DIGEST

OF THE

THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE

CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION

SUMMARY OF WORK OF PAST YEAR.

1. The Association's local committees have visited and maintained supervision over the almshouses and public hospitals in forty-three of the fifty-eight counties of the State which have such institutions, including the frequent inspection of the very large institutions in the Departments of Public Charities and of Bellevue and Allied Hospitals in New York City.

2. Several county committees have appeared before county boards of supervisors, and the New York city visiting committee has appeared before the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, to state the needs of public charitable institutions, and to urge proper appropriations therefor.

3. All but two of the thirteen State hospitals for the insane, and seven of the State charitable institutions have been visited during the year from the central office or by the Association's local visitors to State institutions.

4. The committee on the insane's subcommittee on prevention and after care, and its four State hospital prevention and aftercare committees, which assist patients from five State hospitals, have continued their work for the prevention of insanity and the relief of those who have been insane. The agent of the subcommittee has made 617 visits to, or in behalf of 117 patients, not including 38 visits to State hospitals, has secured 34 situations and 24 country outings.

5. The standing committee on hospitals has secured legislation creating the board of ambulance service for Greater New York, and has submitted detailed suggestions to the new Board for the reorganization of the service in accordance with the recommendations made by the committee in publication No. 99 of the State Charities Aid Association on "Ambulance Service in Greater

New York." It has aided in an effort to secure ambulance relief stations in three different sections of Greater New York, and to secure additional buildings and wings for existing hospitals, and has submitted recommendations relative to the plans for new hospitals and new additions to hospitals. It has prepared and presented to the Legislature a plan for more adequate treatment of public intoxication and inebriety, and has printed and circulated widely a pamphlet (Publication No. 108) dealing with the problem of the treatment of public intoxication. It has made an additional study of the alcoholic "repeater repeater" or "rounder" in New York City, and will soon embody the results of this study in pamphlet form for circulation. It is carrying on an active campaign to secure action on the part of the Legislature this winter with regard to the treatment of inebriates.

6. Since October 1, 1908, the committee on the prevention of tuberculosis has pursued its educational and constructive campaign in twelve additional cities, working in coöperation with the State Department of Health. As a result of these local campaigns and the small traveling exhibits shown at forty-two county fairs and the State Fair during the summer and early autumn of 1909, as well as of systematic efforts through correspondence, local committees have been organized in forty-three cities and villages. The work accomplished through such committees may be briefly summarized as follows: Ten dispensaries established with visiting nurses; nineteen visiting nurses employed in addition to the six already in the work the previous year; eight laboratories for free examination of sputum opened; two additional bureaus for relief of needy consumptives put in operation; hospitals and pavilions built or in course of construction in six additional cities; five more county hospitals assured; six day camps operated successfully; and continuous work done along the line of education and publicity. Through the bureau of information 231,829 pieces of literature have been distributed, while regular publicity work has been pursued in the publication of a press bulletin every week, which is sent to a mailing list of 783. The work accomplished through the medium of the labor unions is shown by very gratifying results in the way of hospital provision for the care of their members, while their assistance in securing appropriations for county hospitals has been most effective.

7. All proposed legislation relating to charities has been carefully examined, and the Association has taken an active part, in coöperation with other societies, institutions and individuals, in endeavoring to influence legislation which affects the welfare of the poor. During the legislative session of 1909, the Association was actively interested in the following bills among others, the first three of which became law (the first, second and fourth being drafted by the Association):

a. Authorizing the establishment of county hospitals for tuberculosis.

b. Providing for the organization of the ambulance service in New York City.

c. Making an appropriation to double the capacity of the New York State Hospital for Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis at Raybrook.

d. Providing for the more adequate treatment of public intoxication and inebriety in New York city.

8. The Association had under the oversight of its various branches and committees on October 1, 1909, 1,179 children who had been placed in families with or without payment for board, or were with their mothers in situations. Of these children 577 were in free homes, and 549 with their mothers in situations. If these children were collected in one institution, the expenditure for site and buildings would certainly be at least $500,000 and the annual expenditure for maintenance not less than $100,000. Under the present plan there has been no expense for land or buildings, and only about $10,000 per year for placing out and subsequent supervision. The superior advantages of family life for these young children are not less marked, and are far more important to the community than the incidental economy of the plan. The work for children has been carried on by the following committees and branches:

a. The committee on assisting and providing situations in the country for destitute mothers with infants secured 701 situations for homeless women with their babies during the year, and had 883 women with babies under its care.

b. The committee on the placing out and supervision of children in families has found permanent free homes in carefully selected families for 176 destitute children, nearly all of whom