The Sarah White Home for Aged Colored People has secured a pleasant and commodious country house. The Delaware Hospital has established a training school for nurses. The Associated Charities conducted two playgrounds for children in the public school yards. The Park Commissioners erected a children's sand pavilion in one of our parks, and are now completing a fine public bath-house; and the Philanthropy Committee of the New Century Club, in co-operation with the Law and Order Society, succeeded in securing a city ordinance suppressing immoral play-bills. Classes 1 and 2. Criminals and Vicious. In the three county jails there are about 150 long-term prisoners and generally from 60 to 100 short-term prisoners. Class 3.— Insubordinates. The Ferris Industrial School has 65 boys. The Girls' Industrial School shows marked improvement in the advance of the pupils. It has 23 girls. The Door of Hope is supported by private effort, and for a new institution is doing good work. It has 17 It has 17 inmates. B. GROUP OF DESTITUTES. Class 1.- The Aged Poor. In the three county almshouses we have about 274 inmates. Poor farms are connected with these institutions. The Home for Aged Women has 33 inmates, the Minquadale Home for Aged Couples has 15, and the Sarah White Home (colored) shelters 9. Class 2.-Children. Children. The Society for the Prevention of cruelty to Children rescued and found homes for 372 children last year. The Home for Friendless Children has now 65 children, and the St. Joseph's Home (colored) has 128 children. Class 3.-Sick and Injured. The St. Michael's Hospital for Babies has now 14 patients. The Delaware Hospital treated 274 cases, and had 2,000 dispensary patients; and the Homœopathic Hospital treated 215 cases, and dispensed 1,824 prescriptions. C. GROUP OF DEFECTIVES. No public or private provision is made for the classes 1, 2, and 3. Class 4.— Insane. The Delaware State Hospital for the Insane is well equipped. It has completed an addition with modern improvements. It treated last year 186 patients. It is the only institution supported entirely by the State. In May, 1897, the Fourth Annual Conference of Charities and Institutions was held. The importance of these gatherings is yearly gaining recognition. Delegates from all societies and institutions. met in friendly intercourse and helpful discussion. A feature of especial interest was a most creditable manual training exhibit: from the Ferris School, beautiful wood-work and clothing; from the Girls' Industrial School, skilful hand-sewing and drawn work; carpet and carpenter work from the Sunday Breakfast Association; and specimens of laundry, etc., from the Associated Charities. It gives me great pleasure to report that President McKinley has appointed Mr. Herbert W. Lewis, late agent of the Board of Children's Guardians of the District of Columbia, to be Superintendent of Charities for the District of Columbia in the place of Colonel John Tracey, deceased. This appointment, with its promise that the District charity work may be made a model for the nation, is the most important and the most gratifying thing that has been done here in this regard since the resignation of Dr. Amos G. Warner, the first Superintendent of Charities, four years ago. President McKinley deserves great credit for resisting the importunate politicians from all over the country, who regarded this office as simply a three-thousand-dollar sinecure which by law must be filled by a non-resident of the District, and for acting in accordance with the advice of Washingtonians most interested in public charities, and of the experts throughout the country in appointing a man whom they recommended as being the best available man for the place. Only the fact that the Joint Commission of Senators and Representatives on the Charities of the District, of which Senator McMil lan of Michigan is the intelligent and efficient chairman, will not make its report until next December, renders its investigation less important in our estimation than the appointment of the new Superintendent of Charities. The Joint Commission has made a very thorough and discriminating inquiry; and its report, to which will be annexed a stenographic report of the comprehensive and extensive hearings given to all the different interests and experts, will be of general value to charity workers everywhere, as well as of special value to the charities of the District of Columbia. The Commission is expected to recommend legislation which will improve the charitable work of Washington; and it is especially hoped that it may report in favor of the creation of a board of charities with an expert secretary in place of the Superintendent of Charities, which office would then be abolished. This action has been recommended by all the representatives of all the progressive influences in Washington, and is favored by the new Superintendent of Charities, as it was by Dr. Warner when he was Superintendent of Charities, for local reasons which make it easier for a board than for a superintendent of charities to accomplish desired reforms. But, as this legislation will take some time for its enactment, even if it is recommended by the Joint Commission, we are very fortunate in having Mr. Lewis appointed in the mean time to act as Superintendent of Charities. The declaration