New-York tribune., 1903-10-15
DEPARTMENT
FI-SIONS RECORD.

-. f,,sior, administration the Department OF
,-hs-ities hss ~ i;s head orc who for thirteen
,-eq-s has been engaged in charitable executive
,,o~L Je@-ov 4 B-ackett. cf the Baltimore
,.rs-5ries Hcar3. "a lecturer IN Johns Hopkins.
rs termed Ny. Folks probably the best expert
- trc cou-t-v ss regards the administration Of
,,.-ftv.~ For three years Comraissioner Folks
,,-s general superintendent OF the Chjldren's
&C So-,ety OF Pennsylvania. IN February.
-Nos he became secretary of the 'Nev-Eork
s-sfe Charities Aid Association. With this
AMPLE experience. one glance told him how
r-.et q task h. had - clear The results OF
Tzr'-narys c-i5aiaality and regiect To-day.
,-stead ~ politics ruling Jhe Charities Depart
-rr-t the spirit there is one Of mercy and
lfrevolcnce. and "a desire TO serve every needy
orr IRE Commlss ioner recently fttiugly y
,.-eeyod il in a pa5lic speech: our greatest
saving has been the saving Of human suffering
and human lives. and ths We believe 10 be the
hest econou..
The Conr1issi ioucr'S fTst move was 10 install
"a system of accounting which would prevent
qr- rc.grrocJc OF incidents Ike the Blair and
A'der sf-irs The court fUrd" and the treas
r-c-s fund" money received in abandonment
cases. ror ;he support o. nlegitmate children.
f6r ;he sale o. refuse. a2d money belonging 10
patients. we've in SAD condition. There were
ae5o or-ciones which mad once contained money
or valuah.cS. the property of Inmates % the
,s.Iols iustitUJio1s These had been in me
charge cI A'5e-. The. wc~c rot numbered or
.lsssi1ea but az tho ulcncs had carefully been
ez;-a--ed Under lfo present system, the prop
ertv is torreG orc- 10 The public administrator.
and proper rccrirrs ave taken. on January l..
1so v hen the nov rlan went into effect. there
was Sl7 - % Tho credit of the court fund; on
Angus, 81 1895. there was S97el 90
TIE r1o-Eue gang received = solar p.eKus blow
Which disabled it and made Il decide 10 get out
~ -he business The COMMISSIONS made in
,asticstion of their methods. which showed the
coiiUSio- ~ department employees These were
dIsrharEcG the others -ere warned. while an
o-Jer was ISSUED that each body in the mo7Eue
should be tagged with tho name and address ~
b. this relative naming tho undertaken desired
and accompanied h., the death certificate. could
-hc lody be obtained. The vultures didn't like
this
WEEpED OFT THE CHAPTERS
''r-a'rors" and incompetent employees we're
dismissed right and left. The moral effect Of
-ris sanpsiEn on the others was striking. They
r-are5 ID and began 10 show some interest in
their duties. New employees had to 90 through
rigorous inauisition TO their fitness. on one
,rs; tho City Hospital the Comnissioner no
tired that every one vas standing. some Of the
patients holding TO chairs or leaning on crutches
Inquiry showed that this was IN compliance
whenever he came around the inmates were 20
stand. The order was revoked then and there
TIE Commissioner has issueS orders that no
patient Is 20 be called a ''pauper as was fre-
ouent,y done with servent sdjectives, under
rsnmany. Even the nar1es OF the bureaus have
teen changed 10 remove the stigma Of public
xhsrity."
Il the Office ot the Superintendent Of the -Bu-
srau OF Dependent Adults woman has been
assigned TO hear complaints of aba noonrent or
bsstSroy privately. Before this was all done by
the superintendent publicly. Incidents Of this
kind show the spirit in existence now.
There have always been many husbands Who
.siled 70 support their wives and families but II
she present Charities COMMISSIONS gets after
them they soon come TO terms They are
dered 20 make stated weekly payments. rot 20
fh. wives but 10 the department. which handles
the money for fhe families. AS result Of the
lected last year Sss.25,4 80 In 1901 tho amount
WIS only S73 S49 -.
Tho blind inmates % the Aln1shouse have an
Instructor nov. Samuel r. Brooks. who has had
much experience in that line. They make All
the t-oorns a0d sc-1lhbing brushes used hy tho
department. Ofhe- industries viii be added 10
This one a visiting DENTS; has been appointed
for RandalIs Island. BEFORE the children there.
some eight hundred of them. had received no at
fertion Tooth brushes were unknown
IMPROVEMENT IN MILK.
n December. laa2. g <. Phelps was made an
expert advisor in connection with the farm and
dair, on RaudalTs Island. An inspection there
showed that tho milk fun OF bacteria. ana
killed. and twelve new ones. o. grade recon-
,uended Ia furnish milk especially fitted for sick
children. were bought. To-day the dairy is Ia
proper scientific condition. and furnishes pure
milk The departments farm on Staten Island.
which ar expert declared TO be the rlchest laho
he had seen anywhere near this city had IAN
idle until Commissioner Folks transported one
hundred of the men from the Alnshouse oo"h
there and put them 70 work.
To-day tho farm furnishes all the vegetables
used by the department. Outdoor life, too'
has proved % great benefit TO the workers
y JULY % this wear hospital Tor con- aIes-
cents was opened on BlaCkUel's lsland IN
tie usual overcroWded condition or the city
hospitals II has frequently been necessary 10
Ssnd su-3v ns-ieuts with acute diseases. o.
those not fully recovered from an operation.
% provide room for emergency cases Ine need
fo- a convalescents' hospital has been urged
by physicians and charitable socleues lor
Tn i-ns,ae ~ the city institutions receiv.
enough 20 eat under this adrniristration- mere
T. a 6ietittan ir charge. who has made a
thorough study of the requirements IN the cll-
.erert d hrrr.tals and the almshouses, and IN
accordance with the recommendation result
irg the-errorl the food Is prepared Inc pur-
chase storage cooking and serving OF the 1000
have been improved. 20 that th there A. --else
variety without any increase IN expense. mrs
Is enough clothing snd bedding Tor me IN
rates and attendants nowadays 700 ....
fuder Tammany. the hospitals hao 4 HsAlt
- taking a patient who was likely 70 ole ~ WITHIN
week 10 some other hospital. IN mat 80
k-epinK down their own death rates IL
Commissioner has put a stop 20 fhAt oF o"
d-rn- q fun renort from TIE superintendent
- ti.,- hospital where a patient dies Nllnll
tlree days after admission Another Piacu-s
fldcr has been Discontinued Is fne seilIf.i'' "a
State poor over 20 Brooklyn hy wsC0l. WEtnce
flny would be Se-t back - this city IN a oaN
two More fhau twelve hundred persons I
Vss- ueed 20 Re sent ovar tnere. They are
nov sent Q, Bla-lyweiIs Island without oiscoin-
l Il