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Indiana University Studies 



municipal institutions, institutions supported wholly or in 

 part by the State, and institutions for the insane. In all 

 of these fields, however, there have been additional reasons 

 of considerable force. In strictly private institutions it has 

 as yet found expression in less than ten States. Illinois, 

 Massachusetts, and Michigan, however, have given their su- 

 pervisory boards considerable power in the visitation of chil- 

 dren, while the Massachusetts board in general has wider 

 powers in the field of private charity. 



In connection with the inspection of institutions has also 

 come a demand for greater care in creating private institu- 

 tions in this field. It has been claimed that the State shows 

 much concern as to who shall be allowed to become a plumber 

 or horse doctor, but bothers itself but little concerning the 

 qualifications of those endeavoring to care for a large part 

 of its dependent class. Hence in Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, 

 Massachusetts, and Kansas the State board has been given 

 power to license certain classes of institutions, including 

 children's home-finding associations, maternity hospitals, etc., 

 as well as institutions for the insane. To pass upon the 

 articles of incorporation before the same are placed before 

 the legislature is but another step in this direction which has 

 been taken by some States. 



To sum up, it may be said that the only real controversy 

 today is over the supervision of private institutions, with 

 increasing sentiment favoring such supervision, but with 

 comparatively little legislative action on the subject. At the 

 bottom the whole matter seems to rest on the personnel of 

 the State board. Only in States where the members of the 

 State board have the confidence of private agencies is such 

 supervision possible, or for the moment even desirable in 

 practice. The most momentous question in the whole field of 

 charity today seems to be just this, — how to secure the active 

 cooperation of all agencies at work in the charity field, and 

 particularly how to bring members of State boards and pri- 

 vate workers into harmonious action. After all, in the prac- 

 tical experience of State boards, it seems that it is not the 

 law but the men that count. 



