The New York herald., 1878-03-29
STATE CHARITIES.

SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING or THE AID AssocrA-
r1oS-LAsr YEARS woRK--rHB CONDITION
OF THE HOSPITALS AND ALMsHoUsEs.
Tho sixth annual meeting Of the State Chavitiss Aid
Association was held evening, In their rooms at
No. East Fourteenth street, Tho attendance oi
ladies and gentlemen largo when hT. Howard
Potter look the chair. Tho first business the
election OF the following officers for ls7s-'7o:-
Miss Louisa Schuyler, president; Mr. Howard Potter,
Mrs. William b. Rice, Mr. Frederick Law Olmstsd
Mrs. c. X. Lowell, Miss Mary r. Prime ans
Mr.. James Roosevelt vice presidents; Ms
John Crosby Brown, treasurer; Miss 8. E.
M,utop. associate secretary, and Miss Wool
sey librarian The attention of the meeting
was then devoted 10 tho passage of amendments
to tho con stitution, anor which Mr.. William e.
Dodge. Jr, read the Treasurors report showing the
balance on hand to be nineteen cents. Tho report Of
the President, Miss Louisa Schuyler, was theE pre-
scented.
THE ANNUAL REPORT.
The report opens with alusiou to the recent
death OF the vice president Of The association, Mr.
Theodore Roosevelt to whom a glowing tribute 10
paid and reiereuoe made to private memorial meet
ing Of tho association few days after mis- death.
Tho report then reviews work Of The as.ociaton
as detailed in the reports OF Its various branches and
auxiliary committees. No change OF plan IN the work
has becn made 1t Is said that the law re-
moving healthy ohildren IRON the poorhouses
has been generally observed, only two evasions
OF u being noticed. One OF these was the establish
ment OF the ChIldren's Homo by the Commissioners
OF the Aimshouse IN Ncwburg. The managcmeUt OF
this home commenced. Tho other evasion OF the
'rehccts the gravest discredi upon tue Superin.
tendents the Poor OF Wesichester county, wh0 ao-
cordine 10 the report being unwilling TO pay Tor the
support OF the children when they we're well cared
tor removed thirty-two OF them 10 the house of q
M ri led err q q
thoy could bo boarded at less expchsc."
Ihe passage OF tno ol recent. ,' Introduced 10 tas
every child over Two years old Is urged fhe religious
clause in tho bill Is, however, condcmned Tho law
emanatinR from the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty TO Children and passed last winter, Is also
commended II provides Tor the arrest and caro- Of
child beggars, and for the punishment OF those who
send them into the street.
Tho children requiring from the State
DIVIDED as loows:-l. those VINO arc homeless and
destitute. z Those VINO have committed petty GRIM
inal offences or evnced vicious proponstiss For she
placing the Iormor In ''famiIy nomes.'' The VISITING
committees are urged TO try the experiment. OF OPEN
Ing temporary homes where the chiluron be kept
until an opportunity Is presen.ed Tor their adoption
TIE HOSPITALS.
AS to hospitals, much remains TO be done: :. In
some OF Tho pOOrhOuses the SICK and tho we'll share
the r0om and in others, whore separate apart.
Ments oxist, but ittle attention has been gven "a
Ventilation; rarely are thorc responsible nurses OF
provisions Tor special dot"
II Is that bellevue Hospital in medical care
and nursing stands first in Tho city that morality,
order and discipline It is second 10 none, and that
praseworthy spirit OF humanity Is shown In tue trca
mcnt OF patients. Tho Training School for Nurses
occupies thirteen wards, besides small
gency hospital There are now hity-six nurses. Tho
of the Charity Hospital and other hospi.
tails Blackwels Island is said 10 be very detective
aud attention is called to tue inhuman delays which
attend the commitment OF insane personA who are
retained the damp, illventlIatcd cells At Bellevue
which have been condemned oy the Grand Jury.
Tho bad construction Of Bellevue Hospital Is noticed
aud the expensive system OF ventilation, introduced
only two years ago, claimed TO be failure. The,
mortality rate OF the hospital s pronounced excep-
tionaly high. Tho erection OF new building ior The
hospital Is urged.
The accom- modations for the OF this State are
pronounced inadequate. rhe number OF insane known
IN September, 1876 was over 900 persons. "Of these
4S2 were IN private asyiums S44 In state asy lums
the city asyiums Of New York ana Brooklyn, and
1,76l IN county asy lums aud oorhousos."
rho reports tho visiting committees are referred
TO showing that the treatment OF the insane not tn
frequently amounts to cruelty. The Standing Com
mi,iee Hospitals recommends that training schools
for nurses established In connection with insane
asyiums and whenever feasible that lcctureships Do
established. Systematic means OF instruction should
bc furnished Tor studens and clinical lectures given vt
The system OF outdoor reeI Tor adult able bodied
paupcrs and tho provision made Tor tramps aro c0n.
dcmncd. sayiug:-
There to be no systemac provision for the dis
them sy vyerseers o. the poor in many towns in sucn
such comparative charge By thc
relieve many trAmps
no effort to Reform NM
s o5 ;S hs& ns sT Sin
havs put TO work YORK 70, 1hs,s time N, with the view
Ths ovs.Ssss are generally Iad pcr diem compensation
G,een cents to 81 rs head for iod ling and
ana the higher the charge the greater the number OF
tramps
The financial affairs of tho association are not four
ishing. The report says:-
Our subscriptions and donations both dminshed
s"y @ope rsducsa e. siU "ar in 1915
% I'm
Deficiencies within certain limit, association able
OF he association as we wish more money is needed
The results which the association most earnestly
desire to bring about arc stated AS
!. Tho finding OF family homes for homeless children
Further provision tor chiidrcn requiring reformatory
g. children shall any possibility Of
return to panper Influences In their Surroundings
Better care Of the sick in the poorhouses.
o. Othcr ana further accommodation tor tho insane
ca, treatment by aiienss ther humane treatment
msnt 10 oioma.Sry to woIknonsss
the withdrawal from them o an element requiring reicrmA
). The dminuton OF official outdoor relief
. Cooperation among the CHURCHES, charities and
official outdoor relief for the more effective work
~ The formation, If possible. Of a labor exchange
4. Improved DWELLINGS for the laboriug classes.
H. The extension OF work by the further organizes
ton OF visiting committees in those where
NEW YORK VISITING COMMITTEES
The Hospital COMMITTEES condemns the bad
struclion OF bellevue Hospital ana says thai the In.
temperate habits OF the Orderles part
by the bad AR, poor iood and hard work to which
they are subjected. The coils Tor Insane and violent
patlcnts are In bad condition, and drunkards, luna.
tics, epeptics and paralytlcs are crowded together
there for days IL is urged that supposed insane
patients should be kept IN comfortable quarters and
have proper medical attendance Tho Board Of Ap.
portonment has not glvcn the inon;y applied for By
the commissioners OF Charities aud Corrections 10
build proper cells. The Helping Hand Tor ton days
has been very full There have been many
improvements BlacKwell's Island, but the manage-
ri fhA tnatt Ia Tho
Hospital has been greatly overorowded doubling up
beng constantly practised. Tho Mission to Fallen
Girls at the Charity Hospital has produced good
suits.
Az the Female LuDatic Asylum over thirteen hun.
drod women arc crowded into buildings Intended for
9S6, with allowance Of only attendant 10
twenty -our patients. Thoro IL a medical superIn-
tcndcnL with i0ur or 1vo assistants. The are
kept in the crowded halls, generally without Occupa.
ton. without Amusement, without change any klnd.