New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-08-13
Tells Herald New Britain
2 Court Makes COmmitt-
ment - Made Only On
Petition of Humane So
ciety Says Connolly.

The alleged reasons why two Of
the children in the family Of Mr..
and Mrs. Stanley Romaine were
placed in Long Lane farm have been
given by Mrs. Charles c. Peircey.
social worker. Waterbury.
The statement was made in reply
to an editorial in the Waterbury Re-
publican censuring the social serv-
ice methods which resulted in two
Of the Romano children being sent
to the Long Lane farm and three
others placed In the custody of the
Connecticut Humane society. One
remaining infant is still with the
mother and the latter attempted to
commit suicide in this city three
times. The Romaines live at Is Star
street.
Mrs. Peircey, who Is probation Of
ficer Of the Juvenile court Of Water
bury, and who says she was 1.-THE one
directly responsible for the COM
mitment of two of the Romano
children to Long Lane farm" makes
the following allegations to serve as
a basis for the action:
The Romano family, before 1t
reached Waterbury. had lived in no
less than 10 different cities from AL
bany to Newark. staying in each
from three months to one year. and
depending for a living upon relief
giving organizations and upon what
they could steal. Each child was
born in a differtn city so that the
family had no established residence.
and was in every sense of the word
a, group Of itinerant beggars. The
two oldest children. both girls, had
at the ages of IL and IA become ex-
pert shoplifters. The father had
not worked in five years. and the
mother, always with an infant in her
arms. was unable to work had she
been so inclined.
Condition of Home
"One investigator found the home
always to, have been neat and clean
aud that there was always plenty of
clothing for the children. All can
say to this Is that standards of clean
illness vary with the individual, but
a tenement devoid of furniture. save
for a couple OF broken down chairs.
a. table. a stove and heaps Of rags
for beds, a floor so filthy that not
too fastidious person would hesitate
to step upon 1t. chickens housed I'M
der the sink with the kitchen for a
runway. remnants of food lying
about on the stove and table and
flies innumerable, would seem to
most persons sufficient reason for
the Romano home unfit
for habitation and so 1t was. To be
sure l never found the children
naked. but their ragged and dirty
condition made nakedness prefera-
BILE.
~ "In view of these well established
facts the two older children, were
placed In Long Lane farm, not as a
for their small sins. but
az constructive piece OF work, and
they are now sleeping in clean beds,
eating clean and healthfuI food. and
living the normal life of work, study
and play to which all children are
entitled.
Sorry For Mother
We are sorry for Mrs. Romano.
There Is no doubt in our mind that
she loves her children,
but mentally she was unequal to the
task Of bringing them up. The re-
suits In this case were that her chill
dren were fast developing into GRIM
inals and physical weaklings, in time
70 become a burden to themselves,
and a liability to society.
All social service workers realize
the desirability Of keeping the family
together. and work unfailingly to
that end. There are cases, however.
where ignorance and degradation are
80 paramount that all effort at con-
structive work falls on barren
ground. and the poor social worker,
who should be perfect, but is not,
can only choose between the least of
many evils, and the Romano case
was one OF THESE.
Statements made by Mrs. Piercey
are very similar to statements made
in New Britain to q Herald repre-
sentative by social workers who have
taken the attitude that this so-called
Instructive love Of a mother" and
the poverty of the family are suf-
Hcient to warrant taking away the
children.
In conversation with the Bureau
Of Child Welfare a Herald repre-
sentative asked the question DO you
think the crime of poverty or Of
moving from one place to another
or even that OF teaching or encour-
aging the children to steal Is suffi-
Gent to warrant breaking up the
family. rather than Furnishing the
parents?" The reply was That's
a matter of opinion"
passing the Buck"
That the Connecticut Humane So
ciety and the Bureau of Child Wei
fare working together are inclined to
pass the buck" to the New Britain
oA'A9Oi ltlco III llS ldhlDk away OIL
the three younger children and
thereby causing the mothers three
attempts to commit suicide, was in
dicated IN reply made by some
one at the welfare bureau. The
statement was THE juvenile court
in New Britain sent them away"
The juvenile court in New Britain
never had a chance to investigate
conditions. according to Edward c.
Connolly. probation officer. The
only connection the New Britain
courts had with the case was the
fact that Judge w. C. Hungerford
signed the commitment upon ap-
plication Of the Connecticut Humane
society.
Comolly's Statement
From first to last the Bureau Of
Child Welfare and the Connecticut
Humane society have had charge of
the case" Mr.. Connolly stated. The
probation officer added that the par
ents were under his jurisdiction and
were on probation here but that the