Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-01-25
VERM0NT'S WORK
FOR UNF0RTUNATES
Probation Officer Jeffrey Tells Of
the Important Results
Children Living in Filthy and Degrad-
ing Homes Helped and Some Sent to
State Institutions

LILY I1Oulto I1elpSu anu colue OcHt W
State institutions.
One of the features of the
third annual Vermont conference of
charities and corrections which opened
in Rutland Wednesday was the adj
dress by William II. jeffrey, secretary
of the Vermont board of charities and
probation and state probation officer.
He reviewed many distressing cases
which have come to his attention in
his official work, both in families in
poorhouses and in one Russian-Greek
orphanage in Windsor county. Some of
his statements were in the form of pitt
full stories of privation and suffering.
The following is summary of his re-
port of the activities Of the board:
For the first six months of the exis.
tcnce of the board, we took under our
custody and care 81 children, and pro-
vided temporary or permanent homes
for them. Upon our petition, 10 chill
dren were sent to the Vermont Indus
trial school, seven to the state school
for feeble-minded at Brandon. Fifty
roorhouses have been inspected. In
several very serious conditions have
been found, which in nearly every in
stance have been relieved. A large
number Of places have been investi-
gated involving some 200 children, who
were living in homes so filthy and de-
grading as to seriously endanger their
future and in nearly every instance
the conditions have been corrected or
materially improved. We now have in
our files I'll cases of this class for in
vestigation.
On January l, 1918, the overseers of
the poor reported that they were Civ
ing aid to $3.50 persons, and that 1924
are under l6 years of age. Seventyfour
are feeble minded men, 90 are suffering
from venercal diseases, % from tubcr.
culosis and from epilepsy. These fig
ures cover 242 of the 246 cities and
towns of the states.
One OF the most serious problems
that confronts the board and one that
seems to seriously interfere with our
work, is the lack of provision for a
shelter or receiving home, a place to
which we may take children for the
cleaning up process when committed to
our custody, and where they remain
pending an investigation of applicants
who are offering a home. This is much
to be desired and in fact practically es
aential to the development of com
plete policy of child care and protec.
ton.
During the existence of the board we
have received many applications from
persons offering homes for children
which we have been wholly unable to
consider -beeause- we had mo children
available, in condition that would
warrant the state in placing them. l
q rrla.l en- 30 h.
movement is now under way which
promises a speedy solution of this prob
lem through the generosity of our peo-
pie.
When the present law was enacted
creating the board of charities and pro
baton it took over the work which was
being done by the probation commission
and the ii county probation officers.
On January !, 1913, we had 622 per-
sons out of prison on parole, or upon
probation by the courts,-G22 persons
who have been found guilty of some
crime and have been committed to the
care and custody Of this board with
the hope that We can materially assist
them in regaining an honorable place
In society and in becoming useful and
desirable citizens. That many of these
are feebleminded and a large number
defective there can be no doubt. Our
prisons, our reformatories, as well as
our almshouscs get a large number
from the Predetermined class and from
those who were dependent and neglect.
cd children.
So far as possible we study each
case carefully, and endeavor to render
such substantial positions, boarding
places, and give counsel and advice.
Hon. Eugene n. Foss, governor of
Massac husetts, at a session of the
American Prison association at Indian
arolis said: "Lct me add in all Sc.
robustness that the managers Of my own
shops and factories make a more eff
cient and intelligent sorting and recla.
nation of scrap metal than the laws
hive generally made of the living men
and women that have been thrown upon
the scrap heap of our jails and pris.
ona.
For the three fiscal years prior to the
enactment of this law. probation alone
cost Vermont $22,272.9S or $7,424.33 n
year, nearly as much as we are given
for the conducting of this department,
for poorhouse inspection, charitable in
stitution inspection, child care, and the
investigation of hundreds of complaints
which come to us.
The board Of charities and probation
is now scarcely eight months old. We
have had many problems to meet, we
have found many cases of feeble mind
cdnoss, and large number of families
whore the surroundings and conditions
We're so degrading and filthy as to