Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-12
lie work of like nature is done through pub
liz
Cost of Systems.

| lie agencies.
Cost of Systems.
There were last year in the several hos
pitfalls reporting to the Commissioners a
| daily average of 4O1 OF patients. ne dis
pensaries gave IS 1867 treatments, amount
ing to daily average of 161.2S. The physi-
clans to the poor --eld Office consultations
and made calls to the number of 2S.052, an
| average of 1856 per day. The average
| number of persons treated was, therefore,
539.15 This work was done at an expense.
| public and private: Fol hospitals and dis
| pensaries, $751; 40: for physicians to the
poor and medicines, and printing for same,
| $9,101. IA tOlal expense of S16J, 0S4. H.
The total income of these charities, for
| the year, was S169 7S 46, of which the sum
| of 9l31 ,o-4.37 was appropriated by Congress
| and the remainder, $3S $500, was made up
| hospital treatment, earnings of nurses sent
| out on hospital acc cunt, proceeds from
fairs. entertainments, ETC., and private con-
From the total fund expenditures were
made: For rent, 81, 700; for salaries. S53,-
| $500; for all other items of current ex-
$1,557.75; reverted to United States treas
ury, So. 46; balance on nand June 30 1897
$3,11S53. Total, $169, 713.46.
The COLLABORATING Charities.
The total amount received from this
group was $s5,213.O7, of which $50, 46S. Is, or
1914 per cent, was made UP of balances,
| earnings, contributions and all receipts
| from private sources, and $54, 1852. or
| GAP per cent was appropriated by Con-
| gress.
From the appropriation of the board of
| childrenS guardians Is deducted the
| amount expended for the care of the fee
| ble-minded and for the administrative ex-
penseS of the board, which items do not at
feet the maintenance of children by the
1 hno rI Init mad IN
| Ing in family homes, and not an expense
| for maintenance, AID TO the feehle-minded,
| which constitute a class apart.
| The nine Institutions included expended
| during the year 1887 for salaries S17, 44606.
| and for other items of current expense the
| sum of $5S, 14l.43 The amount expended di-
| rectly in the care of children was, there
| fore, So, 5S7. 40. The total average number
of children maintained was 772.S6 and the
| average per capita cost for the year was
| $3.50.
The cost per child, at the different insti-
| tutions varies from $50.61 to $22:.31. Part
of this difference is to be accounted for by
| the fact that some institutions receive
| many contributions of food. clothing ano
supplies, upon which no cash value is ever
placed, and of which no account is taken in
making reports, but which very materially
| reduce the necessity for cash outlay.
| 1t is to be feared also that some of the in
| situations devoting their available re-
| sources to too large number OF children,
| purchasing supplies which are very cheap,
| and therefore of very poor quality. In
| Stltutional accounts, recently examined, in
dictate as much. On the whole, the average
| cash expenditure per, child would not be
| considered excessive if they were higher
| by $40 to s25.
Washington Humane Society.
| A statement of the work by the officer
| detailed by the Commissioners to assist the
! Humane Society in the enforcement of the
| act of 1885, for the protection Of children
in the District of Columbia, shows work to
| have consisted principally of investigation
| of cases in which admission of children to
| some institution was desired or in which
| complaints of abuse or improper surround
! irgs of children had beer made.
| From the report it appears that 81 cases
! were Investigated. OF these twelve were
taken into court and the children COM
mitted to thc board OF children's guardians.
| as provided by law. Eight others were
handed over to the agent of the board for
| further examination and proper recon-
| nendation to the court for temporary care
| pending investigation. One hundred and
| twenty-four were placed in institutions
| Wiling to receive then upon the authority
| of the agent of the society.
| Officer Wilson's report brings out, in
| rather a striking manner, additional evil
| dence of the lack of facilities for the proper
| care of colored children. OF the 124 chill
| dren for whom he secured admission to
| the institutions, without the intervention
| of the board Of children's guardians and
the courts, Is were colored and LOG white.
| assistance of the board and the courts 10
| were colcred and 1 white.
Temporary Homes.
| The total estimated value of the prop
| erty occupied temporary homes, exclu-
| sive of the almshouse department of the
| Washington Asylum, is $1:f5,2OO. An ag-
gregate of s., 1929 was contributed from
private sources toward their support last
year. They earned s6.13673 and received
| other amounts from miscellaneous sources.
! Their total income from private sources,
| including balances from the previous year,
was $1O032.19. The public appropriations
| toward their support amounted to $780,
| Sl1.9O, making their total income $46.904 90,
| OF which the government contributed 2096
per cent. Their several expenditures and
balances are clearly shown by the tables.
| was 41O.35. The total cost of conduc tins.
the institutions was $45,6S9.35, amounting
| to $111OS for each 1865 days of board and
| care furnished an inmate.
| Outdoor Relief.
The appropriation for the expenses of the
government of the District of columbia for
| the fiscal year 1897 included an item of
| $4,000 for Relief of the Poor OF this
amount 81, 900 was first allotted by The
| Commissioners for outdoor relief in leases
| investigated through the police department
on order of the Commissioners or the rec
ommendation of the superintendent Of
charities. to be distributed in provisions,
fuel or clothing through the police" To
this was subsequently added $500 from the
same appropriation. 'for emergency relief
In cases to be investigated by the police
| department" An account of the distribu-
tior by the police department from this
appropriation is given in the report of the
major and superintendent of police.
A Comparative Statement.
That the relief of distress, both real and
| apparent, was attended with less unfavor-
able result last winter than in recent years
| is scarcely open to doubt. Progress was
| made toward the concentration of control.
which is necessary if effective and safe
| work of this sort is to be DONE 1t must be
! apparent to every one that as long as there
| are in any community a number of agen-
| cies through which relief can be secured.
each proceeding in its own way regardless
of what others are doing. there will be the
probability of overlapping, duplication, i'm
| posture. waste and the fostering of pauper-
ism. The danger attending outdoor relief
Is precisely this, that it will create d
continue the very condition it Is i.e~Sed to
ameliorate, unless it is administered wit h