The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-02-10
He Is Succeeded as Ex-
ecutive of State Board
ofChildren's Guard
ians By Miss
Fraac S ay.

New York Cha1ities O ganization Soci-
ETY. under Superintendent Edward De-
vine. Miss Frances Day, chief agent for
the Boa.d of Gea .sias. has been ap-
pointed to Succees MI Stone Mrs.
Emily E. Villa son, of Elizabeth,
chairman of the Executive Committee of
the State Board of Guardians. will con
tinue her supervision of the work and
remain the actual working head Of the
organization as she was while Mr.. Stone
was superintendent. The appointment Of
Miss Day, it is thought, will give salts
faction throughout the State, as she is
familiar with the county officials in all
parts of the State and is thoroughly
versed in all the work of the Board.
She is the one employe of the Board
who has been in the work since its in
ception She has dealt with every phase
of it and has handled hundreds of cases,
from Bergen County to Cape May. Miss
Day, although but twenty seven years
old, has had greater experience in the
work of caring for dependent and de-
linquent children than any other woman
in the State. In addition to her work
in the State Board of Guardians, she is
constantly called upon by Chief of Police
Murphy, Judge Blair of the Hudson
County Court of Sessions, police court
magistrates and others to take charge of
children of criminals or neglected chill
dren who are not subjects under the law
for the care of the Board of Guardians,
and has also assisted the authorities in
many other counties in similar cases. She
has found homes for many children who
could not be taken as county charges
and has secured the commitment of doz-
ems of unfortunates, both children and
women, to institutions. In this work she
has acted as the agent Of Mrs. William
son, who has personally interested her
self in cases recommended to her by Miss
Day. When the position of Probation
Offcer of Hudson County was made va
can't by the elevation of Probation Officer
Frank j. Higgins to judgeship Of the
Criminal Court, Judge Day offered to ap-
point Miss Day probation officer. She
refuse dthe appointment on the advice of
Mrs Williamson, who knew of the COM
ing resignation of Mr.. Stone, and desired
of Guardians work. Mrs. Williamson
was appointed in 1897 as one of the
commission to inquire into the case of
defective and delinquent children. At
that time Miss Day was Mrs. William
sons private secretary.
Upon instruction from Mrs. William
son she made a personal investigation of
each almshouse in the State and visited
the homes of hundreds of the parents of
children committed to the almshouse.
She found a condition existing which, to-
gether with the report made by Mrs. VIII
hanson or her own investigation, which
| included a weeks residence in the Hud-
son County almshouse. led to the passage
l of the law creating the State Board of
| Children's Guardians. When the Board
was created in 1899 the State appropria-
| ted a very small amount for the expenses
of workers. Mrs Williamson devoted all
| her time for love of the work, and Miss
investigating and placing of children.
She carried babies to the homes provid-
/ ed for them, purchased clothing, investi-
| gated homes, visited children placed in
homes and attended to all the detail
| work. She was called to Essex County
one day and Cape May the next. 1t was
her investigation in Burlington County
that unearthed the scandal of the sexes
being mingled and the birth of illegiti-
mate children in the almshouse. This
resulted in stringent laws prohibiting the
| mixing of sexes in the County buildings.
| The second year more help was provided,
and she was relieved of some of the
work, the utility of the Beard of Guar
dians, which was an experiment, and its
beneficient results in the clearing of chill
dren from the almshouses and their ele-
vation by contact with worthy persons in
good homes, having been proven When,
two years ago, provision was made for
the employment of a superintendent Of
the work, as well as paid workers, Miss
Day was~named for the position. but she
thought of leaving the work, and declin-
ed. Mr.. Stone, who was connected with
! the Children's Aid Society of Boston, was
appointed superintendent. Circun-
/ stances later permitted Miss Day to con-
| tinue with the Board, and she was given
entire charge Of the work in Hudson
County, which furnishes the majority of
children committed to the Boards care.
! She a1so assisted in other parts of the
/ State in difficult cases. Miss Days
compensation as superintendent has not
yet been fixed.