Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-04

y for the thirty-fifth national
IM q E conferences of Charities and
I'D ~ M Corrections, which convenes
Alzsakz8z there the 9th of May. Some
1900 people, moved by spirit
of helpfulness, will meet to take an
other step forward In the great move
ment to Danish want and distress from
this country. The conference Is in some
particulars a peculiar one, for its doors
are wide open to Whomsoever will lend
a hand in the work of rescuing the SUBJ
merged and helping the unfortunate.
The national conference of Charities
and Corrections has for Its purpose the
making of every dollar do the greatest
possible good when expended In charity
work, and the making of corrective
work in the penal and reformatory in
stitutions of the country accomplish the
best possible ends. AS such 1t has been
leading the thought of its realm for
many years, and as the membership
represents every section of the country
new ideas gained from a years practi-
cal work will give new aid In the great
freewill work of the nation in which
men show that they regard themselves
as their brothers keeper"
The eighteenth and nineteenth CEN
turies in America were given to the
conquest of wild men and of wild lands
to even better work. 1t will be de-
voted largely to the conquest OF
poverty and incompetency, and through
the rescue of the children Of the nation
this will be brought about. What the
period makes of itself depends on what
it makes of the children. Herein lies
the democratic enrichment OF the fu.
ture. These are largely the views OF
the man who presided over the last
meeting of the conference, which was
held in Minneapolls-Amos w. Butler
and to the man who will preside al
the Richmond conference-Thonlas w
Mulry.
one of the delegates who may be
expected TO attend is Miss Kate Bar
nard of Oklahoma. At the Minneapolis
conference she was declared the most
deadly in earnest of ell present. The
newspapers made her the headliner OF
the meetings. She was the impersona-
ton of all that the work stood Tor
Zeal. enthusiasm and intelligence COM
bined to give her a prominent place. Sne
was one of those who had done some
thing during the year. She had led the
crusade for provision in the constitu
tion of the new state of Oklahoma pro
hibiting child labor 1t was an uphill
fight. 1t carried her all through the
proposed state and caused her many
days of hard and trying work. Bul
child labor was prohibited, and thai
clause of the constitution stands as u
proof of what a woman in earnest car
do, even though she be but little De-
yond her teens.
No census of charity has ever beer
taken in the United States. and 1t wouio
be a hard one to take. But the opinion
of those qualified to speak is that the
past decade has witnessed doubling
of the interest that the successful ano
the fortunate can show for the poor
and the unfortunate. AS the number OF
associations has multiplied, SO also
have the lines of activity increased
Charity has been reduced to science
and there are those who make 1t a pro-
fession The work has been practically
reyolutionized in recent years. The
activity of a decade or two ago was
palliative rather than curative. Inc
uplift was mainly to relieve dis,
tress rather than 70 remcse ~ ~;
cause. Today the question Is treateo
as one that calls for cure. Tne cnar,
itv subject in days gone by was treateo
as an Individual. Today he Is freatec
as a member of the state, and the Ell,
fort Is to get him on his feet so ina,
he may not only stand of his own WI
but may also lend hand to others
Charity work in the United State:
has grown with wonderful strides. ans
first charity organization in city WorF
was erected in Buffalo In 1877. Ioua>
there are more than 100 such organiza
tions i'm the United states. They Ioi'
low a hundred different lines OF activ,
itv hut that of child rescue is the mos
interesting. Figures recently compiles
hv the Children's Aid society snow ina
of the 22,12O children placed py ina
s0c,etv only sixty, so far as is known
have been arrested or sent TO reIorn
schools. OF the careers OF ali OF tnes'
wards the society could not Know
since they fail to keep In toucn VIII
after they have reached their majority
hut the greater number of them be
canoe farmers or farmers wives. "
the others, two became governors o
states. two district attorneys: one
member of congress, one sheriil, tnIe'
county commissioners ana huiiipe
went to their state legislatures IN W
business world twenty-six pecann
bankers. thirty-four lawyers. twenty
two merchants, seventeen physicians
six postmasters. eighty-seven railroa.
men ten real estate agents, 1ourteel
wspapermen. eighty-one teachers
nineteen clergymen, and nearly oo9 pe
came successful business men. Wher
avar. statistics of child rescue work ar
~ he ha6 they show equally ricn mar
vests.
one Of the most interesting lines o
| work. in the big cities is that OF III.