New Ulm review., 1922-05-10
ACE OF DELINQUENTs NOW IS.
TEN.YEARs5 YOUNGER THAN
IN 1912.
INCREASING.
T so RAPIDLY STATE HOME
CANNOT HOUSE ALL

was held at the Armory in this city
Thursday, May 4, and extended over
morning, afternoon and evening ses-
sions. Mrs. Frank Murray, chair
man of the Renville County Child
Welfare Board, is the chairman OF. the
regional committee and it was she
who called the conference. Redwood
County was represented by Mrs.
Louise Clark, B. I. Shumaker and AL
bert H. Emerson, Sibley county by
Miss Martha F. Beatty and A.
fL. Olsen and Brown County by
Herman Polkow, Mrs. John G. Wool
drick, Mrs. Philip Liesch, Mrs. j.
c. Rothenburg, R. B. Kennedy, Judge
VIM. B. Mather and Co. Atty. w. T.
Eckstein. VIM. Hodson, director of
the Children's Bureau, Miss Caroline
Crosby, member of State Board of
Control, Miss Agnes Crowley, Miss
Yerxa and Miss Ruth Colby of the
Children's Bureau were the repre-
sentaIives of the State Boa.d.
To Secure Uniform Action.
| At the morning session Director
Hodson gave an extended talk upon
the aims of Regional Conferences.
The object of these conferences, as
explained by Mr.. Hodson, is. to- Sc
cure more united and uniform action
with respect to the needs of Child
Welfare work, in the hope of attaining
a, betterment of child welfare in the
many cases of delinquency which de-
mand the attention of the authorities.
The Illegitimacy Problem.
At the afternoon session, presided
over by Miss Beatty, county superin-
tendent Of Sibley County, Miss Yerxa
discussed the matter of unmarried
mothers, as disclosed by the records
in the office of the children's bureau.
Miss Yerxa explained that the bureau
is endeavoring to compile as nearly
perfect record of these unfortunates
as investigation will permit; to get
them properly employed in suitable
yocations or placed in appropriate
schools for their training in such handi-
craft as they show ability for; to secure
suitable care for the offspring and
subsequent placement in good homes
and to ascertain the underlying
Icauses which brought about the de-
tlinquency. She indicated multitude
lof causes which lead to the downfall
of the young. Dancing, joy-rides,
Ignorance, want, desire to possess
tfnery of all kinds headed the list of the
reasons assigned. Some ten years a.
go the average age Of delinquency was
set at 26; in the last three years it has
declined to 16.
Marriage Laws Inefficient.
/ Miss Agnes Crowly discussed the
subject of the feeble minded and the
community. The. number of feeble
minded is rapidly increasing, so much
so that many are. on the waiting list
to secure placement in the institution
at Faribault. Reference was made to
the evil underlying this increase, it be-
ing claimed that intermarriage of sub
normal persons being primarily the
cause. It was outlined that the com
tmunity conscience should awaken to
| the danger presented by this attitude
OF the public with respect to many
marriages. The law as it now exists,
fails to empower the authorities issu-
| ing marriage licenses to make the
lieedful investigation Of the competen-
cy OF the contracting parties, and
further prevents the authorities from
using their judgment as to whether q
License should be granted or denied
The next Legislature will be appealed
| to for the enactment of suitable e.
lmendments to the present law relat
fingst to the granting of marriage licenses
| to remedy defects pointed out. q
Parents At Fault. fl
Mr. C.. H. Mckenzie, county at
torney Of Sibley County, was to speal
on the topic Of enforcement Of law.
lrelating to children, but was unavoid
ably detained from the meeting
This subject was assigned to Count,
i Attorney Emerson, who Responded
with an interesting discourse. Per
sonally, Mr.. Emerson, disapproved d
the rigid application Of the provision:
of the law relating to juveniles. II
/ give them hearing and then place
i them on probation with their owl
I. people would be the first trial t,
4 be made, in the opinion Of Mr.. Ener
|son. In the cases coming under hi
observation the results have Away,
i been satisfactory The parentl
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