Evening star., 1923-05-17
SOCIAL WORKERS
THRONG OPENING
1900 Stand at First Session
of Fiftieth National
Conference.
FOLKS SHOWS UPTREMO
President Sketches Achievements
and Presents Foreign
Guests.
FOLKS SHOWS UPTREMD

Before an audience of $500 per-
sons. almost 1000 more than the seat
ing capacity of the Poll Theater. and
with 1900 standing outside. the Ma
tional Conference OF Social Work
opened its fiftieth session last night
with the largest attendance in It's
history. The platform was filled with
distinguished foreign guests and rep
resentative social workers Of the
United States, several of whom were
ex-presidents Of the conference.
Homer Folks OF New York city.
president of the conference for the
second time. presented the official
guests from foreign countries to
the conference and sketched briefly
the notable achievements of each.
They were Able Jean Violet of Paris.
France. editor, settlement worker and
leader or social work in France: Mile.
Annie Nouff1ard, director of hospital
social service of Paris: James Mallon.
mead of Toynbes Hall. London. Eng
land: Capt. Lionel F.. Ellis. executive
secretary. National Council of Social
Service, London, England; DR.. Lud-
Wik Rajchman. director of the health
division. league of nations. and DR..
Alice Salomon, director of Berlin
Training School for Social Workers.
Berlin. DR.. Rene Sand OF Belgium
was delayed in his arrival.
International Aspect.
The conference took on an inter-
national aspect Immediately. for in
addition to these official guests, who
are to address the conference during
the week on their own specially in
social work. there were unofficial
representatives on the platform from
many other foreign countries.
The conditions of life in America
have improved vastly more than is
ordinarily known: the standards of
living have risen everywhere: educa-
ton is more general and more prac-
more useful and live longer and the
slums have gone. President Folks de-
clared.
But. Mr.. Folks added. I'VE are only
at the threshold of constructive
achievements In human welfare. BY
applying what we now know. by
using tried and tested methods. by
doing on a larger scale what we are
now doing successfully In a small
way, and by shifting our chief devo-
or prevention. the average human life
can be made not only longer. but
better. and community life, as we'll
as individual life. will realize benefits
which it Is now beyond our power
to express.
Key to Success.
In working out the welfare of peo-
plies in the future, Mr.. Folks stated.
prevention and NOT cure is the key
to success in this endeavor. The cure
OF sickness and poverty, and the re-
form of criminals" he said. has been
found to be, as a rule, uncertain, in
complete. temporary. expensive ana
long. The prevention OF these evils
has been proven to be relatively GER
tain, complete, permanent cheap
and quick"
I'VE ought to expect prevention to
be practicable" he continued. 1t Is
in line with the accumulated wisdom
and mature judgment of mankind; the
twig is easily bent. but the tree can
not be Strengthened; the stitch in
time can be taken more quickly than
the nine; a pound OF cure is less use
full than an ounce of prevention; the
child who is trained in the way he
should go will not, when he Is grown
depart therefrom.
I'VE are only on the threshold or a
preventive program we nave De
vised and sharpened our tools; we
have worked out methods. 1t Is now
time to develop our fragmentary pro-
gram into one that is comprehensive
and definite"
Mr.. Folks said that knowledge in
the field of mental disturbance was
'.woefully incomplete" To find out
the facts, he said, I'VE must devote
our best efforts and all the resources
needed. We don't know enough about
the causes and conditions which are
bringing huge numbers Of people into
the hospitals for the insane. We do
not straighten the bent twigs in the
mental hygiene field, because We do
not see that they are bent until they
are half grown"
In concluding his address Mr.. Folks
said the twelve-hour day and the
seven-day week must pass away "be-
fore industry will be safe for democ-
racy." Recreation, he continued, is
the best antidote for wrongdoing;
probation is better than prisons. but
il gets into action too late when much
damage has been done"