also a board of government of ten members, with eight sub-committees from the board of government; also several special committees. The Union is now located at 18 Boylston street, near the Common, Public Library, Masonic Temple, Hotel Boylston, and Hotel Pelham, in a building erected for the society through the kindness of friends, and dedicated March 15th, 1876. The entire property, over $300,000 in value, stands entirely free of debt. The rooms are open every day, Sundays included, from 8

A. M. to 10 P. M.

Its principal rooms are the reception room, in which are the offices of the curator and librarian, employment bureau, boardinghouse bureau, and reception committee; also, department for checking garments, room for games and newspapers, sitting room, which is used as a social room by members, in which are newspapers, a cabinet, and piano, with a chess room adjoining; the president's and directors' room, library and reading-room, room for correspondence, room for study, provided with books of reference, and the ladies' committee rooms, for "bureau of reference and employment for women." The Union Hall, seating between five and six hundred; two smaller halls, parlor, class and committee rooms, toilet rooms, and a gymnasium, complete in all its appoint

ments.

Membership.-All young men residing in Boston and vicinity are cordially invited to become members of the society, without regarding what religious denomination they may belong to. The Union is entirely unsectarian. Annual membership, $1.00; life membership, $25.00; subscription membership, $5.00. Subscription membership for five successive years entitles the holder to life membership. The total membership April 1st, 1881, at the time the annual reports were made, was 3993. Though the Union was organized and incorporated for young men as members, ladies attend its lectures, socials, practical talks, religious services, classes, etc.

It is the aim of the society to make the Union a home for the many young men to whom Boston or its vicinity is their residence, whether by birth or adoption; to attract them to its rooms by offering them opportunities for the reading of books and newspapers; for companionship, social intercourse, and study; for entertainment, recreation, and exercise; to provide those who may need it, employment; also pleasant boarding places in or out of the city; and then to incite its members, by these various facilities, to a healthful physical training, to mental and religious culture, and to a practical philanthropy.

Library. The library contains about 5000 volumes; also, the leading magazines, and illustrated and weekly papers. Members can at all times take books from the shelves and read them in the room, the library thus becoming so attractive that many are induced to spend their time in reading who would not do so, unless

92

the books were placed, as it were, in their hands. Books can also be taken away for home reading.

Physical Culture.-This department receives careful attention from its special committee, and from the superintendent and instructor of the gymnasium.

MEETINGS, ENTERTAINMENTS, CLASSES, &C.

Public religious services, conducted by clergymen and laymen of the different religious denominations, followed by social singing, are held on Sunday evenings. Lectures, readings, dramatic and musical entertainments, are given weekly in the Union Hall. Practical talks, on matters of Science, Political Economy, Ethics, History, Art, and Literature are given. Classes are held for instruction in book-keeping, penmanship, parliamentary law and debate, legislative procedure and public affairs, French, German, Spanish, history, vocal music, elocution, sketching, phonography, and other branches. During the past season, seventeen classes were held, six of which had a supplementary course. these classes, ladies are admitted. Social meetings of members and ladies are held monthly during the colder season. To many of for information and pleasure, to places of interest, are taken about once in two weeks during the warm season, also occasionally at Excursions, other seasons of the year. men-are invited to courses of lectures and "practical talks," The public-both ladies and gentlegiven in the large hall.

BENEVOLENT ACTION.

Under this head are included the following departments of the Union work:

Employment Bureau for Men. -Through the employment bureau the committee endeavor to provide situations for young men, members of the Union and others, by a system of recording and carefully comparing and acting upon applications for employés and employment. Applicants for employment are required to furnish letters of recommendation from present or past employers, before filling out papers of application. Young men who have not been employed, may bring letters from teachers or other reliable friends. No charge is ever made to either party.

Bureau of. Reference for Women.-This bureau, which has been in active operation for the past six years, is designed as a means of interchange between employers and employés in the higher grades of employment for women. It is in charge of a special committee of ladies, who are represented daily by their secretary and one of their number, for the purpose of receiving and attending to applications, such as from those wishing situations as bookkeepers, saleswomen, copyists, private teachers, readers, companions, skilled seamstresses, nurses, housekeepers, etc., and from

persons desiring to employ women in such capacities. As with the employment for young men, no charge is made to either party. The boarding-house committee endeavors to provide good boarding places, at a moderate price, for those desiring them.

The committee on churches provides members with seats in any church of the city which they desire to attend, free, or at a moderate expense, and renders such other services as are in its power.

The clothing committee attends to the distribution of clothing, given for the purpose, to worthy young men needing such assist

ance.

A committee visits and cares for members when sick.

The Union has a large list of ladies and gentlemen who stand as "minute men and women," ready to respond to sudden calls for assistance at the Union, should any disaster occur in any section of our land; as, for instance, in the past, the great Chicago fire, Mill River disaster, St. John's fire, etc., etc.

RIDES FOR INVALIDS.

This department of the benevolent work of the B. Y. M. C. Union, consists in furnishing carriages for drives into the suburbs to invalids, inmates of hospitals, and others in needy circumstances, and is now engaged in its work for the present year, the eighth season of this special charity.

