Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-10-30

committee WHOSE Quly 1t Will DC "
make survey of the State that will
be beneficial to the social welfare
workers, showing what groups of I'M
fortunates have especially good care,
what groups have moderately ade-
quate care and what groups are most
neglected, and to bring forward the
matters that should be considered at
the coming session of the Maine
Legislature. The committee will also
make a general social survey of the
State with the cooperation of the So
cial committees of the Maine col
leges. The committee consists of
Chairman, Mrs. IIilda L. Ives, of
Portland: DIR. Forrest c. Tyson, SUI
perintendent of the Augusta State
Hospital; Professor Austin Fl. Mac
Cormick of Bowdoin College, Mrs.
Roselle H. Huddilston of Orono, and
Mrs. Bertha f. Pettengill of Port
land.
Two Committees Appointed
Committees on finances and pub
licity were also named by President
Deering, the former composed of DR..
George H. Coombs Of Augusta, Mrs.
Hilda L. Ives of Portland and Miss
Mary L. Turpin of Bangor, and the
latter consisting of CRUDE B. Cor
nish, secretary of the State board of
charities and corrections, Miss Rose
Pearl Danforth of Portland and Mrs.
E. e. Ross of Guilford.
The executive committee voted to
hold the next annual conference in
Lewiston Auburn in October of 1927.
IN Friday Morning Session
President Deering at the opening
of the session of the Conference yes
terday morning appointed a nomi-
mating committee composed of chair
man, Percy Horton of Portland
CRUDE Is. Cornish of Augusta, Mrs
Bertha Pettengill of Portland, Miss
Maud Hamilton of Saco, and Miss
Evelyn Buchan of Orono.
Recommendations contained in
the annual report of Mrs. Richard
Small of Portland, treasurer of the
conference, were brought up for dis
cussion and action. In consequence
it was voted that officers hold office
for only one year and that their
selection be made with due respect
to geographic location in the State
The principle of rotation of officers
was adopted.
Address of President Deering
In his address to the convention
Presidetn Deering asserted that re-
membering that only lately has So
cial welfare work become a profess
sion and that less than 10 years ago
the work they are now doing was
found under the subject Of chart
ties" one might almost believe with
out information already given that
social welfare work is now in it's in
fancy. He referred to the origin OF
the work way back in history.
"Quite likely we are working now
under the modern poor relief sup
ported by taxatio and private indi-
vidual gifts" he declared. The
generally accepted principle of So
called poor laws seems now to be
that the whole community is obliged
to support the helpless.
$50 far the State has been the
unit within which problems of So
cial welfare have been met and
solved. There are not wanting how
ever signs of tendency on the part
of some to involve the Federal gov
eminent in plans to ameliorate the
social welfare of the states. This
idea should be resisted except in
cases of great emergency because
ernment We're reserved to the states
or to the people themselves. No
social welfare problems We're ever
delegated to the Federal government
when the Constitution was adopted
mo matter what scheme Is finally
adopted to promote the social welfare
of the world the Social workers share
of the labor in its accomplishment is
sure. There will always be the
practical work of caring for the poor
and delinquent no matter how far
toward perfection mental research
may progress. You social workers need
not be afraid. You will always have
a job.
you can never look forward to
any great financial reward. Besides a
living wage your satisfaction will be
in the consciousness of great service
our people pay millions for amuse-
ment, steel-rails and pulpwood. but
small wages for the care of the soul
and body of mankind.
The Town Poor Farm System
you have in the past and you will
in the future wonder at the short
sightedness and impractibility of the
law makers. You may well question
viz W iotoil' VI lle lONA pOOI IOuSG
system, in the management of which
it takes one able bodied person to
care for three paupers, when it takes
only one person to care for six in
sane. AS q matter of fact, one per-
son cares for eight insane on the
wards. One would think that the
county a)Jnshouse plan where better
and more sanitary conditions could be
q
ttquated and sometimes dilapitated
town poor farm.
The Franchise for Unfortunates
Possibly the more soft-hearted
among you would see punishment in
fiicted on the unfortunate in the fol-
lowing state of affairs. On the last
day of public registration. of voters
the pauper list is brought in. If a
workingman has had an enforced
period of illness and the children have
been sick and in order to keep his
children in school he has been fur
nished with a So pair of shoes charg-
ed to the pauper department of his
town, his name is stricken from the
voting list. He is deprived of the
right of franchise because hard luck
has made him so poor that the NUM-
cipahty has helped him.
Time will permit me to mention
only these two atrocities in our laws"
Mr.. Deering then brought out the
point that this Association of Social
Welfare Workers should receive State
recognition and he advocated that it
have a paid secretary.
Musical Numbers
President Deering than called upon
Mrs. Howard r. Ives of Portland to
preside over the remainder of the
morning session and at this point a
very pleasing program of music was
given by Augusta talent, this con-
sisting of the violin solo selections,
Alteration" (BorowskD and ''Danse
PaVSanne' (MOffat) pyecuted NV