The Washington times., 1915-05-17
Former President of National
Conference Would See
Washington as Center of
Organized Work for Solu-
ton of Desperate Human
Problems.
Optimism Keynote of Con-
ference at Baltimore, with
Efficiency as Watchword
of Delegates Seeking to
Answer Call of Humanity.
BY FLORENCE E. YODER.

py LoNCINSE IL. 1oDEh.
~ PT1MISM is the keynote of
y session sss '9s',ssssns or ;1s ss;'on. s"1Ss cSa
ference of Charities and
Correction which Is being held In
Baltimore this week.
Despite the fact that the hundreds
Of workers have struggled all win
ter with the most desperate of hu-
man problems. despite the fact that
unemployment. carrying In its train
crime. poverty, and disease, has
complicated the affairs Of the nation
to a greater degree than ever before,
with deficiency" as the watchword,
organized charity, so often under
the ban of the displeasure OF the
layman. Is proving itself a factor
capable of not only palliating. but
curing the worst OF social evils.
Perhaps the secret Of the optimism
Is due to the fact that the faces OF
the workers are turned toward the
light. since the call of humanity has
been interpreted as meaning the ten
denoy to establish the normal. by
curative and positive instead of
negative means.
Efficiency In dealing with the dis
posal and correction of human life
Is administrated through the process
Of making the sub-normal and ab-
normal man normal. and of sur
rounding him with everything which
will tend to mako him a normal
being.
Give Curative Aid.
In no two ways Is this stronger
shown than in the treatment of tho
individual charities case and of tho
criminal. Where palliative aid is
formerly given. or doled out to the
suffering family. through case work,
the investigation and consideration
Of tho Individual aspects of a sub
ject curative aid Is now given. Tho
family is put on its feet. and an
effort made to keep 1t there. Every
possibly influence Of both environ
ment and caro- Is brought to bear in
the effort to make the family as a
unit. correspond to the norm.
In the case Of the criminal, like
methods are employed. Instead Of
oSSohtddtlHB tHc dpnOTEIlauty or tho
unfortunate. by placing him in sur
roundinss which are themselves alb
normal. his environment, as far as
possible. Is made normal.
This great yearly conference which
grew out Of tho conferences Of State
boards Of charities forty-one years
ago, embraces In its scope almost
every abnormal phase Of human life.
A recapitulation Of a few Of the
subjects taken up at the conference
by the leading authorities of tho
United States Will give some idea Of
the scope.
The list is taken from the published
list Of topics in the official program.
Unemployment. infant mortality,
taxation. illegitimaoy. child labor.
the care Of the feeble-minded. cpl
leptic. insane. criminal, and INDECENT
by the State and by private charity
and that is but a small number Of
the subjects. each Of which Is worthy
Of a separate convention Of its own!
At the time of the conference last
the chief problem of the next confer
ence would be the conside ration Of
immigration on account OF the war
ing Of the canal. but with the war,
this changed and the greatest prob
lem for consideration was one which
embraced not only unemployment,