Dr. W. G. Ricker of St. Johnsbury in his address, gave a glowing account of Vermont's medical men residing in rural districts and stressed new methods of the specialist over against the older methods of a general practitioner. He seemed to give as his opinion that the dearth of doctors in some 106 of our towns does not necessarily mean an unsurmountable hardship on the people residing in them. Both he and Dr. Dalton who followed him suggested benefits which might be derived from trained nurses in the smaller towns.

Mr. R. M. Bradley, trustee of the Thomas Thompson Foundation, made clear from a survey of Windham County children the great physical handicaps found among the school children and he urged greater supervision over the fundamental things which make for health in the future citizens in Vermont. He pointed out that more funds could be raised for needs of children in Vermont if outsiders felt sure that the money would be efficiently handled to bring about the greatest results, and expressed the hope that a carefully chosen group of men might be formed into a Trusteeship to hold and handle such gifts. Mr. Harold W. Slocum, secretary of the Vermont Tuberculosis Association who led the discussion on Mr. Bradley's paper thought that the need of securing money for a cause from individuals often worked out better than to have an endowment, and urged more and more attention to preventive measures in health problems.

1. Commission on Children's Laws and Related Matters.

2. Census and Supervision of Defective Children who are not in Institutions.

3. Psychiatric Examination and Consultation Centres.

These three proposals, selected from a much larger number, were handled by Prof. A. R. Gifford in a letter, by Miss Berenice Tuttle of Rutland and by Dr. Ruth C. Metcalf of Burlington. Prof. Gifford focused on the appointment of a commission for the study of children's laws, a law making the change of guardianship of a child a matter of consent of a court and the jacking up of the law governing marriage of minors. Miss Tuttle suggested the plan of making the schools responsible for turning in to the Department of Public Welfare the names of children retarded three years or more. Dr. Metcalf suggested the following concrete plan: "That the budget of the Department of Public Welfare relating to the expenses of the State Hospital at Waterbury be increased to include the salary of a psychiatric social worker. That the same budget also be increased to pay the expenses of extramural work on the part of a psychiatric social worker and a psychiatrist from the staff with regard to carrying on of psychiatric clinical work through- out the state. That the budget of the Department of Public Welfare relating to the expenses of the State School for Feeble Minded at Brandon be increased to include the salary of a psychiatrist of the standing of a graduate degree of Doctor of Philosophy. That the same budget also be increased to meet expenses of extramural work by a psychiatrist working with psychiatric clinics held throughout the state. That the direction of the work of these clinics be in the hands of the heads of the State Hospital at Waterbury and of the State School at Brandon. These should cooperate as fully as possible with existing social agencies and institutions in order that the clinics may be made of value to as many persons as possible throughout the state."

A short business session accomplished the appointment of Miss Mabel Abbott of Bellows Falls as chairman of the committee on the 1928 meeting place; Mrs. C. B. Adams of Waterbury, chairman for resolutions to be adopted at this session; Mrs. H. B. Shaw, Burlington, chairman of nominating committee.

A beautiful organ recital by Miss Miriam N. Marston, instructor in the musical department, U. V. M., was held at the beginning of the evening session. The audience then heard a rousing address by Judge Harry L. Olson, chief justice of the municipal court of Chicago. He piled up the evidence by numerous cases at court for his contention that lack of emotional balance is found to be a form of insanity which characterizes a large number of murderers. He declared that we must clean up the blood stream of the race, that heredity plays a most vital part in the future as well as in the present, that 65% of the people have emotional defects and that such defects can be located by trained psychiatrists and preventive measures put in motion to prevent future crimes.

A reception to Judge and Mrs. Olson at the Billings Library following this address was enjoyed by members of the Chittenden Bar Association and members of the conference.

Friday morning's program spread before an interested audience and in the sunshine following the rain an amazingly full picture of what is being started, at least for rural betterment throughout Vermont.

