The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-10-22

enveloped the worlds unfOrtunates
and have taken from them their own
power of readjustment. The call for
relief cannot be satisfactorily settled
by a grocery order The material side
of the problem has perhaps been met,
but the moral, physical and economic
forces are still there to make further
trouble at the least provocation. To
meet these difficulties may mean that
relief will be refused in some instances
or temporary relief may be given
while the client is asked to cooperate
with the Bureau in working out plan
for his rehabilitation. To work out
such plan as this requires a very
thorough and careful investigation on
the part of the social worker. 1t often
means a cooperation with and the
pressing into service of many other
outside agencies such as the Depart
ments of Health, Re-education, Child
Welfare, Mothers Pension, etc. This
is not contrary to the principles of
Christian charity, for Christ not only
fed the multitude when they were
hungry, but he cured many Of their
diseases, thus enabling them to take
their place in the ranks of self-respect-
ing, self-supporting society. Not in
frequently workers are met with op-
position from those whom they wish
to help. Heredity, lack of religious
training, sub-normality and personal
peculiarities all have to be reckoned
with, but tact and kindness on the
part of the agent usually lead the eli
ent to accept the plan proposed for
his own betterment
Cases covering some of the above
mentioned points are here cited from
the records of the Bureau:
/. Mr.. A. had tuberculosis. Through
his unwillingness to isolate himself he
infected six of his children, five of
whom died before the case came to
our attention. The sixth, who had
positive symptoms, was sent to the
City and County Hospital for treat
ment. Two other children, aged nine
and eleven, after an examination at
the tuberculosis Clinic of the Free
Medical Dispensary. were found to be
! lincipient cases. One was sent to the
Preventorium, but the other, because
of her age, had to go to the City and
| County Hospital. The father was
stubborn and most difficult to per
suade. He finally agreed to go to the
wife and fourteen-year-old son would
be cared for. A pension of twenty
dollars a month was secured from ar
endowed charitable organization. The
remainder of the budget was made uI
by other organizations. After the
family had been moved into small
house, the mother rested for couple
of months and then made plans tt
work for the support of herself ant
family.
H. Miss B., a hunchback girl
whose mother was in an asylum TO
the insane, and whose father was no
able to support her and her two young
er brothers because of poor health
was anxious to become self-support
ing in spite of her handicap. She wa
given a chance by the State Depart
ment of Re-education to study stenos
raphy at night school. A specials
WAS consulted in regard to her d.
formity. He advised her to go to a
orthopedic hospital for an operation
Her name is now on the waiting lis
In the, meantime her father went t
the City and County Hospital for a
! operation which restored him t
l health. The girl is continuing he
: business course and after her ope
y alton hopes to be able to aid her fathe
in the support of the family.
o Juvenile Court Department.
d Careful study of the cases comm
e into Juvenile Court discloses ID ths
). many truants become delinquents, 6
e that there is need of Community Wor
I. and (3) that there is need of Chi
d Placing.
s Cd Many truants become deli
(. quents. The child will remain o,
t. of school because of some disorder
e. other and thus in his idle momen
T. become an easy prey to bad compa1
,r To offset this the Bureau, during Il
K. last school year, organized in some
,e the parishes of the -city-not all
e them, for it was an experiment
,e number of truancy officers, recruits
e. largely from the Guild of Cathol
" Women. Each of these organization
eff had its chairman, whom the prfncip
e. of the school notified when a pupil wi
t. absent The chairman, in turn, sa
that AN investigation was made il
). mediately in the home of the chi
and the results of this Investigate,
" were then reported to the school.
~ this way there was a direct sconta
e established between the school a.
the home. One or two investigatio
IT. of this kind usually prevented rec,
renee of truancy. In some cases, no
lis ever, the visitor found problems
VS. the home with which she was not al
ed to deal, and which, if allowed to CT
ge tinue, would become serious. Cas-
)e- of this kind were renorted to the B,
m eau, thus enabling it to come in ct
to tact with the problem before it
~ came court case. AS to how ma
cases we're kept out of court in Il
way it is difficult to say, since no
cords of a previous year were av;
lel able,s but one of the schools in whi
ny the system was in operation c
'es month, and in which there had be
u ueu previously number of truancy cas-