The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-10
GOVERNOR HOOPER HEADS CONGRESS Local Woman on Executive
 Committee FORM ORGANIZATION Police Court System Decried by Speakers-Atlanta Man Speaks.
 on Loan Shark Business.
 Other Speeches

Nashville, May 9.-Gov. Ben W. Hooper of Tennessee, who originated the idea of holding a Southern Sociological congress, was tonight elected president of a per- manently organized Southern Sociological congress which will meet annually and discuss the problems confronted by lead- CTS in the uplift movement throughout the southern states. Dr. A. J. McKelway of Washington. D. C., was elected first vice president and Miss Kate Bernard of Oklahoma was designated as second vice president. Other officers will be selected later.
 W. Woods White of Atlanta delivered q stirring address tonight on the Money Shark Business, which attracted much attention. John M Glenn, secretary of the Russell Sage foundation, spoke on the necessity for co-ordination and CO., operation in all social work, and Dr. Charles s. MacFarland spoke of the part the church is taking in bettering condi- tions in the modern industries,
 Executive Committee
 The Southern Sociological congress also selected the following permanent execu- tive committee tonight:
 Alabama, Mrs. W. L. Murdock, Birming- ham; Arkansas, Prof c. H. Brocker; Dis trict of Columbia, Dr. Wickliffe Rose, Washington, D. C.; Florida, Prof. L. L. Bernard, Gainesville; Georgia, Woods White. Atlanta; Kentucky, Bernard Flex- ner Louisville; Louisiana, Miss Agnes Morris, Baton Rouge; Maryland, H. Wirt Steele, Baltimore; Mississippi, A. T. Sto- vall Okolona; Missouri, Prof. C. A. Ell wood, Columbia North Carolina, Clar- ence Poe. Raleigh Oklahoma, H. Huson, Oklahoma City; South Carolina, Judge J. Fl. Mccullough, Greenville; Tennessee, w R. Cole. Nashville; Texas, Prof. c. T. Potts, Austin, and Virginia, J. T. Marin, Richmond.
 The following chairmen of standing committees were also selected:
 Public health, pr. w. S. Rinkin of North Carolina; courts and prisons John H. Dewitt of Tennessee; child welfare, A. D. McKelway of District of Columbia: or ganized charities, J. II. Logan of Georgia: the negro problem, Dr. J. H. Dillard Of Louisiana; the church and social service, Dr. John A. Rice of Texas
 Decry Police Court System
 The police court system was severely arraigned this morning before the Southern Sociological congress by Phil lip Weltner of Atlanta, Ga, general secretary of the Prison association of Georgia He termed the whole system wild juggernaut, by which those prosper who ought to suffer. Police courts as at present administered are good for two things nowadays-in cash revenue and convict labor-he said. He declared the ordinary police court might be likened to a quack doctor dispensing a nostrum as from a good one equalling the supreme court. The dose of nausea depended on conditions, he declared. You might find in our southern police courts 15O cases tried every A hours, he declared. The judge is overworked he averred. The judge has only the arrest ing officer as his legal preoeptor, and this minion himself is part of the laws equip ment, the speaker concluded.
 MT Wetner advocated an effective sys- tenn of probation officers in this cause being increased.
 Deal With Individual
 Step dealing with the case and begin with the individual" MT. Wetner insisted.
 Prison reform was the germane sub- ject before the congress, and the speak CT treated the police court as the bottom round of the top of the ladder.
 The indeterminate sentence and the probation system" was the subject of Prof. c. s. Potts of the University of Texas. The indeterminate sentence theory. he said, based incarceration on an en- tirely differentiated ground from the doc Urine in vogue that the amount of guilt connected with each criminal act should be determined and punishment fixed ac- cordingly.
 Tt starts with the fundamental propo- sition," he said, that the criminal must be restrained because his conductor has proved him dangerous to society. Noth- ing but long period of instruction and training under the closest observation by experts in criminology can determine when he will be ready to return to so- cety. No prisoner should be released un- til he has learned some occupation or trade by which he can earn a living, and the prison management should find him employment and turn him over directly to a responsible employer for his junior service"
 Louis J. Bernhardt of Atlanta, Ga. gave the prisoners point of view. Prof. G. w. Dyer of Vanderbilt university discussed the purpose of Imprisonment. pr. w. M oates of Montgomery told of conditions in A Ia ha ma rapita1