The times., 1897-11-13
CHARITY DURING The YEAR
As Shown by the Annual Report OF
Superintendent Lewis.
The Good Work of Hospitals and
Associated Charities-M Mr.. Lewis
Makes a Protest.

Tie annual report Of the district superin
teEdent OF charities was submitted to the
Commissioners yesterday. In the intro
drcton rue report touches upon the Pc
cuiiar conditions to be met in the dls-
peraation of charity in washington, Of
which it SAYS:
1t has been asserted and probably with
some truth that public dependents, such as
ifsane persons. dangerous cranks. fnbeciles,
epneptics, deserted children and unmarried
mothers, are systematically 'unloaded''
upon Washington.
Many persons come here seeking govern
ulunt employment or the adjustment o.
claims against the government on pensions,
or simply witt the vague notion that the y
viii somehow be cared for. They are dis
appointed, aud drift into the care of our
hospitals and charitable institutions.
.'Therefs considerable truth in the couten-
sion that becnase OF conditions peculiar
10 Washington the problem or the proper
administration Of both public and privat tie
charities there IS different from what it is
III other cities.
THERE'S neither acommerCialnorl manu-
featuring center, and 1t is therefore much
irare difficult 10 secure employment of ceF
tain sorts than ir other cities of differ
entchar.oter.'
Estimates for tie various institutions x
cover the expenses Of the fiscal year 1899
ore next given. They have already been
ialtlished in 1ull in The Times. unier the
tie head OF medical charities, statistics
arc set forth. as follows:
There Were in the several hospitals re-
porting 10 the Commissioners a daily aver
age Of 4O1 .u2 patients. The dispense ries
gave 5S,S6I treatments, amounting TO a
daily average of 1928. The physicians
To the poor held office consultations and
made calls TO The number OF 2S, ,052, an
average of 1850 per day. The total av er-
age number of persons treated per day was,
therefore, 539,15. This work was done
at an expense, public and private:
For hospitals and dispen
For physicians To the poor and
medicines and printing for
same .,...... ...... ........ S,fO4 42
4 Atotalexpenditureo eof.....$165,0 ,0S4 -
The total income of these charities for
the year was $780, 40, OF which $751;
324.37 was appropriated by Congress and
$30. .09 was made up OF balances from
previous years, pay for hospital treatment,
earnings of nurses sent out on hospital ac-
count, proceeds from fairs, entertamme
elC-, anu private tDulIlbuliO
That the relief Of distress, both real and
apparent, was attended with less unfav0r-
able result last winter than il recent wears
is scarcely open TO doubt. Progress was
made tny-ar'i the concentration Of control
which is necessary if effective and safe
work of this Sort is To be done.
The superintendent favors a continuance
Of the policy Instituted last year e dis
rursire the fund fol outdoor relief only
ap0n the recommendation OF the ASs0-
ctated Charities. Regarding the plan ol
Substituting private charitable instita-
tions, Mr.. Lewis has his TO say:
l have said that the support or part
support OF private cha ritable institutions
BY means oi appropriation Of public money
is almost wholly lad. and | lave recon-
mcnded that US to one group of institu-
tions in the District of Columbia it he dis
continued. In every place where it has
ever been tried it has been found that
under the subsid Y system the number Of
public dependents has increased to such
an extent that, far from being an econonf-
ical plan. it has proven the most expensive.
II has been SO here.