The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-05-10
Complete Report Of
Superintendent Hall OF
N. D. Chi|dren's Home

l have the honor to present here.
with to the board Of directors the an
nual report Of the superintendent fol
the fiscal year closing March 81, 1918
1t IS my eleventh annual report tc
your body. During these years the
number Of children given care in the
receiving home has increased from No
399 when began as superintendent
to No. 1190 at the present time-a to-
tai of more than 500 received by the
society in that period.
With this annual meeting the term
of the 1913 class of your board ex-
pires. The retiring members are J.
F. Treat, j. w. Foley, Mrs. C. A. Nor
ton, Max Stern, G. A. Carpenter, Mrs
S. j. Hill. r. B. Griffith, Miss Ina M
Bowers. H, Amerland and Mrs. F. F,
Grant. Some who live in other parts
of the state cannot attend our meet
1ngs conveniently, but all the class are
helpful in their own vicinity, and ]
hope they may be retained.
The society has had no occasion tc
employ an attorney during the past
year, and there is no special change
necessary among our legal counsel
Murphy, Fargo, has dissolved and Mr.
Turner. who has done good work fo1
us in the past should be retained
I have no Office assistant just now
as Miss Leila M. Thomas, who filled
that position most admirably for a
year and a half, was disabled by sick
ness from continuing stenogra phic work
and has taken work with tehe Illi-
'noiS Children'S Home society as Wis
itor to their wards. There has been
an enormous amount of correspondence
the past year, and the preparation and
mailing Of Children's Home Day mat
ter. with acknowledgements of receipts
and collecting and keeping up the
pledges obtained by Financial Solic-
itor Doughty, keeps the office assist
ant very busy the year around. The
act for the superintendent when he is
out on the road.
In order to accomplish more and
better work with correspondence,
bought secondhand typewriter with
my own funds for use in my office, as
l felt that the society could not af-
ford an extra one while building op-
erations were taking all available
funds. The machine has been OF
great assistance to me.
Financial Solicitor Doughty has
been constantly on the road collecting
maintenance funds, and annually
reaches every town of any size in the
state. He forwards funds direct tC
the secretary, who will report as tc
his collections. Mr.. Doughty is in
Fargo but three or four times during
the year, but recently canvassed the
city for funds. Unfortunately for his
canvass the great floods visited the
middle states after he began, and
funds were largely diverted in those
directions. 1t is evident, however,
that Fargo should do more for the
home than it does, as nearly all the
funds collected from all over the state
are expended right here in this city
Fargo has done well, but ought to dc
mora. There are very few donors OF
$25. and only a comparatively few OF
the SIS and $40 class. We realize. how
ever, that the largest city in the state
is always a center for collectors for
all varieties of work.
Matron Carey is on her fourth. year
and has been greatly overworked the
past year, and is in no condition to
bear as much responsibility as she has
to. I recommend that she be sent on
a vacation with pay, until she can re-
cuperate, and that when she returns
or before--an assistant matron be al
lowed her, who shall have the more
immediate personal care Of the larger
children, and serve as governess for
thems and to relieve Miss Carey of a
part Of the household duties.
The Cottage for Disabled Children is
in charge of Mrs. Lucy B. Hall, and
since the late improvements is a coZy
and homelike shelter for the poor lit
tie cripples and those otherwise dis
abled who make this their permanent
home. Several children of weak mind
and several cripples. besides cases of
sickness, have been cared for here
during the year.
We expect to soon have the services
of a graduate nurse to serve as head
nurse for the infants. She was form
erly in our employ for year, but has
since taken full course in actual
training in one Of Minnesotas largest
Institutions.
The cost of maintenance, salaries,
wages, clothing, and repairs
to our improvements to the
property, has been large. The cost of
living has steadily increased all over
the country as well as at the receiv-
ing home. We have had a large fam
lily the entire year. and while the liv-
ing has been wholesome and nutri-
tious, it takes a great deal to feed hun
CRY boys and girls. We want every
child to have plenty to eat, so that
none will ever have to say when he
leaves, what some uninformed and
unkind people have said, that Chill
dren are starved at the Children
Home" We are satisfied that every
child has been we'll supplied, though
trimmings" such as cake and pie dc
not appear on the table every day in
the week. We do give them fruits and
other treats as often as possible anc
on special occasions. Doctor Dillon
. and Matron Carey have the diet Of the
children under their observation, anc
there is not the slightest danger bu1
all will be well fed.
The health Of the family has beer
good with the exception OF an epidem-
ic of chickenpoX, measles, whooplns
cough and pneumonia, the pas
fall and winter. Practically al
children who had not previously hac
them, had siege of wnooping cougf
and chickenpoX. Sixteen cases o.
! measles and five of pneumonia were
treated. One infant died in convul,
sions following measles. The only
pneumonia case lost was that of kaunt
Luomala, a badly crippled and bed
ridden child of 9 years, who had tuper'
cular trouble and could not resls
pneumonia in addition. We desire tt
commend the kindness shown this poS
by the commissioners of ToWner coun'
ty, who for several years have had u
care for him, so that he might nave
constant medical attention. Ot the
deaths Of infants this year, the major
ity were due to inanition caused bs
lack of mothers milk. Our older emil
dren attending the public schools nave
4 had their throats, eyes and teeth al.
tended to when necessary. One OF oul
specialists, DR.. J. w. Camppeli, ha'
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