Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-10-03

Gov. Donaghey's efforts to increase l and improve the charitable institu- tions, which together with his eXer- tons to reform the penal institution convict-leasing system, form the most notable achievement of his adniniStra tion eff we except the fight anent the State CapitoD are already bearing fruit The present charitable insttu- tions of the state are limited to d home for the blind, another for deaf mutes, an orphan asylum and an asy- lum for the insane.
 All these institutions except the one for deaf mutes are overcrowded and will not receive any more inmates Jefferson county is allowed a pro-rata of 13 inmates in the Home for the Blind and similar number in the Insane Asylum. We have our full quota there now. Not until vacancy is caused by death or removal may We put others in; so we are compelled to keep them in the Poor House as our county is not populous enough to justify building separate institu- |tions of these kinds for itself In the light of this overcrowding we can bet ter understand Gov. Donashey' $ solic- itude for enlarging the custodial re- sources of the state Due to his ni- tiative, We shall soon have a Hospital for TubercnIars and another Insane Asylum. All good citizens should strengthen the Governors hands in this humanitarian work
 l have but a little space left for other things. l shall have to omit some interesting considerations and treat others much more briefly than they deserve.
 A lew words as to the causes that bring the inmates to the Almshouse. Most of them are brought to this con dition through sickness. accident and old age. Some are morphine-eaters. and good many drunkards. The su perintendent tells me that the young- CT persons who come to take refuge there are for the most part white boys, who go out tramping and are hurt on freight trains, etc, or young women misled and deserted. A dis tlnction must be drawn betwen the people brought there for temporary treatment and the permanent inmates O1 the l10 persons cared for there this year only 12 are permanent res ldehts Of the Poor House The chief cause for their dependence is old age here IS one colored woman in tba FOOT House now who was 114 years oid when she was admitted a few years ago. The ,veraee age at ad- mission since 1890 nas been e years. 'He death rate is accordingly high. tne average death rate for the Derma-
 
 mas been l-2 out of an average num- Der Of Fl 4-9 since 1900. Inc]udino the temporary cases, the death rate 's' oi course, much smaller; it was SIX out of no this year or 1 per chnt The average stay in the Poor House IS years for each person. Readmis- slons are frequent The cost of main tenance under the present conditions IS between S15 and SIS per month fo,. each person, a comparatively low fig ure, which may be still further redno- ed when the inmates will he .,ivan o,, opportunity to cultivate the land Economy should. howeve-. never ha the prime consideration in the admin istratlon of such an ip9titution, but efficiency and care.
 said We have 21 4-9 permanent in- ina'es on the average. Estimating the population of Jefferson county at 40.- oooo, our ratio of paupers to the gen. efal population would be 525 out of l'ooo'ooo, very small number, when It Is remembered that the North At lantic section of the country had 14S9 to the million according to figures compiled by the U. s. Census Burean III 1903. Our burden is small: let us handle it all the more carefully.
 EPHRAIM F'RISCH.