New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-20
CHARITY AND THE STATE.
THE POWERS AND THE POSSIBILITIES or
STATE BOARDS OF CHARITIES.
AN INTERESTING REPORT To THE NATIONAL
CONFERENCE OF CHARITIES And CoERHC'
ToN-C>RE OF THE INSANE
-CHLDEEN'S HOMES.
mr TELEGRAPH 10 1nK IEIBuNEr

Baltimore MAY 1o-Thc care Of the insane. methods
Of treatment, land the conduct Of Sta'c a'Nl"'N i'
that class Of unfortunate inrnishe" Tue
of Charlie, and Correction with an interesting ana
productive theme for discussion t"uaN'
richardson. of Roston who ha~ carefully studied the
question. and Ia, had much personal eNPo'I'"o :"
caring for the weak minded described the work "' te
Massachusetts, Hoard Of Lunlcy, which worh sNe Ndu'
VA almost entirely supervisory. The ho>ptals ana
asvlums for chronic were uncon i"''oN '""uc"'
and a remedy for this condition oi tlhS~' WIZ" va
steadily growing worse. had long been sought 'n>V
now there was a prospect that S''oh" "'N I""' '"'
the insane would be bult. 10 accommodate not les
tho, ooo natont~ The harmless insane were
bo.rued out wherever that practicable. and II
Lad been found that many families were glad Z"
receive these person, Tor small compensation III some
ease. asking no compensation. ia consideration OF the
work the persons received would do
The principal paper of the day was the report Of
the Committee on state HoardS Of Charities. by the
Rev r n. Wines of springfield Ill. The report
stated that an unbroken chain ~ State rold~ of
Futile Charities existed and rurshcd from Mas
sachusetts 10 Kansas. In Rhode Island and Kansas
the State Board, had executive power, and functions
they had the disbursement Of al moneys. The appoint
ment Of all officers and employees, and the establish
mcnt Of rules for their government. In Rhode Island
all the state institutions were oh large farm few
miles from Providence
still 10 the general opinion that the state Board
should possess little executive authority or power
a. possible. The Board. II thought. should be an
intermediary Institution a. inspect and 81 criticize the
MANAGEMENT. otherwise abuses would be likely 20
grow up. unchecked and uneNposcd. until they came
10 head. a public scandal resulting. The powers
usually conferred by the Legislatures the right
10 visit and inspect the municipal and county ntltu
tons both jail> aud almShou>cs. and 10 report upon
their management. In some states the state Board
had a similar right to visit private charitable in>titu
tons or II not. it might require reports from them
giving direct to such que tons the Board
NJ a. ask.
In states which contained ports Of immigration
these Boards sometimes called upon to act under
contract with the Government. IN the capacity Of
Immigration Commissioners which they could do with
ADVANTAGE. for the reason that they were then in
position TO check the importation Of foreign paupcrs
lnnatics and criminas-vhch il also 10 their in
terest, as public guardians. 10 do. They also had IN
a few Of the states. the powers and functions Of Com
mssitncr> in Lunacy. and had general oversight Of
the administration the luuacy laws in their rela
ton all insane persons. whether inmates of public
or private institutions. 0i neither. Another branch
Of the work OF state Board consisted in seeing that
the laws governing state institutions enforced.
and, that all parts of the shared equally in their
benefits. II certain that any state that would
create Board of Public Charities would reap the
benefit in the form of greater efficiency the part
of the benevolent and rcormaory Institutions of the
state. az a smaller relative cost.
ON motion Of Mr. Gilmore of Wisconsin. resolution
was passed inviting all those states that have not
Boards of Charity to appoint them at once General
Brinkerhon said that the Board OF Charities IN the
State of Ohio had been OF the utmost benefit. II
absolutely slOOf from politics, ard that was one Of
The reasons for its success. The Governor Of the
state was ex-OifciO member of the Board. and this
had been found to be valuable feature Of the orgsn
zatlon. Now that the people Of ONO had become
convinced the value OF the state BOARD of Charities
they could NOT how they ever got along without
il. Mr. fillmore said he differed with General Brlnker-
hof in thinking that il advisable 10 have the
Governor a member OF the State Board Of Charities.
They had tried IL in Wisconsin. and had found that
there was a constant friction between the other mem
bers and the Governor . -.
homes and tho care of children. Miss Eliza
beth c. Putnam, of Boston, read Interesting
paper on "The Methods Of Caring for Dependent
Children at Home and Abroad she sand that I'D
France and England the Massachusetts system Of pro
vidng for dependent children being followed with
She advocated further Improvement " the
boarding out plan. by placing only one cmld III a
family. under careful inspection II had been urged
that children would not be fitted 10 avail themselves
Of the best homes without previous training in an
Institution: the contrary the children brought up
ia families ready and able 70 support themselves
years earlier than those brought up IN Institutions