The New York herald., 1877-03-02
YHE PAUPER PROBLEM.
Philanthropic Men and Women Who
Treat 1t Scientifically.
THE CHILDREN OF POVERTY
Cage the Cadger and Reform
the Tramp.
OUR HOSPITALS CRITICISED

At tho nfth annual meeting Of tho State Charities
Aid Association, held Ut Municipal Hail. No. 81 Madi-
son Avenue yesterday afternoon tho first business in
order was the election of officers for the current
year, which resulted as foIlows:-Pres'dent, Miss
Louisa Leo Schuyler. OF the founders and
most efficient promoters OF the organization;
Vice Presidents, Mr.. Howard Potter, Mrs. William
D. Rice Mr. Frederick Law Olmstead, Mr. Theodore
Roosevelt and Mrs. g. K Lowell Treasurer, Mr.. John
Crosby Brown; Corresponding Secretary. Mrs Joseph
Hobson; Associate Secretary, Miss s. II. Mnton. In
the absence OF the President Mr.. Howard Potter oc-
cup,ed tho desk as presiding officer, while Mr.. De-
iancey Nco read the reports OF the several commit
tees of which the first and most important both as
respects statistical Information and valuable susges-
tions was that OF the Committee on Children, signed
by Mary Cadwaadcr Jones as Secretary.
THE PArPER CHILDREN PROBLEM
The subject Of pauper children has indeed received
thorough consideration ut the lands of the assoca-
ton The law passed April. 1875, proviang Tor the
removal OF all healthy children over three years OF age
from the county poorhouses has been enforced as
stringcnty the circumstances would permit aud the
practical value of the thus been thoroughly
tested. AS one OF tho results OF the new order
it was soon noticed that parents became
less anxious to transfer their children to the
care OF the State; whereas under tho former regime
drunken aud INDECENT parents accustomed to send
their children to the Poorhouse during the winter,
and to withdraw them during the summer months to
lead vagabond and pering lie until the exigences
of a thermometer at zero compelled return to the
hospitabe shelter of pauper establishment there to
become corrupted by constant association with
vagrans of all ages and types, and to take another
step in their gradual descent to the very lowest
soclal level Al nrst parents OF this class cried
out against the now law oppressive and impracti-
mad tba mir rda Of n Loaf
eysum; but when. finally they found that means and
protests were alike unavang, and that to commit
child to tho familiar shelter Of the Island to
insure ts transfer to private institution with
fixed rules and reformalory system. they ceased,
in many instances At least, to declaim
against the State and commenced, with honest intent,
to support their children at home. Thus
boundary was established between aoject and unre
torabe paupcrs and that numerous class that live on
the oil paupersm without absolutely register
ing themselves as SUCH In 1875, for illustration 1Os1
chdren registered at Randall's Island as In.
mates while in 1876, under the operation Of the
law only al were registered thcrs and of these 1873
diseased either in mind or body to such an extent
justify their permanent retention. The 339
healthy children distributed as follows by the
ComniissioneIs:-
To tho Catholic Protectory l6i
To tho Institution OF Mercy. 113
TO the Juvenile Asylum. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Is
To the Nursery and Chld's Hospital .......... 80
o
To The liome for tho Friendloss. ............
To the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. /
Total. " 339
The report states that it has been asccrtained, be-
yond doubt that the different private benevolent lnsti
tutions have ample accommodations for all the chill
dren hat would naturally be committed TO them under
regime, but that 1t has been difficult hitherto
10 induce the managers OF such to accept
tho class Of children usually sont to the .sland.
At Randas Island the year opened with pauper
population OF 49S, OF whom 2l3 were IN the
lutu
102 in tho Nursery Hospital One OF the bcnehcent
ELECTS OF the new law has been decided improve
animation Of the number Of inmates In other depart
menls. q more scientific classification Of diseases,
OF from general practice and their
transfer to the special work OF idiot training. The
ton, owing the low rate OF wages the employment
Of prison attendants and the continuance IN office,
through political influences, OF officials totally unit
| for the positions they occupy.
Alter cxhaustng The statistics OF the various
ties the state the committee urge upon puUc con-
sideraton the benefits OF house training Tor the child
OF vagrant parents, with the large generalization
that any decent family house furnishes rucr
corrective than any institution, however good
! of its kind and however excellent in its
administration, possibly can. In order to
| g.vc coherent organization to their oi-
forts In this the Committee Children has
appointed subcommittee Tor tho following pur-
poses:-First, to consider suggestions and plans for
the infringement OF nursery hospitals second to study
the subject the proper and treatment OF Idiots
third to consider and report upon the expediency of
establishing temporary homes Tor children in certain
counties OF the State IN whicn no adequate provisions AS
yet exist; fourth, to suggest and prepare umcnd-
nents The laws relating TO vagran children, with
special such deserted and aitcrward
| reclaimed by their parents
! WHAT SHALL BE poyE TRAMps?
The report OF the Committee on Adult Able Bodied
Paupers was the second report submitted TO tho
thorough statistical review OF adult pauper-
ism, mass OF suggestive obscrvatioEs that
should not escape the attention Of taxpayers Al
though the bill providing Tor the appointment Of AS
OF the Poor, agitaed by the association last
winter at Albany, did not pass, because the members
OF the Legislature were unwilling to incur the re-
sponsiblllty OF removing local elective ofico
from tho hands of tho people, tho asso-
ries OF inquiries that resulted in the drafting OF
the proposed measure Ulster and Rock and counties
have been tie theatre investigation during the last
year but the is yet sufficiently advanced to
admit OF a coherent digest The necessity OF some
ana well dcred action to rcpress va
grancy has become Imperative one In this State.
The latest British statistics indicate hat not less than
10000 persons orty per cent OF whom belong to the
criminal classes, while not more than six per cent.
really desirous OF employment, perform their an
nual round OF wandering tramps through England,
Wales ard scotland; and II 10 obvious to the most
ordinary intelligence that the repression OF vagrancy
can be accomplished IN this country. with our present
by when our regiments OF tramps shall developed
armies OF strona ana irresponsible vagaoond
The proportion OF tramps who are really seeking
employment s probably not larger here than II Is Ia
Great Britainthat is to say not more than six per
cent Of the The majority of them are simply
persons indulgng in their natural and hereditary Tor
acquircd) aptitude tor idle ana vagabond
llc Their two or support are pri-
vato and public charity. and, secure In
such resources, fed by tho kindly hearted
and benevolent, and lodged by tho superintendent OF
the Poor. they nicst every county in the state ikc
locusts from Egypt or WISCONSIN, live WELL pass the
summer congenial vagabondage aud become station
ary friendly poorhouscs during the winter or crowd
into the cities and live by begging and pIifering. In
addition these rowing vagrants there IL another class
that may be styled lmued vagrants, who wander
within the narrow limits OF their county, alternate
between Jails and poorhouses, and become, year by
year. more degraded ana less capable Of reformation
From the statistics furnished by oversecrs OF the poor
and police officers throughout tho State, II Is es-
| timaied that 100000 expended dur
ing the year 1876 by various officials, IN
renewing tramps alone, while there were
less than ~, 900 persons committed for vagrancy
aud kindred olcnces-a dolorous exhibit surciyl In
response to inquiries prosecuted by the ass
cation, forty.seven counties, exclusive OF New YORK,
Kings thirteen others not heard IRON, report 43l
eu or hat Mt n