PROGRAM COMMITTEE REPORT. 1. Orchard Experience By Max E. Witte, M. D., Superintendent, Clarinda State Hospital, Clarinda, Iowa. 2. Public Health Education From the Viewpoint of a State Lecturer By Jeanette E. Throckmorton, M. D., U. S. P. H. Service State Lecturer, 3. Occupational Therapy By Julia Hill, M. D., Des Moines, Iowa. 4.. Pneumonia Simulating Appendicitis in Children Soldiers' Orphans' Home, Davenport, Iowa. 6. The Outlook for Soldiers' Homes By B. C. Whitehill, Commandant, Soldiers' Home, Marshalltown, Iowa. The conference adjourned sine die. ECHOES FROM THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SOCIAL WORK F. M. Hoeye, State Agent, Board of Control of State Institutions, Des Moines, Iowa. Since this was written last May as a report, at this time I am at a loss to know whether to call it a report, a paper, or a failure. At any rate in response to the board's resolution of May 1st authorizing me to attend the National Conference of Social Work at Washington, D. C., May 16th to 23d, I was present at several sessions of this body and the "kindred groups", particularly those of the National Probation Association. While there is no organized connection between these "kindred groups", and the Conference of Social Work, their work leads to the same desirable ends and some of it much more directly allied with institutional work. Somehow the convening of this conference in Washington, seemed to me like a misfit, in that there were so many charitable groups meeting in the most expensive city in the nation. I could not get used to Washington's system for raising revenue from visitors. Looking from my hotel window, just across the street upon the eastern approach to the Treasury Building, President Harding, his cabinet officers, the diplomatic corps, army and navy officers, were conducting a very formal and impressive ceremony-the unveiling of a statue of Alexander Hamilton, the founder of our financial system, and the greatest financier of his day. With body and head erect, facing the East-this mute memory of bronze was wholly unconscious that within its very shadow were hotels and cafes with a financial system that make the plans of the great secretary look like kindergarten work. This incident may partly serve to explain my unusual expense account. The conference proper discussed one general topic each day in from three to eight groups, the meeting places being so widely separated at times, and the room so inadequate that you could only attend one or more sessions. There daily topics were designated under heads of "Health," "Industry," "Law and Government," "The Church," The School" and "Public Opinion". One needed a guide and a taxi to reach some of these group meetings, and at the end of a strenuous day you usually made up your mind that you derived more real benefit from individual conversations in room or hotel lobby than in the larger meeting places where you hear more theoretical than practical ideas advanced and discussed, and much of the time where the speaker seems to be of more importance than the subject. I am conscious of being criticized for this reference, but somehow I got the impression that it would be presumptuous for a representative from the middle West to even second a motion, much less discuss it, so clearly did it appear that the conference was completely dominated by the eastern delegates and that it was solely for their problems, and their speakers, and their officers, that the conference convened. Occasionally they suffered suggestions from as far west as Pittsburg, and at one point a live wire from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was recognized. This was not true in the "kindred groups". Seriously, I believe this selfish attitude will eventually lead to a split and a separate organization of sincere workers from Illinois west. Too many impossible, yet desirable situations were presented and discussed, as there always are at these conferences. The social problems of today are so numerous, complicated and vexing that it is a condition and not so much a theory that is facing us, that more concern should be for today than for the things devourly hoped for. A better solution of the problems of today will make them easier for tomorrow. The "perfect day" is a long way off with the means and help we have at our command. I will not attempt a review of all the topics I heard discussed and only brief reference to a few that interested me most. President Folks of New York (of course) in a very able address said that "Prevention and not cure is the key to success in this endeavor". The cure of "sickness and poverty and the reform of criminals", he declared, was "uncertain, incomplete, temporary and expensive", all of which is admitted in many cases, but he failed to give a single new suggestion as to how this infallible prevention program can be installed without some cure. It is the right idea, and if it were possible or practical under our present conditions, there would in a generation or two be no use for a single one of our state institutions. A happy thought, but only a dream at this time when more new ideas are being hatched out, and more ways invented for the promotion of unrest, poverty, delinquency, insanity and crime than there are for a practical and possible means for prevention. At this time we need all the cures we can introduce before abandoning insane hospitals and places of restraint. The ideals thus talked about are too high and remote and are conducive to more talk than to activity or to means to do things. Two of