New-York tribune., 1886-02-01
THE STATE B04RD or CHARITIES.

In his recent message to the Legislature Gov
ernor Hill recommended the abolition OF the
State Board of Charities and the creation in It's
place of q similar board with a single head. He
bosed the recommendation on the assertion that
the present Board is cumbersome aud un-
vieldvn and that the result of superseding the
Canal and Prison Commissioners with single
headed Public Works and Prison departments
had been so successful as to constitute potent
argument for the proposed change. In lis re-
view of the message The TRIBUNE took oc-
casion to remark that whatever might be
thought of single headed commissions as an abb
stract proposition, the fact remained that the
State Board Of Charities had strongly en-
treDched itself in the public confidence by good
and faithful service.
The nineteenth annual report of the Board
has inst been submitted to the Legislature. 1t
proves that the Board is performing great and
beneficent work; that in bringing intelligence
energy and experience to bear upon the charity
problem it is doing well by the poor and friend
less and al the same time is annually saving
the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars
by insisting that New Y ork shall take care only
of her own poor and shall not be called upon to
provide food and shelter for the paupers be-
longing to other States or other countries. All
charitable correctional and eleemosynary lnstl-
tutions, whether supported by the State by
Municipalities or otherwise, are subject to the
visitation of the Board and have been visited
during the year. A statement Is presented
showing their present condition and needs.
The whole number of persons in the custody
and care of such institutions on the first OF
October last was G0,394, as against 55,954 the
wear befOre-an increase of 4, ,44O. Perhaps the
most interesting feature Of the report is that
devoted TO exhibiting what the Board has done
for the State by securing faithful execution OF
the law respecting State paupers and by return
ing to different countries in Europe to which
they belonged "crippled, blind, lunatic and
other inirm pauper Aliens" The whole num-
Der of persons committed as State paupers since
1873 has been II, 703.
Under the sensible and just wedding ont sys
TEN instituted by the Board S,774 of this
number have been returned to their homes In
other States or countries, thus relieving our
own people of a great pubic burden. The
number of State paupers has Increased durlng
the past two years, owing, the Board reports,
"almost entirely to defects Ill the Federal law
of 1882 regulating em grafton" During the
year ending with September, 1885, the Board
reshipped 1872 chronic and disabled alien
paupcrs to their European homes. The whole
number of such paupers thus reshipped during
the last five years Is AS and the aggregate ex-
pense has been about $4,000 Commenting
upon the gain which has accrued to the State
from the expenditure of this comparatively
small sum the report says:
To maintain 4i3 individual dependents at pnblic ex
pensn involves cost OF nearly $4,000 every year, at
almshouso rates for their board, cloting and cars
What total would he In term Of years had that
number been allowed TO become liked upon us by the
authorities in Europe, who tried to do IT, any tyro in
arithmetic can demonstrate. In place of giving the
grand total that the to the State Ivy ts
Investment Of 900 IN thB manner detailed Dutstrps
u productiveness many times the rapdity OF IA
mound interest table on money This apparently OK
tIavagant statement be verified IN this way: Five
hundred paupers incapable OF self support by physical
disabilities OF various kinds. shipped from their native
countries in Europe, by design to throw their support
upon our public rsturnei at cost OF $40 600 TO
their proper homes and their own national care. would