New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-27
Work Not Sensational.


handling it which have been tried IN TINS
country and i'm Europe.
Work Not Sensational.
1T cannot be too strongly emphasize"
that the spirit which dominates the WORN
OF the bureau is not sensational or senu-
mental on hysterical' that 1t IS not
spirit of criticism OF public ofhciais' pu'
that it is essentially a spirit oi con-
structive suggestion and at deep ScIei'-
tire as well as humane. interest IN
great world problem
The Bureau of Social IiyGiene came INTO
existence about two years ago. az re-
suit of the work OF the special Srahu
Jury appointed 10 Investigate the 'Whlte
slave" traffic in New York city. when
served during the hrst half OF the year
1910 Speaking of the findings OF that
body, Mr.. Rockefeller says:
one ,r.thc recommendations made by il
iu the presentment handed up at the
termination Of It's labols was mat pup
iir commission he appointed I" STUDY me
social evil. The foreman Of lhdt DDuN
subsequently gave careful consideration TO
the character of the work Wnicn nlShl
properly uc done by sucn a ComimsSl2l,
and tine limitations under when IL NOVru
n
-Dn.I conferences were held win nor"
.lau "a hundred leading men ana women
.l the city. among Wuom were lawyers
.r1 SiCiauS business men. bank presidents,
residents of commercial organizations:
uI.rgymcu settlement workers. s'cIa!
workers labor leaders ana IclolnrIN.
These conferences developed the leeHHS
That q public commission would lapor uh-
,'.- humble" of Disadvantages. Such ~
-.e fact that ID would be short livtd; lhal
ifs work would bee done publicly; taat al
hest il could hardly do more thah preseh'
concentrations.
The conviction also grew that the main
.oa-ou why more permanent results uau
lot been obtained by the various ofNdil-
izations which had dealt with me sun
.a,t OF the social evil during the ldSt zen
ar TIr.eu wears was that most on th'n
were temporary. While acuEe. 'HtN H"d
t.riauv improved the situation. nut ~
rr.ir efforts were rela Xed there came tne
inevitable return 10 much the sam 'o,l-
oitiOus as before The forces ol cNl ere
never greatly alarmed AT the ORGANIZATION
off investigating or reform bodies Iui llel
know that they are generally coihpoat"
of busy people. who cannot turn asm.
rom their own affairs for any siea
length Of time to carry ON REFORMS am
that sooner or later thrli rno' ~ a..
underworld and their eNploiterS can u"
r,appear and continue the uafhc as 'o'-
merlv.
Warts Permanent Organization.
Mr. Rockefeller adds that in order 10
mike real and lasting Improvement IN
conditions "A permanent organization
should 1e created. the continuation OF
which would not be dependent upon
Temporary wave Of reform OF upon tne
life Of any man or group Of men, bu'
which would 60 ON. generation after gen
Grafton. continuously making warfare
against the forces OF evil
IT also appeared that private organ
ization would have. among other az
vantagcs." ne SAYS. "a certain freedom
from publicity and from political hias'
which a publicly appointed commission
could not so easily avoid. Therefore, -
the initial step i'm the winter Of 1911 the
bureau Of Social Hygiene was formed.
It's present members are Miss katharine
cement Davis. superintendent OF the New
York state Reformatory for Women at
Bedford Hills. y. Y; Paul NJ. Warburg
Of the firm of Kuhn. Loeb & Co. starr j.
Murphy. OF the New York bar and John
u Rockefeller. jr. As the work develops
rev. members may be added
Experts to Study Evil.
Speaking OF the first work Of the hu-
r.au. Mr. Rockefeller says:
one Of the first things undertaken by
the bureau was the establishment at Bed
ford Hills adjacent to the retOrmatOrN,
Of a laboratory of social hygiene, under
Miss Davis's direction. In this laboratory
% is proposed to study from the physical,
mental. social and moral side each person
committed 10 the reiOTmatorN. TINS study
win be- carried on by experts and each
Ia. OF observation
nom three weeks To three months. as
may be- required. When the diagnosis Is
completed. IL is hoped that the laboratory
will be I'm position To recommend the
treatment most likely to reform the in
dividual, or. If reformation l. impossible
go recommend permanent Custodlal care
Furthermore. reaching out beyond the IN
aiVidua'S involved IL l. believed that mus
important Contritut may be made TO
a fuller knowledge Of the conditions ulti-
-uatelv responsible for vice II this eN-
1crinltnt is successful. the principle may
prove applicable to all classes OF crml-
nails and the conditions precedent to
crime and lead to lines of action not
only more scientific and humane. but also
less wasteml than those AT present fol-
lowed.
The bureau considered II of fundamental
Importance 10 make a careful study Of
he social evil in this country and in
urOpe The survey conducted here by
Air Knceland has covered houses OF pros
ttutiOn. Baines law hotels disorderly
saloons. cafes and restaurants. massage
parlors. besides the personal histories of
two thousand prostitutes and the case
records for a year Of n great majority
the hospitals and dspensaries here
with view to asccrtaininS the preva-
lcYce OF venereal diseases and their ratio
90 ether diseases
nnOI r0OM pRISONER AEI n