The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04

great measure responsible for crime
ana the present condition Of the city.
mere was special music by the choir
uhoer the direction of Robert Husband.
The Rev. D. L. RAIDER, editor of the
racine Christian Advocate, has gone
70 the Orient upon the advice of his
physician to obtain perfect rest. He
VIII visit China and Japan, and will
then go to Manila, where he will spend
the winter with Marvin A. RAIDER, who
is engaged in missionary work in the
philippines. He has been advised to
absent himself for four months at
least, and to abstain from all work.
In his paper read before the meet
ing of preachers in the Wesley Church
last Monday Rev. H. E. Mines had the
following: "On the whole we may be
thankful that these orphan children
ideal plans might have been adopted
had the State awakened early enough
10 the situation and its needs. There
is now measure of State supervision
under the State Board of Examiners
whose secretary is deputed to visit all
orphanages that receive State aid,
check up their accounts and inspect
the buildings from cellar to garret.
Some may question. as has been
done, the right of the State to inspect
private institutions These have for
gotten that II is the duty of the
State to follow funds appropriated
from the public treasury and see that
they are applied to their intended pur-
pose and economically used.
According TO our population we have
too many children in our orphanages
Under the same system Pennsylvania
has one orphan to 500 of population.
while California has one to 225. Ohio
with the placing out system has one TO
1000, while Michigan, with the State
Schools has hut one RI I . 50n
What California needs to make the
present system vastly more efficient
is more of direct control over the or
phanages now in existence, and posi-
bly, prohibition of the establishment
of any more. In line with this ii
should be made the function of proper
court. preferably the Juvenile Court,
where already established, to deter
mine whether a child is legally a
charge upon the State. In the case
of half orphans the ability of the sur
viving parent could be determined and
the status of the child would correct
some glaring abuses and save the
State thousands of dollars annually.
On the subject of boys who go to the
bad he quoted from a statement made
before a school educational associa-
ton TO the effect that in this State a
large proportion do not remain in the
public schools long enough to finish
one-fourth Of the arrests made are
Of minors between the ages of 10 and
20 years. An examination has shown
that the crimes charged against the
minors were committed by such as
were not educated as far as the gram
mar grade. Education. he thought. has
something to do with keeping minors
within the lines of righteousness.
Speaking Of the Juvenile Courts he
cited the manner in which Judge Lind
sey of Denver treats the Juveniles and
said that the paramount duty of such
courts is not so much TO mete out pun
ishment commensurate with the of
Tense, but to save the offender to the
community so such shall lead a useful
life.
In relation to orphans, half orphans
and abandoned children, he pro-
nounced himself strongly in favor of
the plan in vogue in the State of Mich
igan, where there is but one institu-
ton for orphans. a State one, at Cold
water. where there seldom are more
than $50 inmates al time, because Of
the system which finds homes for
those who are committed to that place
The officers Of the institution or their
agents, he said, are constantly seeking
homes for the class of children named
and placing children in such. Children
so placed are constantly under the
supervision Of the State through its
agents, who regularly visit their wards.
In answer TO a statement made that
il is almost impossible to obtain
children from the orphanages in Cali
fornia, Rev. a c. Bane stated that the
principal reason for that is that the
very great majority OF the children in
Orphanages are what are known as
half orphans, having one parent living,
and that II is impossible to obtain the
consent of the parents TO allow their
children TO go into the homes of
strangers.
Rev Mr Raley called attention to
the fact that some time ago well-to-
do farmer in Mendocino County came
to this city, visited four asylums and
made a vain effort to obtain a child
that he desired TO adopt notwithstand-
ing he presented the best of references
as to himself and wife and ability to
provide for the child. He expressed
himself strongly in favor of the home
finding system.
Mr.. Matthews expressed the opinion
/ that the church should do something
along the line of remedying the pres
ent system Of orphanages and thought
the matter as presented by Rev. Mr.
Mines should be made the subject Of
careful Investigation and study.