,000 to
100000 annually Tor ten years. more han
was necessary. This Is a waste of public
funds. By going into the. open market
these purchases. he inmates of most OF
our state institutions need better care and
treatment than Ii possible for them under
conditions as they now exist. We are be-
IinC the age in the care and treatment of
Nne Insane. Inc cottage system lOT the IN
sane has been tested and its superior value
dt mcnstrated. The large prison house
structures for these unfortunates have
been condemned; and homelike cottages
have taken their place.
important changes In the administratio
OF the p~enitentiary are greatly needed
Some Of you may not realize the conditions
prevailing In that institution. which tend
10 harden ths criminals and TO make young
men confirmed criminals. The contract sys-
TEN In the penitentiary eliminates all
thorgn: and effort in the direction OF re-
zDrmatory work and simply emphasizes the
making % mercy for the state.
Home for the Friendiess.
1his Institution is 40 constituted that II
scarcely touches the problems Of child
Uepeg,ueney /. has not Deen the fault OF
the management nor the superintendent
past, but the home is without oficial touch
with county Judges and county commits
state so necessary in order to do ~eficieni
WORK The only solution of this matter a:
It saems tc me Is TO pass the bill now before
the legislature TO abolish the Home for tn,
Fr.,ndless. and In its pace create a STATE
parental school upon a broad, scientih,
basis. to do efficient work in every county
In Nebraska
Having mentioned SOM of Nebraska
needs, the question remains what kind o.
a system Of management or state board Il
required 10 meet these necessities. Gov
ernor Savage recommended TO the piesen
legislature the adjustment of our Sta.i
Loard OF Charities. and that the work o
this board be referred to churches and peo
pie VINO are EnAFftdDlN Inclined. In tn
Is shown that he did not Understand tn,
parI oses and functions of a State Boar,
OF Public Charities,
Rather than put everything pertaining
to the charities and correction of the stat
into the hands Of three men as a Boa =
of CoDtrol. I think II would be better Il
GUS institutions and then strengthen tn
present State Board Of Charities. Their,
are obie etions to this plan as conditions
now exist in our state. and /, therefore
In view OF our peculiar situation and ii
view OF the special needs of Nebraska
would the union of two sys
TENS OF a state Boaro of Public Charities
and Board OF Control in one board. Thi
cannot be done without an amendment 4
the constitution which. we hope, will 500
be made possible by the legislature pass
1 ton. The kind OF state board which hsv
suggested should be composed of nine mem
bers, three of whom shall be paid officer
q. the board. and who shall perform tn
Functions and duties of a Board of Con
troll; Six of the members shall be non
representatives OF the people. and thus kee
the public in close touch with the stat
Institutions. Thus u seems 10 me tina
The broad problems relative TO the good o
the wards OF the state, social condition
and problems Of poverty and preventio
would have due consideration. and the dan
gers attending a small Board of Contro
AarrnoOn session.
The delegates were subjected TO a disap
pointmSnl Nhtn IL was learned th-S after
noon that Major II. w. MeLaughrey. war
Zen Of the United States penitentiary a
LeavGnworth, could not be present. h bein
In Washington. He was 70 have discusse
prison work and the delegates expeete
from him much enlightenment and niue
good to aid them in their work.
Or. J. l. Green. superintendent Of tn
Lincoln Insane asylum, talked On "Inde
terminate Sentence" DR.. Green treate
criminals as men with abnormal brains Q
abnormal development He held that
Ras the duty Of society to remove tn
ause or rtminal tendencies ~ teaching To
criminal the right way Of living and teach
ng him what society expected OF him. Tn
speaker held that the present determinat
sentence Law was wholly inadequate 10 d
his. 1t . a law that does net do tn
prisoner justice, he sad. AS an instano,
iay certain facts before different judge
and the prisoner will get different sen
:snees. though the evidence is the sam,