Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-16
BOUND CHILDREN
REPORT DISCUSSED
Many Interested in Reading of
Miss Jessie Logie's Statement
on State Survey.

AZ meeting held by the Children s
Bureau Of Delaware in courtroom No. ],
County Building, yesterday afternoon.
and over which Chancellor Charles Nj.
Curtis presided, 100 persons listered in
tently while Miss Jessie Logic read re-
port of the recent survey of children
placed in Delaware homes by out-of-thc
state agencies, q synopsis of which Every
Evening published yesterday. One and
one-haf hour. were required for the read
ing Of the report, and half an hour was
gwen for discussion.
X. l.. Neill, an agent Of the Childrens
Aid Society of New York, which has
placed some children in Delaware homes,
criticised the report, saying it's tone was
too sentimental and pessimistic. He stat
ed the New York society has sent child
rem TO Delaware for IS years and is the
only child-placing Organization willing
TO bond. He declared children's welfare
work in Delaware is . ''sidcshow com
pared with such work in New York and
out West. He said all the children sent
from New York to Delaware are visited
by an agent of the New York society at
least twice year and sometimes more
frequently. He thought charge OF food
and overeatirg had bad effect on some
Of the placed-out children. Reternrg to
the murder Of Kent county farmer 10y
Negro boy, he stated tho boy remarked
two weeks before committing the crime
that he had a good homo and WAS happy
and the farmer declared two days before
the murder that the boy was the best in
Delaware He said all the suggestiors
made in the report had been adopted by
the New York society. most of them five
years ago.
George Newcomb Of Arden, who pro-
vides a home for some children sent to
Delaware 10y tho Juvenile Society Of
Philadelphia, stated the report cited nj
the worst cases and omitted MANY good
cases. He declared some placed-out child
ren that were suh-normal had improved
lie announced that an agent of the l'hila
delpma society visits placed-ou children
once n month,
Richard Mackenzie. executive score
tary - the State Board of Charities whose
annual appropriation Is 81 900 estimated
that the board would need $4,000 ad
ditional TO oct As guardian of placed
children.
J Frank Ball asked Mr. Mackenzie
how many employees the board has
Mrs Mackenzie replied that its staff
consists of himself and the Office secretary
A. r. Spaid, state commissioner of
education. said the worst had not been
told and Il outside agencies insisted on
tcnding children to Delaware something
must be done He announced that tn,
state Board Of Education is Interested
solely because the placed-out chldren at
tend school and declared they are brought
TO Delaware contrary TO law If a child
works from 10 ) o'clock IN the morning
until night, has child slavery Disappeared
he asked If children are not gwen time
for recreation, he thought Delaware needs
missionaries.
No action was taken on the report read
by Miss Logic.
PENNSYLVANIA TNTERFSTED.
Philadelphia. Dec Is As ono Of the
Consequences of the report on child labor
on Delaware farms, q determined effort
is to be made by the associated child vel
fare organizations Of Pennsylvania 10
abolish the binding out practice and 20
provide for frequent adequate nspcc-
ton of every home into which a depend
ent child shall hereafter be sent
81 far as the sending Of Philadelphia
children INTO Delaware Is concerned
thc practice virtually came to an end four
YEARS ago.
!. Prentice Murphy. executive secre-
tarv Of the Childrens Bureau OF Pennsvl
vania. has summed up the situation IS
follows.
''The Delaware conditions revealed
IN Miss LOgies report show how we
supposedly civilized fathers and mothers
have 'doped' ourselves about this child
question. We have gone along thinking
and saving 'all's well with the world.
while neglected little ones were given over /
INTO virtual slavery.
The du Points in Delaware are dong
magnificent work IN remaklng social !
conditions down there. The state which i
was among the most backward Is well I
oa the WAY to lead all the others IN real, /
honest clear-scelng protection OF its weak (
ones We have nothing III this state to-
touch the magnificent organization that /
has been created In Wilmington to fight |
10 finish for real school code and for /
laws when will safeguard More than /
:, quarter Of million Of children through (
cut the country will be benefited indirect
lv bv that effort IN Delaware, and the /
report by Miss Logic which have read /
Will he one of the big factors in that up
heaval and reform"