Evening journal., 1908-03-12
Thursday, March II, 1908.
A nNIouE INSTITUTION.

II HERE'S only one National Ooniei en0S
i Charities and Correction, and that IS tne
one that lives and moves IN the Cnteu .s. olasss.
II beeau thirty-hve years ago, as committee oA
+he Social Science Association But 1t soon out
grew its mother, and in 1877 1t started our IN
business for and by itself. Since then It's grown,
in numbers and influence has been STEADY anu
now it has about $500 members VINO pay snidil
annual fee and it comes IN touch WIN MANY
thousands more who attend its meetings from
fine TO time as it may happen to meet in their
neiehborhood. The meeting this year VIII be
held at Richmond, Va.
One of its most useful and unique features IS
that it brings together on common platform
officials OF the States and cities, representatives
of all kinds of voluntary societies and institu-
lions and host Of private persons who are az
tuated by philanthropy and good ciuzenship' Oul
have no official positions.
Because It Is called Charities and Correction,
some folks think it is only concerned with the
relief of the poor and the punishment OF crimi-
nails. But the conference, long ago, found Out
that relief charity is very small part OF the
whole. It still thinks of relief, but far more OF
prevention and reconstructive charity. 1t goes
away back OF immediate causes and hnds that
some of the causes Of both poverty and crime are
remote and inhere in bad social conditions, and
II asks how those are to be relieved.
II finds that intemperance has much to do with
poverty, and 50 II is concerned with the drink
laDiI. II nu0B IudI lneuClcnCy lcddo W dAi Minus
Of evils, and so it regards educational reform and
stands for such school training as shall make
every boy and girl capable citizen
It finds that the slum is an effect OF poverty
and a cause Of more distress and of crime, so the
conference attacks the housing question and de-
votes committees and sessions to neighborhood
Improvement It finds that an exploited child
grows up to be shiftless useless man, SO it has
something TO say on child labor.
It finds that under-vitalization, shiftlessness
and inefficiency are caused by poor food, impure
air and overcrowding; so it tries to set up
standard OF living, and it says that low wages
are often the cause Of both poverty and crime.
When studying low wages it discovers that there
are industries which are truly called parasitic
because they give back less than they take from
their workers, who must, therefore, depend for a
part of their living upon something else than the
industry which pays them starvation wages
Il finds that poor people are often shamefully
defrauded by sharpers under the forms of the
law, so it fosters and promotes legal protection
of the poor. It sees that the best help anyone
get is help to self-hep; so questions OF en-
ployment and training come to the front
Sickness is one of the greatest Of all the causes
of distress 50 the cure and the prevention of tu-
berculosis and other contagious and preventable
diseases interest the conference.
No matter how much may be done by priNate
persons and voluntary agencies, after all the
States and the cities the most important
sources OF charity. So the State institutions for
the. insane and the detectives, the county aims
houses and the relief work done in the townships
are among the most important things to consider
and to aid TO the best possible administration
The conference prides itself on its free floor
Everyone is invited to its sessions. Member and
non-member all are equal. Only two conditions
are attached to participations; the speaker must
have something to say that he believes in; and
he must know how to say il.