The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-01-31
Bureau of Social Hygiene
Fighting White Slave Traffic
A GREAT WORLD PROBLEM
The Organization Made Permanent
Because Temporary Activities Of
Former investigating Bodies
Did Not Alarm Traffickers.

Is not OF the temporary and hysterical
kind, but one organized TO carry on
the warfare continuously from genera
tion 10 generation, is made plain by
the following statement issued for
publication by John ID. Rockefeller, Jr:
The Bureau OF Social Hygiene came
into existence about two years ago, as
a result OF the work OF the Special
Grand Jury appointed to Investigate
the white slave traffic In New York
City, which served during the first
half OF the year 1910. One of the
recommendations made by IL in the
presentment handed up at the termi-
nation OF its labors was that a public
commission be appointed TO study the
social evil. The foreman OF that body
subsequently gave careful considera-
tion TO the character of the work
which might properly be done by such
a commission and the limitations un-
der which IL would operate. In this
connection, separate, personal confer
ences were held with over "a hundged
leading men and women in the city,
among whom were lawyers, physi-
clans, business men, bank presidents.
presidents OF commercial organiza-
tions, clergymen, settlement workers,
social workers, labor leaders and re-
formers. These conferences devel-
oped the feeling that a public com
mission would labor under a number
OF disadvantages, such as the fact that
A. -. ha,
would be done publicly; that at best
Ii could hardly do more than present
recommendations. The conviction also
grew that the main reason why more
permanent results had not been OBJ
tained by the various organizations
which had dealt with the subject OF
the social evil during the past ten or
fifteen years was that most OF them
were temporary. While active, they
materially improved the situation, but
as their efforts were relaxed, there
came the inevitable return TO much
the same conditions as before. The
forces of evil are never greatly alarm.
ed at the organization of investigating
or reform bodies. for they know that
they are generally composed Of busy
people. who cannot turn aside from
their own affairs for any great length
of time 10 carry on reforms, and that
sooner or later their efforts will cease,
and the patient denizens of the under
world and their eXploiters can then
reappear and continue the traffic as
formerly.
So the conviction grew that In order
10 make a real and lasting improve.
ment In conditions, n permanent or
ganization should be created, the con
tnuation OF which would not be de-
pendent upon temporary wave of re-
form, nor upon the life of any man or
group OF men, but which would go on,
generation after generation, continu-
ously making warfare against the
forces of evil II also appeared that
n private organization would have,
among other advantages, certain
freedom from publicity and from pOit
ical bias. which a publicly appointed
commission could not so easily avoid
Therefore. as the initial step, in the
Hygiene was formed. It's present
members are Miss Katherine Bemeut
Davis, Superintendent of the New
York State Reformatory for Women at
Bedford Hills, New York; Paul w.
Warburg, of the firm OF Kuhn, Loeb &
Company; Starr J. Murphy, of the
New York Bar; and John ID. Rookie.
feller. Jr As the work develops. new
members may be added.
One OF the first things undertaken
by the Bureau was the establishment
at Bedford Hills. adjacent to the Re-
formatory. of n Laboratory Of Social
Hygiene. under Miss Davis's direction.
In this laboratory IL is proposed TO
study from the physical, mental. So
cal and moral side each person com
mitted 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,
ne may be required When the dag
moths is completed II is hoped that the
laboratory will be In position TO recon-
mend the treatment most likely TO re-
form the individual. or. II reformation
Is impossible. TO recommend perman-
eut custodisl care. Furthermore,
reaching out beyond the individuals
involved. Il is believed that thus i'm.
portant contributions may be made TO
a fuller knowledge Of the conditions
ultimately responsible for vice. II
this experiment is successful. the
principle may prove applicable TO all
classes OF criminals and the condi.
tions precedent 10 crime. and lead 10
lines OF action not only more scientific
and humane but also less wasteful
than those at present followed
In entering upon It's lsbors. the Bu-
reau regarded Il Of fundamental inn
rortance 20 make careful study Of
the social evil in this country and in
Europe. feeling that this problem. like
any other great and difficult ore. can
'e intell'rently approached only by
,eans cf thorough and complete
nowledge OF all the factors involved.