The Cairo bulletin., 1908-05-13
SPEAK lNSTRUCTivElY AT MA
TIONAL CONVENTION IN
RICHMOND, VA.
STATE INSTITUTIONS
Belong to the PeopIe-Financ'al SIDE
Relating to Them is Second
arv Saws Ind ana
Secretary


dealing with the same general topics,
the section meetings. OF the Nationai
Conference of Charlie and Corrections
continued today to bring out new
views and eXprcs, Ions on various
phases of the work. Papers were
read today by Charles w. Birthwell,
general superintendent OF the Chll-
drens' Aid Society of Boston; X. w.
Mithors, member of the virginia
house of delegates Henry Gregory
New York Alexander Johnson, ma
tional secretary of the State Super
vision session. showed importance OF
more thorough work in inspection OF
charitable institution operated by
states.
Paper by l.. II. Bailey, director
New York State College of Agricul-
ture at Cornell, was a specia event at
the meeting which deaf with the
probem of Needy families
state Charities and the People.
Mr.. Amos W. Butler, secretary OF
lAS InuIdld Dbdiu VI t1ttihN NHhl'l
said:
The institutions of a State belong to
the people Board OF State Charities
is the representative of the people
Such Board is prely advisory; it has
no executive duties. Among the things
that are essential to the effective
work of a Board of State Charities is
trained executive officer. uniform
statistical and financial reports, simple
aud comprehensive registration OF the
public wards. good library a bureau
of information, issuing instructive in
formation for general distribution. It's
function is the supervision of the
whole system of public charities OF the
state. It's duty is TO see that every
inmate of every public institution re-
ceives proper care; that each instita'
tion is properly conducted; that the
public funds are wisely expended. On
the other hand, it Is a source OF
strength to the management to give
protection to the institution against
unjust citicism. Such a Board Is given
the fullest authority that the legisia-
ture can bestow, to visit and inspect
the institutions and investigate exist
ing conditions 1t is its duty to re
port the conditions it finds; to suggest
advise and recommend what it deems
is for the best interest of all concern
ed II will be wise If It adopts az a
principle, that IL Is better to prevent
Undesirable conditions by helpful sug-
gestions, than to have them grow I'M
I'll they become a public scandal Its
reports should be made to the leSis'
lature and to the governor, but Its
greatest duty is to fully inform the
people of what the institutions are,
what they are doing. how they may be
bettered. to tell the people of the
class of persons that are being cared
for, of the causes that have made them
public wards.
Many intelligent persons look wholly
upon the financial side of an institu'
tion It's real purpose is for the proper
care. treatment or training OF its
wards. If 1t were not for them, it would
not exist. The financial side Is import
ant, but not all important, nor even
most important. The inmates of the
State institutions come from every
locality in the state. and are largely
the product of local conditions. Many
fthem have been in local institutions,
consequently 1t is of the utmost i'm
portance that the public should have
accurate knowledge of the general
situation regarding charities and
lively interest in those local conditions
which bring both mroal and financial
burden to the state. II should have an
intelligent desire to maintain its insti-
tuions at a good standard and an ac9
tive spirit toward preventable causes
of dependency. 1t is essential for the
cause of public charities that there
shall be maintained a wise public op-
inion. which shall permeate the entire
state This 1t should be the duty of a
Board of State Charities to foster and
develop.