During the past year, three hundred and one carriages were used four hundred and ninety-eight and a half hours, in giving drives to fourteen hundred and eleven invalid children and adults, of whom nine hundred and ninety-seven were inmates of the seventeen hospitals and homes in this city,-Massachusetts General Hospital, City Hospital, Children's Hospital, Massachusetts Homœopathic Hospital, Boston Lying-in Hospital, Carney Hospital, New England Hospital for Women and Children, Boston Female Asylum, St. Luke's Home for Convalescents, Consumptives Home, Home for Aged Women, (Boston), Home for Aged Women (Roxbury), Home for Aged Colored Women, House of the Good Samaritan, Temporary Home for Destitute, Children's Mission, St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

Thirteen hundred and forty horse-car tickets and two hundred round-trip tickets on the harbor steamers were also distributed, through the City Missionaries and the Boston Flower Mission. Numerous testimonials have been received each year of the general appreciation of the benefit derived from the drives.

$1,492 was donated by ladies and gentlemen in 1880, for this special charity in answer to press notices and a limited number of printed circulars.

THE COUNTRY WEEK.

"The Country Week," a plan inaugurated in 1875, for sending poor and deserving children for vacation of a week or fortnight to

pleasant and suitable homes provided in the country, is now actively engaged upon its seventh season. The movement has been attended with success from the outset, the result of each year showing an increase in numbers and interest over the preceding year. Its growth and importance are best shown by the following statistics :

1875, number of guests, 160; 1876, number of guests, 320; 1877, number of guests, 861; 1878, number of guests, 1046; 1879, number of guests, 1316; 1880, number of guests, 1377. The children sent have been carefully selected from among those "whose vacations otherwise would be the door-step life of alleys, and a straying round the streets."

Last year $5,685.05 was donated by ladies, gentlemen, and business firms for the "Country Week" of 1880. This, also, without any personal solicitation. The number thus favored this season will probably exceed 1500. Donations of money for the special charity larger than in 1880, and as in previous years without any personal solicitation.

THANKSGIVING DAY DINNERS.

The annual Thanksgiving dinners at the Christian Union have for many years been occasions of great interest to the many young men who being unable to be with kindred for that day have been invited by the Board of Government to the real New England Thanksgiving dinners provided for them at the Union, accompanied with other arrangements made to make the day one of joy and gladness, thus surrounded by friends in this pleasant, social way. A very interesting feature of the occasion each year, and one which shows the many sections of this and other lands from which young men have come, who are now engaged in business, or other occupation in this city, is the census taken by the President each year, while the large and happy party is seated round the tables which are laid in the Union Hall. Last year for instance, showed that there were representatives from England, Scotland, France, Ireland, Scandinavia, Canada, Newfoundland, Germany, Nova Scotia, Jamaica, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Illinois, Mississippi.

The President always calls upon, separately, each nationality and State for representative speeches, many of the young men responding in bright and pleasant remarks.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S FESTIVAL.

It has been the custom of the Union for many years to give a festival for needy and worthy children at New Year's time.

Last year, for instance, the special committee invited by cards of invitation four hundred and fifty or more children (with some of their mothers) nearly all of whom were in destitute circum

stances, and to whom the Christmas season would have brought no other festival. In the selection of the children a personal care is always exercised. The object is to give them a pleasant entertainment, and make them presents of such things as will promote their happiness, and help to keep them comfortable during the winter.

Packages of articles for presents came from one hundred and one different individuals, firms, and societies; thirteen ladies contributed cake and refreshments, and there were ninety-one contributions of money in sums varying from one dollar to one hundred dollars, amounting in all to $886.13.

Garments and other articles which are not disposed of on the day of the festival, also some new articles purchased with money left over, are distributed by some of the ladies of the committee on presents, on the four succeeding Saturdays, to children who had been invited to come to the Union.

I was also requested to gather statistics from a few Boston business houses, bearing upon the relations of employers and employés.

Information obtained of an official connected with one of the prominent wholesale and retail dry goods houses of Boston. Number of employés, women, men and boys, 400 to 500. Regular help in all departments are kept through the entire year. Extra help hired at times. The women work mostly by the piece, and earn about eight dollars per week. Women are paid every week. Men are paid every month. Two weeks vacation, with pay, given to all employés. In cases of sickness pay continues; instances have occurred where pay has been continued from two to three years.

Information from another prominent dry goods concern.

30 to 40 women employed, and 150 to 175 men and boys. Services in full paid to all throughout the year. Services in full paid in sickness. Exceptions would be made if sickness was caused by the special fault or dissipation of the employé. Two weeks vacation allowed to every employé, with full pay.

Information obtained from the foreman of the manufacturing department of a prominent men's clothing concern in Boston.

men.

(This foreman has been with this firm for twenty-one years.) They employ in the building about 450 women, and about 150 No person employed by the firm loses a single day throughout the yea. for want of work. In sickness pay is not deducted unless caused by intemperance or gross folly. Have never had a case in which pay was deducted. In cases of sickness, or death, the firm have always very generously responded in cases of need.