to the worthy chairman of this meeting, Mr. Folks, who, to my knowledge, has had many a cheerful encounter with the ultra champions of the institutional idea, and also to his co-workers, more particularly Miss Clark, the assistant secretary of the State Charities Aid Association, whose various addresses on the proper methods of carrying on placingout work are well worth your reading. So far as my knowledge goes, the New York Children's Aid Society is the pioneer agency which has devoted its efforts largely to this form of work. No other similar agency of which I have any knowledge has placed out so many children, and the society's opportunities for doing good in this direction have simply been without parallel. For many years it has placed children largely in the West, where, we learn from the reports of the secretary of the society, some of them have become governors and other titled dignitaries. Mr. Brace will no doubt be glad to show you pictures of many of these children and of their country homes, which he has caused to be taken, or, possibly, has himself taken, on his visits to them. During the past few years the Children's Aid Society has paid more attention than theretofore to placing out children in this state, where many good homes are to be found. The children placed out by the society are received from commissioners of charities, superintendents of the poor, and other public officials, as well as from other societies, while some of the children apply directly to the society itself. It maintains at Kensico, N. Y., a farm school, where the children can be sent, and where they are given instruction calculated better to fit them for family homes. The Rochester Children's Aid Society does much similar work for the public authorities of Monroe County, who, in turn, I believe, contribute materially towards the expenses of the society. This society. also carries on the boarding-out system, many of the children boarded out being subsequently adopted, I am told, by the families caring for them. The State Charities Aid Association has, in recent years, engaged in this laudable work to a considerable extent, and, I believe, has carried it on in a thoroughly careful manner, worthy of emulation. The association not only engages in this work directly from its central office here in the United Charities Building, but carries it on through local committees in Richmond and Allegany counties and at Newburgh. In co-operation with the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, the State Charities Aid Association has, since March, 1898, been engaged in the work of boarding in country families some of the foundlings and motherless infants previously cared for by the Department of Public Charities in the Infant's Hospital on Randall's Island. Another branch of the society's work, that of providing situations in the country for destitute mothers with infants, is closely related to the subject under consideration, for, doubtless, many such mothers by being provided with situations in the country have been saved from the necessity of placing their children in institutions. In January, 1899, the Catholic Home Bureau for Dependent Children was incorporated for the purpose of placing destitute, dependent, or neglected children in family homes in accordance with the laws of this state, and in order to accomplish such purpose this organization is empowered to receive such children by surrender, commitment, or otherwise, and to do such other work as may tend to improve the condition of such children. This movement was established and is carried on with the express sanction of the Archbishop of New York, and although a young organization, has shown much commendable activity. Its promoters propose to co-operate actively with public officials in securing Catholic homes for Catholic children. The Charity Organization Society of the city of New York has, since June, 1898, carried on an important and interesting work, to which I have previously referred, through its Committee on Dependent Children, acting in co-operation with the Department of Public Charities. This work has, in part, been directed towards preventing the commitment of children to institutions, in cases where it seemed practicable to keep families together by supplying necessary help, which the society in each case undertook to secure. These are some of the more important forms of co-operation between public and private agencies in this state in caring for children by taking them out or keeping them out of institutions. Beyond this, many of the larger institutions, such as the New York Foundling Asylum and the New York Juvenile Asylum, have directly done a large amount of placing-out work, particularly in the West, a form of co-operation with the public authorities which has saved the city much money and accomplished beneficent results. I shall not weary you by attempting to quote statistics of their work. Any of the societies named will, doubtless, be glad to send you their reports if you desire to pursue the subject further. With a few notable exceptions, the representatives of both the institutional idea and the placing-out movement have unquestionably been, and are, earnest and sincere in their intentions, and have meant to seek only the welfare of the children. Further than this, both have undoubtedly done much good, each in its own particular sphere. For certain classes of children and for the temporary care of others, institutions will, doubtless, always be re quired, but for normal children, bereft of friends, suitable family homes should be found as early as possible. In order to accomplish this result, more earnest co-operation is necessary between the managers of institutions and the placing-out societies, as well as between them and public officials. More than anything else they need to come to a harmonious understanding, and to assist them in doing so, as well as to accomplish other beneficent results, a Conference of Charities and Correction is being organized in this state, and is to hold its first meeting at the Capitol in Albany in November next. From this movement it is hoped that much good will result especially in the direction of securing more intelligent and active co-operation between public and private agencies in caring for children. THE JUVENILE COURT OF CHICAGO. The citizens of Chicago have taken a great interest in the workings of the juvenile court. It has only been in operation a year, and has, therefore, been an experiment. Committees have been sent from other cities and even from foreign countries to watch