During the Conference for Superintendents of Public Welfare that was held recently in Chapel Hill, we were made to feel that North Carolina has taken one of the most forward steps in her history in the promotion of her welfare program.
Men of national reputation came to ask how it was done. Representatives from other states were present to get ideas and plans to be put into practice back home. And yet with the eyes of all the other states turned toward us, we must admit that the great undertaking is only partially underway.
Not only were the subjects under discussion of practical benefit to the superintendents, but to club women, ministers, members of fraternal organizations, and to other citizens as well.
Judge Criswell, who is giving his entire time to the study of juvenile delinquents, gave a most interesting series of lectures during the first week of the conference.
“Seventy-five percent of the criminals,” said Judge Criswell, “start in childhood or adolescence. The place to do effective work is in prevention rather than cure.” The judge named various causes of delinquency, chief among them was improper use of leisure time.
He advocated boy and girl scout work and other forms of wholesome recreation as a preventive measure.
He also stated in his closing lecture that according to the latest statistics $5 is spent for penal institutions in the United States for every $4 spent for education. This is an alarming fact and one worthy of consideration by all thinking people—more money spent for prisons (which usually send the prisoner back to society worse than he was when he left) than is spent for the education of the youth of our land.
Dr. Carstens, Director of the Child Welfare League of America, gave an interesting series of lectures on various phases of welfare work. He led his hearers to see that the welfare of the child is of primary importance in every case where children are concerned, and that only through proper training and wholesome environment can a child make the best of his abilities and become a true citizen of his community.
Dr. Bradford, Director of Recreation and Playground Association of America, in an address before the superintendents urged them to promote recreation among the young people of the communities. “Recreation and play are essential to health as well as right living,” said Dr. Bradford. He emphasized the fact that $11 million is spent annually on prisons and that 86 percent of the crimes are committed because of idleness after working hours. He stated that the most recent reports gave one person dying every five minutes of tuberculosis and urged that all children be taught to play in the open as a preventive measure.
North Carolina is making wonderful progress in her educational and welfare program, but the problem of social maladjustments is great enough to engage the attention of every true citizen of the state.
From the front page of the Harnett County News, Lillington, N.C., Thursday, July 24, 1924
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84006598/1924-07-24/ed-1/seq-1/#words=July+24%2C+1924
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