of policy of Congress and authorization for appointment of Joint Select Committee to investigate Charities and Reformatory Institutions of the District of Columbia is as follows :— DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATION BILL, MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE, 1898. And it is hereby declared to be the policy of the government of the United States to make no appropriation of money or property for the purpose of founding, maintaining, or aiding by payment for services, expenses, or otherwise, any church or religious denomination, or any institution or society which is under sectarian or ecclesiastical control; and it is hereby enacted that from and after the thirtieth day of June, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, no money appropriated for charitable purposes in the District of Columbia, shall be paid to any church or religious denomination, or to any institution or society which is under sectarian or ecclesiastical control. That a joint select committee is hereby authorized, to consist of three senators to be appointed by the presiding officer of the Senate and three members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, which select committee shall make investigation of the charities and reformatory institutions of the District of Columbia, and especially of those for which appropriations are made by this act, as respects their relations to the government of the District of Columbia and to the United States, whether by special charter or otherwise, their efficiency, their management and resources, whether by appropriations, investments, or otherwise, and also what portion, if any, of appropriations heretofore made to them have been used for the purpose of maintaining or aiding by payment for services, expenses, or otherwise, any church or religious denomination or any institution or society' which is under sectarian or ecclesiastical control; whether such charitable or reformatory institutions are effective and economical in their organization, methods, and expenditure to provide for the poor and destitute in the District of Columbia; whether it is practicable for the commissioners or other authority in the District to make contracts or to otherwise provide for such care of the poor and destitute with any of said institutions, and, if so, which of them and to what extent, within the limitations of the policy hereinbefore declared; and, if not, the probable expense of providing and maintaining public institutions for such purpose. A. GROUP OF DELINQUENTS. Class 1.-Criminals. State prison convicts, March 31, 1891, 372. Class 2. The Vicious. June 15, 1897, jail, 244: males, 186; females, 58; whites, 35; colored, 209. Workhouse, 214: males, 173; females, 41; white, 73; colored, 141. Class 3.— Insubordinates. 230 in reformatories. B. GROUP OF DESTITUTES. Class 1. The Aged Poor. 350 (estimated), June 15, 1897, in various private and semi-private homes. There are 176 inmates at the almshouse. Class 2. Destitute Children. 1,000 in institutions and boardinghomes (estimated). Class 3.- The Sick and Injured. 309 adults, 65 children, exclusive of infants under two weeks old, June 15, 1897. C. GROUP OF DEFECTIVES. Class 1.- The Blind. None reported. 1 Class 2.- Deaf-mutes. 30, June 15, 1897. Class 3.- Feeble-minded Children. 35, June 15, 1897. GEORGIA. BY MISS ALICE BOYKIN, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The bill for a State reform school was again defeated. There are 2,160 insane patients, for whose support the legislature appropriated $280,000. The Women's Clubs have done much for the uplifting of the poor. They have formed themselves into a Federation of Clubs, and have organized library clubs and reading circles throughout the State. They have established and keep up a free kindergarten in Atlanta. The children have furnished and keep up the children's ward in the Grady Hospital, the only ward for children in the State. Our women have opened a home in Atlanta, called the Door of Hope for the unfortunate women. ILLINOIS. BY MISS JULIA C. LATHROP, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The biennial session of the Illinois legislature closed June 4, 1897. The following laws bearing upon charitable or correctional. matters were passed: The law of 1893 making abandonment of wife and children punishable by fine or imprisonment or both is amended so as to make the wife a competent witness as to all matters, including fact of marriage and parentage of children. A law was passed for the appointment, by the mayor, of police matrons in cities of 16,000 inhabitants or over. A State Board of Pardons was created, to consist of three commissioners, to be appointed by the governor, to serve a term of three years each. The salary of each commissioner is $2,000, and that of the clerk of the board the same amount. A law was passed empowering school districts to maintain, as a part of public schools within their limits, one or more classes for deaf children, having an average attendance of not less than three pupils, and authorizing the payment of $150 per year from the State common-school fund for each such pupil, teachers to be appointed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and required to have at least one year's special instruction in teaching the deaf. |