Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-21
BOARD OF CHARITIES.
< The Annual Report Is a Bulky Volume
 General Review. a

 state board ot charities for the year ending September 50, 19UU, has been presented recently to the governor. The printed volume will cOntaIn 800 pages, including also the report Tor 1855, and will be ready for distribution some time in January.
 The report contains q general re- view of all the institutions Ill the state for the care of the delinquent, detec- tive and dependent classes with which the work of the board is concerned, together with tables Of Staustcs, ana recommendations for leglsIatiye acton and for improved conditions in certain Instances.
 There is shown to be in the state , for the care of the classes mentioned 8 total of 1S1 institutions which are visited'by the board, including SS town almshCuseS The remaining cJ towns in the State which do not maintaIn in almshouSeS. are also visited by the board to examine the boarding places and other provision made for the town poor The amount of state money which as been applied during the year toward the support in whole or in part Of the various institutions belonging 10 or aided by the state. was $1's as compared with @U9t fG so expended 
 crease is mere than accounted for by the incre ased amounts devoted to buildings and permanent improvements thus leaving d slight increase ill the cost of maintenance for the year.
 In the case of the state prison the management under the present war den is highly commended and the eN- tensive additions to the buildings are noted Recommendation is made for the adoption of the indeterinlIiate @tn- fences for all prisoners except He coll victS and for Il more effective use oi inc parole law. Although ali desira- ble features of modern prison manage ment h. introduced aI Wethcrsfieid. II is not believed that the institution can eyer take the place of a true re for.,na1ory unless another state prison be established also.
 At the Merden school for boys men tion is made of the introduction or manual training and the work o1 tle supervising agent for boys released on narole The addition Cf q @ymnaSluln is urged and greater attention to pNE- sical development. It Is reco1illlellh- ed also that no boys under lo HeaIH of age be committed to the school eA- ccpt upon conviction of felony
 The industrial school fer girls at \ mirable work in the thorough training of it's inmates but the limit of age for admission (1G yearSD is cited in ar&u- ment for the establishment Of a WGm- ems reformatory for wayWard glflS and women beyond that age.
 County jails present conditions ol reasonable comfort. it is said. but inc system. as a whole, is condemned as illogical, expensive and ineffective. IL is recommended that these institutions be brought under the centralized coll IrOl of q state commission OG pflSOnS' thus securing economy of administra- ton. greater returns from the labor ol inmates and the introduction of re- formatory influences. The establish nent of state reformatory is strong ly urged especially one for women.
 At the hospital for the insane at Middletown progressive spirit Is eVl- dent under the present administration. The construction of the building 10 contain a large cOngregate dlnln@ room and other departments is noted and II Is urged that all reasonable funds De granted to complete il and thus carry into effect the proposed reorganization of the institution as a three-fold hos= pital asylum and intirmary. Besides the Hartford retreat. twelve private
 
 nervous diseases are visited by the board. and the number of inmates Is found to be, steadily increasing. As most of them come from outside the state, this increase does not prove that the number of insane III Connecticut is growing out of proportion to the growth in pOpula- ton. The total number of insane per sons under restraint is about 2,9OO, dis tributed as follows: State hospital 2.000. Hartford retreat ITO. private aSylumS 31O. among town poor 42O The completion of d new school build ing at the Lakeyille school for imbe- ciles is reported and it is suggested that q separate cottage department fol epilepticS might also be established here.
 The American school at Hartford fOl the deaf is enjoying it's new building for the primary department and class es have been started in Sl0yd work and manual training. In view of the Su periOr advantages offered here, it i> urged that the state show favorable consideration toward this famous school. At the Mystic oral school changes have been made in the teach ing force and certain Improvement carried out in the building.
 The work of the Connecticut inSti tute for the blind. in it's two depart ments of Kindergarten and industTla home. is described and the hope is cX- pressed that it's reports may show !; better condition of affairs than Was revealed ill the Investigation by tn; last legislature.
 Twenty hospitals. including five emergency hospitals and private cstah lishments. are visited by the board and mention is made of the new Litch field county hospital in Winsted and ol new buildings and additions at tht Hartford, New Haven. Bridgeport. < Francis and Day-Kimball hospitals The soldiers hospital at NOroton i' commended for comfort and goo( order.
 The records of the county temporary homes for dependent and neglected children show that PIT children were 2, committed to their care during th, year as against 29S in 1899, and 20! children were returned from families where they had been placed Only 2T9 family homes were secured. a; compared with 351 during the previou: year, so that the total number of chil