The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-22
BIG ONES WILL
AID LITTLE ONES
Governor Mann, Former Gov.
Montague and Others to
Help Children
WELFARE CONFERENCE
OPENS MONDAY NIGHT
Purposes of Assembly for Dis
cussion of Child Prob
lens Explained by
DR.. J. T. Mastin

A noble and nota bic movement
the campaign of the people of Vir-
ginia In the Interest OF children
which long has been under way, will
be given impetus Monday night when
the Child Welfare Conference" I'M
| der the auspices of the State Board
OF Charities and Corrections formally
/ will be opened In the auditorium of
/ the John Marshall High School.
! Probably the most important as
semhly of the kind ever held within
the boundaries Of the old Dominion,
! the COM ference will be attended by
prominent workers for the welfare OF
children from all sections Of the
! country.
| Invitations have been extended TO
the public and persons in all classes
of society who love and wish to aid
/ the little ones' have not only been
asked to attend, but urged to be pres
fa.t. Because OF the prominence of
/ the speakers and the vital questions
which Will be discussed, it Is believed
the auditorium will be crowded.
| AT o'clock the initial meeting Will
| be opened with a song by the High
School chorus, which will be followed
| by the invocation by Rev. :. G. Hatch
/ er. u. u DR. Il. X. Flanagan, presi-
dent Of the State Board OF Charities
and Corrections will deliver the intro
duetory address.
Governor to Speak.
Governor Mann Will deliver an ad-
dress OF welcome. and then DR.. II. II.
Hart, director OF the child helping de-
partment Of the Russell Sage founda-
/ ton of New York, viii speak on The
Child and the Nation" The meeting
Will be closed with an address by
/ former Governor Montague on Wiz
ginia and Her Children,
on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs
day day sessions will be held in the
Virginia Mechanics Institute. where
the headquarters OF the conference
we're opened Monday morning An
afternoon and evening meeting in the
interest of work among negroes Will
be held Thursday In the First Bap-
i list church. colored.
Columns have been written in es-
] PLANTATION Of the purposes of the con-
ference, but the most concise recital
of the objects Of the child workers
has been set forth by Rev. ] T. Mas
tin. secretary Of the State Board of
Charities and Corrections, who an
swers the question. Why Is Child
Welfare Conference He says:
Why Is IT.
Why Ia a Child Welfare Confer
ence E. We answer FIRST. Last wear
/ there were l'e42 children under six :
. teen years old brought before the
courts in the city OF Richmond. There
is no house or detention provided for
these children, consequently they
must. If found guilty. be, under a
/ strict construction OF the law. com
miited to Jail In the negro reform
/ atory there are 10 inmates In the
Laurel Industrial School there are
zoo. in the Virginia Home and In
dustrial School for Girls there are rs !;
| total. IS In thss saffiss proportion
/ there would be about 1900 delinquent
children at least in the cities of Vir-
| GINA, not to speak of those brought
! before the courts in the country dis
/ tricts. We provide for only about
| 400. What becomes of the others =?
/ We want this conference to consider
i the question what can be done with
| the other $500 and how to prevent
| the increase of delinquency in the
! State.
Second There are at leas, 900
| distinctly feeble minded people In the
State leaving out the high-grade i'm
! beetles Many of these are homeless
and friendless. The number or phv-
sically and mentally defective chill
| dren in Virginia is increasing There
| is bat one institution for the care of
| feeble minded in Virginia, and this
cares for but about seventy. There
Is not In the State, except the aims
houses. an institution that will care
for the feeble minded free OF charge.
,lany A.
| defective children and how we shall
prevent the increase of feehle-minded-
ness Is a burning question for us.
One-Fourth Die First Year.
Third. There We're reported last
| year to the board OF health Of the
city of Richmond 2.734 births and
s23 deaths of infants under one year
| old. That Is to say. that about rs
| per cent. of the children born In the
city of Richmond last year died In
infancy. The conference viii raise
the question. What shall we do to
prevent infant mortality
| Fourth. There are 2g.oH5 childre,.
Of school age In the city Of Richmond
and 23.o56 enrolled in the public and
private schools. and enrolment does
not mean regular attendance. II this
| La SO In Richmond. think of smaller
places and rural districts that have
not our modern school system. Com
pulsory education enforced With good
truancy officers is necessary to equip
q cfrflrf For fasure usefulness Moth
| Ing IL being done for the laggards in
our schools. These children try the
temper and wear out the usefulness OF
teachers. become discouraged and
leave school early, drift into truancy
and delinquency. Medical and mental
| Inspection of schools and special
Glasses for backward children are
greatly needed.
Thousands Destitute.
Fifth. There are 10000 children in
Virginia In more or less destitute cir
cumstances About 1000 are being
provided for In institutions and s57
are placed out In free family homes,
subject to visitation by the State
Board of Charities and Correction
| What shall become Of, the rest of
these children? Shall they grow up
] in poverty and In bad surroundings,
iContiuuod on Seventh pnse1