Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-04-18


and girls, finding either temporary or
permanent homes for them. where under
heiprui ana proper conditions we hope TO
materially assist In gaining for them
that place In life which would other
wise be denied.
January 1. 1918, the overseers Of the
poor reported that they we're giving
aid to 3,2S9 persons and that 1924 were
under sixteen years Of age. think
1t Is SAFE and conservative for me to
say TO you that 1 believe that there are
many Thousand children within our
borders that should be properly clas-
SIRED as dependent and neglected child
rem. 1t Is these little people that give
us our greatest concern. They are soon
70 become men and women assuming
their place among the responsible cit
,zenship OF our State. The making of
splendid men and noble women out Of
these unfortunate little ones is work
which challenges our bes. thought and
our sincere effort
vERMONTs GREATEST TASK.
/ believe this problem is vermont's
greatest single task and I believe that
our people will be only too glad to meet
these conditions In sane. wholesome
ana christian manner and give to the3e
dependent ones a square deal.
the Board of Charities and Prcta-
ton has now been organized more than
ten months. During that time many
serious problems have been presented
for our consideration. think I may
say TO you that from information gath
cred. the conditions in Vermont do not
materially differ from those found IN
the other older States. Here we are
meeting the accumulation of a century.
yet am lure that in a comparatively
short time. with the cooperation Of not
only those who arc charged with the
local administration OF our poor laws.
but the earnest efforts Of the general
public we 1hall re able to relieve a
very large part OF the want. disti ess
and neglect now apparent.
1 kEOw that you are Interested In
this great social problem, and that you
have como to learn something Of tho
ectual cor ditions which have been found
in our State. and I think you for thii
splendid opportunity to visit with YOU
and to tell you something of the worl.
which we are trying to do.
Mr.. Jeffrey then told in detail OF the
| conditions found during a single day
while investigating several complaints
from one of the large communities OF
! the State, and continued:
POOR PROBLEM ALWAYS PRESSING
| The poor problem is one that must al
ways be pressing for solution and should
| be given our earnest thought, and the un-
| fortunate that consideration and care
| which we are taught that humanity
| should give. 1t has ever been and must
| always be the duty of society to we'll and
properly care for the weak and the un-
fortunate. and unless those charged with
Y . H. ~~,tb -
broader and more humane basis than the
mere question Of dollars and cents. pau
perism will increase and a condition of
degeneracy and crime will follow, which
| in the ultimate must prove expensive and
| burdensome.
The other day there came to my official
| attention the case Of a woman and her
| Il children This woman was without
means Of support and was soon to become
the mother Of her 18th child. She was de-
pendent upon the public for support. Her
pitiful plight was evidently investigated
by the poor department in the community
in which she lived. She was given half
ton of coal per month. and 400 per week
for groceries. Divide this 800 between II
| persons, 10 Of whom were entitled to three
meals a day. or 294 meals for $500 or about
1-3 cents per meal. In these days of high
cost living, could proper nourishment be
bought in sufficient quantity, for four
cents per day per person?
In addition to the work which have
outlined. we are making a special effort
for the care Of that class Of children who
| are not only dependent and neglected. but
who are suffering for medical and sugical
care. We have already taken several
children suffering from disease or deform-
! ity to the hospital for treatment and have
several other cases under investigation.
I think I may say to you that the Board
Of Charities and Probation finds itself in
position to do much for these unfortunate
| little ones who through force of circum-
stances would otherwise be helpless.
| 1t Is great work that Vermont has
undertaken. A work which l am sure will
commend itself to our people. In this
age of big things, I believe this may be
F! justly regarded as one of the biggest
and best undertakings Of our State.
BURLINGTON NEEDS SOCIAL
WORKER.
Following Mr.. Jeffrey's talk there was
some discussion about what should be
! done to remedy conditions as he had
shown them. w. j. Van Patten said that
the conditions were exactly as bad as Mr..
jeffrey had stated them. and in some
places they were worse. He said that 1t
was time the State woke up to the fact
that the amount Of money they had APP
propriated would not begin to do the work
which should be done. He told how much
other States had done and said Vermont
should ask those States for advice. He
said that the work was truly worth while.
for often children are taken from very
bad conditions and after being given a
good education and the proper environ
ment turned out to be the best of citizens.
He said that II the public knew Of condi-
tons just as they were in the State they
probably would do something about
remedying them. I'VE were number ~. "
said Mr.. Van Patten. lin the list of States
to take up the work of State charities and
corrections and as there are only 4S States
and most OF the others are new States
we were pretty far down in the list
In closing the discussion Mr.. jeffrey
said the time had come not to preach but
to get out and do things. He suggested
that the women of Burlington go into the
slums OF the city and take home some
OF the children and clean them. up or II
they could not do that give money for
some one else to do It. He added that a
good social worker. one who is not sensa-
tional but one who will work patiently
and well. was just what Burlington
needed
MUCH SIJGAR MADE