The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-27
COMPREHENSIVE PLANS OUT
LINED FOR PROMOTING VEL
FARE OF NEGLECTED..
WANT FEDERAL BUREAU
Ask President Roosevelt to Send
Congress Special Message Urg-
ing It's establishment
Strong Addresses.

Washington, Jan. ZO,~-AuVah~e
steps of fattreaching significance TO
the future welbeing OF the children
Of the country were taken at the
concluding session today Of the CON
ference on the care of dependent
children. Voicing the unanimous
sentiment of nearly two hundred
delegates. the conference adopted a
comprehensive reporc of its con
cusions as TO the most practical
plan for promoting the welfare OF
the neglected.
One of the most important recon-
mendatons contained in the report
which was submitted to President
Roosevelt, tonight requested the
president to send a message to cen
gress urging the establishment OF a
federal bureau tone of whose CDR
iects it shall be to disseminate ac-
cuIate information in regard to child
caring work and the needs of chill
dren.
Tonights banquet was htng
climax to what is regarded as the
most important gathering eevr held
in the interest of the nations de-
pendent children. President Roose-
yelt who initiated the great move
ment, listened with close attention
to the reading of the report and then
gave expression to lts own views on
the question,
Briefly summarized the conclu-
sons Of the conference are:
Children of worthy parents should
as rule be kept with their par
eifs: homeless and neglected chill
tlren ii normal, should be cared fer
in families. when practicable; child
caring institutions should be on the
cottage PLAN states should inspect
all agencies caring for dependent
children the educational work OF
institutions caring for dependent
children should be supervised by
tho state educational authorities.
Agencies caring for children should
cooperate to ascertain and control
the causes of dependency: prohibit
tive legislation against the transfer
of dependent children between
states should be repealed; coopera-
tiou between child-caring agencies,
aud more thorough precautions Tor
surgical and medical care OF chill
drcn in all institutions
AGAINST Wholesale Mothering".
DR.. Galen A. Merrill, of Minnesota,
speakng of the methods in vogue
in state institutions for the care of
children said in part institutions
for children are looked upon as tend
irg necessarily to mechanical and inn
personal work. There is danger, es-
pccially I'm the large institutions con
Quoted on the congregate plan, tnat
instead of holding the resources ol
the institution subservient to the in
diyidual worker and deals with chill
dren collectively and not individually
Is opposed to the natural instincts OF
Il child. because a child needs to be
irGiyidualized. particularly the young
child. To keep him in a crowd-to
educate him in the lump'--is to hy
in the face OF all the natural ways of
growth. The little baby especially.
must have his mother all to himself
Physically nature protests against
wholesale mothering Of babies In anV
way. And It is just as true OF the
mental and moral faculties as of the
pbvsical Institutions make for re-
preston and repression hnders
growth. The institution that comes
nearest TO the home, that can indi-
vidualize the children, the one thai
is successful. The asylum is not ap-
lropriate for the purpose. The insti-
tution which meets the needs Of the
case Is that constructed on the coz
tage plan.
The Cottage Plan.
Discussing the cottage plan Of car
ip. for dependent children as compar
ed with the congregate plan, DR. Reed
er superintendent OF the Orphan Asy-
lum society Of New York City. said:
The cottage type Of institution
a home offers such a wealth Of inter
cts. industries. privileges and oppor-
tunities compared 10 the congregate
home that absolutely nothing is left
10 b. said in favor Of the latter ex-
cent that it is cheaper. and no system
p.wers Of the child To- their full capae
fty can BE- regarded On the long run as
economical The cottage should b.
AZ complete an imitation Of the natur-
n home of the child as Il is possibla
10 make d.. None of the features Of a
model home must b. overlooked A
a rule I should say the number in the
sroun should not exceed twenty five
End less than fifteen is not necessar-
Ts an advantage. The cottage plaa
is not merely a modern home. but
n --..-H IA Fe.-f.sr.r,a Z