CHARITIES AND CORRECTION. THE NA TION.‘ L CONFERI:NCE ()•. .\n assoviation of some I-Mo members in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. who art. interested in philanthropie ef forts, .Nlany of the members are actively con 'wiled with charitable activities in various cities. There are no tests of membership. All shad, of thought are represented. The confer ence has no platform and adopts, usually, only rez.olutions of thatil.s. All persons are privileged to partieipate ill the discussions. It is simply an exchange for the comparison of views and experienees. not a body organized to accomplish any undertaking. One result of its deliberations was to arouse public interest leading to the establishment of local or state conferences, and in securing needed legislation.
The first session was held in New York City in 1s74 at the invitation of the social Science Association. with which body joint meetings acre hello I till 1s7s, tintugh the proceedings acre published separately after 1s76. In the tirst separate convention met in Chicago. with dele:ates front twelve state-. The membership and attendance have steadily increased. The
:state Governors frequently appoint representa tives. as do the mayors of large cities. Delegates from foreign lands are often present. In ISSO the first report on the organization of charity was read, and thenceforth this topic has had great attention. ln 1s93 a membership fee was charged. the expense previously having been met by contributions. The membership fee is the members to the volume of Proceed ings and the quarterly Bulletin. These vol umes contain a vast amount of valuable informa tion on the charitable activities of _America. The conference holds annual meetings in .May in the Narious cities of the country. The evening sessions are devoted to general questions. Sec tion meetings are held during the day. These sections arc in charge of special committees, com posed of experts in the various fields. The gen eral secretary is Joseph 1'. Byers. Columbus. Ohio. Consult Proceedings of the National ('on of Charities and Correction (Boston. IS7-1. it seq.1.