The Somerset reporter., 1908-11-05
Charities and Corrections.

The "care of the poor" an intense
ly interesting subject, was one of the
fruitful themes at the conference of
charities and corrections at Water
vile last week
Rev. Carl IL. Gates of Saco said the
overseers of the poor had something
to do besides hiring superintendent
for the city farm and allowing him to
run it as he pleased. They should
oversee thoroughly, and they should
also do it intelligently. He did not
consider it was intelligent oversight
when three or four persons were put
in one room, when an aged and re-
spected lady was placed with half
witted woman, or when child was
given in charge of woman who was
SO deaf that she could not hear the
little one cry. The overseers should
be personally friendly to all the in
mate and enter into their thoughts
and troubles.
Freeman Cover Of Portland said
that children should never be in a
poor house, anyway.
Chas. II. Baker claimed that the
care of the poor should not be taken
from the towns and given to the
State. This would not lessen the ex-
pense and the individual wouldn't
nave as good care as now. The
speakers generally disapproyed of the
idea of the counties having charge of
the poor.
Prof. Sprague of the University of
Maine, said the whole civilized world
is turning with disgust from the ex
perience of past centuries in aims
houses. The whole movement of the
age is against the congregation of
poor people where they suffer the
torments of social hell If we must
have aims houses, we should have
county institutions for permanent
subjects of aid. Public officials need
education. Boys and girls should be
given an industrial education and
then in another generation there
would be no question of State, county
and town aims houses. The problem
of poverty would be solved ard the
poor house would go from our State,
as it is already going from other ma
tions. The Professor suggested old
age pensions such as they have in
England.
Judge Cleaves of Biddeford in
speaking upon the subject of boys
who have drifted away I IN hc ne re-
straints and become criminals. said
there seems to have grown up among
the boys of today aD absolute disre-
gard of all law. He believed in keep
ing prohibition in the constitution,
'as it gives you something to tie to-"
Hon. Warren q. Philbrook suggest
ed that there is difference to be OBJ
served between the treatment of per-
manent paupers and those families
which are obliged to seek temporary
relief from the public.
Child labor in its variods phases
was considered. The leading address
on this subject was, "The Menace of
Child Labor" by Everett W. Lord,
secretary for New England of t..e IVA
tional Child Labor committee.
One of the most powerful ad1r esses
of the session was that by Hon. Pay
son Smith, state superinterde - of
schools, his subject being "An Edu-
cation that Will Tend to Lessen De-
pendency and Crime" Following is
a summary of the points he made;
An education that will tend to pre-
vent dependency and crime must first
OF all deal with the individual. Sec
ond it must meet the many demands
of varying personalities and of com
plex social and industrial organism.
Third it must pay due regard to the
physical well being of the child.
Fourth it must be watchful for the
frst indications of wrong doing and
be prepared to treat them, and fifth,
it must aim to cultivate personal re-
sponsibility for self support and for
self Improvement.
Hon. w. G. Philbrook was chosen
President by the Conference, the next
meeting of which will be held in Ban
gor.
We have no doubt the sessions just
held in Waterville will accomplish a
vast amount of good in calling the at
tention of the people to the impor-
tant matters that came under discns-
sion.
AIaelyoje Hoa1 Ejaldc