Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-14
tbare its denominations and was
1 corroborated in his arguments. covering 8

I corroboreted in his arguments, covering
period of two hours, by ex Gov. Anderson,
of Kentucky, and tbs thought this discus
sion will have great influence in doing
away with this error in the south.
Piece work in prison contracts, reforma-
ton of girls, the ticket-of leave plan, state
aid to discharged prisoners to help them
into an honest life, preventive work among
children, and placing them in homes and
Hebrew charities in the middle ages were
ably discussed by representatives from all
over the country as we'll as many other
vital topics to which Secretary Hart had
time but to merely allude to in bis report.
committee, of which Judge Young was
| a member, submitted series of resolu-
tions which were adopted, calling the at
tention of the president and congress of
the United States and the governor and
Legislatures of each state to the 1nterna-
tional congress, to convene at Rome,
Italy, October Is, 1884, and urge upon
each the importance to this country, to our
institutions and to humanity, of suitable
representation of his state in that inter
| national prison congress-"
The next meeting of the National
conference Will be held in st. Louis. The
officers elected for the present year are
Mr.. Letchworth, of..N York, president;
Mr.. Wright, of Wisconsin, recording sec
rotary, and DR.. Hoyt, of New York, Mr..
Caldwell, of Kentucky, and Mr.. Hart, of
Minnesota, regular secretaries. Mr..
Id. G. Bell was appointed
corresponding secretary for Minnesota,
Judge A. H. Young a member of the COM
mittee on the organization and manage
ment of prisons and penitentiaries, and
DIR. Geo. Fl. Knight, of Faribault, mem
| Der of the committee on provision for
| idiots.
REPORT OF SECRETARY HASTINGS h, HART.
Gentlemen: In accordance with the d
vice of Secretary Frsd 81. Wines, of
Illinois, Gov. L. F. Hubbard, president of
| the board, gave me commission to visit
| correctional and charitable institutions in
several states, in order that I might have
| data from which to view our own institu-
| tions. l endeavored to choose repre-
sentative institutions, not only those which
| are radical and advanced in their theories
| Of management, but some which are con-
servat1ve and hold to established methods.
| generally visited the best institutions of
a state, passing the others by; but in some
cases I visited inferior institutions, believ-
ing that we may learn from the mistakes
| of our neighbors as well as from their
successes. The tour embraced the states
of Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and
| a trip to Elmira, New York. The institu-
tions visited were five state prisons and
one prison camp. four iails, five children's
reformatories, three work houses, nine
institutions for dependent children, three
poor houses, one city hospital and one ly-
ing in hospital. Some thirty-six institu-
tions in all, besides visiting the officers of
! the state boards of Illinois, Michigan and
Ohio.
The work of the board of charities of
Illinois is very highly organized. Elabor-
| ate quarterly reports are required from all
the charitable and reformatory institu-
! tons. The board of charities is III reality
| a board of audit as we'll; as all the accounts
| of the state institutions are filed in that
| Office with duplicate vouchers, and the
| state auditor takes the certificate of the
board of charities for their correctness,
without any further examination. AS soon
| as the accounts of the past quarter are Ger
| tilted correct by the board of charities,
the estimated account for the coming
quarter is paid over to the treasurer of
each state Institution. The board of char
tiles revises the annual estimates of all the
state institutions. During the last eight
years the appropriations of the legislature
for these institutions have varied only ST.
1865 from the recommendations of the
board out of nearly $4,O00,000 appropri-
ated; and the state institutions now regu-
late their estimates by the recommends
tions of the board. The board of charities
requires all the state institutions
ton of expenses, which permits intelli-
| 81
lures.
set of books is kept in the Office of
the secretary, to unity the accounts of the
state institutions. Secretary Wines has
devised uniform system of accounts for
all such institutions which is very com
plete, but too elaborate to find ready favor
with the trustees of public institutions.
The results scared are of great value and
it is to be hoped that Mr.. Wines will be
able in time to so abridge and simplify
the system as to secure its general adop-
ton.
The work of the Michigan board of cor
rections is less elaborate than that of the
Illinois board, but the tendency seems to
be in the same direction. The board re-
celves quarterly report of all changes of
the population of the various insane hospi-
tails, and annual reports giving full list
of all insane in hospitals or receiving
county aid throughout the state. The
material is thus secured for complete re-
cord of all the insane of the state, which
is kept at the Office of the board of correc-
tions and charities, and gains in value
every year. The board is required by re-
cent legislation to pay yearly visit to
each state institution, for the purpose
of considering its annual estimates and
to report to the legislature on the same
Building plans of public charitable,
penal and reformatorY institutions for
school purposes, living rooms, work rooms
or sleeping rooms, or for systems of sew
erage, ventilation or heating, are submit
ted to the joint consideration of the board
of corrections aud charities and the state
board of health.
Michigan has q system of county agents
4 of the board of corrections aud charities
to care for juvenile offenders, and see to
the placing of INDECENT children in homes,
which has proved highly satisfactory.
state convention of county superintend-
ents OF the poor had been held annually
for the past ten years, and a year ago q
state conference of charities was inaugu-
rated with marked success. state CON
ference Of charities has been held also in
! Wisconsin for the past two or three wears.