Dr. Perkins outlined a legislative program for the coming year. He suggested that this consist in focusing on very few and important measures and then organizing the entire state well before the legislature meets in order to hunt out the best men and women for the assembly and to work for their nomination and election. He warned the conference of the danger in the method used by too zealous friends of a measure, in and out of the legislative body, who, without enough knowledge of the subject, unintentionally prejudice the case. His suggestion that some scheme looking towards state-wide organization of conference members together with other interested organizations and individuals during the coming year, met with approval of the meeting. Miss Tuttle moved (and it was voted) that a committee consisting of Dr. Allen, Dr. Stanley and Dr. Metcalf be appointed to study into the whole matter of psychiatric clinics on a state-wide plan and to report at the next meeting.

Mrs. F. S. Locke of Springfield spoke on Community Houses in Vermont. This report as also Miss Marion Gary's address on Rural Schools seemed of such especial interest that they are given later in the bulletin more in detail.

Miss Nimms of the beautiful Westminster Community House reported concerning their work and Mrs. Pratt of the Center at Putney and Mr. Leon Smith, director of the Boys Club at Pittsford testified to the growing interest in and advantages of such centers to the health of our young people and the cooperating spirit of a whole community.

Mrs. O. H. Coolidge, Rutland, past president of the Vermont Federation of Women's Clubs, told the interested audience the tale of rural betterment for Vermont towns brought about by that force for good, the women's clubs of Vermont, now some 80 in number. Scholarships supported by them, give opportunity for training of school teachers, and public health nurses, with their promise to serve Vermont for a subsequent period of time. Interest in women's work in the home has dignified it, and a market has been brought to them for special industries carried on in the home. The Book Wagon, donated by the clubs and sent out now by the Department of Education answers a cry for better education through reading and influences our state public opinion.

The story of a camp for girls in Windham County, now 10 years old, was told by Lelia L. Delaplane, its director. This camp was designed to give to girls in restricted community life the same broad advantages enjoyed in expensive camps, and, at the same time, to keep the simplicity of point of view necessary for them to return and benefit their homes and towns. It is now grown into an all-the-year camp by focusing during the winter on all sorts of follow-up work among the campers and others in school and out.

Mr. James P. Taylor stressed the great need of impressing on our young people a love of the very soil of their state and a joy in making its beauties a concrete part of their living.

The general plan of the work of the Public Welfare Department of the state was very fully given by Mr. J. H. Corliss, Deputy Commissioner. His detailed account showed in how many directions this state department reaches out to supervise the unfortunates of our state. The work for the blind was spoken of by Miss Anne Connelly, field secretary, working under the state department and financed for a few months by the Vermont Association for the Blind. She told of the great need for the work and the heartfelt requests she is receiving for help from many forgotten blind of the state. The conference went on record as endorsing this much needed work.

The new director of Kurn Hattin Homes, Mr. W. I. Mayo, outlined his plan to make the home for adolescent boys and girls more and more full of opportunities for the broadest education, vocational and otherwise.

A luncheon was served at the Hotel Vermont to some 50 members of the conference, the out of town members being the guests of the Burlington members. The arrangement for the luncheon and many other responsibilities for the conference were in the hands of a special committee of 15 Burlingtonians under Rev. C. C. Adams, chairman.

The afternoon session was again opened by an organ recital by Miss Marston, and turned thereafter to the subject of Rural Schools by Miss Marion Gary of Rutland. This address is printed in summary later in this bulletin.

Mrs. Mary M. Deyett, who spoke following, stressed the point that training schools should receive and graduate better educated women, and that better pay for these young teachers should be forthcoming to help Vermont compete with other states who are now employing Vermont teachers.

Prof. K. R. B. Flint of Norwich University, Northfield, brought out the great and lasting benefits from the right sort of municipal planning, and the future mistakes which right planning can forestall.

The out of state speaker for the afternoon was Mr. Leon F. Whitney of New Haven, Conn. He gave a strong plea for guarding the future of the race by allowing only the fit to multiply. He advocated a voluntary sterilization law, and emphasized that only by increasing the families of the best stock and lessening those of the defectives can America keep its high place in the world.

The next annual meeting will be held at Bellows Falls.

The following officers were elected for the year 1927-1928: