New-York tribune., 1881-12-12
STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES.

The State Board of Charities, winch helu ~
number of sessions last week ut No 81 MadlsonaVe',
closed its labors Friday All of the members OF the
Board were present except the exoieio members, who
are the Governor the Secretary of state the
Controller and the Attorney The president,
william p IetchwOrh, Of Buffalo, occupied the char,
and the other members in Attendance were John u
Dayereaux president, Of Utica, and Commissioners
Samuel f. Miller Of Franklin Oscar Craig OF Rochester
.Iobn r. Van Antwerp of Albany, Edward C. Donnelly
of New-York, Ripley Ropes of Brooklyn, Mrs. e. Il.
Lowell of New-York Miss Sarah NJ. Carpenter OF
Poughkeepsie Dr. stephen Smith of New-York, Dr.
Charles HOyt the secretary OF Albany ana Jaiues W.
Tanning, the notwithstanding, also OF Albany
The sessions of the Board were devoted principally TO
hearing reports of committees and papers prepared ny
individual members in regard 90 the work OF the Board
and 10 preparing for annual report TO be made 10 te
LEGISLATURE in January. The Board is empowered oy
law IN assist I'm an official capacity all charitable eeeo
synary correctional and reformaOry lnsntuuohs' Ca
cepting PRISONS whether receiving State aiu or hian
tained bv Municipalities or otherwise, and also any
Incorporated private asylums Ior tno
detention treatment and OF persons OF
unsound mind. Reports as to the eondltloh oi 'no
various institutions subject ID the visitation OF the Boau
occompanied by statistical and financial tables were
read M the session which closed Friday ana large
amount Of valuable information was thus put Ia reau
ness for presentation TO the legislature The Board is
authorized by law to make contracts Tor the mahIen-
nely been made with the city OF Albany ana the
countios Of Delaware 81. Lawrence, Erie, Broome,
Ieferson Onondaga and others person IL deemed
State pauper who il unable by work maintain himself
and who shall have lived sixty days IN any county
within one year preceding the time be applies Tor aid
Among the papers which will form part of tie annual
report Of the Board decided at s session just closed
ia one by Mrs Lowell founded an inspection OF the
institutions the deaf aud dumb OF the state There
are six of these institutions two Of which have branches
They are all said 10 be in prosperous condition.
Another paner read by Mrs. Lowell gives an account
or the New York Asylum tor Idiots, at Syracuse ana tpe
branch asylum Newark Wayne County for idiots ana
feeble minded women between the ages OF sixteen ana
forty This branch institution started IA an expert
men for feebie-minded women who found In aims
boseg and other places and liable TO be leo asray
The experiment ia spoken Of as entirely successful and
as aflordng an appreciabie relief TO the poorhouses
There are now 1875 inmates in this branch asylum, the
cost Of whose maintenance 80 week each They CON
tribute largely by Industrial pursuits to their own sup
port.
Miss Carpenter presented paper the institutions
for the blind which she has carefully examined There
are Of these-one in this city and one Ia BataVa
All blind children sent 10 these institutions 10 DC
taught They in prosperous conditoh ana nave
about 800 inmates. notwithstanding the increase In
population there is no increase In the noDer O Dnhu
children In the state.
