CHARITIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



145 



In Vermont detention in hospitals of demented 

 persons not dangerous is forbidden. A homoeo- 

 pathic hospital for the Connecticut insane is pro- 

 posed. New York reports a satisfactory develop- 

 ment of State care, and additional accommoda- 

 tions have been provided during the year for 

 1,200 patients. 



The new Massachusetts State Hospital for Epi- 

 leptics is full, and the Legislature has provided 

 for its enlargement to a capacity of 350. The 

 age limit for admission has been lowered to four- 

 teen years. 



In New York cities of the first class may es- 

 tablish hospitals for consumptives outside of the 

 city limits. A bill for the State Hospital in the 

 Adirondacks failed, though championed by med- 

 ical societies and charitable organizations. 



North Central States, etc. The Iowa State 

 Board of Control, established in 1898, is giving 

 general satisfaction. It is composed of three con- 

 servative, experienced men. In Nebraska a bill for 

 a State board of charities failed, but is expected 

 to pass in 1901. The Minnesota State Board of 

 Corrections has authority to deport nonresident 

 insane persons and paupers. The Legislature in- 

 creased the appropriation for this work. 



A new law requires the State Board of Correc- 

 tions and Charities to compile analyzed accounts 

 of the expenditures of the State institutions. 



The Indiana Legislature provided for about 

 550 additional patients in the State institutions. 

 In Iowa there is lively discussion concerning 

 the respective merits of State and county care 

 for the chronic insane. The State Board of Cor- 

 rections and Charities in Minnesota, after a spe- 

 cial investigation, recommended the Wisconsin 

 system of caring for the chronic insane; but the 

 Legislature decided instead to establish two ad- 

 ditional State hospitals (making five), and ap- 

 propriated money to begin both. Missouri has 

 established a fifth insane asylum. 



Indiana passed a stringent law, regulating the 

 introduction of dependent children from other 

 States, and requiring a bond of $10,000 from so- 

 cieties introducing such children. The Illinois 

 Legislature passed a comprehensive law to regu- 

 late the care of dependent, neglected, and delin- 

 quent children. This law marks a great advance 

 in the legislation of Illinois, which has hitherto 

 been much behind that of other States. The 

 principal features of the law are the recognition 

 of the family home as the best place for the 

 dependent child; the placing of child-saving asso- 

 ciations under the supervision of the State Board 

 of Charities; the direct commitment by the courts 

 of children to the care of approved societies; the 

 establishment of the probation system for juvenile 

 delinquents; the establishment of a separate 

 " children's court " in the city of Chicago ; the 

 prohibition of confining young children in jail, 

 and the prohibition of confinement of young chil- 

 dren in the same buildings or yards with adult 

 convicts; the regulation of the placing of chil- 

 dren in this State by foreign corporations. A 

 law was passed providing for parental schools in 

 Chicago; also a law permitting vacation schools. 

 Michigan passed a law prohibiting unincorporated 

 associations from receiving, maintaining, or pla- 

 cing children. All incorporated societies which 

 care for dependent children are placed under the 

 supervision of the State Board of Corrections and 

 Charities. A law is pending providing State care 

 for defective dependent children. 



The next Ohio Legislature will be asked to 

 provide for deformed and crippled children. The 

 Wisconsin Home for Feeble-minded has 400 in- 

 mates, and is already full, with several hundred 

 VOL. xxxix. 10 A 



applications on file. About 100 children attend 

 day schools for the deaf, the State paying .$150 

 per year each. In South Dakota the Legislature 

 of 1899 made an appropriation for a school for 

 feeble-minded, also a small appropriation for a 

 school for the blind. In Nebraska an important 

 bill was passed to regulate child labor, also a 

 truant law. The Home for the Friendless, a pri- 

 vate institution, largely maintained by State ap- 

 propriations, has been turned over to the State 

 as a State institution. The Legislature of Minne- 

 sota passed a law to regulate the importation 

 of dependent children from other States. The con- 

 sent of the State Board of Correction and Chan- 

 ties must be obtained. The North Carolina in- 

 sanity laws have been recertified, providing for 

 licensing of private institutions, supervision of 

 county and municipal asylums by the Board of 

 Public Charities, etc. 



A house and grounds, with $10,000 in cash, have 

 been given to the Baltimore Hospital for Con- 

 sumptives. 



The Texas Legislature appropriated $50,000 for 

 an asylum for epileptics. 



The State Home for Incurables at Huntingdon. 

 W. Va., will be ready for occupancy in a few 

 months. 



District poorhouses may be erected jointly by 

 adjacent counties in Minnesota. The St. Louis 

 Provident Association has laid the foundation 

 of a $70,000 building. 



In California a bill for a State board of chari- 

 ties and correction passed both houses, but was 

 refused by the Governor. The Washington State 

 Board of Audit and Control, consisting of the 

 Governor, ex officio, and five members, manages 

 the two insane hospitals, Penitentiary, Reform 

 School, and Soldiers' Home. 



The Montana Legislature of 1899 established 

 a home for feeble-minded. A law was passed 

 permitting children to be taken from inhuman 

 parents. A home for children has been estab- 

 lished, to keep them until they can be adopted. 

 In Indian Territory there is an orphan school in 

 each tribe. The Choctaw nation has a school 

 for orphan girls, another for boys, and contracts 

 with the Atoka Baptist Academy to care for 50 

 more. A work for white orphans has been started 

 at Pryor Creek. 



A oill to reorganize the system of managing 

 insane asylums in Oregon failed. Indian Terri- 

 tory has no insane hospital. 



A bill to disestablish the State Home for the 

 Blind was vetoed by the Governor of California. 

 Fourteen thousand dollars was appropriated to 

 establish a home for adult blind in the State of 

 Washington. There are no poorhouses in the 

 Indian Territory. Some tribes make provision for 

 the poor. 



Federal Census Kesults. The latest complete 

 statistics concerning paupers in almshouses and 

 inmates of benevolent institutions were issued 

 early in 1895, under date of Dec. 1, 1894, from 

 the Census Office, Washington, D. C., and repre- 

 sent the results of an inquiry instituted by the 

 Federal Government as part of the eleventh cen- 

 sus investigation, which gave conditions as they 

 existed on June 1, 1890. Until the results of the 

 twelfth census are made known it will not be pos- 

 sible to give even fairly approximate figures con- 

 cerning increases and decreases at any date (ex- 

 cept in a few States) since 1890. 



On June 1. 1890, there were in the almshousea 

 of the United States 73,045 paupers (40,741 male 

 and 32.304 female). Of this total, 44,626 were 

 native born and 28,419 were foreign born. The 

 number of whites is given as 66,578, and colored 



