The New York herald., 1922-05-12
STATE CHARITIES AID
ENDS HALF CENTURY
Celebrates Foundation by
Louisa Lee Schuyler in All
Day Session.
HAS CHANGED CONDITIONS
First Child 1t Sent for Adop-
ton Makes Address: Never
handicapped

The State Charities Aid Association
yesterday observed the fiftieth amt
versary of its founding by Miss Louisa
Lee Schuyler. The days program. end
ing last night with a dinner at the
Hotel Biltmore, reviewed the assocla-
tion's half century of accomplishment
and set the mark for future develop
ment of social service.
Homer Folks, who has been secretary
of the organiza ton for the last twenty
nine years, sketched the lines along
which the work will be carried, and
mentioned several definite objectives. IL
will be the aim of the association. ne
said to secure special classes for all
difficult and backward children in
schools to have clinics available in
every part of the State for those ap-
parently mentally disturbed or deficient;
TO do away with the remaining two
thirds of the volume of tuberculosis as IT
existed fifteen years ago and to bring
prompt and expert medical diagnosis
and treatment TO every sick and in
tured person in the State.
Mr.. Folks said the association dur
ing its fifty years of service had ac-
complished six revolutionary changes in
social conditions. He described these as
having been effected in the care of the
first training school for nurses at Belle
vue in 1872 in the care of the insane,
securing their removal from poorhousas
TO State hospitals; in the tuberculosis
situation in the care of dependent chill
dren in the care of homeless children,
by placing $500 of them in carefully
selected families. and in the passage or
y model public health law and a reor-
gsnzation of the State Health Depart
ment.
First Adopted Child.
The afternoon session was devoted
chiefly TO the subject of adopted chill
dren The first child the association
placed when it began this branch cs
its work twenty-four years ago, Miss
Marjorie Wendell. addressed the asso-
cation as a guest OF honor. she toIa
the story of her experience as All
adopted child. Being adopted she
said, "has never been a handicap to me-
either socially or in business Two
neighbors of ours were so favorably i'm
pressed with adoption that they botE
adopted little girls
The parents of children whom they
acquired through the association also
spoke at the afternoon session. Mrs.
Philip Thompson told how she and her
husband adopted first one child and then
JnOIneT, ana iiOW iOiioNiiS NNVPNiO'
OF the second child of her own was
born. "AlI three are equally dear to
me- she said.
Miss Sophie Van s. The.s, superin-
tendent of the associations child placing
agency, on the subject of How Our
Children Turn Out" said = "All of the
900 children placed by the association
who are now over is years of age are
competent, self-respecting citizens. There
are few brillian. personalities among
them but they have had a. an average
better education than the average
child of the community Many before
and after pictures were shown.
DR.. John H. Finley. chairman OF the
anniversary committee. presided at the
dinner. Among group of five minute
speakers were William j. Wallin. presi-
dent of the State Conference of Mayors;
Isaac Adler of Rochester. George +.
Garfield. president OF the association,
and the Rev Robert +. Keegan. secre-
tary for Catholic Charities of New York
Diocese.
Message From Hughes.
Secretary of State Hughes. the hon
orary chairman of the anniversary.
sent a congratulatory message in which
he said: "I desire TO emphasize by this
nersonal message my appreciation of
the lasting obligation of the people of
the State for your splendid reinforce
n,ent of its charitable enterprises"
Miss Schuyler. founder of the associa-
tion. was prevented by illness from at
tending.
s, DIR. Finley. as toastmaster, said:
"There is no appeal that charity makes
to human sensibilities more poignantly
expressive than the words. Help us give
n child a chance The state Charities
Aid Association has been making this
appeal for twenty-four years, and IL has
never gone unanswered.
ave sometimes wonder. because prog
ress in social work is so difficult or
seems at times entirely lacking. II II is
all worth while. Always there comes
some such answer as VIZ heard to-day
from the charming womanhood ard
wholesome manhood that has been de-
veloped from what we once knew as
helpless waits of the streets and tene-
ments.'
The speakers pointed out that the as
sociation does not consist merely of a
Headquarters in New York. but repre-
sents the work of 1900 citizens in all
parts of the State interested in health
and charities. with ffty-two countrywide
committees on public health, sixteen
agencies handling dependent children.
nine local committees working on mental
hygiene seventy-six visitors to State
Institutions. and a staff Of fifty-four ex-
perts In public health. child welfare and
social work.
Among those at the dinner were Miss
Georgina Schuyler. sister of the founder
James Speycr. c. y. Bliss Jr.. Felix NJ.
Warburg Edwin Gould, Oren Root.
George Haven Putnam. the Rev. DIR.
Charles l.. Slattery. Health Commits
Sioner Copeland, Stanley p. Davies and