New-York tribune., 1884-01-02

questions have arisen from thlS ConultlpA' =,
THE yisitatiOns of the Board OF Charities as wen
as the Commissioner in Lunacy, are necessarily IN
freaoent and the Information they gam OF the acI
tual management Of the institutions quite general
The local boards Of trustees gratuitousy perform
the duties they have assumed and while not En-
faithful, can hardly be expected 10 ueVote tiiie
very constantly to the details OF EauagehleEt
They very naturally gain much OF Their lntorma-
ton from the statements Of the superintendent III
charge. H.. - A.,
managers Of the Western House of Refuge, where
delinquent boys and girls are sent for reform ana
Instruction. satisfied the committee that lof lhohtns
the bylaws and regulations OF the institution re-
atinG TO the punishment of inmates, had Oeen VIO-
lated: that the boys there confined had been peat
en-. abused and assaulted in the most outrageous
manner by tho attendants and subordlnates In
charg- "nd the funds of the institution had not
been sufficiently protected. -, -.
II is assumed that neither the Board OF ChaTltIeS
nor the local board of trustees had any know !euGe
of these things until they were exposed ny tIe IN
vestigauon; and 'he snperlntendent testllien tiaI
he was entirely ignorant Of the instances oI cruclty
established by the testimony. ,.,.c u.i.,
AsyStem which permits TINS cOnulUoa VI ILlHs'
is evidently defective. , -:
The time will never -Ome when the humane sehtl
nent of he people will approve the cruel trcatmeh
or the neglect Of the unfortunate or even cTlmlha
inmates OF these Institutions and their nselu!oss
depends upon giving 80 occasion loT Tue WI -
a susnicious and uul.lsOnlng De1ct that lnelI
hepeyolcut purposes are lost or perverted. nat
gystem of Inanag cement Is, therefore, mahiiestlt
best which most nearly sattSheS the puolC ttt ~
is conducted with due regard to justice ana Ior-
bCaTanCe.
BAD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.
Another aud more practical consideration Is III
vOlved in this question.
The state annually appropriates from haIt 10
tbree-quarters of million of dollars to the main
tenance of these institutions; and those connected
with the making or administration of the Laws owe,
as duty to the taxpayers or the stare thelr pe,L
efforts to guard the expenditure OF the money uuS
appToDriated against extravaganza, anu insure IIS
advantageous application TO the purposes 1Or "Alch
" An cvamtnation OF some Of the expenditures Of
these institutions and the cost of the maintenance
of their inmates establishes the iact tuat the!f
business management is seriously at lauit;
A report made TO the Controller bY the agent
appouted IN 1879 to examine their hnancal aIalrs
and business administrations contains mHch
valuable and startling information. By tins report
il appears that our State Institutions compare very
nnfayorablv in the cost OF their maintenance with
those of other States andcounTes' Conhncd 20 our
own state the result of the inquiry ~ inns teHpc't
&c no less striking There is reported quite an I'M
portant variation in the prices paid Tor the same
kind of supplies, and great dlllerrIGe III JHSs
expense of supporting their inmates Inc cost II
provisions and supplies Is gwen TOT thr support ot
each inmate n the year 1877, in twenty different
uuatic asvlums, three Of which wAIch @ are are
and provinces. OF the seventeen the animal cosI
per capita i'm six institutions was between 9''V ina
$50; in two between $50 and 30; ID seven De
tween $40 and $50: in one rSl -, anl IN one
SlOl IL in the three New-l lOrk institutions thls
cost is reported at TIOj -. 81 10 - ana PIof ~
Ii thus appears that 'hs Ne"-lnrk aSyIuh9 uIe iiDt
only much more expensive than the 0'heTS, Out
that among themselves there is a difference between
the highest and lowest rate Of more than !iiy per
The last report of The state Board of Charities
contains a statement of the weekly per capita cost
of maintaining the inmates IN several OF "uI state
Institutions, " Hch shows variation Soartcy Ic'S
cannot but believe that much that is defective
and extensive i'm the present management OF ilt'e
Institutions is attributable to divided responsibility
and cnrs,0ucnt loose aud unhusiness-lte methods
fear that too much of the time Ot supeTnteudeht1
which should he devoted to the aotual care anu
watch of those put in their charge, Is spent IN other
ocrupatious which though not necessarily foreign
10 the interests of the institutions, should not be
At ryrrT session of the Legislature, not only the
supcrintcndcuts, but delegations from the local
boards of managers, appear before the c"inmllt"rs
having the subject of appropriations IN charge
asking for money to maintain their m1tItniionS,
whcn. if necded they should recclVo without lH'-
portuuity Appropriations arc made Tor al! mahHei
of euIargamcutS repairs, alterations aud improve
mcnts many of which are disapprUved after execu-
two examination. which Is unayUldaby Imperfect
and may lead t. injustice. =,
A suspicion may well be entertained that III tho
localities where these institutions are situate the
privilege of furnishing the supplies and materials
l. granted from motives of frend.incss or desire
10 patr0uize home trade resulting IN bargains dis-
advantageous to the Institutions and the state
TIE APPOINTMENT or GENERAL sUPERINTENDESr
Advised.
In seeking to better the condition of affairs, we
cannot fail to be reminded Of the experience Of the
State in relation to prsoL management During
the year ending the 30tk day of September, 1875,
there was paid from the treasury for the maintc-
nance of these institutions, above their earnings,
the sum of r1Oi $40 -. BY an amendment 10 tne
Constitution adopted in November OF that year the
suprrutcndcncc. mana cement and control Of the
State prisons were vested in n sip'rhtehdeuT
who entered Ep2a the 80 a''h+5s' 6s tS5 tSUt
Goth day of September following, or in
less than nine months under the new management
.hr deficiency Of expenditure was reduced to
until the Goth of September, 1881, when surplus
of $JGl 30 was reported, which has annually IN
creased until at the close OF the last year IL reached
There seems to be no good reason why similarly
favorable results cannot be obtained by the appica
ion of a like system 20 the cOutr'l ard management
of the business affairs of charitable institutions
II accords with the plan adopted where large pIl
vatc interests are Inv"lyrdi II mas the a'tNlhlaE,
| of concentrated responsibility; the Legislature anC
the Executive should under such a system, be sat
| isfactoTly informed of the actual needs OF tue
! different institutions, and the necessary
! appropriations should be che"rtuly MADE
! fhe time of the superinteudcnts c0nld b'
devoted TO their Legitimate and proper dutleS; ~,
detection aud prevention Of abuses andnegectcoui
! be reasonably cXacted; very large saving should
be effected in the wholesale purchase OF supplies u
uniform grade for all the institutions, and the al
| yautagcs consequent upon cOiieci apltcalloh V
| business methods would be secured to tic people
| of the state.
| The changes suggested contemplates the EN-
poymcut of fit person vested with the supervision
! and control Of these institutions, to whom fail
| salary should be paid and who should have uC
other business. Hc should absolutely be required
! TO devote all his time to the performance OF hl'
| duties.
! The attention Of the Legislature Is earnestly
! called to this subject, in the hope that better
system may be adopted with such careful cousidera
tiou of detail and the necessary change in present
! laws as will secure the Inauguration Of plan
which shall be simple, efficient and well perfected
EMIGRATION.
| The Commissioners Of Emigration report that the
number of immig igrants landed at Castle Garden from
! January to the lst day of December 1883, was
372 ls3 being G3 464 less than were received dur
! ing the corresponding time in the previous year