in matters where we have been thrown into association with the ladies in public charities, why we are becoming very largely imbued with the spirit of that Scotchman who wrote a letter to the Gazette in which he complained of the action of the Trustees of the University of Edinburgh in declining to allow women to take the degrees in medicine. "For my part," he said, "I see no reason whatsoever why women should not be freely allowed to become medical men." Therefore, we hope to gather a great deal from what you have to say to us, a great deal of information, a great deal of helpfulness, a great deal of inspiration.

I think, too, that meetings of this kind of a Conference must be of very far-reaching importance, because, when we come to interchange views, it must necessarily happen, I think, that the interchange of views will lead to interchange of success and to some phases of coöperation along the whole line that will grow in influence and power.

So it has been one of my dreams that the time might come when our charity should be so organized, both in city and country, as to be made to have a natural interrelation. Now, great city organizations represented, perhaps, by smaller organizations in the country, might so work hand in hand, helping to solve for one another the problems of the country and the city. That something of this kind will ultimately come, I have little doubt. Indeed it will come, as I believe, finally with the coöperation also of the State authorities who will use their power and give their influence to assist some sort of general interrelation between city and country charities of a kind that will be of great help to us in enabling us to solve the great problem.

A little something of that kind has been done on the other side of the water in that great progressive democracy, the Swiss Federation. There the Communes so manage to conduct public work that when there is anything to be done in the cities in the

way of development or improvement, the times or the seasons when the work is done are so arranged that they shall not conflict with the largest demand for agricultural labor. In this manner those who have not permanent employment find the largest opportunity throughout the entire year of securing work. A most significant thing, as it seems to me, because it leads up to the solution of that great problem - the way in which the entire forces of a commonwealth can be interrelated in the effort to relieve the sting of poverty.

Now we are here to discuss a great many problems much more definite than that, and I assure you I shall not attempt to venture any ill-digested views on a subject so broad.

In this age, in our jealous effort to try to protect individualism from encroachment, we have run to the other extreme of a partially paralyzing isolation, and, therefore, one of the most important things that we can do is to gather together, all the time, in order that through the powers of association we will make our individualism the most effective.

It has been said, and I think it is one of the most potent sayings of modern times, that the problem of the age — it was said by Joseph Mazzini,— is the perfection of the principle of association. I firmly believe that to be the case. Of course, we see how the principle of association is spreading in the commercial world, and in the industrial world, and there are some people who are very much afraid of it and think that individualism will be injured by it. I do not believe it will. I fully believe that individualism will have its highest development and its greatest power of operation only in an extensive association. Perhaps there is no department of human life, after all, in which individualism seems to be more important than it does in charity, because the problem that we have to face is how to make philanthropy both scientific and intelligent and yet preserve its personal quality. Now there are some people who think that

can be done only by isolated effort what they consider to be individual effort, and yet I fancy there are very few, however large their hearts may be, who so misuse their own powers as when they become their own almoners.

Of course, you are to discuss from time to time certain specific features of our charities, but I can conceive of nothing that could engage our attention with greater usefulness, with greater importance, than the discussion almost all the time, in every phase of charity as it arises, how we can employ the principles of association and still preserve the individual quality. That is to say, how the personal element of human life can be brought into scientific charity. Scientific is a term that we have come to use. It is a term that sounds offensive when applied to charity, and yet, after all, it comprehends just what we mean, because science is the basis of information. It is for us to discuss how we can rob that term of its apparent harshness, by maintaining all the time the personal element of the heart in all our charitable work; and I hope this Conference will take time for the discussion of that subject; that in every line of work that it undertakes, in every special department that is under discussion, all the time that subject will be brought forward,- how association or organization can be made to retain all the personal qualities of the heart and mind, of the individual man and woman.

With these words I will leave the meeting in the hands of others who have matters of great importance to present to you.

By Mr. DE FOREST: When Mr. Cleveland was Governor of the State of New York, I remember it was noted as an instance of the care with which he was doing his duty toward the charitable and correctional institutions of the State that he had the record of the different boards sent to him in order that in considering reappointments he might judge of the attendance of their members. The present Governor of our State has done more, for he has personally inspected all the charitable and correctional institutions of the State. It is a special honor for us this even

ing to have with us the Governor of our State, and there is special reason why we citizens of New York city who are engaged in the cause of charity should welcome him. Among all those who have labored together in the great work of tenementhouse reform and have done most to bring into force the present revised and reformed tenement code, the chief is Benjamin B. Odell, Jr., Governor of this State.

ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR ODELL.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the New York Conference of Charities and Correction:

The very kind words spoken by your President I am sure are greatly undeserved. I hold it to be every man's duty, wherever he may be placed in life, whether it be in business or in politics, to perform thoroughly, conscientiously and honestly the duties that have been intrusted to him. If in the performance of my duty as Chief Executive of this State I have merited the approval of the charitably disposed people of this State, I am glad of it, but I deserve no more praise for the work that I have done than the humblest worker in the cause.

It is a pleasure to meet with those who devote a part of their lives to the amelioration of the poor, to the rescue of the unfortunate and to the care of those upon whom has fallen the heavy hand of penury and want. There is no State, no country where the sympathies of the people are more easily aroused in behalf of the unfortunate or where the wealth of our citizens is placed at the disposal of worthy charities to such an extent as in the State of New York. And it is right that at times we should throw aside business cares and official functions to meet and exchange congratulations upon work accomplished, and to resolve that each success shall be but an incentive for still greater performance.

There is, perhaps, no home secure against the invasion of disease that may rob some of our loved ones of their intelligence,

or of misfortune that may take away from us the wealth which brings the comforts and pleasures which are so much to be desired. There is nothing, however, that can take from us the love and affection which has been nurtured by years of care, or cause us to forget that what to others may be but senseless clay is to us still the form whose lips have whispered words of love. If such times come, if it has fallen to our lot to aid and comfort others, then it will be our happy recollection that out of these charitable acts will come the sympathy and support of those whom we sought to aid in happier days. It has been largely this sentiment among our people that has caused our State, through the efforts of those interested in humanitarian work, to substitute for the vile and degraded conditions which existed in some localities, State care for those who need mental and physical treatment. While our expenses have been greatly increased and the burden of taxation perhaps sometimes almost excessive, yet private charity has reinforced our efforts and enabled us to meet the demands made upon us, with methods that have been an example to the State in the care of its unfortunate wards. It is well that there is this bond of mutual interest between the State and those engaged in active charity work, and it is well that those thus engaged should meet to exchange views and felicitations. I can but bid you Godspeed in your undertakings and pledge to you, so far as it is possible for me to do, the aid of our great Commonwealth in the furtherance and continuance of your work.

I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for the opportunity you have given me of participating with you in this meeting to-night. I wish that I could remain longer with you, but unfortunately to public men there are times when their time is not their own, and I am due somewhere else now, and I must say, therefore, good night.

By Mr. DE FOREST: Religion, which underlies all the great framework of charity built up in these nineteen Christian centuries, is worthily represented here this evening in the person of