The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-28
STATE CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION.

The First Annual Neutrality-suspicious.
by ID. II. Eaton and Others-The Aim
of the Orga IMITATION the Amclioratt0n
OF the Condition or the Paupers.
This association principally composed OF most
influential class of ladies, and organized for the
establishing Of local visiting committees to the
almshouses and other charitable institutions for
the purpose Of effecting reforms held their first
annual meeting last evening at the hall Of the
Union League Club, President Dwight in the chair.
Among the gentlemen on the platform were Rev.
John Hall, Rev. Or. Bellows, c. L. Brace, D. B.
Eaton, Dr. Stephen Smith and Colonel Stebbns.
who were associated with dozen of charitable
matrous.
THEODORE w. DWIGHT, President, called the meet
ing to order, and explained the object OF the So
ciety. He said it was not enough to leave
the charitable institutions to the care OF the officers
who are left IN charge. This had been shown by
England where, when unmatched by the public
eye, there have been abuses In the institutions A
few years ago an investigation was made Of all
the institutions. and great commission, which
makes 1t almost impossible for abuses to exist.
was instituted. In 1857 commission was estab-
lished here in our state, and we found abuses He
detailed some Of these abuses and said the
OF them. year or two ago it was decided to
bring in the cooperation OF the ladies who felt
that they had reason for existence we felt that
we could give valid ground for coming into ex-
istence, and the first work was to look into Belle
vue Hospital, where the Commissioners gave the
improved. The ladies 1elt that one important
matter was the necessity for corps of
TRAINED NURSES
i'm all the institutions IT we could have all the poor
houses of tSe State watched Ike Bellevue Hospital
we would have new era in our institutions. Our
poorhouses are OF the same character as the
patched up system of Queen Elizabeth's time.
England has abandoned 1t years ago. Yet we are
where we were 800 years ago. He proposed to call
inhro n nj
state.
Some slight amendments to the constitution were
adopted, when q. L. Brace read extracts from the
first annual report OF Louise Lee Schuyler, which
asks the passage of an act giving the association
further power. 1t shows that 1920 Al have been
received; that the treasury Is now empty; that
about i've thousand dOars1s required yearly, and
asks for contributions. The Visiting Hospital
Committee found much at Bellevue Hospital
to commend, and many abuses, which were re-
NEEDED by the Commissioners. They found 1t
necessary lor better class OF nurses, and asked
the Commissioners to establish q training school
for female nurses such as that OF
MISS NIGHTINGALE'S,
and the amount required to establish 1t Is $4,000,
$4,000 OF which havo been raised in three weeks.
The report charged that the ladies were refused
admission into the Westchester County Poorhouse
by the brutal keeper, as they term him, although
they bound themselves not to violate any OF the
rules. The report made some excellent sugges-
tons as to the classification OF poorhouse inmates,
the employment OF all able bodied and the separa-
ton OF the lunatic from the sane
DoRMAN b. EATON rejoiced that he lived IN New
YORK. where $4,000 had been raised IN
SO many days. instead of Westchester:;
where the p0Orhouse doors were closed
mon noble. Christian women. He was
thankful that women, instead OF travelling
the bOisterous road OF the ballot box and primaries.
walk in the quiet route OF charity. In hfty-iive
institutions for the poor in the state there Is an
intermnging of the insane, the epIleptic, the old
and young and the healthy There is no classified
ton no system in our county houses, and one OF
the objects OF the association is to break up the
county establishments and collect them from
larger territory into larger assemblages, where
they can be better classified, and in the bill now
pendinQ at Albany the young are to be separated
from the old, the sane from the insane, schools
tablished Tor their young and
LABOR SUPPLIED
that will elevate them and prevent them becoming
chronic paupers Two hundred thousand persons
are supported by the state, and nearly that num-
Der had been assisted yearly in this city for the past
three years or one in eight or nine of our popula-
ton are paupers, or more than out OF i've are
dependent upon others for some portion OF the
year.
Colonel SrEBBINs followed in a few remarks in
support OF training institution for female
nurses, after which Rev. Drs Hall and Bellows
complimented the ladies upon their energy and
offered some suggestions for the more successful
carrying out Of their work.