New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-20
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
STATE CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION.

STATE CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION.
.rnprss To THE LOCAL VISITING COMMITTEES
OF THE sTATE-CHARACTER OF THE wohA
roNw BY THE AssoCIATIoN-iIs NEED OF LkGAL
RECOGNITION.
An address was recently issued by the State Chari-
ties Aid Association To its local visiting com.tees
when the connection that has for some wears eXseu
between the association and the State board Oh Cha
ties was broken. The address was prePa,r;n y 90
special committee consisting of Miss Louisa ityc
Dwight, the Rev. DR.. Henry G. Potter; Mrs Benonl
Lockwood, +. l.. Olmstead, Miss ; NJ. van Anr'.sc
and Howard Potter. After briefly recount'ng me
history of the association and ITS relation 20 .e
State Board the address mentions we &C. %, .ne
Legislature under which members OF TINS assocla-
tion being also members of the state Board were
given the legal right of eptrance INTO the puoc III,
stutons of charity hese Vssors e throme
their duplicate reports to the association ana the
board. According to this Act of 1873. these VISITORS
ARE subject To such regulations as the Board may
prescribe and through certain new rules copy Oh
which was not sent to the association. tne BOARD
sought to restrain tue Visitors apboaf TINS
practically separating the two bodies. mat ms
separation was. under these bylaws, irreirevaDie'
was made clear AT a conference held between repre-,
sentatlyes IF the two bodies and while mutual good
feeling and desire for future cooperation were eA
pressed both sides. it was agreed tnat iuhd9 =,
meni al differences III methods OF work rendered III
uuwise to attempt to reestablish any organic con,
meet on The association having thus been deprived
of its legal right of visitation an attempt was haue
10 secure the passage of Oil incorporating tne as
ISOLATION, and giving to 1t the right OF VISITING tne
public charitable institutions This bill was intro,
duced into the Legislature last March, ana passed
the Assembly by an almost unanimous vote. IL was
fayoraby reported the Senate but failed 10 pass
that body on account of sudden ana unexpected
Opposition manifested by members OF the state
Board of Charities, who took the grounu that Ihe
visitors of the Board sufficient and TO grant
the right of entrance to VISITORS OF tne aSsoc'ae
unnecessary.
The address then considers the necessity OF such
unoficia! services us the association proposes TO
pcrform The State Beard, it claims, IS hampefed
6y set forms and official etiquette and is influenced
more or less by political necessities The peculiar
value of volunteer service on the other maui, Is III
its vigorous and quickeninR character, by which IL
supplements the deficiencies of oihclal service ana
prevents that service from degenerating III ecu
Gates q class in the community from which pupnc
officers may be drawn, and creates puDllc sehti,
meut in favor of good management ana HDcrai
though judcous expenditure Ill the charities OF the
State The most important part OF the work OF the
ASSOCIATION - the visiting of public institutions OF
charity conducted by means of volunteer VISITORS
in the various counties These visitors are men and
of intelligence and purity OF character nou-
partisan and undenoninatl0nal oiegal u,noIitA
is desired for them but only freedom OF slgnt ana
freedom of speech in other words, the rlght 10
enter charitable institutions and report what lhey
there. In furtherance OF ITS OBJECT the associa-
tiOn dining the past eight years has organized IOliy
local visiting committees. of which thlrty-one are
now in operaion, several having branches Tor out
door relief Among its practical results are enuiner-
ated the abolition of the system OF farming OUT lhe
care of the poor the lowest bidder, the Withdrawal
of pauper children from pOOrhouses and the
meut OF the KINGSTON Industrial Home and other
bene VIOLENT institutions including the Bellevue HOS
pIral Training School for Nurses. The Tramp Act
of last winter was drafted by committee OF the
association, which also lnaugurated the movement
to reform the tenemcnt-h0use system OF tins Guy
The ASSOCIATION proposes TO renew It's EFFORTS or the
ieoa recognition II REQUIRES and believes that when
the character OF its work is better KNOWN thls re-
quest will be granted.