Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-14
STATEMENT TELLS
WHY CHILDREKS
BUREAU FAILED
affiliated institutions Seemed
Not to Realize Their Com
morn Responsibility"
SEE COMING NECESSITY
OF RESUMING WORK
For That Reason Will Retain
Characterization Mentioned
in Public Announcement.

o.
In o public statement the Children's
Bureau of Newark today gives reasons
for the discontinuance of active work.
declaring that owing to the withdrawal
from the bureau of the Newark Orphan
Asylum, and later of the Home FOR the
Friendless, it has been financially I'M
possible to continue it's activities
The statement Is signed by mi
Murphy, jr., president; Herbert p.
Gleason, Mrs. e. p. Denison, A. w.
MacDougall, Henry G. Atha, Mrs.
els ]. Swayze, Arson A. Carter, Mrs
]. w. Howard, Mrs. f.. G. Guild, MISS
Annie NJ. Gwinnell, David H. Merritt
and Mrs. Henry H. Dawson, The COM
mittee says:
I'VE propose to keep the charter and
the organization, so that the WORK
may be resumed when the public de-
mand compels it. and that time is sure
10 come. The Children's Bureau, or, as
it was originally called, the Joint Com
mittee of .Children's Institutions, was
organized and began work in January
1906. Among the reasons for it's forma-
tion were the following:
Need of Cooperation.
THE four Protestant institutions for
children had no means of cooperation,
no mutual understanding as to the con-
aitions under which children should be
admitted or the amounts that should
be paid by the parent or relative OF
the child, and there was no division OF
the field. In many cases an unworthy
applicant, with a desire rather than a
need to be relieved of responsibility,
would try all of the institutions, no one
place having the advantage of the t h
ers' experience, and finally the child
would be taken in perhaps free of any
charge to the parent or relative, be-
cause OF incomplete investigation, and
thereafter supported by money con-
Z tributed by the public to the support
OF the institution.
The institutions were conscious OF a
very considerable loss each year from
the failure to live up to their promises
by parents or relatives who We're able
Gnd had agreed to pay for the care of
the children. The institutions had no
one to follow up the matter and coll
leot these payments. 1t also happened
that conditions would materially
change within six months or a year so
that within that time the relative
would be amply able to care for the
child although unable to do SO when
admission was granted. A number of
instances could be cited where a parent
has been able to comfortably take
care of a second family of children,
leaving a child placed in an institution
at an earlier date to the care 81 charity
and completely forgotten.
1.-THE institutions kept their children
until they were 10 years old, when
they were placed out in the country
by indenture or otherwise. obviously
these children had to be supervised in
order to prevent physical or moral
harm through improper care. AS the
children were placed in various parts OF
the State the Supervision of each IN
stitution crossed the lines of the other
institutions. 1t was, therefore, clear
trSt one person could do 1t more eco
Ironically and more effectively than
could several persons, each employed
by a separate institution acting for
itself over practically the same field.
other Needs Not Provided For.
1.-THE fact was well known that there
was no provision in the city for babies
under one year old (the Babies Hos
pital was caring for sick babies of
tbis age1. This need had been met in
other cities, not by starting founding
asylums, but by paying the board OF
+, babies in carefully selected Uni
homes. Mortality in founding asylums
was known to be about so per cent.
Newark had and has no institution
which can be indorsed for colored chill