New-York tribune., 1879-04-10
SUMMARY OF THE REPORT.

In submitting Mr. Apgar report CohIOIcI
ocot prefaces with the following remarks and sug
gestlous:
Isubnit herewith the report of +. X. Apgar who was
appoutrd by me to investigate the affairs OF the chat
snbecI deyeopod so much Of interest that has
been used than was at first deemed necessary ins
elaborate tables in the appendix nave Oee1 PepsfS1 b
VIII sIta taIt; Gnu 80 "a. =, sssia6shIna responslbe
the charities maintained bH the stare
The peuses OF the several state tOhe
expended by the state Tor tho support OF inmates
in institutions other than state ns ut ons, amount III
Ihe aggregate to than 81 100000 annually IL is
eSnecied that the ioiut expenses OF canals and
1Tsons Tor The current year viii be the above
sum. thing is needed TO StrenS hrn he STORY olu
by the tables in favor OF greater care ana SUPERVISOR
this statement seems be all that Is necessary The
text report in measure presents an anay ysls OF
IT'S tables ana various instructive comparisons are ade
between The institutions Of our state ana those OF othf
ibee TO suggest the following plan to the Legislature,
as calculated produce the desired SUPERVISION ahd
TO the expenses OF government; flrs Il sure an
the receipts OF the institutions to be paid into
large 10 cover an their expenses the apprOpr 10
be- advanced by the Controller upon monthly
FOR annually estimated for aud submitted TO the
State Board OF CHARITIES on October /, OF eaoh year
Make IL tAc duty Of sand board TO examine SAID esti-
mates and certify the amount needed by each lnsttu
to the Legislature No appropriations 10 DC ihao
make ID tie duty OF state Board OF Charities TO re-
Oure OF the institutions annual report classified as
tails the board may deem wise Aso stateuehto oI
the quIutijy and prices Of the Vai1ous articles usru
II seems to ms tnat with tnese three simple IeI%dre %
all elements of q complete supervisor VIII
be IN the hands Of the proper state oihca's
Mr. Agar begins his report with a statement of the
Institutions twenty or more IN number which he has
visited. HsiuvesttsatiOn was made more difficult by
the want OF uniformity in the keeping Of accounts On
this head the report says:
No greater cheek 10 possible eXirayagtnce could Oe
devised than uniformity coupled with degree OF
eearuess would render II possible. foI those inter
COM pr v,lIie making PROPER allowance ior The
fHpTlrU :
II is obvious however that uniformity In bookkeeping
aud the presentation OF their financial statements IS
different and entirely Independent sys'emo auininiSIa
STATE SUPERVISION.
On the subject OF state supervision Mr. Apgar speaks
with decision:
am very clear that the best interests OF the State
o of tie several INSTITUTIONS wOud be Subseiyed ny
Inurc direct supervision than now eXists It's adj
vautI.rs woud boz numerous. In addition TO securing
the uniformity when has Dceh spoken Oh tuele Moulu
be some representing the interests OF the state as
distinct from local iccuug or PROBES Oha lLlIe, SlIch
sometimes leads To undue expenditure II WoulI Sc
cure uniformity OF treatment. Now each Institution
comes TO the Legislature directly, seeking such
aud as its superintendent or ITS board OF man
ayers may deem requisite. One superintendent
NAV have economical ideas. another extravsgant
ones. The Legislature cannot Know OF the IeceSs.tes
fl each and must largely rely upon he statements
nece.sy exists appropriations by the state Tor any
one Of the several Institutions, It's superlutendcntl Is
ohItCed 10 present himself before the Legs ature,
perhaps 20 remain in Albany many days during the
Winter. and 10 make such efforts 10 secure the sums
needed sutj nm % the impu;auOn OF spending
much time IN lobbying iOr appropriations "hlSh
coga DC ISs Itc. SPIN snpeTi1teRqeHee IN al home
Neither the superintendent nor any other Ocer OF a
State institution should be compelled. or indeed at
lowed appear at Albany. year after year. to lobby
through tie appropriations winch may De heGessaIy'
AL estimates should be sent Tor hpprOVai TO- anu al ap
proprdtous should be recommended bf, one superNs-
ug body or person 4hs would MOI nUt 0n Proevs t s Ie
iustItuIons The LegsatuIe would nave confidence IN
the recommendations OF such head, and needed ap.
preparation cou.d be secured without the boards OF
manager ana superiL teudeut spending haII tAc VIM
bc covered state Treasury and all payments
made Oh monthly estimates, as III the case Of the
prloOuS
Mr. hpgar did not think it necessary to go into the
.uc of prison management lie reports that the estab-
ushmeu o. Que responsible head had justified the most
sangune cx xpecta,iOns Of this system.
