The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-03-01
CRITTENTON HOME
REQUEST REFUSED

Salt Lake, Feb 2S-John C. Mack.
ay, chairman oc the county commits
sioners. does not believe in charita-
BILE work among fallen women. AT
a meeting this morning no plainly
told Mrs. Virginia Let Brandt Berg.
national worker for the Crittenton
Homes association. that he did not
core II poor girls were compelled TO
go upon the streets to support their
babes horn out OF wedlock.
Mrs. Berg appeared before the com
missioners asking recognition for the
CrIttenton home at ogden. She told
the board that the home did not ask
for financial assistance, but merely
for recognition. She offered on be-
half of the homo to take care of
such women now looked after most
incompletely by the commissioners
under the pauper relief fund.
The Crittenton homes are we'll
known all over the country. They
were established by Charles NJ. Crit
tenten, who died about two months
ago. He left the princely sum OF
$5,000.000 for this work, in which he
was interested and on which he had
spent hundreds OF thousands of dol
lars during his lifetime Mrs. Berg
Is also a federal officer, appointed to
assist in the suppression of the white
slave traffic She has been speaking
In many of the cities of the west and
has been investigating conditions III
Utah, especially in Salt Lake and
Ogden
Mackay Blocks Action.
The request made of tho commits
sioners was to send girls who had
been unfortunate to the ogden lustl.
free OF charge TO the county, kept
for six months and placed in sltua-
tlons, Detailing some sorrowful
cases. she succeeded In arousing the
sympathy of Commissioners ]. d.
Murdoch and W J. Burton. but Mr..
.Mackay seemed to feel that some Of
the prerogatiyes Of the commission
,ers were IN danger. Almost brutally
he told Mrs. Berg that the coInty
looked after its poor and that the Sl5
maternity allowance and three weeks
In the hospital given In such cases
was quite sufficient.
They can go out and earn i living
after that" he said.
Mrs. Berg contended that more
time was needed for q young mother
to take care of her child. and that
such opportunity was afforded In the
home.
Mr. Mackny, no humanitarian at
the best. was disposed to turn any
proposition down. but the other conf
missioners listened kindly. No action
was taken.
Mrs. Berg has had eight years eX-
perience under the federal govern
ment and In rescue work generally
She Is 4 Virginian of the famous Lee
family and gave up a social career
to enter upon the work of helping
girls and resculng fallen womanhood,
The white slave traffic has received
much OF her attention and She has
done notable work in this line. She
is now about to take a years rest
which she VIII spend abroad. after
which she will return to her position
under the government and In conncc-
tion with the Crittenten homes She
is much Interested in the condition
OF girls In Utah.
"Pin Money" Girls.
"One thing especially see to con-
demn in Utah, particularly in Salt
Lake" she said, That is the number
of what We call pin money" girls.
BY such girls We mean in our work
girls who are under no necessity TO
work for 4 living and who take the
places OF those who do I have never
seen a city where there are so many
AZ in Salt Lake
Il have no words IN which to eX-
press my condemnation OF the cond!-
tion. | have seen too many girls
suffer and drift into lives oil shame
because unable 10 secure work and
that the stores here should be filled
with girls working only for money TO
spend in luxurles when they have
good homes. is, the worst possible
thing I could expect to find. IT leads
to immortality and supplies tho white
slave traffic"
Mrs. Berg was much disappointed
a. the stand taken By Mr., Mackay
against the work for fallen women,
but was charitable enough to say
that she believed he did not under
stand the nature OF it or he would
not have opposed 1t.
Mr. Mackay has all along had little
OF no sympathy with pauper relief
or humanitarian endeavor- He turned
down Judge Alex McMaster when a
detention home was asked, and even
ventured TO defy the law which says
that such shall be established when
demanded by the Juvenile court com.
mission He is on record as opposed
to that sort of work.
The home at ogden, Mrs. Berg
Gays, now has In 1t twelve girls, all
of whom are from Salt Lake. Con-
tributIons have been made from
here. and the work has received The
hearty support Of local philanthro'
pists who are more humane In their
attitude than Commissioner John C.
Mackay.