654 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



when hundreds of thousands of people were glad to get work at 

 almost any pay, the salary list of nine charitable institutions was 

 increased forty thousand dollars a year. Indefensible variations in 

 the per capita cost of practically the same service discloses another 

 mode of waste. Mr. Roberts gives elaborate tables in exposure 

 of this evil. While the per capita cost of the inmates of the 

 Western House of Eefuge for Women at Albion is $254.27, that 

 of the inmates of the House of Refuge for Women at Hudson is 

 $217.63. Again, while the per capita cost of the inmates of the 

 State Industrial School at Rochester is $219.49, that of the in- 

 mates of the Reformatory on Randall's Island is $210.59. Still 

 again, while the per capita cost of the inmates of the State School 

 for the Blind at Batavia is $313.74, that of the inmates of the 

 Northern New York Institute for Deaf-Mutes at Malone is $258.36. 

 If it be remembered that the institutions on Randall's Island and 

 at Malone are under private management, the lower rate prevail- 

 ing there, compared with the higher rate at the Batavia and Roches- 

 ter institutions, suggest a fact of no slight significance. " Private 

 institutions," says ^[r. Roberts, calling attention to it, " are only 

 * paid in some instances $110 per annum for the care and support 

 of inmates, . . . while the cost in State institutions is more than 

 $200 per annum." Yet, despite the possible indefinite multipli- 

 cation of such facts, the " new " reformer pins his faith to the 

 State as a fit agent for the regeneration of his fellows. 



Before leaving these institutions I must call attention to an- 

 other characteristic form of waste. I refer to the delicacies fur- 

 nished to the officials and inmates. " It has not seemed exactly 

 right," says Mr. Roberts, setting forth the scandal in very mod- 

 erate terms, " that the taxpayers of the State should be required 

 to pay for Blue Points, lobster, terrapin, frogs' legs, partridge, 

 quail, venison, and most of the delicacies of the season to supply 

 the tables of officials already well paid and well housed by the 

 State." But solicitude about table economies was never known to 

 be a trait of bureaucratic parasites. They never trouble them- 

 selves to prolong their vision to the meager tables of the poor 

 and suffering robbed of the necessaries of life to load theirs with 

 luxuries. The same limited vision is exhibited on holidays in their 

 generosity at other people's expense. " Is it fair," says Mr. Rob- 

 erts, protesting against this touching display of human goodness, 

 " that the average workingman should wear poor clothes and live 

 on plain fare in order that he may bring up his family decently 

 and honestly, while the inmates of State institutions are indulged 

 with turkey at eighteen cents a pound, footballs at $4.83 each, 

 oranges, candy, nuts, ice cream., and expensive luxuries? ... It 



