El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-13

ner Of Charities, New York City Sec
Charities, New York;.
/ advance of the end Of the fiscal '
for which they are appropriated, WI
makes it impossible to submit an
sOlutely correct estimate. The Bud
appropriation, particularly in the
| portant matters of supplies, salaries I
! wages, are always very much less t
the estimate. and. in recent years, h
| been segregated in such a way as
produce a seeming maximum of ental
ling red tape requirements so often d
/ tructive Of real progress in administt
ton
For this reason the head Of the q
parment may find himself with a Ian
increase in the census of the instid
tons but hampered in such a way
the budgetary rules that he is unaH
to use accrued balances to provil
nurses and attendants to care for sui
increased census of patients and Il
mates To obtain means for this pu
pose, il is necessary to secure the
sue of special revenue bonds throUs
the board of aldermen and the boa
OF estimate and apportionment. while
ordinarily takes at least six weeks
accomplish, and, in the meantime, Il
employees, If hired at all, must be pa
on vouchers from the supply accour
with all the consequent delay.
During the course of the past year
woman dying from leprosy in its la
terrible stages, was brought to the d,
partment of public charities. It W.
necessary to employ two attendan
for her, one by night and one by da
The department was without means
its salaries and wages apportionmel
to extend its force of attendants, al
it was with great difficulty that won
en- could be secured and paid for tn
emergency service
Administrator Responsible.
An administrator charged with the r.
sponsibility of the care of 10000 Peep
daily should not be required to gi1
so much of his time and thought to III
winding of red tape of this nature, bl
should be supplied with the means
do the work properly and held respoI
sible for the expenditures.
The proper care Of 10000 people da
~ has long been greatly hampered j
the department of public charities !
the city OF New York by important de
fects in the machinery of the depar1
ment. One is caused by the inadequat
facilities provided at the hospitals an
institutions of the department whereof,
during a large part Of the year, there
a great overcrowding Of the wards {
such institutions. Adequate and sys
tematic provision has never been mad
to extend the facilities Of the institu
tions to meet the pressing needs of tn
city
New York is growing at the rate c
more than 100000 in population ar
nually, and, if but one-half Of l pei
cent of this number calls upon the pub
lie authorities for assistance, whicl
is an exceedingly conservative estimat,
this alone requires an extension of sue
facilities to care for at least 500 add
tional patients and inmates annual!
This increased demand is almost a
certain as the rise and fall of the It'd
in the harbor Of the city, and unit
provision is made TO meet such increas
in satisfactory manner, overcrowd
lug of the institutions, with all il
hardships to the sick and sufferin
poor must continue.
Employees Change Often.
Another defect of administratio
arises from the attempt to employ suit
able hospital helpers at inadequat
wages. with the result that there is
lower grade employees which is detri
mental to discipline and destructive o
efficient administration throughout tn
Thetdepartment Of public charities i
the city of New York is required I
meet greater burdens than are impose
upon any like department in the world
The only larger city, London. has, as
city, no public charity problems, tn
care of the poor being delegated to 8
or more unions, each having its owl
part Of the city to look after. Ne1
York's congestion of population an
volume of immigration exceed that o
any other city. The commissioner Il
charge Of the department should hav
ample funds and a comparatively FIRE
hand to develop the work under hi
care Exclusive service Survey Pres
Bureau.)