The Washington times., 1925-09-14
CHILDREN
HELD BIC
FACTOR
Rev. R. M. Wagner Addresses
Charities Conference.
Hayes to Speak

The divorce question, particu.
larly as it. affects the children, il
one Of the most serious social
problems that the Catholic church
has to deal with, the Reverend R
Marcellus Wagner. of Cincinnati
Ohio, told the National Conference
of Catholic Charities today al
Catholic University.
Children Real Problem.
AS assistant director of Catholic
charities and social service in
Cincinnati, the Reverend wagner
says he came in contact with 40.
divorce cases in the court of do
rnestic relations there, and half Of
these cases were Catholics, he said
Four hundred ana fortH children
Of school age were Involved, aIld
these became wards III the court
who in turn placed them in the
custody of the bureausOf Catholic
charaities- for placement and SUI
perviston.
Our difficulty has largely been
that az finding q solution for the
temporary and very often perma.
nent care of these children" ne
said. "On principle we refused to
place them in orphan asyIums. pre-.
ferring to use the boarding home
system
Very often through regular visits
paid the children by their separated
parents, reconciIiafions and remar.
riages between the parents have
been affected, he said.
Officers Elected
Officers for the ensuing year were
elected AZ todayss meeting and Buf.
faio, N. r. selected for the annual
conference next year. which. will
open on September 81. and continue
for five days.
The Right Reverend Thomas ].
Shahan, rector OF Catholic Univer.
| sity, was re elected president. New
vice presidents elected were Miss
Agnes G. REGAIN, OF Washington
Mrs. James c. Farrell, Albany, N
r., and Henry Naylor, of Buffalo
N. Y. Francis ]. Lewis. of Chicago
James A. McMurray, Of Boston. and
Mrs. Edward A. Skae. Of Detroit.
were reelected vice presidents
Hapes to Speak
Governor Albert C. Richie OF
Maryland was the speaker at last
nights session and made a scathine
attack on social welfare work as
conducted by State or Federal lob
l-holders. who are seeking Govern
Tnent controlled welfare work.
The States responsibility is no,
| limited to specific things which the
State should do" Governor Ritehie
said. but it includes also things
which the State should not do. II
| is the States duty to prescribe edu
cational standards and 10 furnish q
public school system omen TO ali
| children. regardless of class or
creed, whose parents want to send
them to it. 1t is equally the State =
duty, where denominational on
| paFoehial schools exist which meet
! the States standards to leave those
schools alone and to see that M
legislation irnpairinR them is en-
acted, so they may be operated un
moIested."
Governor Richie said he was on
posed to the child labor amendment
declaring that it should be defeate
He also flayAd birth control and at
tackled the enacting Of more laws.
! Mary r. Norton, member OF Con
gress from New Jersey. urged
women to show more interest II
politics. She declared that never
before have women held such i'm
portant positions in Government,
and it was imperative that thew Al,
interest themselves more in public
| affairs
other speakers were the Rpver
end Francis J. LeBuff, s. J.. of Ford
ham University: the Right Reverend
John =. Glennon,' Archbishop Of st
| Louis. and the. Reverend John j
Mellon, of Pittsburgh.