POOR RELIEF IN THE UNITED STATES 165 



secured from the society. The lo(lf];ing houses of the society 

 offered temporary shelter to 5,1G3 ])oys and ^irls; the average 

 daily population being 413. For 797 of these children posi- 

 tions were found, 215 went to the farm school, and 133 re- 

 turned to their relatives. 



Private societies also have led the way for the legal pro- 

 tection of children against cruelty and abuse ; the first of these 

 was founded in New York in 1875. At present 157 of these 

 exist, a part of which are also devoted to the protection of 

 animals; and it is interesting to note that societies for the pre- 

 vention of cmelty to animals existed in America before the 

 organized efforts to protect children. 



The New York society has taken for its task the care of 

 maltreated, neglected, criminal, and vicious children. It re- 

 ceives complaint for investigation, brings charges in cases made 

 knowTi to it, and enforces legal regulations for the protection of 

 the children. 



The children left in the care of the society are placed in in- 

 stitutions temporarily, or permanently placed in families; 

 often, however, they remain under supervision with their 

 relatives. 



The care for neglected children, which is partly included 

 in the general laws on the subject, remams far behind the Eng- 

 lish methods, since federal legislation is not involved, and the 

 laws of particular states are indecisive. There exists in the 

 more advanced states a tendency to exclude children and 

 youths from the prisons and receive them into reform schools, 

 which are called, as in England, reformatories, and industrial 

 schools. The names have been changed repeatedly because it 

 was observed that a certain reproach was attached to all of 

 them after a time, which was an obstacle to the success of the 

 pupil. In all institutions of this kind an essential factor for 

 improvement and education is industrial training. 



Worthy of note, in respect to the condition of the reform 

 schools for girls, is a study of the discipline in reformatory in- 

 stitutions for youth. Since it was apparent that ver>^ defec- 

 tive administration in a number of these institutions had led 

 to excesses, the New Jersey State Charities Aid association sent 

 out a schedule of sixteen questions, the principal of which 



