The Red Cloud chief., 1913-01-30
STUDIES THE PROBLEM
BUREAU OF SOCIAL HYGIENE IS
EXPLAINED.
John o. Rockefeller, Jr., Tells Of lts
OriQin, Work and Plans for the
Investigation Of Vice
Conditions.

the public might better understand
the Bureau Of Social Hygiene, John ID.
Rockefeller, Jr.. today gave out
statement explaining the origin. work
and plans of that institution. The
bureau, he said. came into existence
about two years ago az a result Of the
work of special grand jury ap-
pointed to investigate the white slave
traffic in New York city. This jury
recommended that a public commits
sion be appointed to study the social
evil.
Mr.. Rockefeller was foreman OF
that grand jury and he thereafter
gave the subject deep thought and
conferred with large number Of lead
ing men and women. "These confer
ences." says Mr.. Rockefeller. "devel-
oped the feeling that public commits
sion would labor under number OF
disadvantages, such as the fact that It
would be short lived: that its work
would be done publicly; that at best
It could hardly do more than present
recommendations. So the conviction
grew that in order to make real and
lasting improvement in conditions. a
permanent organization should be
created. the continuation of which
would not be dependent upon TEN.
porary wave Of reform. nor upon the
life Of any man or group of men. but
which would 20 on. generation after
generation. continuously making war.
fare against the forces Of evil. II also
appeared that a private organization
would have. among other advantages.
a certain freedom from publicity and
from political bias. which publicly
appointed commission would not 80
ieasily avoid.
Therefore. as the initial step. in
the winter Of 1911 the Bureau Of Social
Hygiene was formed. Its present
members are Miss Katharine Bement
Davis, superintendent OF the New
York state reformatory for women at
Bedford Hills. N. Y: Paul NJ War.
burg, Of the firm Of Kuhn. Loeb & Co.; (;
Starr ]. Murphy, OF the New York bar,
and John ID. Rockefeller. Jr As the
work develops new members may be
added.
zone Of the first things undertaken
by the bureau was the establishment
at Bedford Hills, adjacent to the re-
formatory, Of laboratory Of social
hygiene. under Miss Davis direction.
In this laboratory It Is proposed to
study from the physical. mental social
and moral side each person committed
to the reformatory. This study will
be carried on by experts and each
case will he kept under observation
for from three weeks to three months
as may be required When the dag
nosis Is completed, 1t is hoped that
the laboratory will be in position tc
recommend the treatment most likel,
to reform the individual. or, II refor
nation is impossible. to Recommend
permanent custodial care. Further
more, reaching out beyond the indi
vlduals involved, II Is believed tha
thus important contributions may b,
made to a fuller knowledge of the con
ditions ultimately responsible for vice
III this experiment is successful tn,
principle may prove applicable to al
| ~s~S'>' Va anu tuc COuul
tions precedent to crime. and lead I,
lines OF action not only more scien
tifc and humane, but also less waste
ful than those at present followed"
That It's work might be done inte'
.o~~>~~c>~~~~~>~~-~->~~~
says Dairy Interests Are Threatened
Lincoln.-That the welfare OF tn
dairy interests Of the United States
threatened by the activities OF tn
oleomargarine manufacturers who ar
attempting to get bills through COZ
gress that will permit the imitato
product to enter into competition wit
butter and to do away with the pre-
ent regulations governing the sale {
the packers product. was the stat,
ment OF Prof, G. l.. Mckay OF Ch
cago before the State Dairyman's a
'sociation at the university far,
! Thursday afternoon.