CHARITIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



129 



measure has become law requiring that the indi- 

 gent must be supported by the relatives of the 

 same as far as their ability will permit. 



The State maintains the insane asylum located 

 at Blackfoot. It has a nominal capacity of 170; 

 daily average, 100. The Soldiers' Home, Boise 

 City, is supported in part by the State, which 

 avails itself of the federal provisions for such 

 purposes. Some of the counties maintain poor- 

 houses. The blind, deaf-mute, and feeble-minded 

 children are educated at the expense of the State, 

 under the direction of the State Superintendent 

 of Public Instruction, who places these defectives 

 in the schools or homes for defective youth of 

 the adjoining States. 



Illinois. The State appropriations for chari- 

 table institutions, 1899-1900, amounted to $4,285,- 

 361.12. This amount was divided up as follows: 

 Blind, $102,907; deaf and dumb, $217,700; insane, 

 $3,355,894.12; orphans, $138,100; hospitals for eye 

 and ear, $74,200; miscellaneous charities, $390,500. 



The chief event of the year in the field of chari- 

 ties and correction has been the passage of the 

 bill to regulate the care and treatment of de- 

 pendent, neglected, and delinquent children. For 

 a year past the subject has been vigorously agi- 

 tated. The State Conference of Charities of 1898 

 devoted its entire time to this subject. The Board 

 of Public Charities considered the subject care- 

 fully. The State Federation of Women's Clubs 

 and many of the local women's clubs discussed 

 it. The Chicago Bar Association adopted a 

 unanimous resolution in favor of suitable legis- 

 lation, and appointed a committee to draft a bill. 

 The committee consulted with representatives of 

 the children's institutions and the various or- 

 ganizations interested, and finally produced a bill 

 which, after considerable amendment, became a 

 law. 



The purpose of the bill is expressed in its last 

 section, as follows: "This act shall be liberally 

 construed, to the end that its purpose may be 

 carried out, to wit: that the care, custody, and 

 discipline of a child shall approximate, as nearly 

 as may be, that which should be given by its 

 parents; and, in all cases where it can be prop- 

 erly done, the child be placed in an approved 

 family home, and become a member of the family 

 by legal adoption or otherwise." 



The bill is outlined as follows: A "juvenile 

 court " is established in the city of Chicago, to 

 l)e presided over by a circuit judge chosen by his 

 fellow-judges. Confinement of children under 

 twelve years of age in county jails or police sta- 

 tions is prohibited. Probation officers are au- 

 thorized, but without public compensation. Chil- 

 dren are brought before the court by summons 

 instead of warrant. 



" Dependent children " i. e., those dependent 

 on the public, homeless, abandoned, begging, ped- 

 dling, performing, cruelly treated, having vicious 

 parents, etc., having been adjudged dependent 

 may be committed to the guardianship of an in- 

 dividual, a society, or an institution, with power 

 to dispose of by adoption or indenture. 



" Delinquent children " i. e., offenders against 

 State laws or municipal ordinances may be com- 

 mitted to an institution or to the care of a pro- 

 bation officer or to an accredited association. 



The law provides that it shall be unlawful to 

 confine any in the same building or in the same 

 yard or inclosure with adult convicts, or to bring 

 any child into any yard or building in which 

 adult convicts may be present. 



Associations receiving children under this act 

 are subjected to the supervision and inspection 

 of the State Board of Public Charities, and must 

 VOL. XXXTX. 9 A 



report as required by the board. County boards 

 of visitation may be appointed by county judges 

 to inspect institutions and societies receiving 

 children under this act. 



Associations incorporated in other States must 

 furnish the Board of Public Charities with such 

 guarantee as they may require that they will not 

 introduce children " having any contagious or 

 incurable disease, or having any deformity, or 

 being of feeble mind or of vicious character, and 

 that they will remove from the State any child 

 which may become a public charge within five 

 years after having been brought in." 



The following details have been made available 

 concerning 13 charitable institutions supported 

 by the State. The figures given are for the fiscal 

 year ending June 30, 1898. The expenses shown 

 are what is known as " ordinary expenses." The 

 number of inmates given represent those remain- 

 ing on June 30, 1898: Northern Insane Hospital: 

 inmates, 1,059; expenses, $152,093.16; Eastern 

 Insane Hospital: inmates, 2,216; expenses, $305,- 

 187.49; Central Insane Hospital: inmates, 1,187; 

 expenses, $158,099.67; Southern Insane Hospital: 

 inmates, 902; expenses, $121,499.79; Western In- 

 sane Hospital: inmates, 354; expenses, $10,599.14; 

 Asylum for Insane Criminals: inmates, 152; ex- 

 penses, $29,935.50; Institution for the Deaf and 

 Dumb: expenses, $97,112.41; Institution for the 

 Blind: expenses, $45,874.20; Asylum for Feeble- 

 minded Children: inmates, 699; expenses, $105,- 

 634.51; Soldiers' Orphans' Home: inmates, 306; 

 expenses, $58,926.45; Eye and Ear Infirmary: in- 

 mates, 101; expenses, $28,769.61; Soldiers' and 

 Sailors' Home: inmates, 1,399; expenses, $145,- 

 120.95; Soldiers' Widows' Home: inmates, 23; 

 expenses, $7,053.02. 



Indiana. The sum expended by the State in 

 behalf of charitable institutions for the year end- 

 ing October, 1898, was $901,009.66. This amount 

 was divided up as follows: Blind, $31,235.04; 

 deaf, $64,627.77; insane, $549,559.24; soldiers' and 

 other orphans, $93,637.99; Soldiers' Home, $78,- 

 110.61; for feeble-minded, $83,839.01. 



The Legislature made specific appropriations 

 to the Central Hospital for Insane to the amount 

 of $178,000, of which $49,000 was to provide for 

 two dining rooms for men and one for women, 

 and $110,000 for a hospital. These changes will 

 increase the capacity of the institution by 205. 

 Specific appropriations were made to the North- 

 ern Hospital for Insane, amounting to $85,000, 

 $80,000 of which is to be used to erect new build- 

 ings, one for men, the other for women, with a 

 capacity of 100 each. The Eastern Hospital for 

 the Insane received $75,200, out of which are to 

 be built two hospital cottages, one each for men 

 and women, to accommodate 30 beds each, cost- 

 ing $33,000, and one cottage for men with a 

 capacity of 48, costing $28,900.' The Southern 

 Hospital for Insane received specific appropria- 

 tions amounting to $60,000, including $40,000 for 

 the erection of a wing to accommodate 132 pa- 

 tients. 



An appropriation was made to build and fur- 

 nish a dwelling house for the superintendent of 

 the Institution for the Deaf, by reason of which 

 it will be possible to readjust the disposition of 

 inmates so as to accommodate 40 more. For 

 the School for Feeble-minded $47,000 was appro- 

 priated specifically, $42,500 of which is to be used 

 for the erection of two custodial cottages, one to 

 accommodate 100 girls, the other 100 boys. 



During the past year societies for organizing 

 charity have been formed in Franklin and Alex- 

 andria'. In the latter place work among tramps 

 is receiving particular attention. A Home for 



