Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-17
ENooURAGING nEeoRrs.
Annual Meeting of the Mothers Al
 SocietY and Leila Rmv Nuraerv.

Annual Meeting of the Mothers Aid
 Society and Leila Day Nursery.
 The annual meeting of the Mothers Aid society and Leila Day nursery was held at the United church chapel yesterday afternoon at o'clock.
 The report of Mrs. Henrietta S. 8. Wheel CT, the secretary, was very encouraging. She says that steady increase in numbers at
 the nursery proves that the institution is be- coming more and more of 8 necessity to the
 poor workingwomen of New Haven, and the; fact that the public responds Hberally to the
 calls upon it shows that the work is appre.
 ciated. The present quarters on William
 street are much too small as the number are
 increasing. The place is out of repair
 and without many of the conYenienees that
 are necessary for the care and health of the
 children. Mrs. Wheeler pays compliment
 to Miss Orrell, the matron, for her faithful
 work. She tells of the sickness that has
 been prevalent at the nursery, one child
 dying of diphtheria. The health of the in-
 mates has been remarkably good, due in
 measure to the faithful care of Dr. Elliott. The picnic at Savin Rock, the ride to the
 Woodbridge hills, Thanksgiving time and
 Christmas are all described by the secretary.
 She speaks of the fair given by Mrs. Chap
 man, the president, and of the doll sale to
 replenish the treasury, from the latter of which $367 was realized. Thanks are
 extended to all who have in any way con-
 tributed to the support of the nursery. The
 daily average attendance from March 31,
 1887, to March 31, 1888, has been 1615
 children, and the aggregate attendance 5, ,129.
 The number of families represented was
 thirty. The largest number of children in
 attendance on any one day was thirty-six, the
 smallest two. Over last years aggregate
 attendance there has been an increase of
 1,735. The secretary concludes with this:
 t:The object of this society shall be to assist
 poor workingwomen with children and help
 them gain an honest livelihood. For this
 purpose day nursery may be maintained
 where mothers can leave their children dur
 ing their working hours. During the past year the nursery has been maintained, and
 during that time it has assisted over thirty
 mothers besides aiding much toward making
 better men and women of the children that
 have come under it's influence"
 The report of the treasurer, Miss Mary B.
 Bristol, shows that the receipts for the year were $1, ,771. .55, and the expenses $1 ,439. .49,
 leaving on hand $332. .49. On May 1st there was on deposit in the Connecticut Savings bank g, 2,034S7, and in the New Haven Say
 ings bank $99. 50, total of S2, ,134S7. This belongs to the building fund.
 In the report of the president, Mrs. Chap man, the managers are glad to report ad- vancement in this charity, and that they have been able to teach these women the value of labor and lnculcate in them the self restraint which always comes from honest work. The managers regret that they are unable to report the erection of a new build ing, for which, in order to carry out the work successfully, $S,000 is needed. Of this amount $2, 900 is already raised. 'Will not some of the political economists of New Haven investigate our work and give to our fund.- The health of the children in the nursery has been unusually good. Yet one or two of the children con- nected with the nursery have died at their homes with diphtheris, and we feel certain that in two instances the spread of this dreadful scourge has been due to the lax condition of the health laws of New Haven. The managers found that there were no laws by which these ignorant women could be compelled to fumigste their dwellings or the clothing of the sick children"
 Charlotte Winchester in her report of the intelligence department said: sThe Mothers Aid society has proved very important ad- dition to the Day nursery. It has been the means of procuring work for many poor wo- men, who literally did not know where 10 worthy woman who has young children is thus through this institution enabled to feel not only that her children are well cared for day but day, but is also able to procure at least @ certain amount of work tor herself. During the year 1,002 days work have been given to women.
 The following officers were elected flor the ensuing year: President, Mrs. s. R. Chap man; vice president, Miss Winchester; secre- tary, Mrs. R. M. Wheeler; executive commit tee, Mrs. E. Hayes Trowbridge, Mrs. H. c. Hotchkiss, Mrs. T. s. Woolsey, Mrs. E. G. Stoddard, Miss Geraldine Law, Mrs. J. B. Fitch, Mrs. G. P. Lewis, Mrs. Huntington, Mrs. Samuel Gilbert and Miss Lucy Trow- ' bridge; treasurer, Miss Mary B. Bristol; phy- Hayes Trowbridge; matron, Miss Orrell.