GROWTH OF EXPENDuUREs.
OF The growth OF expenditures in the management OF
State institutions some remarkable illustrations are
given:
The New-York Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, In
the City of ScwHork. iog The year lS60 CONTAINED an
average Lb,r Ol inmates esIilaed al oOO Inc coSt oi
Their support Including salaries aud wages provisions
and supplies. clothing and hght and u Other 0Idl-
nary * pcurcs, eIcep ordinary repairs was 0O4 per
capita the year: including repairs, ~ "a 40 Last
year GS7sJ, the average number Of inmates wa wa
coat of SUPPORT including before all Ofdl-
mary c1.euses, except repairs, was $40 TS per capita
for M te3i inciudns Icpfs'h 80 t a., snnI,o?t in
admitted 1T ia some respects 'e Coet u. or
such al lnsututiOu Is now necessarily somewhat greater
than IN 1860. MANY articles have fallen below even
The standard that year bat in the main II ls probable
that including labor and al ruces purchased undeI tho
II surely be claimed however hat 'heie is any
sucn ucr Sc as would account FOR the TACT tuat the per
cap oct OF support i. almost S12O greater than
il was in the year Irs naueO; anu tha too, although
tic number OF inmates Tor 1873 was 1874 more than IN
lsGO, a fact which should tc1d Oiher things Oelhg
eqaSS 70 'fzg cSnparIson With 1865 is even moTs
startling II viii be remembered that IN That year tDe
paper money with which al tho supplies Lsd 70 De Pur
chased and all tbs wages paid was deprecated so
muca tbSt represented not more than IAN lts Isce
vaiue gold. II would surely be c1pecte9 tns low low
whon we have returned 10 a god standard ana NheI
the price Of labor and I grGNi.ios nae % pGeI % s %
The hualcial exhibit Of tao institution shoud show
ISE5 win am average number OF 36S nmates, the Cost
OF sJpport ucluiiDg %s n,Cre az Ordinary etpeIsS.
meluosE Of 59E Inc cost OF support including
ali Ordinary expenses, cNcrp repairs was 80 - per
capta Tor the wear; pciuding repairs, SZS3 ~ per
1t difficult 10 sccouui ior an nGr'asr OF mon M
than 20 per in the PER capita cost OF support lor
1873 over 1875 upon theory consistent WIN the
belief thai tue iu.tituuOn managed with ali The
win its affair Elther tno provision OrerI madc lof
it, inmates was wholly iu4deQuSte or that now pro. P
sec IN what cOns.t tns Increase rake tle te,h s oI
this putse 9G7 Olor $40 81 per capita ia 1860
tho amount CGpeuued waA sl5,U1a 3D. OF S4' 90 p,I
capita; ~ 1875 the amount e1pendeu "es so-1S' 90
OF olOO a per capita Comment lie unnecessary, in
1869 me sum expended FOR provisions "&e eloIoO 90
or 81! - per capita 1863 the amount spent lOr the
saInc tuI pose sG43-S oo or SJ4 % per edp.t",
s!iIsi 99 Or $50 per capita Il /, difficult 70 be
icVe there migl! NOT have neen gIeatti t'Goo %
visions Tor the nsututiOu since 1900
Tndor This mead are found extraordinary eIam
ples OF Increase IN the amount OF sup. lies consumed III
the Institution for Instance From s6i 10 1875 with
al increase Of 81 per cent tho number Of inmates the
number OF pounds Of butchers. meat consumed increased
lel per cent just 100 per cent than the increase
in fnmatss in 1861 tie consumption Of milk was lo99
quarts In 1873 II wac loo,57o quarts
In tie N-w-York A.ylom for Idiots at Syracuse Mr.
Apcar found toe comparative expenditures entirely sat
isfaetOry
or The Nov-Ycrk state InsDriats Asylum the report