Our Dependent Children

The state public school, for the care of the lependent, neglected and illtieated children of Michigan, is an institution of which the people of Mlchfcar may well be proud. It has solved the financial problem of taking nare of these children, and as a protective iiieasure against pauperism, vice and ciime, its value to the public is immeasurable. Beiore its foundation there was no place for the jhildren tbrown upon public charge, exeept the county houses, where they were secessarily under the debasing inlluencef' of pauperism and vice. At a lime In their Uves when impressions received are more lastlng, they were ihrown among those whose influence Is almost uniformly bad, and their ycung Üves were tlius blighted. The establishment of the Stale Pub113 School marked an epoch in the chiltf life of Michigan. The state asfumes the right to the guardianship f those children who are dependent ECglected or ill-treated, and nares for theiE by furnishing them a tempora ry home at the school where, by mean of perfect physical comfort and tcalthful training, they .are led 1o forget their old life and become piepared to take their places wüh ILeir more fortúnate fellows in the fhmilies and public schools throughout the state. Before admission to The school they have known 'ittle of ccmfort and happiness. Their resiOence time, short though it usually is gives them a new idea of life and 1hey haev no desire to return to the clil manner of living. The priee of acimission is dependence or iU-treatiLent, and the quaüfications are that 1I;ey shall be between one and twelve jears of age and sound mentally and pl-ysically. Tney are not talnted vitli crime. Since the opening of the institution in 1874, nearly 3,500 children iiave leci'. received and cared for. There sro now in the institution about 220, smi over 1,100 are with good families thioughout the state and under the supervisión of the school. The others have passed out front under the Bthool. Those with families are placed on contráete which provide ior their proper care and education. 1' is not probable that there are niany in the vicinity who would gladJy take one or more of these children lntc their homes and make them their ov.n ? The best selections are boys from 4 to 8 years of age, and it is beüeved ihal the homes would be blessed iulJy much as the children by taking the children into them. Any information desired may be liad by addressing A. J. Murray, Superintendent, Coldwater, Mich., or 1. B. Gi een, Ypsilanti, Mich.