New-York tribune., 1902-01-02
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.

| In the consideration of the charitable insti-
| tutions the same features of undesirable ad-
| mintstration are to be seen, the same wide mar
| gin between the highest and the lowest cost Of
! maintenance, and the same unnecessary de-
| mands upon our revenues. While the Soldiers
| and Sailors Home at Bath cannot he classed
as public charity, yet for the purpose of COM
| parison it may he stated that the cost of main
| tenance al this institution is only 50 - per
| capita per week, as against 81 to at the Hudson
| House of Refuge for Women. But it is not
| alone in the expenditures for maintenance that
| we are called upon to consider the waste of
| public money. but also as to the demands for
| improvements which are dictated either by
| sentiment or ideas that are both unbusnesSlike
| and undesirable AS illustrating this tendency
| toward eXtravagant expenditures l mention
some of the items asked for by various institu-
| lions. and which, while they may fail in one
| legislature, yet recommended wear after
| year until finally allowed one institution asks
| for a mortuary at a cost OF loo a railroad
| switch at cost Of SlO.UUD Inmates now per-
| form the work and teaming). a propaga ting
house for flowers for idiot asylum. -. ..IO; a
stable for officials horses and carriages. S5Og9
| How many OF our merchant taxpayers furnish
| board for the families of employees. numbers not
speclhed, and then equip them with official car
| rlageS and horses?
| Another institution asks for an appropriation
| of $4,000 for the purchase of a farm. an
other, cottage for its florist at q cost Of 50 600
| And nearly every institution is as unreasonable
| in its demands.
| These facts are not submitted in any spirit of
| captouS criticism, but TO impress upon the leg
| lslature that the time has come to call a halt
| and To demonstrate that many of charitable
| asyIumS are not run SO much for the benefit
| of the inmates for the exposition of peCul-
| lar and sentimental ideas that should have no
| part IN the management Of our public insttu-
| tiOns.
What remedy can be proposed? it may be
asked During the session of 1901 a reconmen-
dation was made for smaller commission for
the administration of the Department Of Chari-
ties. So much criticism was aroused by the
II he legiS II nd Z
1t is not my purpose To renew the reCOmmenda-
tion at this time. but rather to ask for the
istmg commission greater responsibility and au-
thOrity.
our charitable Institutions may he classed
under the following heads:
First-Reformatori
second-Institutions for feeble minded and
idiots.
Third Educational
In the first class may be enumerated the re-
formatories for women at Albion. at Hudson
and at Bedford. the state Industrial School at
Rochester and the House OF Refuge at Randalls
Island.
In the second class are the Rome CustodiaI
Asylum, the Syracuse Home for the Feeble
Minded the Newark Home for the Feeble
Minded and the Craig Colony for Epileptics at
In the third class are the Thomas Asylum the
School for The Blind at Batavia and the School
for Deaf Mutes at Malone.
In the first class the cost per capita per week
IS as follows:
Of Refuge Iandalrs Island 5? $3
Industrial school Ro'hgsle -
House OF Refuge Women Albion ........-. ~
The difference between the highest and the
lowest is 81 43 a week This margin of diff
ference cannot be explained in any other way
than by more expensive administration. the
cost OF supplies does not vary enough 10 account
for it.
Then. also. We have too many reformatories
for women, as the present population could al
most entirely be cared for at Hudson with
greater economy.
With regard TO the first class therefore
recommend that the per capita cost be fixed at
fair mean, which would be $50 year, and
that a gross appropriation for maintenance be
made on this basis. by this method an annual
saving of 100000 could be effected.
In the second class the per capita cost could be
put at $40 per annum, the reduction over re-
formatories being made possible because of the
lack of necessity for the educational features
which are essential In the first class. Under the
present system the weekly per capita cost is as
follows:
Home Home for for Fccs scSs MiH%cS 1I4% EyIs 81 g
Custoal Asylum Rome ,....... 01
Craig Colony. Sonyoa , o3
If the latter suggestion of gross approprla-
tion be adopted, the saving would be S91I2O
nuay.
OF the third class, the per capita cost of main
tenance is not excessive compared with that of
private homes of a similar character, but the
expense should he limited to the amount paid
such private institutions, and care should be
expensive buildings.
10 perform this work I recommend that the
present State Board of Charities he charged with
the care and administration of Charita Bile
institutions, and that visiting committees.
suggested in relation TO the hospitals for the
sane, be appointed annually, and that they be
empowered to visit and report to the Governor
the conditions found; that the present
boards of managers be abolished, and the State
Board of Charities be permitted 10 recommend.
subject 10 the approval OF the Governor. n u
perintendent, either from their own number
otherwise. with a salary of $1,000 per annum,
who shall have full authority, under such regu-
lations may he adopted by them. subject to
executive approval, over all charitable institu-
tonS.
If these suggestions are adopted. a saving will
tOns for the insane and charitable asyums.
aggregated last year S3,512 S3 90 a reduction of
consideration is shown in the treatment of de-
mands for appropriations in special bills. The
reports that l have had from the various de-
partments, showing they do in almost every
instance lower estimates, lead me to believe that
the balance of the amount necessary TO effect
| the saving Of S2,O00.0O0 last years total
appropriations can be found here.
/ ask therefore, the most careful scrutiny of
| all appropriation bills before their enactment.
| The legislature should be not only an enacting
| but a vetoing body. and should prevent bills
| carrying unnecessary items from coming to the
executive. All bills should be thoroughly con-
| sidered. and appropriation made that will
carry the total above the $50 900 900 limit re-
| ferred to.
ASSIGNMENT or JUDGES.
BY an amendment to the Code, Laws of 1900.