Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-24
CARE OF DESTITUTE
Benevolent institutions Of the
United States.
MILLIONS ARE SPENT
DISTRICT LEADS IN SUPPORTING
ORPHANS AND WAIFs.
Local Establishments Draw Their In
mates From All Parts of the Coun-
try-Interesting Facts Disclosed.
BY WILLIAM f, CURTIS.

reau, and William A. King, chief statisti-
clan for vital statistics, have prepared a
very Interesting report on the benevolent
institutions of the United States, which con-
tains some astonishing figures. There are
now in this country 4,2o7 institutions for
the shelter and relief of the poor the sick
the aged, the homeless and the afflicted
This number includes orphanages, hospit-
ais. schools and homes for the deaf, dumb
and blind, and asylums for the poor and
friendiess. The number of inmates on: the
olst day of December last was 2S4, 362, and
the number admitted and cared for from
time 10 time during the year 1905 was
2'oio,3I2. More than one-half of that num-
Der Were patients in hospitals for few
weeks al a time, and more than two-fifths
were given temporary shelter by orphan
ages and other homes
On the last day of the last wear there
We're iI,o3o fnma ties patients in charitable
hospitals, $3.50 children in orphana ges. so
$40 o. ~. inmates OF all ages in permanent homes,
., sc inmates in temporary homes II 731
children in schools for the blind and deaf
mutes.
During the year 1903 500, 55777 ,033 was ex-
pehded IN the support of these institutions.
me money came from public taxation prf-
Vate endowment, donations subscriptions
ana other forms of gifts, and S14 S4S sos
from fees paid by the inmates themselves
support of hospitals, S1000oo0o for orphan
asylums, $10.GG0.G0 for permanent homes
Tor the friendless. incurables, the aged and
the helpless, and $500 0C0 for the deaf,
dumb and blind.
OF the total expenditures sc. OS9. 226 was
raised by public taxation, of which three
elghts went to the hospitals. On public in
stitutions OF benevolence S16,253 a5S, or 293
per cent CT the total. was expended: S24 :
l63,U9, or 43.5 per cent was expended on
private institutions; s1515o SO or 27.2 per
cent, on sectaran institutions
OF the total of 4,207 institutions of beney-
olence in the United States 4s5 are main
tanned by federal, state or municipal gov
ernments, 1893 by religious denomina tons
and 2,So9 by private corporations.
New York in the Lead.
New York has the largest number $3.50.
pennsylvania is next 900, then Massachu-
sets (3o5), Ohio (2SO, Illinois (257). Della
ware has no public institution of beneyo-
fence except almshouses and hospftar for
the insane. Nevada has no hospital; Ari-
IONA, Idaho and Wyoming have no orphan
ages, and Arizona. Nevada, New Mexico,
Oklahoma and Utah have no homes for the
poor and friendIess.
Taking all benevolent institutions TO-
gether, there were 347 inmates for each
100000 of population of the United States
on December 81, 1904, or nearly three and
one-half for every 1000 of population The
was twenty-five out of every 1000 of popu-
lation. Pf
The District of Columbia has a very much
larger list than any of the states This
however is due to the Soldiers Home. St.
Elizabeth Insane Asylum the Freed
mems Hospital, the Naval HOSPITAL and
other public institutions which are entirely
national In character and draw their in
mates from all parts of the United States.
lncIuding the army, navy and Marine
CORES. Omfttinp fEa +,fa
which is unique in its benevolent institu,
tons, California has more people dependent
upon beneyolence in proportion to nonnJa-
llon IMAM any other Of the states, consid-
e saa.sto more imam New York, while in pro-
portion to population New Jersey and Ore
gon poth admitted more people to their
benevolent institutions than any othar az
the states during the year 1904. The re-
POT POT SHOWS That on the Both of December,
iJoi, the following states had In benevo-
lent institutions of all kinds Exclusive of
those for the deaf and blind the following
number of inmates:
PEW nenns Y9Is; 5sasa Illinois 1900. 1s2so
Chic. "a 324 Observation-Disclosures 10 40
All the rest had less than 10000 inmates
me table shows that although California
STANDS tWenty-first in rank of populatinn
sHe STANDS flfth in the work of benevolence
anu massachusetts,, which is seventh in
population, is sixth in beneyolence Main
ana Colorado both outrank MASSACHUSETTS,
IN the number of inmates of their benevo-
rem institutions. The situation of both
= Sa LII ana Colorado as explained by the
large number of people who go there to re-
cover their health.
Interesting Facts Disclosed.
ms investigation. which is the first of its
hiho ever made, discloses the natural fact
ehat the care of the sick Is becoming more
ana more a public undertaking, although
at present about two-thirds of the charity
patents still receive treatment in hospitals
HAM by private assoc'stions and re-
iigious bodies. At the same time the care
OF orphans and homeless children is becon-
ing more and more a private undertaking
Judging from the number of inmates and
aau.IiissioIs the orphanages and children s
homes under public management are OF
relatively little Importance. They do NOT
care for more than 10 per cent of the whole
number, while the churches care for more
orphans and waits than both the public md
private institutions combined,
feopie af1icted with iricurable diseases
anu tifose VINO are permanently dependent
upon charaty are drifting more and more
INTO me care of public institutions Sew
enty-three per cent of the aged fncrrahIe
ana other permanent dependents are now
cared for by states, counties OF. rnundcinals.
ties. and the proportion Is gradually in
ereasing. Institutions for the education of
deaf mutes and the blind are naturally of
pubic origin and support-less than ~ inner
tions. -
The per capita cost of maintaining benev-
olent institutions. based upon the number Of
inmates, on December 81, 1904 and the total
expenditures for that year, appears to rim
from sloo2 in Mississippi. where Ii Is low
est, TO $3.50 so In Arizona, where Il is high
est CORRESPONDING figures for the other
states make the rate for New Mexico
s41S.46; Montana. s3SaS4; Massachusatts
s30I.5l wyoming, $3.50. So: North Dakota
s265.44: Nevada, s25714 Connect,c,,f
s250.44; Pennsylvania, 1910, ana New york
$22s.55. ss' ~
1t should be explained. however that THE
calculation is made without reference to
the number OF persons admitted or the
number discharged, but upon the average
number present.
The amount Of money expended for he
nevolence per capita OF population Il
greater In California than IN any other
state. New York and Massachusetts,. Mon
tana and Colorado come next In order.
Care Of the Children.
On the slat Of DAcember last p2as7 or