The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-05-28

plorable Conditions in This State
Massachusetts State President One
of the Speakers.
With program covering wide va
riety of subjects pertaining to the or
CARNATIONS represented and with Off
GERS of the national society, an instruc-
tor from Westfeld, Mass, training
school, secretary Of the state board of
charities and probation. as well as sew
eral local persons on the list of speak
ers, the seventh annual conference of
the Vermont branch of the National
Congress of Mothers and Parent Teach
er associations closed its sessions at
II O. clock today in the Unitarian par
ish house. There were three meetings
filed with inspiration and enthusiasm
looking to the betterment of condi-
tions in the home and school life of
the boys and girls. Mrs. Frank ". Pier
of Brattleboro presided and was re-
ELECTED president.
Although the number of delegates
was rot as large as had been expected
by some, 81 representatives were pres
ent from II associations in the various
parts of the state The conference
opened ut 2.30 clock yesterday aft
ernoon with about 40 in attendance,
while the evening session, which opened
at 7.45 in the high school room, drew
an audience of more than a hundred,
including delegates. teachers and in
terested fathers and mothers. This
mornings session vsas opened in the
Unitarian parish house at 9 o'clock, and
while there were brief talks, and adj
dress by Captain F. w Gibson, there
was more routine work, including the
! reports of state officers. election of Off
! GERS and an informal conference.
After the board meeting Of state
officers at go O'Clock delegates reg
! stered and at 3 o clock Miss Rather
! inc Dennlng. B. II. S. 10, sang group
of songs and Rev. f. @. S. Osgood
| chairman of the prudential committee
of school district No. ,. made a briet
| address in welcoming the delegates.
Mrs. Frank w Pier of this town
president of the Vermont branch. ther
/ introduced Secretary w H. Jeffrey OF
| the Vermont branch OF charities ant
probation. In his opening remarks tho
speaker referred to the ease of Ethe
| Adams. 9. delinquent Brattleborc
child. and stated that lie had visited
..your bad poor house, saving HI
found ali but one of the beds to con
| tain vermin, but he did not dwell a
length upon those subjects.
Turning then to the work of his de
/ partment, he said that a new depart
ment of government always is inter
esting, particularly if it has to d,
with human welfare, and told of tn
reference which someone has made t.
the board of charities and probation a
" the heartthrob of Vermont, as TIL
department which comes into close con
tact and intimate relationship with tn
less fortunate in society.
The board receives annually NOR
than 500 persons as parolers and pro
bationers, and here the speaker explain
ed the difference between the two class
es and said that at the present tim
the board has All probationers, VIII
have been found guilty of nearly ever
crime known to our statutes, and 90
who have been released from prison
are parolers, making total of 6l
persons turned over to the board il
stead of being continued in confint
{ ment in prisons, while there are les
than 200 persons in the two penal il
stitutions. Included in this number al
those committing every form of offens
9 from operating an automobile without
:. license to murder i'll the first degre
: There are Is for forgery, 40 for bur;
! larry, 40 for non-support, 90 for larcen
. IL for assault, 50 for breach of peac
six for assault with intent to kill,
= for manslaughter, nine for murder
the second degree and two for murd
: in the first degree. The work of Il
: board has been so successful that Il
last legislature authorized the sale
. the house of correction.
= Mr.. Jeffrey said that if the Gil pc
;, sons under the care of the board hf
continued their court sentences in Il
house of correction or the state prist
: they would have cost the state, in a
dition to their earning power in pr
| on. more than s. 200 a week, or $64, %
| annually. and that during the past
| months they have paid into the depa1
ment for restitution, fines, costs al
| support, more than $4,000 and in ado
| tion have maintained their famili,
| The average weekly wage earned
| the probationers and parolers amour
to nearly $4,000 or more than $50
| 600 annually.
In speaking of the duty of the boa
to investigate all complaints rega1
ing the care of the poor of the sta