Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-01
CRIME PREVENTION
HELD PRIME SOCIAL
PROBLEM OF NATION
Paper Read at Catholic Char
tiles Session Urges Greater
Work Among Boys.
COUNTY UNIT SYSTEM
OUTLINED BY SPEAKER
Church Must Be Prepared to Meet
Changed Conditions, Confer
ence Is Told.

Crime and the anti-sociaI attitude
and tendency of the youth of the land
Is perhaps the paramount social prob
lem before the country, the National
Conference of Catholic Charities was
told today.
Questioning the wisdom with which
millions of dollars and the energies of
millions of people are being expended
annually in the reformation of GRIM
inals, Rev. Charles p. Maxwell of the
st. Louis University School of Sociology
and leader in the Boys Club move
ment, expressed the opinion, in a paper
read before the convention, that these
efforts would be expended for the bet
ter in measures for crime prevention.
after all, where are we getting in
our reform program?" Father Maxwell
asked why wait until a man gets
sick before We take an interest in him?
Why wait until the home is broken be-
fore we lend our aid? Why wait until
boy gets in trouble before we take his
part? Would it not be better to eX
pend our efforts in another line,
namely. prevention? And prevention of
delinquency is one of the great works
Of the Boys Clubs"
Big Economic Loss.
Father Maxwell's paper, which was
read by Rev. Ralph A. Gallagher, dean
of sociology at the st. Louis University,
pointed out that crime, with its toll
of 100000 arrests a year and 10000
murders has become a pressing eco
nomic as well as a social problem. At
least 80 cents Of each tax dollar Is
spent on courts, penal institutions or
other forms of criminal prevention or
control.
'It costs $3.50 a year to keep a boy in
O reformatory or detention home" he
stated. ut would have cost about $50
a year to keep him out of the REFORM
atory and keep him in well organized
boys club"
Explaining the work of the boys club,
Father Maxwell emphasized its chief
assets as being an elastic program
adapted to meet the individual needs
of the boy in his hours of leisure, with
opportunities for occupational and voca-
tional as well as moral guidance.
I'VE must preserve the boy If We
would save the coming generation of
men," he said. NWe must save the boy
from his environment"
County Unit Discussed.
40 save the boy from the catches of
crime he emphasized, the church, the
school and the recreational agency must
work hand in hand.
Problems of the home and con11aun-
cial workers were considered at session
devoted to the county as unit in So
cfal work. This meeting was addressed
by William j. Norton of Detroit: Rev.
II. E. McEvoy of Milwaukee and Rev.
Thomas j. ODwyer Of Los Angeles.
Relating work being done in their re-
spective States, the speaker pointed out
that the county unit offers a splendid
opportunity for the cooperation of
Catholic agencies. The most effective
manner of county unit work, they
stressed, is indicated in a sharing of
responsibilities, a business like admins
tration of funds and distribution of
work that prevents overlapping of ef-
forts.
The church, it was pointed out. must
be prepared to meet changed conditions
and Is taking advantage of the oppor-
tunities offered by the county unit plan
IN social work, They also told Of the
possibility of organizing on a wide scale
Catholic bureaus along with the county
unit plan.
Speakers at General Session.
Speakers at last nights general ses-
sion included DR.. Shirley Wynne health
commissioner of New York City, and
Mrs. e. j. Mcdonald of Waterbury,
Conn, who talked on Catholic Women
and Community Movements"
-
tween the public, physicians and pub
lie health agencies, DR.. Wynne pre-
dtcted the day is not far off when the
average span Of life will be heightened
by IA years.
'Diphtheria can be completely eIini-
mated" he said. tuberculosis and
other diseases can be brought under
Public health, he declared, looks to
controlled methods of advertising as
one OF its effective weapons of the fu-
ture.
There is nothing in the nature of
public health work which should not
be made to respond to the tested
methods Of promotion so successfully
employed in commercial fields" he
said. II dare to prophesy that the
health departments of the future will
be advertising departments of great
scale public healta, promotion. The
day is not far of when health admin
istrators win employ copy writer's, ar
lists popular journalists, pictures and
talkieS to put across their health mes
eages."
DR.. Wynne. who believes that dis
ease prevention should be put fore
most in any health campaign, de-
plored the fact that too many persons
are still citing complacently for
some new discovery for an elixir of
HE. They prefer the negative state
to little positive exertion Of well di-
rected effort" he said.
The United States, he declared, Is
spending $4,000 100000 annually on
sickness and only SIC, 900, 600 on its
prevention. He estimated that in New
York City alone $4,000 lives could be
saved annually by the application of
established prevention measures.
Every doctor should be a public
health officer to carry into the homes
the message of disease prevention" DR.
Wynne said.
Mexican Immigrant Problem.
One of the most important msetings
yesterday was held by the Committee
on Catholic Action Among Spanish ano
Mexican People in the United States
In addressing this meeting, William A
Montavon, director of the legal depart
rnent of the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, declared that the Mexican
Immigrant problem presents a chal-
I ienge to the National Conference Of
Catholic Charities.
immigration from Mexico has dou.
hled in the last 10 years, he said unit
there are now not less than 1,000,0 0C
aliens of Mexican nationality In the
United States.
The ultimate purpose of charity i
Justice, he pointed out, and justice call
for the removal of those conditions oil
nj which arises the inability OF mel
ard women TO provide adequatel.
through their labor the conditions In
disuensable TO right living.