New-York tribune., 1907-11-14
CHARITIES CONFERENCE
State Commission to Investigate In
daStriaI accidents Desired.

N'-~ 'N-- wi SCt4OIt NnlCl began IN the senate
Champer last n-ht and will continue tomorrow.
Matters relating TO the care Of the destitute scl,
ana OF the poor in their homes were presented to-
day.
me feature this evening was report under
the title Industrial Accidents in New York State
ana the Need OF a State Commission of Investiga-
uon' presented the report of the special COM
h"tIee on the care Of the Door in their homes. by
ts r"a'rinah' Francis H. Mclean superintendent
OF the Brooklyn Bureau Of Charities
MI. Mclean said that a study OF the settle
ments made TO men crippled and disabled by in
dustria accidents in this state presented 'verita-
BILE crazy quilt of absurdities." lie showed that
over half Of the accidents in industries occur to
mon under forty years of age, spelling tae best
part of their industrial life half also occur
to workmen in unskilled trades; this group in
Guides drivers and longshoremen. and in general a
class Of men least able to to some other oc-
cupation as 4 means Of livelihood. Twenty-Five per
cent OF the men injured, he declared, earning
only from s. TO SO q week. while over 60 per cent
were earning less than sl5 He quoted the stand
ard Of living committee, showing that $l6 is a
minimum wage for the maintenance OF a normal
family life, and said it was plain that these men,
even If unmarried, could not have protected them
selves adequately from their wages against these
disabling accidents All of the cases investigated
by the committee We're OF men with families, Who
had u seek charitable assistance the result of
their accidents.
The committee found in Manhattan and Brook
iyn alone 7o6 such cases, of whom 81 per were
permanently injured These figures, lie said, were
not 50 significant in regard to the percentage OF
permanent disability resulting from industrial &C
cidents as in indicating the large amount OF suf-
ferng or family deterioration added burden
upon philanthropy which the result of indus
trial accidents At present the remuneration was
LETT entirely to the generosity of the panutacturer
or 10 precarious and slow action before the
courts. OF all the that the committee could
discover only - per cent showed SO. of gift
or settlement made 10 the injured person. For
temporary injuries Tie settlements were generally
fair Mr.. Mclean sad that is. full wages were
paid during the period of disability in a number
OF cases. II was In the more serious cases that
the absurdlties were found, payments on death
varying from mere funeral expenses 10 500, and
other cases showing wide diversity
The report emphasized the need Of a state COM
mission Of investigation and urged also that the
conference should appoint special committee to
ag1tate for the passage of necessary legislation
Edgar NJ. Atlln, counsel for New York electric
company. told at length OF the satisfactory expe-
rence of that corporation in dealing directly with
injured employees rather than through employers
liability insurance companies. He described the
methods Of the company in furnishing free medi-
cal attendance In cases Of accident. IN continuing
wages IN Fart tnrough the period Of disability and
In bearing Invariably the entire expense in case OF
fatalities. As result he said in the cases OF three
thousand accidents within the last two years, the
company had been sued by only Eve
Porter r. Lee. assistant secretary OF the Buffalo
Charity Organization Society. presented paper
Personal Equations in Helping to Self Help"
That insane people still committed 10 Jail
within the State OF New York asserted by DR..
AdoIph Meyer. pathologst for the New York state
Hospital for the Insane. Wards Island, New
York City in address this morning.
There are still" he said "sad blots the rec
ord Of this state in the OF that peculiarly help
less and pitable class. the insane. inasmuch
even in city which has hospital for the insane
within its limits many patients stm taken to
jail" The number OF the insane under the super
vision of the New York State Commission In Lu-
macy, DR.. Meyer said, reached the startling
total OF 81 O2 or 745 more than last year OF these
over a thousand had committed criminal offences
before their commission 10 the insane asylum. The
state still lacked accommodations for nearly two
thousand OF its insane.
Or. Meyer gave figures 70 show that where the
overcrowdng is most marked l. @, In the metro
politan district the least provision has been fur
nished, that great number OF patients from
this district being taken away distant parts.
This is all the more necessary because tho capacity
OF the Long Island State Hospital has been reduced
by $50 beds during the last year by reason Of the
reverson OF certain OF its old buildings to the city
of New York. This leaves the metropolitan district
with l23ZS patients and a capacity of less than
$500. An additional institution. either Staten
Island in Rockand Westchester counties.
would relieve the overcrowdng. In addition to
this, a psychopathio hospital is planned for the
city of New York.
DR.. Meyer, on the other hand, compImented New
TOrk
IN the public schools and elsewhere but, he said,
there still remains deplorahe number OF children
whose salvation lies in removal from inadequate
homes to schools where they can be managed and
brought to a certain degree OF usefulness TO them
selves and others. That such institution should
be near New York is obvious, If do not wish to
separate the families from children for whom they
should remain partly responsible"
For the committee on the mentally defective OF
which his address the report. DR.. Meyer rec
ommended that the Governor be asked 10 bring
about the appointment of committee to investi-
gate the care detectives In this state The COM
11ittee recommends legislation for a satisfactory
plan Of provision of local efforts for TAX care of
the patients pending commitment not necessarily
in need of commitment. ii is suggested that all
the local provisions fer this class Of be sub
tected to standards of construction and medical ad
Ininistration TO be outlined by the commission In
unacy; further, that every case Of suspected man-
tai disorder liable to mental incapactty be reported
TO the commission in lunacy just as at the present
time special diseases reported TO the local
boards Of health: further that the supervisory staff
Of the commission be made sufficient to attend to
the new respons bilities Provision should be made
10 allow voluntary commitments to state institu-
tions
At this afternoons session of the conference Or.
Edward b. Angel, OF Rochester, chairman of the !
committee on the care of the sick. presented the
report of the committee, in the course Of which
he declared that great had been the recent
decrease In the number Of people suffering from
disease that It had actually affected the income
of the average practitioner. He said that DR..
william Ewart of St. Georges Hospital in Lon
don, had also noted this change. owing 10 the
growing success OF the medical profession in re-
duciug the prevalence of disease. DR.. Angel gave
full credit the health departments and sanita-
rians, as well as the philanthropc organizations,
which had borne large part in improving the
general health OF civilized communities.
Diseases have been conquered almost ami