taxpayers should receive news of the inspection in time to see the almshouse under nearly the same conditions as the inspector saw it. In order to overcome the present undesirable delay, and hasten the adoption of improvements, it is suggested that a careful digest of each report of inspection be made at the office of the Board, upon its adoption, and be given officially to the press. This would tend to prevent the press from gleaning detached sentences from the reports of inspections, which, taken out of their context, lead to false impressions and grave misconceptions. The new form of inspection report, recently adopted, was used this year with good results. Although some of the almshouse officials felt at first that it was "inquisitive," they soon became accustomed to the more thorough form of inspection. It is not necessary at every inspection to use this long form of report, which discusses minutely every feature of almshouse equipment, for these conditions change slowly, and to describe them twice a year, would lead to needless repetition. A shorter form of report is also in use, which states briefly the condition of the plant and administration and the nature of the needs. This is intended to call attention to important matters only. The inspection of the city institutions presents problems quite different from those found in the country. The system of public relief is so established and administered in New York City that expert knowledge of institutional management is necessary to render inspection profitable. The New York Department of Charities has a corps of inspectors who are daily on the lookout for defects and it is inevitable that our inspector will occasionally point out defects already well known to the authorities in charge, and which they are seeking to remedy. There is, however, a broad field for the activities of a State inspector, outside of the routine inspection of sanitary conditions, service of food, condition of clothing, etc. He should test the comparative efficiency of the several institutions in each department. He should make an analysis of costs and the results obtained in the public charitable institutions. The business methods of each city department of charities should receive consideration. An account of the present condition of the public charitable institutions in the State will be found in the reports of visitation of almshouses submitted by the commissioners of the several districts. Respectfully submitted, SIMON W. ROSENDALE, RALPH W. THOMAS, AUGUSTUS FLOYD, Committee on Almshouses. ALBANY, December 31, 1909. |