2 Anderson William Clark 



of criminal tendencies will be carefully studied and preventive 

 plans adopted which no one to-day can foresee. 



In order to learn these complex problems at first hand the 

 writer visited Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, 

 Iowa, Minnesota, and other leading states. He examined records 

 and made diligent inquiries of public officials and of the officers 

 of private societies. Both public and private institutions were 

 inspected, their present conditions studied, and their past methods 

 investigated. 



INTRODUCTION 



What should be the position of the state with reference to the 

 many and complex problems of charity and correction? Where 

 is the limit to state authority and the limit to state control and 

 supervision? Where is the dividing line between public and pri- 

 vate charities ? These and similar questions have had the earnest 

 attention of students of society and of social workers, and are 

 pressing upon us as never before. Their solution must be found 

 in part at least in the light of experience. What have the various 

 states been doing with these problems? What experiments have 

 been tried and what do their results teach? 



The early period in the settlement of this country was a period 

 of decentralization. New towns and new communities were rap- 

 idly formed. As this process went forward it became more and 

 more difificult to administer the functions of government from one 

 center. Distances from the center became so great and travel was 

 so slow that local administration was more efficient than central 

 administration, and in many cases a necessity. Thus the process 

 of decentralization went on until, in the nineteenth century, new 

 forces came into operation which, by changing conditions, 

 changed the current of development. 



The railroads, the telegraph, cheap postage, and other improved 

 means of travel and of communication produced marvelous re- 

 sults. They led to the rapid growth of cities and to the cen- 

 tralization of capital in large industries. 



The tide was then changed in regard to public administration, 

 and centralization began. The movement in that direction has 



358. 



