The Press., 1912-05-22
STATE FEDERATION CONTINUED.


 spector in the Bridgeport schools, is finding some most interesting facts regarding the health of school chill dren, and from her large experience would no doubt be acceptable, and possibly available, for talks to clubs and schools on health topics. Co., operation in this work, for children and youths, will be of incalculable
 value to the coming generations. Let
 us remember that our clubs create
 public opinion, which is the forerun
 ner of reform"
 The session adjourned and eighty
 one guests went to the Methodist
 Episcopal church parlors, where the
 Ladies' Aid society served supper.
 At 7.3O p. m. Dr. G. Percival
 Bard gave an organ recital, after
 which Mrs. F. W. Gerard of Norwalk,
 chairman of the Conservation commit
 tee, gave the report of that subject.
 Progressive people sometimes assert
 that national thrift is bottled up by
 conservation. Conservation should
 be looked upon as moral issue, and
 it is our duty to so administer our resources that they benefit our chil
 dren and those who come after them.
 After nineteen years effort the Alp palachian mountain forests have been saved to the nation, and there is no reason why they should not have been long ago. This was brought about largely through the perseverance of the Federation and the American Forestry association, and as a pro- tection for the head waters of New England and the south seemed posi- lively necessary. We are told that for long time some western senators did not favor it, but they were re- minded how much the east has helped in conserving western interests. Prac- tically all of United States hard wood forests are in the Southern Ap- palachian mountains. The appropri- ation for care of forests was cut in half by both the house and senate. AS a result 75 forest rangers and 25 homesteaders lost their lives fighting fires and 12,OCO,O 900 acres were burned over. There is a great struggle going on in congress to see whether monopoly or the people shall acquire all water ways. Industrial life de- bends on conservation and Connecticut
 is in the front rank, with her laws for remission of taxes A committee
 has been appointed to investigate the tax on wood lands, and it would be just to the farmers to separate the land and timber taxes. Definite con- struction work is putting reservoir lands under forest protection, saving the song birds by refusing to wear their feathers, and a large step for ward was the defeating of the New York conspiracy to increase open season on wild fowl"
 Miss Norma l.. Weber, with a pleasing ezzo-sOprano voice of wide range, sang the Aria from Samson ct Deilla and Amour -Vieus Alder by O. Saint-Saens. Miss Mable French was the accompanist, both young ladies coming from Bridgeport.
 Mrs. Rienzi Robinson was not pres ent, so the Civil Service report was omitted.
 Mrs. Eva Macdonald Valesh, editor l of the American Club Woman, of New | York, delivered a stirring address on I pnfn scN rather of a gloomy subject, yet we might call it conservation of the con- vict or preserving the manhood of the | convict, though we reprove him. In former times the only thought was to publish the offender, now we try to help him. After nearly twenty years study of prisons and reformatories, I am convinced that society needs to the system from every side. We spend vast amounts on these in- yet we turn out thorough going criminals after incarceration. | We should keep prisoners at work, for a sentence to idleness would be a great torture, but work means not drudgery or slavery, but such labor as would employ the prisoner were he outside. But this is not what we are doing; we shut up offenders, then turn them over to contractors who use most cruel means to get every atom of work out of them. The public does not realize the enormity of the offense, and doubtless that is true of many of the contractors, for we are told that they are quite decent men in other ways. But it is bad system and should be abolished. Under the pretense of keeping convicts at work convict labor crept in. The making of shirts and shoes seem innocent enough, but the truth is conyicts turned over to contractors is a setting of the weak human beings under the stronger, and that always develops brutality. The Minnesota Harvester Trust abolished the contract system because competition at living wages was impossible. Missouri, feeling that when you incarcerate the father the family comes under charity, gives to the wife and each child ten dollars per month. The convicts work at fair wage for the state and this money supports his family. This is known as the state use system. has bad prison conditions, for in New Haven contractors may punish conVicts. Four years ago prison labor commission was formed. | Last year, of the 10, 96O persons con- victed in Connecticut, more than a half were for drunkenness The total seems large, but many states would never think of chasing their !