The New York herald., 1874-12-05
CHARITABLE AsYLUMs.

The State Board of Charities Pay q
Visit to the Kings County Charitable
InxtItutions-Privat vs.. Public Asy-
lums.
The Kings county charitable institutions were
visited yesterday by William Letchworth and John
C. Devereux, members of tpe State Board OF char
it,es. and Mr.. Charles s. Hoyi, the Secretary OF the
Board. The visit was made at the invitation OF
the Supervisors OF the county. Previous to start
ing out to 20 the rounds OF the places that were
intended to be visited Messrs Dcyercux, Hoyt,
supervisor at Large Fox and Supervisor Donovan
held meeting in the ONCE OF Commissioner Cum
nlngham, who was present, as was Supervisor
Ropes. An Informal discussion was started con.
cerning charitable institutions and the hest means
to make them successful. The question OF most
interest TO all concerned seemed to be that relat
ing to nurseries. MIR. Hoyt wno 1t Is well known,
has more than once expressed himself rather
forciby about the bad effects OF nurseries gen.
orally. took the view OF course, that lie has always
taken. He SAID, that IN his opinion, they were
harmful In many respects. and instead OF being
benent to the poor were curse. Looking at the
subject in its most favorable light he could not
how any person who had studied It in all its
aspects could escape the conviction that public
nurseries, as At present constituted, we're great
evil. They were standing invitations. SO to speak,
TO the poor to u~
ABANDON THEIR CHILDREN.
They were inducements, therefore,, to poor
parents to stine their feelings of love for their
young, and robbed them OF much OF that energy
which gives strength to those who would other
wise work to put up with everything rather than
Commissioner Lctchworth cOntcnded that chill.
drcn could be better cared for IN private instttu.
tions aud at much less expense than at public In
sritutiOns. County poor houses, his experience
had shown him. could not compare with The prl-
hin nnf,n
was oil the opinion that children were not as well
brought up IN the puolic Institutions as general
rule as In private institutions, and he believed
that once paupcrisn got It's hold ON parents ana
children 1T was apt to remain.
After the meeting the party PAID Visit 70 Bishop
Nursery Hospital and Asylum, the Congress street
Industrial school and Asylum under the care OF
Asylum, and the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum
on Albany avenue and ST. Marks place
TIE POWERS or TIE STATE BOARD
Previous to 1867 the laws which related to any.
thing like q rigid State supervision ol the private
asyiums were rather meaningless than otherwise
and but little good was ever erected by any at
tempt made to ENFORCE them In such way as to
reach he heart Of abuses tnat existed. There -
now no longer any excuse for the existence OF
great abuses In asylums and II any do exist in any
OF the institutions OF charity 1t is because the
State Commission have not done their duty In all
cases, or that the abuses are so covered up that
there is no getting at the facts in an olicia way.
members from each judicial district in the State,
but the late law OF 1870 made the Lieutenant Gov
ernOr, state comptroller ana Attorney General
er oNci0 members o the Board. The powers OF
the Board given even In the original act are very
extensive Thcy have the right to inquire into
the condttlon OF all the institutions except prs
0ns), compel the attendance OF witnesses
and ascertain whether the objects or the
Institutions are fully complied with. Their visit
to the public institutions In Kings county yester.
day was by invitation, but partly. doubtless, IN
Accordance with the provision OF tine law, which
requires that the charitable institutions should be
visited by them a. least once in two years. In
case the Board nnds that any institution REQUIRES
illegal investtgationu ito use the strange express
sion OF the law Of 1873, which woud seem to imply
ttat the usual visits 10 the Institutions cannot be
looked at as investigations at ain they must give
notice TO the Attorney General, who Is then to
make inquiry and take such proceedings as he
may deem necessary.