The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-16
Secretary State Board charl-
ties Says That It Is Most
Interesting and Helpful
Legislation.
NO STATE HAS EVER
HAD SUCH GOOD LAW
Under Its Terms a Method
For Supervision Of Every
ChiId-caring Institution Is
Provided.

Indianapolis. Ind. March 16.-"One
of the most interesting and helpful
pieces of legislation enacted by the re-
cent session Of the legislature is the act
relating to maternity homes and chill
dren's Institutions" said Amos J. But
Ter. secretary Of the board OF state
charities. In the enactment OF this
law the state leads the, world. While
such legislation has been talked OF
elsewhere. and enacted In part. NO
state nor no county has ever enacted
law SO sweeping In applications as
this one. Under it is provided q means
OF supervising every child-caring insti-
tuition within its borders. Under this
law every such agency must obtain
IN annual written license from the
board OF state charities.
In Indianapolis. particularly. the
abuses that have been discovered In
connection with the care OF childrden,
especially in maternity hospitals.
founding asylums. baby farms and
child-placing agencies SO shocked the
community that dozen or more ageu-
cies. both public and private united in
the preparation Of this bill and appear
ed before the committee Of the legisla-
ture and urged its passage. Other
agencies ana Institutions from differ
ent parts Of the staae also contributed
their support to the measure. This
new law deflucs four claWes q iugei.
tutions and agencies that win co0ann-
der its provisions. These are mater
nifty hospitals. including lying-in
homes OF all kinds: boarding houses for
infants. including founding asylums
and baby farms: all children's homes.
orphan asylums and child-placing
agencies; all agencies engaged in find
ing homeA for or. otherwise disposing
Of infants. 1t carries penalty clause
for all who violate it's provisions. The
act does pot have an emergency clause
and will not become effective until the
governors proclamation regarding all
the session laws is made"
Affected BY Twenty lasss.
A review Of the acts Of the general
assembly made by Mr.. Butler. has dis
covered some twenty acts relating d.
rectly or indirectly to his department
which has to do not only with the char
titles. but prisons and social conditions.
The review was made by Mr.. Butler In
preparation for instructions to the Of
flee force. which will have the enforc-
ing of the laws in charge. Among the
acts are the public accounting bill. APP
plicable to all the state institutions
coming under direct or indirect super
vision OF the board OF state charities.
an act regarding the sanitary npervis-
ion of jails. the McGinnis housing
bill, the acts providing for public play.
grounds in cities Of the first. second.
third. fourth. and NTH classes. the act
providing q free employment bureau In
tics. the act relating to the age Of girls
committed to the Indiana Girls school.
the act providing for the payment by
boards Of county commissioners Of del
egztes to state meetings Of the organ
lied charity workers of the state, the
act providing for the construction Of =
police matron for the city Of lafayette.
the act providing for . further contract
for convict labor at the state prison.
and the act providing for the construc-
tion for a hospital for the criminal in-
sane in connection with the state pyis-
ON.
Jail Supervision.
IAN act of special interest to the
board is that on jail supervision" said
Mr. Butler. This requires the board
Of state charities to report to the judge
of the circuit court the condition Of ths
county jail. and gives him authority 70
require it TO be put in. proper condt
tion. to establish rules for the conduct
of prisoners. and to have written re.
port made by the sheriff ~ to tail pop
ulation the first day Of each term q
court. II Jail conditions are bad and
the Judge does not act. the governor 10
given authority to condemn the jail
and order the prisoners to be removed
to another county until proper condi-
tions arc secured The law requires
the keeping Of Jail record; that the
sheriff shall make . written report
quarterly to the board Of county com
mfssioners n to the condition Of the
jail. and that such board shall inspect