New Britain herald., 1918-04-22
Institutions Aim
 To Improve Inmates

The opening session of the confer ence took place yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock in the auditorium of the TEceum theater with a gOodly aS- semhlage present. William c. Hun eerford of this city. president of the conference, acted as chairman and Rev. John T. Winters, pastor of St. Marys church and himself a vice president of the conference, gave the invocation and at the close of the program Rev. Warren F. Cook, pas tor of the Meth hodist church, gave the benediction. Music was furnished by the High school orchestra and Fred erick w. Latham sang keep the Home Fires Burning" Facts pertin- ent with modern ideas of sociology, charities and corrections were brought out by the various speakers
 chief among which was the state nlent by Dr. Peter Roberts that American people must do their part towards Americanizing their large alien population but at the same time he favored making naturalization more strict and cautious. pr. Thomas Quinn Beesley, speaking for the Red Cross, told of the Home Service work and implored his listeners to assist in order that the social standards of this country may not decay. Tn this con- nection he said that Germany is to- day perilously close to losing the war for this reason. Charles H. John son, former warden at Cheshire, also spoke contrasting the present day method of penal institution manage ment, as we'll as other public institu- lions, to that in vogue years ago.
 Although Dr. Reesley was sched- uled as the first speaker, he did not arrive until late, having made mis- take and left his train at New Haven. Mir Johnson, who is at present su- perintendent of the New York State Board of Charities at Albany, repre- sented the Methodist Northwest con- ference and declared that in helping the poor and assisting in the uplift of humanity the worker does just as much a true Christian work as the preacher in the pulpit 'These peo- ples are the servants of a most high God" he declared. He also said that the basic foundation of charities and corrections is to save the child, de- claring that modern charitable estab- lishrnents have for their ideal the salvation of the children upon which rests the future of the nation and the world The old method of charities. Mir. Johnson Safd was the more lntl- mate, neighborly and sympathetic yisitations of individuals Today the modern system js more scientific, but 1t does not quench the spirit of love and on the other hand makes the work more efficient and of more real value. In the old days of correction MT. Johnson said that rcys in the re- form school had their hair clipped, wore Lriforms were oftimes shack led and ill-treated. Today the sys- tenn is different and they live under the cottage system. They live in groups under competent supervision, out in the open where they can get close to the soil, where they can learn and have advantages which will tend to make them grow up into useful men, Orphan asylums are also changed from uniformed institutions of routine to places where the un- fortunates are given every possible opportunity to have happy child hood and grow up into useful men Eaad women. Tho insane asylums