The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-09
Home BEST PLACE
FOR DEPENDENT
CHILD AT TER ALL
Several Speakers Favor Plac.
ing.Out System, Though
Commenting Asylums;
Want Outdoor Games.

Want()utdOOr Games.
That home, after all. is the best place
FOR child, and that IL a child cannot
be kept at It's own home 1t should be
placed, IL possible, in some other. sew
cral charity workers agreed in de-
claring at the meeting OF, the Division
on Children yesterday morning in the
hall Of the Mechanics Institute. The
topic of the day related to children
in Institutions, or 10 the dependent
class, as in direct distinction to the
lclinquents. considered on the previous
day In connection with the Juvenile
court.
The Dependent Child.
The discussion was led by Mrs. Fal-
concr, OF Philadelphia, who considered
the subject OF children in institutions
from the point of view OF their prob
able prepa ration to be future citizens
and parents. Following this, the dis
cnsslon of the care of the dependent
child was broad and general many
active workers and heads OF institu-
tions In all parts OF the country taking
part. Miss Curtis, of Boston. presided.
limiting the time OF the speakers and
holding attention 10 the subject in
hand.
1t is estimated that there are in
this country about Loo recognized In
stitutions for the care of dependent
children. and that there is one depend
ent child TO every 100 normal children.
Tho dependent class includes orphans.
part orphans. neglected and abused
children, children taken from improper
parents or environment crlpples. In
valds mental detectives and others
whose lives vary from that OF the nor
NAL, healthy child, living in the home
OF It's own. and surrounded by the love
and care of It's kin.
The Orphan Asylum.
The work OF the orphan >sylum was
By no means moderated. and these In
stitutions were held to be necessary
parts of q, system OF juvenile care and
relief The tone OF the discussion,
however. and the evident prepondcranc nee
OF opinion was IN favor of tho placing
out system, always emphasizing the
Importance Of after care and super
vision OF the children placed with fos-
ter parents. Every American child was
declared to be entitled to n home and
to deserve the love and surroundings
of home as right. These surround
ings the average orphan asylum Is not
supplying. according TO several speak
ers who gave due tribute to their good
Intentions Exceptional cases were re-
lated where smaller asylums Were
supplying this personal care and atten-
ton. In the discussion IL was held
that the prominence given to Juvenile
courts. and to tho improvements for
the care of the delinquent child, has
somewhat overshadowed the work
which should be done for the inno-
cent dependend child. who has done
nothing to forfeit love and respect
and who IS entitled to fair oppor-
tunty in the battle OF life,
In twenty-seven States fairly well or
nj ct, ~, frr1
were reported for placing out work,
all OF them having a more or less ef
fective system of er-inspection. In
the argument for the care of the de-
pendent child by private institutions
and societies II was shown that the
State was forced to provide for the
delinquent child, because he is both a
nuisance and law breaker. and that
the rights of the dependent girls and
boys were in danger of being over
looked.
Some question was raised as to
whether the care for child in an
institution would or would not make
1t dIscontented with home surround
ings and environment. and unwilling
to return. should It's parents be able
later on to keep It, a point on which
there was an evident conflict of opin-
lon. different cases showing different
results.
Training OF the Boy.
One of the more carefully prepared
papers of the days session was read
By Mr.. Crawford Jackson on "The
Training of Boy for Citizenship" Mr.
Jackson is the general secretary of the
Juvenile Protective Association, with
headquarters in Atlanta. and is at
present working out a plan for taking
boys out of reformato and institu-
lions and giving them outdoor life on
r large farm. He showed close
knowledge of boy life and workers
with boys In the audience, recognizing
his descriptions, could almost see indi-
vidual boys from his illustrative cases.
He gave the following description of
the emotional nature of a boy, as
showing his versatility: "He repents
like convicted patriarch. weeps like
true prophet. pleads like an apostle,
and prays like saint. And the great
est marvel about boy is that he can
go all this round In one day. He will
fight like a young tiger on the play
ground in the morning, be his fathers
prospective hero at noon and his moth
er's little angel at night"
The child was said to learn in three
ways, through imitation, interest and
effort and only in these three ways
could its mind be properly approached
The examining process in education
was roundly condemned, the writer
holding that overcrammed children
really knew nothing. having a smat-
.erinE OF everything. The paper was
received with continued applause.
The Element of Play.
Mr.. Charles w Birtwell. of Boston,
general secretary OF the Boston Chill
dren's Aid Society, closed the discussion
with brief address. in which, though
agreeing with all that had been said
MS to the home placing, he said 1t is
still true that thousands Of boys and
girls raised In institutions have grown
up to become useful and respected ctti-
zens. Referring to the detailed work.
Ing Of children's institutions he
strongly advocated the element Of play
rs moss essential In the development
4 OF the child. asking for a return to the
old fashioned outdoor games, which
enlisted the imagination and activi-
ties, in preference to the modern gym
<nasium, with its FORMAL exercises.
WILL MEET TO CONSIDER
LOCAL PARTY ENLARGEMENT