Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-08
URGED THE CARE
OF THE CHILDREN
REV.J.W. GRAVES OF DIES MONIES
WOULD HAVE PUBLIC VEL
FARE BUREAUS.
REGAIN MADE PICTURES
Chalk Talks on Liquor and Taxation
Furnished Interest to Audience
at the Conventions Even-
ing Meeting.

Urging the caring for the child. the
| Inauguration Of public welfare bureau
and in no uncertain tones denouncine
| the present penal system in vogue
| throughout the country and especially
as it prevails in this state, Rev. J. w
Graves of the Calvary Baptist church
in Des Moines, talked for forty-five
minutes last night in the First M. E.
church. He was limited in his address
to that time in order to permit of
some chalk talks by Frank S. Regain
who brought home his arguments
against the use of liquor. and the per-
mission of it's sale in town by figures
quite eloquently illustrated the points
he sought to bring out. The service
was conducted under the auspices OF
and in connection with the Men and
Religion Forward Movement that is
now in convention in Ottumwa. The
saloon and liquor problem was promi'
nent throughout the entire service
and was assailed from various angles.
Des Moines Man Talks.
In his splendid address on Social
Service" the Des Moines minister ex-
planned what is meant by the term
social service" He made plain that
it was not matter of social nature
in the same kind as club and party
events, pink teas and the like, but
characterized 1t as applied Christian.
ity. He said that it was the taking of
the teachings Of the "old book" and
making them apply in all walks of
life. He said it was the message OF
John the Baptist whose gospel was
one of social service, and with the
coming Of Jesus, the Savior took up
where John the Baptist left off and
made the test of social service, ap-
piled to the fullest extent. The stand
ard, said he, must be found in the
"old book" in the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Mr. Graves then dwelt upon
how fast mankind has travelled in the
way Of civilization. He pictured the
advance from the days when the OK
cart was the vogue of carrying the
various freights and brought the pic
ture down to the present when auto
mobiles and airships are used.
Chlid's Welfare.
The same advance was shown in the
conduct of the various kinds of bust
ness and merchandising and also with
the farmer He then told Of the in
stance when Jesus placed little child
in the midst, and stated that mankind
today must place that little child in
the midst and not give their time to
poodle dogs, protective tariffs, etc.
The child must be the considera-
tion,' said he. I'VE have to stop do.
ing the way that we have been doing
if we are going to help the child. the
man or the woman, for our help to the
child is debt We owe society and his
rearing means the kind Of future so.
ciety We shall have. We should take
as good care Of the child as We do of
our pigs and other stock. We have
on our statute books plenty of laws,
many Of them that should never have !
ceen placed there. What We need is
a public welfare bureau alongside our
commercial associations and booster
clubs. People Of Ottumwa, have you |
had such bureau six months ago, q |
year, or five years ago, you would not |
face the fight that you face here to-
light. You would We able to conquer |
such fight or avoid it,
Want Vital Statistics.
He urged the welfare of the child |
md the inauguration Of public well
are bureau that would have that pur-
pose in view: that would show by !
charts how children live and grow to !
manhood and womanhood. Make the
bureau a headquarters for charities
md a clearing house for handling of
Ill charitable and philanthropic organ
cations in order to place the poor and
ndigent upon their teet,' he argued.
Mr. Graves criticised too much OF the
Investigation made by charity organ
cations into the various individual
,ases and cited an instance in Des
Noines where poor woman was
made a nervous wreck by this So
allied investigation. saying that it
,ould all be avoided by the clearing
louse method supplied where a well
are bureau is in force The juvenile
court and the child in the labor world
we're touched upon by the speaker
Who dwelt upon the necessity for
aw that would provide q means for