The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-05


terday. there were two very interesting
speakers. In the forenoon, Miss Mar
garet Mcknight, registered nurse, gave
a description of the health car which
is being sent out thru the state. Miss
Mcknight is the field secretary of the
Kansas Association for the Study and
Prevention of tuberculosis. She is a
Kansas girl, but has spent much of
her time studying in other states.
The car, which will leave Saturday
for trip over the state. is at present
in North Topeka. 1t is equipped and
sent out by the state board of health.
1t has been named by Doctor Crum-
bine for his son, Warren, who died in
China a short time ago.
In the car are demonstrations of the
state pure food and health laws. The
purpose in sending it is to demon
strate to the people all over the state
the perfect health system. There are
numerous posters illustrating the
causes and effects of contagion and
suggesting means for improving these
conditions. Miss Mcknight will leave
in the car Saturday
At the afternoon meeting, Mr.. l.. A.
Halbert, general superintendent of the
board of public welfare of Kansas
| City. made the talk. He spoke of the
fact that this country has good state
prisons but take the worst kind of
care of petty offenders. Cleveland, o.,
was the first city to have a municipal
prisons but takes the worst kind of
the prisoners of the city. Kansas City
| followed soon afterwards.
Eight or nine years ago the authori-
ties of Kansas City, with Mr.. Halbert
at the head, purchased farm on
which was an old house. They soon
enlarged the house until it would ac-
commodate forty people and took out
some of their most trusty prisoners.
! That first year the net value of the
labor was worth more than $4,000
] more than the expense of caring for
| the people housed. They started the
next summer to build a large barn,
| but decided to put barred windows in
| it and use it for a house. They then
| brought out sixty more of the prison.
ers. Later they put the second story
on the barn and moved the entire
| prison to the farm.
They added one industry after an
other until they had a shoe shop, 4
| laundry, repair shop, livery barn,
and kitchen and commissary depart
| ments, all managed by the prisoners.
In each business the man in charge is
| held responsible for everything which
| takes place there. For example, the
man running the kitchen and dining
room is charged with every expense
| and credited with 10 cents for every
meal eaten. and he makes a profit So
with all the other branches of the
great business enterprise which the
city prison has become.
Mr.. Halbert uses the civil service
system. The men are graded in ac-
cordance with the efficiency and econ
| omy with which each department is
run. They have strict discipline.
When they first arrive they are given
| a physical examination and treatment
if they need it. They have regular
and suitable hours and almost always
gain in weight under these conditions.
They are all placed in the first grade
when they arrive and if they conduct
| themselves properly they may stay
there Their only rewards for good
| behavior are good times and privileges.
| These are taken away on misbehavior.
1t is not often that any of them have
| to be locked up and corporal punish
men is never inflicted.
X x x
The Junior Prom of Kansas univer-
| sity will take place this evening in
Thomas gymnasium on the campus.
| 1t is the only dancing party permitted
| in the gymnasium during the year.
| The managers have conspired together
to make this the "classiest party
ever given at *. IT," according to the
university paper. They will have Jack
Rileys ten-piece orchestra from the
Pompeiian room of the Baltimore no
tel of Kansas City. The paper de-
scribes this orchestra the best
dance orchestra in the middle west
We quote this with due apologies to
i
The "gastronomic entertainment" of
the evening will be a four course din
ner and the crowd will be served in
different groups during the dances.
There will be cabaret dancers from the
Muehlebach and Baltimore hotels of
| Kansas City.
! Topeka girls who have gone down
for the Prom are Miss Helen Lucas,
Miss Georgia Neese and Miss Mary
Burnett.
The sophomore class of Washburn
will be entertained this evening at the
Alpha Phi sorority house.
X
The Epsilon chapter of the Theta
Sigma Phi, honorary journalism sor-
| ority, will give a banquet in honor of
it's new members on the evening of
January l. 3, at the Alpha Chi Omega
sorority house.
Miss Bertha Hampstead has been
asked to be present and respond to a
toast telling some of her newspaper
experiences.
The class of June, 1917, of the To-
peka high school, issued invitations
! today for reception which they will
give Friday evening, January IL, at
| the high school gymnasium.
/ X X X
| Charles F. Scott. of lola, will de-
liver his lecture on Mexico next
Thursday evening at the high school
auditorium. This entertainment is
given for the members of the Wom-
ans club and their friends by the
education committee of which Mrs
w A. McCarter is chairman and the
social committee with Mrs. George w.
Parkhurst as chairman Each MEM
| Der may ask two guests and there
will also be number of other clubs
of the city invited to be present
| The patronesses for the entertain
/ ment are the members of the board
of managers. They are Mrs S S.
Beggs, Mrs. w. A. McCarter, Mrs A
A. Marburg, Mrs. D. L. McEachron,
Mrs. Charles Dillon, Mrs. J. F. Jar