The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-04-12

many of these people will never be
worked out by which the trouble may
able to see the end of an act when
they begin to commit it."
II imagine the writer had in mind
the cases where the head Of a family
must be hailed into court for non-sup-
port, and the unmarried mother cases.
"While I pondered over this critic
ism, Miss Howe, a field worker, came
to the county from Chicago in the in
terests of the Peace Time Program of
the Red Cross. Over and over again
she stressed the giving of relief out
right when necessary, yes, and doing
all possible to make better adjustment
between the individual and his en-
vironment; but always and always
, keeping the educational side before
people. The great aim as she saw it
was to get community pride to the
point where these regrettable things
would not happen, where COM
munity members simply would not
stand for the sacrifice of children.
We will all agree that this is some
thing that isn't coming in hurry but
with everlasting patience, and with a
big vision, it cannot hel p but grow in
the hearts and the minds of the peo-
pie.
eve must wake up to our respon-
sibility in regard to the spending of
leisure time, so many of our young
people in our villages have much idle
time which is spent most unwisely,
and so many on the farms work all
the time; either one causes trouble
sooner or later. Supervised play
either indoors or out-and music-you
know music makes a nation stronger
for work, for defence, for living.
People work better, are in better
health, are better comrades, and bet
ter citizens when there is a song in
their hearts. We must take these
plans for healthful recreation to our
most remote, and lonely rural neigh
borhoods. These are the places where
our worst cases of incest come from,
and we have some such cases right
here in Redwood county. When we
used to study sociology in school, I
was perfectly sure that all these
things only happened in big cities, or
up in the northern woods, but now I
have to think of the toll of I'M
married mothers from this county who
go every month to the maternity
hospitals in the cities. Only at our
last meeting Miss Colby, the repre-
sentative from the State Department
came asking for information about
a certain family for many years a
resident of Redwood county. She
calmly stated that it was the worst
case that had ever come to the at
And yet | should not wonder, in truth
evidence points to the fact, that there
were those in the community when the
trouble first began who rather sus-
picioned it. Now if there had been
a strong community conscience there,
with effective power behind it, the
whole thing could have been stopped
instead of dragging for about eight
years.
"The local child welfare boards
derive all their power from the State
Board of Control. The powers of the
State Board of Control are three-fold
in their character
1.-General protective nature-from
Children's own anti-social conduct
or from the harmful acts of
adults.
2.-To accept guardianship of handi-
capped children of all types.
3.-Specific duties in regard to par
ticular classes of children and in
situations for their care.
mo. 1. The general protective ma
tive of the state boards think of a |
little child placed for adoption. This
needs to be more than legal process.
People who wish to adopt child petit
tion State Board of Control, a worker
is sent out who makes investigation
and report to the court concerning the
the suitability of the child and foster
home to each other Then the child
must live in the home six months be-
fore adoption can be legally perfect
ed.
'sNo. 2. To accept guardianship of
handicapped children of all types.
Children are committed to guardian
ship of State Board of Control by
Juvenile Courts and they are then
placed permanently or temporarily as