the most detrimental new factors are the automobile and the movie craze. They have revolutionized the thought of both home and office. It is not altogether the expense, but it is the opportunity created to neglect the home and business. It has become quite the popular habit to give your children "a penny for the Sunday School and twenty cents for the movie". All this may be popular but it is telling the story in the unrest of the growing generation. The average prosperous and contented citizen and taxpayer does not yet know enough about the real causes that are bringing so many to our insane hospitals and reformatories, and until they do they will not provide adequate means or help, nor will they fully appreciate the tremendous task of boards of control, institutional heads, and faithful field workers in the cure and care of them It would seem that some of the professional social workers, who are so optimistic as to advocate the abandonment of prisons and reformatories and who use the slogan of "probation and not prisons", ought to learn more of the causes and more of the dispositions and characters of the state wards, and when they do, there will be less criticism of those who are directly responsible for their cure and care, and more respect for the institution as an institution. At one of the sessions the statement was emphasized that placing of children was easier and more satisfactory where they had been at some accredited home or state institution long enough to get "polished up"-that is, cleaned up, dressed up, manners improved, and their mental capacity determined, so that the child could be more favorably as well as honestly presented to its prospective parents. I dare say that our efficient agents at Davenport and Toledo have already discovered this is true, and that they have few returns of undesirables compared to private institutions where so many go out in the "rough". I think Dr. Mogridge will agree with me that very soon some means must be provided for the continuous parole and the placing in homes of the better types of feebleminded children who have no approved homes and who have been improved and "polished up" at his institution. It is not a pleasant thought to think that unless this is done, there will be many more to grow old and die in the institution. I understand that this is being done in a few states, but I am not familiar with the plan or the success of it. At this point I want to again refer to the ego of the East as expressed to me in the indifferent manner in which they were wont to refer to our efficiency in handling our problems. For many years New York, especially, has shipped orphans-"Unknowns" and delinquents, into Iowa by the carload and peddled them out from station to station. Many of the earlier shipments are now grown, some with big families, and to my personal knowledge, not a few of them found their way into our state institutions penal and otherwise. Others made good. Only a few days ago the Burlington Hawkeye had a news item about twelve boys being brought to that city from the slums of the East to be placed in that vicinity. The controlling argument is that it is so much better to get them from New York because their parents or relatives will never know or bother them. I presume other agents know of cases of this kind. This is one of the times when Iowa people should be asked to patronize home industry. Manufacturing in our penal institutions or those of other states, was both criticized and commended. Where commended, it was urged that courts, in fixing sentences should make it a part of the penalty for the convicted party to turn over his excess earnings to wife, children, or mother in all cases where they needed it or where they were receiving aid from organized or public charities. In our own state this is permissible but is not obligatory. Where criticized it was only in connection with "prison labor in competition with honest labor" and that complaint is so old and obsolete that I only mention it. However, the labor situation at Fort Madison and Anamosa in our own state is so admirably and humanely planned and conducted that no reasonable honest labor element has any good ground for complaint. More extended jurisdiction was advocated for juvenile courts, especially in the granting of pensions to mothers and children. The demand for this came mainly from associated charities. It is my observation that many of these pensions should not be so readily granted, and that all of them should be expended under organized supervision, as much of this money is used for amusement and unnecessary things. A short visit was made to the National Training School for Boys, the only one maintained by the Federal Government. Boys from seven to seventeen are admitted. Some 290 boys make up the population-half of them from the District of Columbia, and nearly half of them colored. I would say that this school is not upto-date, and is lacking in different trade vocations. In this and other respects it is not to be classed with our Training School for Boys at Eldora. In this connection I will mention an important matter that is being taken up by the National Probation Association. In a matter known as the "Keltz case", the Supreme Court of the United States decided that federal judges could not suspend a sentence or parole convicted persons. For instance, if a 10-year old boy was convicted of a federal charge, if the judge complied with the law, this boy would have to be taken to Washington. The Probation Association is asking Congress to amend this law by giv |