its operation, and report if it is a success. We are pleased to be able to say that it has been more successful than its most sanguine friends anticipated. Much of its success is due to the kindhearted and fatherly Judge Tuthill, who has presided. During the first reprimanded but not punished, and have been started on the road to reform. Through the agency of the court, children have been taken from evil environment that has been the cause of their misdemeanors, and placed in better surroundings. Those whose conduct has not justified such treatment have been sent to institutions, but not branded with a criminal sentence. Of the number sent to the John Worthy School less than three per cent have come again before the court for a second sentence, after they have been released. Judge Tuthill considered that it was his duty to endeavor to reform children and bring them back to a useful life, rather than to punish them. In speaking the other day upon the court's work, Judge Tuthill paid a tribute to the earnest co-operation of the various organizations which have taken up the cause of poor, unfortunate children. It is fortunate that Judge Tuthill was selected to preside over this tribunal. How much better it is to attempt to reform children than it is in the first instance to commit them to jail, send them to bridewells and prisons. We believe that the influence of this initial juvenile court will spread far and wide to other states and countries, and be productive of an untold amount of good.-Chicago Legal News. Classified Advertisements. Advertisements under this head, two lines or more without display, 5 cents a line. CHARITY ORGANIZATION SOCIETY seventy years of age, infirm, and without children or relatives. She is on the waiting list of a home, but it will be some time before she can be received. The sum asked for will supplement the little she can earn and otherwise acquire, and so enable her to live comfortably meanwhile. year 2,298 children have been before THEpeals for $50, in aid of a widow upwards of Judge Tuthill, and of these 1,100 have been paroled to the probation officers, and only 15 per cent of these have been returned to the court for a second hearing. Hundreds of children who have been guilty of some little offense for the first time have been Any money for this case sent to the Charity Organization Society, 10: East 22d street, will be duly and publicly acknowledged. The Society acknowledges the following солtributions for this case: "E. L. M.," $10; J. Gould's Son & Co.. $1. or university settlements. One is in charge of a mission for Negroes. One is engaged by the Board of Education of this city for its summer playgrounds. Two will hold university fellowships during the coming year. One is registrar of the Educational Alliance. One is visitor in the Department of Public Charities. The most remarkable feature of this the third class conducted by Mr. Philip W. Ayres, with the assistance of the Charity Organization Society Committee on Philanthropic Education is its homogeneity in spite of the varied sources from which its members were drawn. One of the students at the close of the course remarked that he had never had a more enjoyable six weeks. The class worked hard, but—or, perhaps, we should say therefore they found the course profitable and enjoyable. We think that the series of thirtythree lectures could not easily be matched, either for solid information or for their qualities of interest and inspiration. Of greater value still were the services of those who, like Mr. Jeffrey R. Brackett, Mr. Homer Folks, Miss Mary L. Birtwell, Mrs. Glendower Evans, Mrs. C. R. Lowell, and others, attended the sessions of the class for a week or more. guiding or participating in its discussions, and conferring personally with students. We trust that the Summer School of 1900 may exert an abiding and deepening influence over the varied phases of social work in which its students will engage. ** A boy was hanged in Connecticut on Friday last for an atrocious murder committed when he was sixteen years of age. age. He was a worthless boy, is perhaps better dead than alive, and there is no reason to indulge in any feelings of pity for him. But his execution suggests an important question of criminology. Should the state undertake the extermination of misborn human pests? And, if so, why wait till they have done their evil work? There are those who think the scientific development of the race calls for the extinction of the idiotic, the insane, the morally and physically deformed, who are predestined to be useless to themselves and a burden to the world. If that theory is to prevail, then the killing of this misbegotten youth was in order, but too late. All accounts seem to agree that he was born to evil as the sparks fly upward. His family history, as compiled by Dr. Charles E. Rowell, of Stamford, and not overthrown by the prosecution, is as follows: brother of the mother died raving crazy. The father was an epileptic, a drunkard, weak minded. The father's brother was an epileptic and weak minded. The grandfather on the father's side was subject to epilepsy.— New York Tribune. ** Mr. Nathan Straus has done several very sensible things for the benefit of the poor of New York city, and if correctly reported in the newspapers has said some rather foolish things on the subject. His name is signed to an article of a column and a half in the Boston Herald of July 8, in which there are references to the former and samples of the latter. The article appears also in the Philadelphia Press of July 22. It begins with the assertion that the writer detests the word "charity." While the word was very beautiful in its inception, it is pointed out that custom and its associations with poor unfortunates have so changed it that its original meaning has departed. Mr. Straus seems to think that the fault is with those who have been The mother was a drunken pros- trying to help others, and that if such titute, an epileptic, weak minded, subject to furious fits of passion, had tried to murder her husband, and died drunk in the streets. persons will endeavor to eliminate the word "charity" the difficulty will be overcome. It is not, to any considerable extent, however, by such means that we shall reach and help The grandmother and aunts on the mother's side were all epileptics, those who are in trouble "without all drunkards, and all prostitutes. The grandfather side died in an insane asylum, and a the loss of their independence and self-respect." Mr. Straus thinks that it is possible to discriminate between |