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For the salaries:

State and Alien Poor.

of the superintendent, $3,000;

of the deputy superintendent in New York City, $1,500;
of the employees according to grade:

ninth grade, one employee, $2,000;
seventh grade, one employee, $1,500;
sixth grade, five employees, $6,000;
fifth grade, two employees, $1,800;
fourth grade, one employee, $720;

third grade, one employee, $600, or so much thereof
as may be necessary.

For the actual and necessary traveling expenses of superintendent and inspectors, in the performance of their official duties, $3,750.

For furniture, books, printing, messages and other necessary incidental office expenses, $750.

For maintenance, transportation and removal of State, nonresident and alien poor, $25,000, or so much thereof as may be

necessary.

APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTED FROM THE LEGISLATURE OF 1910.

For the salary of the secretary, $5,000.

For compensation of twelve commissioners, as provided by chapter fifty-seven, laws of nineteen hundred and nine, $2,500, or so much thereof as may be necessary.

For the salaries:

of the superintendent of inspection, $2,500;

of the several employees, according to grades, as follows: ninth grade, one employee, $2,500;

eighth grade, one employee, $1,800;

seventh grade, one employee, $1,500;

sixth grade, five employees, $1,200 each, $6,000;
fifth grade, two employees, $900 each, $1,800;

fourth grade, six employees, $720 each, $4,320. For temporary help, $1,000, or so much thereof as may be

necessary.

For expenses of the commissioners and the secretary while engaged in the discharge of their official duties, $3,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary.

For traveling expenses of the employees of the department while engaged in their official duties, $2,500, or so much thereof as may

be necessary.

For rent, printing and other expenses of the office, $7,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary.

For postage and expense of transportation of all letters, official documents or other matter sent by express or freight, including boxes or covering for same, $1,500, or so much thereof as may be

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of the superintendent, $1,800;

two inspectors $1,500 each, $3,000;

four inspectors, $1,200 each, $4,800;

fifth grade, two employees, $900 each, $1,800;
fourth grade, two employees, $720 each, $1,440;
third grade, one employee, $600.

For the salaries:

State and Alien Poor.

of the superintendent, $3,000;

deputy in New York City, $1,800;

special inspector of charitable institutions, $2,000; inspector, $1,500;

five assistant inspectors, $1,200 each, $6,000; transfer agent, Kings County Almshouse, $1,200; transfer agent, Erie County Almshouse, $1,200; fifth grade, two employees, $900 each, $1,800; fourth grade, four employees, $720 each, $2,880; third grade, two employees, at $600 each, $1,200. For traveling expenses of superintendent and inspectors, $4,000.

For incidental office expenses, $800.

For maintenance, transportation and removal of State, nonresident and alien poor, $35,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary.

INSPECTION OF EDUCATIONAL WORK IN CHARI

TABLE INSTITUTIONS.

In former reports the State Board of Charities has urged the need of inquiry into the methods and results of educational work in the institutions under its supervision which are charged with the care of more than 33,000 dependent or delinquent children, many of whom are mentally below the normal and need special training to fit them for self-support. The State has assumed their guardianship and owes them a practical education.

By subdivision 7 of section 9 of the State Charities Law, chapter 55 of the Consolidated Laws, the Board is required to "Aid in securing the establishment and maintenance of such industrial, educational and moral training in institutions having the care of children as is best suited to the needs of the inmates." Subdivision 6 of section 12 of the same law makes it the duty of the Board to ascertain with relation to each institution, "its methods of industrial, educational and moral training, if any, and whether the same are best adapted to the needs of its inmates."

The Legislature has not heretofore made an appropriation to enable the Board to discharge these duties. The managers of the institutions realize their grave responsibilities and are not content to furnish merely food, clothing and shelter, where training into usefulness and character is needed; they appreciate the assistance of expert inspectors who can be helpful both in planning and carrying out institutional work, and they desire this assistance for the improvement of the educational work.

An inspector having, with other qualifications, experience as an educator, and whose duties shall be not only critical but constructive, is necessary to assure to these wards of the State the educational advantages to which they are entitled. For these reasons, the Board respectfully asks the Legislature to appropriate $2,500 to pay the salary and expenses of such an inspector.

VISITATION OF PLACED-OUT CHILDREN.

More than 400 dependent children are placed each year by the Poor Law officers of the State. The charitable institutions and societies, subject to the supervision of this Board, place out an equal number.

The visitation of such children is devolved upon the Board by chapter 55 of the Consolidated Laws, which law provides in part as follows:

"§ 304. The state board of charities through any member, officer or duly authorized inspector of said board, is hereby authorized to visit, in his discretion, any child under the age of sixteen years, not legally adopted, placed out by any person or corporation mentioned in sections three hundred and one of this article, or by any person licensed by said board to place out destitute children."

One inspector visits these foster homes and reports upon their character and makes careful investigation of all complaints alleging that children have not been satisfactorily placed out. The work now requires the services of two inspectors to cover the placements made by institutions and societies organized to find homes for children, and for this purpose a special appropriation of $2,500 is requested to cover salary and expenses.

BOND ISSUES FOR THE EXTENSION AND
COMPLETION OF STATE CHARITABLE

/ AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTIONS.

In the establishment of State charitable and reformatory institutions the future needs of the State have not always been considered. Although immediate necessities may have at times received attention, provision for the increasing population with its consequent requirements has practically been left to the coming years. Hence many of the State charitable institutions have been built without the prior preparation of layouts, estimates and other plans which would show their completed form and approximate cost. As one result of this policy, few of the State charitable and reformatory institutions are completed and the Legislature is requested each year to make special appropriation for their enlargement. Even related institutions those belonging to the same group and designed for a similar purpose although established in different sections of the State- have been developed independently when sound policy would have co-ordinated them and made the enlargement of each one dependent upon the needs of the group. Several of the State institutions approach completion. They may require additional buildings or equipment, but in the considera

tion of such enlargement, the work of associated institutions and the future needs of the State should have influence. Boards of managers should make comprehensive plans for their institutions with ground" layouts" showing where each proposed building will stand. This Board has conferred with several of the boards of managers, and upon its request the State Architect has made such "layouts" for some institutions which show how all the buildings will be related to each other when completed. When the proper ultimate capacity is established, the number of buildings required and their location and cost can be determined as also that of the complete institution.

There are good business reasons why permanent improvements of this character which are intended to cover the needs of the State for the next fifty years or more should be chargeable in part at least, to the future rather than to the immediate present. The public institutions are established to safeguard the Commonwealth in the years to come, and will house many yet unborn. A bond issue with the provision of a sinking fund would distribute the cost of construction so that the taxpayers could be called upon to pay in any one year, in addition to the money required for annual maintenance, only a small proportion of the total cost of construction. In this way, each year could meet its own financial responsibilities better than under the present plan, could also provide more liberally for recognized needs and thus the development would be more speedy and economical. If the cost of construction were thus distributed, there is no doubt the new institutions which should be established would be more likely to receive attention, and a comprehensive program be outlined for the future development of the State charitable and correctional institutions.

As the population of the State increases, more institutions will be needed, and the present is an auspicious time to inaugurate the plan of providing for the construction of all State charitable and correctional institutions by long term bond issues. This method of raising funds for public purposes falls within the limitations of section 4 of Article VII of the State Constitution, which provides in part that "No debts shall be hereafter contracted by or in behalf of this State unless such debt shall be au

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