The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-11-02
DIR. LAPP GIVES FINE. ADDRESS ON
 SOCIAL OPTIMISM

''sociaa Optimism" was the topic of a very interesting and helpful lecture given last evening at St. AuguStine'S hall by Dr. John A. Lapp under the auspices of the Catholic Community House. Dr. Lapp is head of the tional Catholic Welfare. Council whose primary aim is Americaniza- ton.
 pr. Lapp pointed out that fifteen years ago there were no child labor laws, chfldpen 8, and 10 years old being allowed to work in mines and factories from e--te 12 hours a day; there was not @ single state that had workmen's compensation law; there was no protective legislation; there was not a single state mothers pen sion law; there was no hope that either prohibition or woman suffrage would ever become actuaNtieS within the lifetime of anyone then living.
 'What have we today?" asked the speaker. There is a child labor law in every state in the union with one national child labor law. Forty-three states have enacted workmen's com- pensation laws, providing that the workman injured or diseased shall ness and be provided with the medi- cal care he needs Some Of the statas, such as Connecticut, Massa- chuseatts and Ohio, have gone very H. Forty-six states now have mothers pension law of some sort. A few of these stla,tes have developed this provision so that now the pension is really adequate. Some have gone further and developed form of so- cial insurance which covers the needs Of the widow.
 Prohibition and woman suffrage are now accomplished facts. It is diffi- cult to estimate the good that will re- suit from these two great steps to- ward better social life. From wom- an suffrage Dr. Lapp expects great things
 Another very hopeful sign is the recent development of great educa- tional movements fo the preservatlon on of human life, such as the safety paigns for spreading information in regard to cancer and tuberculosis, the infant welfare movement.
 present day life that gives me any reason for being pessimistic," said Dr. Lapp, "and that is the sublety and power of propaganda when money and means combine to spread a false idea or a false impression" First, in regard to the supposed crime wave which has been described as sweeping the country. Police statls. tics do not show any increase of crime. It is the liquor. interests which spread abroad the impression that prohibition would bring about a crime-wave who are using all the money at their disposal to feed the public with the idea that crime is on the increase. Secondly, the Ncur- rent publicity in regard to the blue laws was discussed.
 ''We must not allow ourselves to be directed by poisoned publicity" said Dr. Lapp. ''We must learn to discriminate between truth and un- truth. Despite occasional failures and despite many concrete instances of crime and abuse. the great stream of civilization is advancing steadily
 This inspiring lecture was the sec ond in the courseN of lectures being given under the auspices of the Cath lolic Community House. Rev. John H. Dandry, director, presided. Pre- ceding the lecture there was a brief address by Father Landry in com memoration of Mrs. Henry Lee, who died yesterday morning, and who had been one of the most ardent sup porters of the Catholic Charitable Bureau and of the Catholic Commun- ity House ever since the organization of the bureau in 1918.