Jan. 21, 1916. 
Tue Atracks Mapr upon Warden Osborn and his 
‘administration are without-parallel in the history of the 
prison management of New York. Previous to the 
charges made, the public was beginning to feel that a new 
era of prison management had begun and that Warden 
Osborn was bringing to the problem a new spirit and 
gaining a great victory; and then came the thunderbolt. 
Warden Osborn has pleaded not guilty to the charges and 
has announced his determination to fight to win a personal 
yictory. It is to be noticed that the great organization in 
Baston interested in child welfare work did not cancel a 
speaking engagement with Warden Osborn and _ that 
worthy citizens of New York have given him a public 
imeeting as a testimony to their approval of his methods 
of work and their belief in his innocence. The charges 
made against him are grave and they must be proven in a 
court of law or shown false. If it develops that the charges 
have been instigated by evil men to discredit an honorable 
man, such men should be severely punished and Warden 
Osborn should be reinstated. Meantime the public should 
withhold any feeling of condemnation they have on the 
basis of the accusations. 
THE SUPREME Court of the United States has hand- 
ed down an important decision on the workmen’s compen- 
sation law. The decision bars all damage suits by the 
benefactor under the compensation law. The widow of 
Benjamin Meese sued the Northern Pacific Railroad for 
neghgent killing of Meese, an employee of a brewery 
alongside its railroad track. The new interpretation re- 
verses the decision of the Court of Appeals. Apart from 
the technicalities of the law it would seem that this was 
hut ordinary justice and honor. Why should anyone be 
entitled to a double opportunity for a compensation for 
an, injury received. If the interpretation of the Court of 
Appeals had been allowed to stand, employers of labor 
and organized industries would be constantly subjected 
to unjust suits for damages. 
WHATEVER Criticism has been made of the Presi- 
cent’s course in dealing with Germany, it is evident now 
that he is actively engaged in preparatory plans for de- 
fence in case of war. A notable move in this direction 
was his call to the great factory organizations to formu- 
late plans for activity in the possible event of war. In 
addition he proposes to organize all of the workshops ac- 
cording to plans to be made by competent boards of di- 
rectors. Whatever may have been the President’s policy 
early in his administration, it is certain that he has been 
aroused by the activities in Europe and that he is deter- 
mined to make preparations against war in the interests 
of peace. 
From Desparcures Recetvep from Falmouth, Eng- 
land, it appears that among the letters borne by Von Pap- 
pen was one which appears to incriminate him still further. 
if the papers themselves arrive in Washington and their 
purport is found to be as incriminating as stated, the 
government made no mistake in demanding his with- 
drawal. The question now appears, how far is Von Berns- 
toff involved? Those who questioned the govenment’s 
course in asking for Von Pappen’s withdrawal ought to 
be convinced now. 
LANSING BELIEvEs that the time has come for neu- 
trals to strike for their rights and that the belligerents 
have been having their way long enough. So say we all 
of us, but how are neutrals to obtain these cherished 
rights? Does Germany appear to be in haste to grant 
them | 
te 
4 
a 
— 
“a 
NORD Hws HORE §BREAZE 11 
It is Now Five Years since the Massachusetts So- 
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children opened its 
North Shore branch and placed an agent in the field to 
care for its interests, and the results attained during these 
years have fully sustained the hopes that were entertained 
by the organizers. The work of the branch has now been 
enlarged and branches have been established in the dis- 
trict at Gloucester, Ipswich, Newburyport and at Salem. 
The Society purposes to prevent physical injury, removing 
a child whenever necessary and punishing offenders when 
the best interests of all concerned demand it, to prevent 
physical neglect, to rescue children from immoral sur- 
roundings, to secure suitable guardians for children and 
to engage in an organized way to make the community 
increasingly sensitive to forms of abuse that exist, but 
whose evil results have not been appreciated. Something 
of the magnitude of the work on the North Shore has 
been made evident by the annual report. Over eight hun- 
dred children have been cared for by the society. The 
North Shore is fortunate in having such an organized 
cparity constantly at work on cases that need expert at- 
tention. The regularly organized courts may do their 
legal work of administering justice as cases arise, but 
there isa need of an organized force to care in a sym- 
pathetic way for cases not demanding court action and 
to press court actions for the good of the community 
when such action is necessary. 
SWEDEN IS ALARMED by the menacing conditions at 
its very borders and the King has sent a message to the 
Swedish Parliament saying: ‘A formidable struggle of 
ever increasing intensity, which will decide the future of 
uations, is taking place. Our Government earnestly hopes 
to be able always to maintain the neutrality which it de- 
cided to maintain from the beginning of the war, but in 
otder to maintain neutrality and sovereignty increased 
forces upon land and sea must be in readiness.” A plea 
for arms with the spirit predisposed to peace. 
Tue New Buriprnc Laws passed by a recent legis- 
lature have now been accepted by a number of cities and 
towns and the results have been phenomenal. There are 
weak spots in the bill that will doubtlessly be corrected< 
as experience teaches the necessity, but on the whole the 
efforts made for building laws that will safeguard the in- 
terests of all have been successful. There is no more 
important part of the business of living than that of good 
housing. In addressing itself to this problem the legisla- 
ture has done well. 
ONE OF THE REMARKABLE disclosures of the war has 
been the loyalty of the colonies to Great Britain, the 
Mother Country. Even the sections of Africa in rebellion 
some years ago, have rallied with remarkable patriotic en- 
tnusiasm. England gained something at least by the war, 
tor it put an end to the internal strife that was menacing 
its welfare. 
I cannot cut the figure 8, 
For I''m not graceful when I skate, 
And as I fall and rise and grunt 
I language use that’s rather blunt. 
You see at skating I'm not one 
Who jars the ice because it’s fun, 
But I was told by Doctor Brown 
That I must keep my figure down; 
So, though the crashes are not nice, 
Down goes my figure on the ice! 
THE Boston EveENING TRAVELER, 
