New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-22
THE cOUyTY POOR HOUSES.

Some DAYS ago The TRIBUNE took occas sion
ia direct attention to the fact that our law
makers at Albany too often pay no attention to
the presumably valuable suggestions that are
made to them by the heads of the different de-
partments of government. The Governor the
Controller. the Insurance and Bank Superin-
tendents and other officials, as the result or
tbe,r experience and observation in the admin
istraton in their respective fields oil the pupllc
service, cmbody in their annual reports 10 me
Legislature recommendations looking TO Iegis-
lation. Considering their source, II wouId seem
only natural and proper that all such recon-
mendations should be carefully considered Oy
Senate AMI Assembly, and that they shouiu
not be dsregarded save after mature rehectloh
resulting In the conclusion that their dement's
outweigh their merits. But it has come TO pass
that the Legislature acts as IL it believed that
II had done its whole duty by an annual report
when il had listened to the reading OF It's title
from the Clerks desk aud ordered it printed.
Does the present Legislature purpose to be-
come AN example of this kind of constructive
derelicton of duty9 If not, then it stands 1t In
hand. among other things, to pass upon-not' oil
course. necessarily to adopt-the recommends
tons contained in the report of the Committee
of the State Board of Charities on the
subject of County POor-Houses. In MS
last annual message, to the Legislature OF
1882, Governor Cornell wrote Us follows
1.-THE attention of the Legislature has Tor TWO
ayears been earnestly directed to the disgrace
ful condition OF most of the county Jails and
Spoor-houses, without securing, however, sueh
Gleeislation as the public interests demand.
aWith few exceptions these institutions are
Gdiscreditable to the communities responsible
- for their maintenance and sadly Injurious to
u the unfortunate classes committed to the n"
Rnt although Governor Cornell spoke thus
plainly and emphatically of this serious evil,
the Legislature Of 1882 did little or nothing
toward remedying it. What il the present Leg
islatnre going to do7 The report on county
poor-houses to which we have referred
contains several suggestions which ought
TO commend themselves to every intelli-
gent law maker who is intent upon doing his
best by the poor aud unfortunate OF tho State
The chief of these suggestions are that the poor
! houses be placed under the control OF non par
tsan boards that the proper authorities COM
| mel all superntendents of poor-houses strictly
TO oil ey the law of 1875, which prohibits tho
keeping Of children over two years Old IN those
institutions; that In view of the lack Of State
accommodations for all the insane, the vacant
room at the Bnghamton and Willard Asyiums
shall only be filled 10y violent cases and such as
NAV be designated for transfer by the officers
and members OF the Stats Board of Charities; ;
that the asylum and poor-house OF every county
retaining any chronic insane shall be visited by
an officer or member of the Beard AS often as
| once every three months to examine into the
treatment and condition of the patients, and to
| advise az to any transfers that ought to he
made and that law be enacted dividing the
cost of maintenance of the chronic insane In
State Institutions between the counties and the
State 30 that the charge TO the counties shall
he two dollars per week for each inmate and
| the per capita charge to tue State shall be sew
enty five cents per week.
We submit that these considerations are
worthy of the attention OF our Senators
and Assemblymen. Let the State have their
Judgment upon them. If, after due delbera-
tiop. they regard them as wise and practical,
then let a law be passed embOdying them. nd
if. Oh the contrary, it is the opinion of the Leg
i,lature that the suggestions are unwise or i'm
practicable, let that fact appear and the reasons
upon which it is based. "The poor we have
always with u.s. 1t certainly behooves
the State without loss of time to Work out and
put in practice the best possible policy for theii
care and management. And one thing more
The report states that there are three or four
poor-houses in the State q that are still re-
proach to the honor and humanity of the coun-
ties to which they belong" Would it not be in
order for the Legislature to request the State
Board of Charities to disclose the names OF
these offending counties
CIVIL SERVICE IN PRACTICE.