The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-12
VIRGINIA BOARD
OF CHARITY
Continued from First Page.)

"a. CONTINUED from First PaSe.)
American people will no doubt occur to
you, but one Of the foremost ways in
which this spirit has manifested Itself
has been in the extraordinary attention
which has been paid in this country to
the care OF the poor and the uplifting
Of downtrodden humanity The growth
of Institutions for the care of such is
one of the Illustrations of what mean,
and the existence of the State Board
of Charities has grown out of this gen.
ersl nsovement, which IS in reality q
general movement, as was said last
night, and not in any way local or con-
fined TO any one section.
FIRST STATE BOARD.
'.The first State Board of Charities es-
tablished in the United States was the
Massachusetts Board which was a
.nodiilcation of the old Board Of I'M
migration Commissioners. 1t used to
pe the praetice of the United States.
instead of taking care of the immi
grants directly, to make contracts with
q the States TO 90 so, giving them tax
of $500 per capita for registering and
receiving the immigrants. The exist
ence of q large number of public and
private charities in Massachusetts, made
the need for a State board more keenly
felt in that State than in any other in
the Union. Certain matters connected
with the management, which was felt
10 be defective suggested that the board
should be recognized, which was nc-
cordingly done.
state Boards of Public Charities
have three distinct outlooks-hrst, the
supervision OF State institutions. then
fhe supervision of the county and mu-
nicipal insiitutions. and finally such
supervision as 1t us wise to extend to
the poor. But the original intention OF
these State boards was to look after
the management OF State institutions.
From the admirable paper read last
Night, Report on the County Jails and
.Almshouscs, it appeared to mo that the
handspring of this conference was the
desire to improve the condition of tho
county jails and aln,shouses.
."There is no more necessary or use
tul work, and that is also the purpose
of the State Board of Charities, but the
primary purpose is to look after the
management of State institutions, to OBJ
tain greater comfort for the inmates
and greater economy in tho conduct Of
their affairs,
EXECUTIVE POWERS.
'"rhe powers which were given to the
Massachusetts Board were to some ex-
tent executive powers The old Board
of Immigration Commissioners had
executive powers. and 1t succeeded to
their dut5as and functions, but the board
board. but merely advisory and super
visory
1.-THE benefits OF the system were so
great that It rapidly spread. Nh, first
State to initiate Massachusetts was New
York ana then Pennsylvania, and these
were rapidly followed by Illinois, Wis
consin and Michigan. and so ono after
another Of the States fell into line.
untll ~ the present time there arc
twantv-four such boards in the United
States embracing very large majority
or thc poruation of the country. as all
the large States have them. The States
in which they do not exist nre for the
most part States of minor Importance.
J. OF coursr. make an exception of pres
emf company, MS Virginia Is in no sense
OF Mirror Importance. Virginia Is n
large State. and though II has been
somewhat backward in taking part In
his movement, the time seems to have
epne ~lltn II Is ready tn take part in
tho rreat rvork.
slgCRr1T,s rav THIRTY YEARS.
The stcta ot 1rliuois orcnni2cd It's board
IN 1862 ana | WIS elected its secretary
fG1 htl1 tNa% nc9it'an practically for thr-
Is peis-s fec. ihcrefore. that know q
great Genl ot hose boards and can speak
with confderce of the benefits derived
from their CREATION IN Illinois state In
st.tpti0as Were not well managed they
were nnder the management of local
d bnaffs Of trustees. There was some minor
dissatisfaction IN the public mind as 10
~ tile nlanag6snent Of some OF the institli-
tons, especially one established for The
!. care OF The insane. And so IL WAS thought
hest TO have q supervisory board, which
3Sshnud have power to inspect the instill,-
ton examine its books and records. bring
the officers and employees OF the institution
before them. put them under oath and as
certain whether the institutions were full.
iillins the ulrpqsea for which they were
ereGted whether they needed enlargement
Dir Improvement Ia any respect, ard 10
make sNIn-anrual raports. But they
should have no executive rover, no pow
Eyers Of Npklng purchases, no power