The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-05-12

once inspired with confidence in the
| work.
The committee appointed at former
meeting to go over the bylaws of the
| society have met and made certain
recommendations that will be laid be-
| fore the board at the proper time. In
this connection it is my personal be-
lief that the financial secretary Of the
society ought to have remuneration
for at least the amount of work he has
! done on the bookkeeping. When you
consider the amount of funds handled
by him, and the great amount Of de-
tail in entries and the time it con-
sumes, l am sure you can better ap-
preciate what he is continually doing
| for the society free OF charge. / know
that he is glad to contribute his serv-
ices and does not want any salary; but
| think the society can do no less in
acknowledgment of his valuable serv-
ices than to elect him a benefactor
member of the society, and will recon-
mend that it do so.
The roster of employees Of the So
ciety is as follows: superintendent,
4
Taatron, stenographer, (occasional)
head nurse, hospital nurse, day nurse,
one night nurse, one substitute nurse,
one cook, one laundress, one janitor
college Suddenly during school year.
! There has been no change in the
| board Of legal counsellors and of
medical advisors during the year, and
would advise their reelection as
| given in the roster of officers.
We have had but one worker in the
field-Rev. Theodore A. Doughty, our
| financial solicitor. His work is con-
| fined entirely to the raising of funds,
and he has had most successful year,
in spite of the partial crop failure last
year. He has collected between Sc, 600
and $500 during the year in cash,
and about the same amount of sub
scriptions. AS most of the latter comes
from people who work for wages,
there is considerable loss in their col
lections; many failing to pay any at
tention to the "ticklers" sent to re-
mind them of their pledges. At least
two notices are sent to all who do not
pay on first notices, and 1 am pleased
that so large number responded so
| promptly when notified their pledges
are due. The mailing and checking of
these pledge notices makes much work.
but gives ample returns.
Need District superintendent.
have very greatly felt the need OF
a district superintendent whose time
should be wholly given to the vista
ton of the wards of the society, who
should keep in close touch with the
foster-parents, advise them regarding
the characteristics of the children and
how to care for them and who could
also be constantly on the alert for
needy cases as they travel over the
state. Our societies in other states
nearly all have from one to six district
superintendent engaged in such work
though most of them have to solicit
maintenance funds as they travel.
This means much expense to the So
cieties but higher standard has been
set in the matter of visitation since the
White House conference of dependent
children, and societies that fail to visit
all their wards-at. least in their own
state-are in danger of getting behind
the times. So far 1t has not seemed
|
for this sort of work, but with a very
satisfactory income for maintenance
should like to recommend that ar
experienced field worker district sup
erintendenD be engaged to do this
work and to escort our wards to new
homes, and to be on the watch fol-
needy children everywhere. The worl
is necessary and must be done regard
less of expense.
Juvenile Court Law.
Under the operation of the iuvenil,
court law passed by the last legisla.
ture, board of visitors is to be ap.
, pointed in each county by the distric
judges, to be composed of three mer
and three women who shall serv,
without remuneration, and who ar,
; and expected to take cognizance of al
, dependent children in institutions
: children's homes, and who are expected
to visit such places where dependen
: children are kept, either temporarily
: or permanently.
: 1t is as yet too early to know how
well board of that size, who are no
; on salary will do their work. 1t 4.
presumed that our district judges will
appoint to such duty people of wei
; known philanthropic tendencies and O
good discretion. II so their work viii
J be Of great value to this society. Will,
not all our children are in rich homes
we court the fullest Investigation o
: our work and of the homes where ou
children are placed. We need, how
ever, to personally see these homes
; and whether they are neat. the peopl,
, intelligent and kind in their treatmen
of our wards. and If found necessary
remove them to more compatible sur
roundings.
, The juvenile court bill-much chang.
, ed from it's original form-was passes
J and is now in operation. 1t is destined
} to work great change in the manne
Of obtaining possession Of dependen
children. and will avoid much litiga
, ton, as under 1t all children takei
under its provisions will be on a cour
. order, and with a county board o
visitors to report all needy cases t,
. the juvenile court, societies like our
will no doubt come into possession o
many more children. There are SOM
J features of the bill not yet thorough!
: understood by us which may prove UNI
desirable, particularly If the name
and location of children placed are t,
: be known to six members of eacl
J county board of visitors The Illinois
J law on which this measure is base,
makes 1t punishable offense for an,
court officer to reveal the name an,
] whereabouts of a child after it /
/, placed This would surely lead to tn