Dr. F. W. Sears of Burlington, chairman of the local board of health, gave an interesting address concerning the mentally deficient and the way in which the conference could aid in solving their problem. The main points favored by Dr. Sears in his address were a complete census of the feeble‐minded, gathering all the detailed information which could be procured concerning each case, the segregation of the feeble‐minded during their entire life and not merely until they reach the age of 21, as is now provided in the Vermont law, the custodial care of feeble‐minded girls, preferably in colonies, the improvement of the rural homes, the weeding out of the high‐grade morons from the other mentally deficient and their development so that they may become self‐supporting and the warning and education of the relatives of the feebleminded child.

The last speaker of the evening was Dr. F. J. Russell of Brandon, who gave another interesting address upon the same subject. Dr. Russell told of the increasing importance of this problem in the community of today, and said that since the majority of the relatives of the feeble‐minded were financially unable to care for them it was a public duty to relieve them of their burdens, even though it must be done at public expense. Heredity was assigned by Dr. Russell as the chief cause of feeble‐mindedness, and the mental defectives were divided into the classes of idiots, imbeciles and high‐grade morons. “No case of mental defectiveness has ever been cured in the past and I doubt if one ever will be in the future," said Dr. Russell, who urged the complete segregation of this class of unfortunates during their lives. The speaker closed his remarks by telling of the work of the new home for the feeble‐minded which has recently been established at Brandon, and said that such an institution could never hope to educate its inmates, but would fulfill its purpose by keeping them segregated.

At the final session of the first meeting of the Vermont State conference of charity and correction, a permanent organization was effected and the following officers elected: President, W. J. Van Patten of Burlington; first vice‐president, President John M. Thomas of Middlebury College; second vice‐president, Charles Tuxbury of Windsor; third vice‐president, Miss Anna L. Davis of Brattleboro; secretary‐treasurer, Professor A. R. Gifford of Burlington. An executive committee of eleven, of which the president and secretary are members ex‐officio, was elected with the following members: Miss Emily Proctor, Proctor; John Weeks, Middlebury; Mrs. Theodore N. Vail, Lyndonville; Thomas Magner, Burlington; L. S. Hayes, Bellows Falls; J. N. Barss, Vergennes; Mrs. Harriet Smilie, Montpelier; W. W. Bartlett, Bennington; and Miss Caroline Woodruff, St. Johnsbury. The annual dues of the conference were fixed at 50 cents a year, with an additional membership fee of 50 cents, payable upon joining the conference.

The general topic of the morning's discussion was “The Conservation of Health," and the first speaker was Richard M. Bradley of Boston, a trustee of the Thomas Thompson Foundation of Brattleboro, who delivered a comprehensive and interesting address concerning the work of this foundation. Mr. Bradley explained the work for the relief of the sick which has been accomplished by the foundation since its organization 15 years ago. The speaker emphasized the method of treating individual cases in use by the foundation and explained that it was not a charity organization, but that payment was rendered for its services. The foundation maintains offices in the towns where it operates, where a list of competent nurses, as well as household workers needed in times of sickness is kept, and upon application, which may be made at any hour of the day or night, these workers are sent to the homes where there is sickness. Mr. Bradley also spoke of the importance of medical inspection in the schools and that school children in the country districts of the State entered upon life handicapped by a lack of proper medical care, which the children of immigrants in large cities receive free of charge.