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Legislative Session of the Conference.
‐‐A. R. Gifford, Burlington, Chairman.
The morning session was opened by a marvelously concise, yet detailed report of proposed legislation by the chairman, Professor Gifford. Such matters as the following were stressed:
Making the custody of a child a matter of court record; raising the Juvenile Court age from 16 to 18 years; a census of defectives; sterilization of the unfit; psychiatric examinations for problem children and juvenile delinquents; and the possible appointment of a Commission on Children's Laws. The topics of mothers' pensions, work of the visiting teacher, woman factory inspector, etc., were also mentioned. (For a full account of the legislation suggested at this Conference see "Proposals for Improving Social Legislation in Vermont," published January 1, 1927.)
Progress in the Survey of the Feeble‐minded.
‐‐H. F. Perkins, Director, University of Vermont, Burlington.
Professor Perkins related the progress of this survey. He told of the 50 families appearing on his charts, comprising some 3,500 individuals and traced the effects of various hereditary diseases and traits, such as the dread Huntington's chorea, gypsy and piratical tendencies, pauperism, etc. The work of the Survey has been done by one field worker and a part‐time secretary. He also spoke of the need of a school census of defectives and of the other social legislation outlined by Professor Gifford.
Vermont Tuberculosis
Association.‐‐Harold W. Slocum, Secretary.
Mr. Slocum gave a fine rsum of the work of this association, telling particularly of the two‐day institute for rural nurses and of the new sunporch at the Caverly Preventorium at Pittsford. He invited all those present to attend the annual meeting October 30 and to see the Preventorium for themselves.
Miss Ella M. Murphy, Supervising Nurse in the New York State Department of Health, gave an extremely interesting talk on that work in her home state.
Problem Child Clinics in
Vermont.‐‐Dr. G. K. Pratt, National Committee for
Mental Hygiene, New York.
Dr. Pratt spoke in detail of the plans for the Problem Child Clinics to be held at the University of Vermont each month. He told of what they comprised, how they were to be conducted and mentioned a number of behavior problems. He also explained that the "model" child is often more troublesome than the "problem" one and that there is never a problem child without one or two problem parents.
Owing to the shortness of the time it was impossible to hear the other speakers originally scheduled on the program.
At noon a Community Service Luncheon was served by the Outlook Club and this gave greater opportunity for the social intercourse which is so great a part of the Conference.
The Eighth Annual Meeting of the Vermont Children's Aid Society, Inc., took place at one o'clock. The main speaker was Mr. C. C. Carstens, Director of the Child Welfare League of America, who told of the re‐discovery of the family, our better knowledge of children and an increased desire for social service and community thinking on the part of the people of today.
* * * * * * * *
Number of pedigrees has been greatly expanded by the addition of new individuals. These have been looked up in many parts of the state and have added many interesting points concerning the tendencies of the families and their branches. In addition much more detailed information has been collected concerning certain individuals in order to make the histories as complete as possible. The chief item in this additional material had to do with the cost to the state and the community for maintaining dependents in institutions and for giving them poor relief. It is almost impossible to make such figures complete. In the case of one family there were one hundred and twenty‐one persons known to be defective and most of them were at one time or another charges of the state. The figures for only thirty‐one of these have been secured, showing that the cost to the state has been $58,600.00, unquestionably a too conservative figure.
The office staff has been increased by the addition of Miss Conklin to assist Miss Abbott, and of a second clerk. Most of their time has been taken up in the indexing and verifying of the records in order to make them as dependable and as accessible as possible. Social workers are already learning to consult our files.
The National Committee for Mental Hygiene, in response to our suggestion, put into Vermont a group of workers in psychiatry and psychology who made a very remarkable study of school children in four selected typical areas. Their report will be published independently, and their work was not only thorough and scientific, but full of valuable suggestions for the handling of subnormal and abnormal children throughout the state. This work represents a financial contribution to our Survey of over $7,500.00, which is insignificant when the scientific and moral value of the gift is considered.
Since the printing of the "Lessons from a Eugenical Survey of Vermont," in January, 1927, the number of individuals recorded with comments is increased from 2,761 to 3,400, and the number of individuals who have now been determined to be paupers, feeble‐minded or insane, is nearly 100% larger than was known in January. This is evidence of the conservative summation of facts in our first report.
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