Oscar Craig gave the results Of his examinations into
the state reformatories, OF which there arc two-the
House Of Refuge Randalrs Island. and the western
House OF Refuge Rochester. lie will during the next
few months extend MS inquiries 10 the INSTITUTIONS 0
this character not maintained by the state OF whch
there is considerable number Including th' Catholic
ProtcCtOry in WestcLo stor County, the CahoG Project
ory in BuiFao md other ike Institutions. There has
% failing Of ia the commitments to ne TWO state
Institutions but an Increase IL thr nulDr tsHt 20 pr
Vntc institutions IL difference or opinion
AMONG those who have given attention to this matter ~
pr~sidcrt Irtrhworth and Mise Carpenrer who were
appointed committee tc examine ihio .he ru'ulon "a
the insane OF certain counties oi "r o'h', u' Wy
interesting report The Board has the power To IeheYe
coguti-s from the obligation 10 SEND ctro2ic insane
paupcr- to the Willard A., lam for tie Insane which,
unt recently the only state lhsuIntl"h oI thls
pcrIuiyaou 10 sixteen counties to retain Their chrome
insane paupyrs. host .: these insane persons are aoe
10 earn lh,r own hsY hy working at farm labor II Is
nor, therefor, Tor th" counties 60 take care u
an insane prr-ou hn II not 'ioi' ut an send nm tHa
state institution where be Is maintained Hi tbc ckpelse
o. tns eo,' ~ tho ii rn1Iies Witch h. perrssion
fron the Board maintain them. They are provided
for IA % part 81 the pOOr-honse mauarI""t except IN
addition 10 these 800 insane persons there 500
more m countie, projected by exemption nlhGiIg IN
al about 1000 insane persons outside OF 4u
hines Counties, IN aliushoises IN me STATE Ibe
report states that the general care oi ie Insane 10 these
county instituiionS has grc'ty hpfGVeo WIN ~ iem
ycars Much depends however, on ibe care oI me poor
houses Tie changing systom of care ihCiitht 10 te
political changes IN ISarls % 7nperl ls n.u e.
beet The lack of proper Attendance II the great fau IN
most c The comfy Institutions men s 'S 'I t VI % 20
great economy IN me ihaaAEeneuI, i p' @ ~ ~ a., ~ ~
CHARITIES has, Theoretically. the power t. remedy any III
ID
t. srnd ita insane 10 the state institutions TAis power
however T. not exercised hoCJsc lie ~iite nHtul"ii
c0urd,rably more than 10 can properly aeconlhc-
dale The incbriutc AsyIum ~ BngLamton has been
altered recently INTO nn a'y un Tor I.Ioc lsan. l"r
SONS with accommodations Tor 800 IL Aas now SlNty ~,
mates but t will be fun within few days. There wll
De , then 1900 chronic insane persons Tor whom tDc
State provided no accommodations. The plumber OF
persons In the state Is sh l" he lhcfnsiS at
ratio largely IN excess OF the increase OF population.
Ten year. ao there G.777 insane persons IN the
SiaC while tins year the Dlmber has increased 10 10000
This II .aid be- due 70 the hard times OF few years
ago and 10 incompetence and Digh living. NC"-f ork
an. brooklyn are governed by special laws In regard tc
thci. insane and provide their own iuHutuuon''
Br u0yt, the secretary Of the Board, who has eN-
amcd into the hospital accommodations for the sick III
the poor of the stare, made an Important report
He nds great lack Of proper nirndalce III tne & aims
be "riin'. i,ntrstic work AthongL there mas been
fourteen years ago. there II stll room for REFORM and
ID IA understood that the annual report MiL make some
inlrtc,ting rrcoumon ndHtOns On TINS point,
Dr. Smith ~ preparing paper 0n thr suplect OF Tue
state insane asy lums which will he presented ut the
,1N, gH r6arites OF NoSEork C:y. and sull
another with the cpilcpt!c idouc and affirm children
maintained at public expense Ilt state Ias nadc no
provision Tor this class OF unfortunate emaren as the
and improved There Is said 10 be great need o proper
Institutions iur these children.
The animal report, to be sent to the Legislature hs
agreed upon by the Board wiz present SUMMARY oi the
operations of all the Institutions, ihelr expenses uld
Other like Information There IL expended IN the stare
about SS,OOO.oO0 annually Tor chartaOle purposes,
and tho average nunDer OF persons maintained Is
10000 The ratio Is mncH smaller IN @ ILis n s,nte
than in Massachusetts or Ncw-England generally
Paupersn arising from causes other than insanity aS
largely decreased IN the State owing to the better admin
stratlou of the laws, better accOinOdalohs the re-
mOyal of children nom the poorhOuses winch onA place
in 1873, aud other causes, among which Is
rnumCTa scd the eXtinguislment Oi families that
originally brought paupersm into the State
The poorhonse expenses this year ar, are ,nG shGTn
be oss than last, and considerably less thau III
NJ he