OHIO STATE CONFERENCE.* Both in its record breaking attendance of 554 registered delegates and in its three days filled with earnest papers and discussions the eighteenth annual meeting of the Ohio State Conference of Charities and Correction, held in Sandusky from Octcber 6 to 9 was the most successful in the state's history. While state and city charities with their clear cut problems and breadth of social experience were represented in valuable section meetings and in several noteworthy addresses by some of the conference leaders, the emphasis of the conference was upon county charities, the attendence being largely drawn from those in charge of county institutions. In fact, as one of the leaders put it: "The most impressive thing is that this is neither a state nor a city conference, but a conference of county workers. characteristic that to the various charitable interests of the counties is brought that splendid expression of the best rural American citizenship which insures, not spasmodic reform, but a steady progress of the best ideas." It is Such papers as that by Superintendent G. S. Mordoff, of the Huron County Infirmary, on the care of the sick in county infirmaries, reflected encouragingly the continually rising standards in these county institutions. The discussions were filled with an interchange of such experience and practical suggestions along detailed lines as afford very real additions to the comfort and happiness of infirmary inmates, however incidental the improvment may appear to the outsider. The responsibilities of the county children's home trustee were discussed by E. H. Kerr, of the Miami County Home, who contended that the trustee should not be expected always to find a family home where the child would rise above the average, but that if the child does reasonably well, the responsibility of the trustee to the child and to society is fulfilled, his point being that it is far better to place the child in an average family home rather than wait to find one greatly above the average, since all agree that the child should not remain in the county home where conditions at best are far below the average family home. Some doubted whether under recent legislation county visitors still possess the authority to be present and advise with the judges in juvenile court sessions, all were agreed that the interests of the child demand the presence of those familiar with its life and circumstances. In view of the important work that will devolve upon the County Blind Reliet Commission and upon the recently appointed state commission for the study of the problem, it is significant that the conference gave considerable attention to the state movement for the better care of the blind. Prominent in this discussion and prominent in the whole conference, was the presence of Dr. Charles F. F. Campbell, of the Massachusetts State Commission for the Blind. With very interesting lantern slides Dr. Campbell, showed how reading, writing, figuring and the musical scale have been made even more simple for the blind than the seeing, so people should cease to wonder when the blind succeed in such simple things. Likewise the apprehension of objects by sound rather than sight should not be considered wonderful. He complimented Ohio on the rapidity with which she is securing work for her blind and said that the Ohio State Commission should educate the blind industrially and should remember that it is better for them to work under a supervisor as we are asking them to be their own buyers, employers and salesmen, which forty seeing men taken from the nearest factory could not be. He urged his hearers not to pity the blind but to allow them at least the same chance as the seeing in giving to them such employment as they can do equally well. Opportunities in Ohio for Training the Adult Blind was discussed by Charles H. Parkin, of the State Board, who is himself blind. He said that the commission needs a sufficient appropriation to establish technical schools for the blind, to teach the |