ར.

the

average being twenty

four for July and twenty-six for August. The number of applications from families already known is somewhat less: an average of sixteen each week in July and nineteen in August.

The United Hebrew Charities in the same week acted upon 104 new applications, and 1,262 from persons or families already known. The amount of relief disbursed in the week by the United Hebrew Charities was $692.51. In the Hebrew Employment Bureau there were 226 applications, which is twice as many as in the same week last year. The superintendent of the employment bureau assigned this increase to business depression and increased immigration. There were in the week fifty cases of illness which were treated by the United Hebrew Charities physicians.

**

*

The superintendent of out-door poor in the week under review admitted seventy-one persons to the almshouse and rejected about one hundred and fifty applications. There were forty-two admissions to the infants' asylum on Randall's Island. Three hundred and sixtyeight patients were received into the hospitals of the Department of Public Charities. In Bellevue there are now about nine hundred patients with eighty vacant beds. In the Metropolitan hospital on Blackwell's Island there are three hundred and forty patients, with sixty vacancies,

and in the City Hospital six hundred and ninety-seven patients, with some ninety vacancies.

**

Fresh-air work in the city last week, especially the day excursions, showed the effects of the lowered temperature. The Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor sent to its summer home, Sea Breeze. Coney Island, one hundred and twenty mothers and children for a visit of two weeks and provided day excursions for twelve. hundred and sixteen. The Childrens" Aid Society sent to its summer home at Bath Beach three hundred and fifty children for one week: three hundred women and children to the health home at Coney Island for one week, and one hundred and twenty-five boys for one week's outing at the Brace Memorial Farm School at Kensico. Besides the above, three hundred children were sent to Coney Island for one day's outing.

On August 25 the two Floating Hospitals of St. John's Guild had admitted and treated a total of 60,424 children and mothers. In addition to this 17,364 days of hospital treatment had been given at the Seaside hospital.

**

An aggregate of $17,255.55 had been contributed to the Tribune Fresh-Air Fund on August 27.

The New York News has the following sensible remarks in regard to the advisability of supervision over those who collect funds for the relief of starving Hindoos and other similar objects. The recent decision of the Court of Appeals removed such funds with other private charities from the jurisdiction of the State Board of Charities:

There is a widespread impression that some oversight by duly qualified officials, with no private interests to serve, would be for the public benefit, as well as for the good of those whom it is proposed by contributors to relieve. It is a true say

ing that an honest man will bear watching, and therefore persons engaged in the collection of funds for charitable uses would, and should, if their intentions are honorable, rather welcome investigation.

The collector for charitable purposes is in effect a trustee as much as a banker or the guardian of an estate. The governments, state and national, exercise thorough supervision over bankers, and the guardian or executor of an estate has to account for every penny to the Surrogate's court. The collectors of funds for charitable purposes, on the other hand, seem to be free from any supervision, and the certificate of a public accountant, without itemized details, is of little practical value.

These remarks do not apply to institutions which collect for themselves directly, and which, therefore, have a direct interest in the proper appli

cation of funds. It is a different matter with self-constituted trustees, who have no direct interest in either contributors or beneficiaries, and whose itemized accounts ought to be regularly filed in some public office for public investigation and criticism.

** *

The Board of Health statistics on tenement houses in Brooklyn borough are a good illustration of what such statistics ought not to be for the purposes of the tenement-house commission. They could be valuable only in so far as they indicate an increase or decline in the concentration of population in the tenementhouse districts and furnish clear conclusions as to betterment or deterioration of conditions of living. The classification of tenements as houses wherein three or four families reside bunches well-appointed apartment houses with the shabbiest rookeries. It also presumably lumps

as

"dwellings" the millionaire's mansion with the shed or shanty of the proletarian. There is very little light thrown on this problem in Brooklyn borough by an official statement that here is a tenementhouse population of 673,431, and that there are 33,771 tenement houses. For purposes of health promoting legislation on a scientific basis it is of no more value than an enumeration of the penguins on the - Falkland Islands. It shows how badly needed the commission was for the purpose of getting at facts that could furnish an adequate basis of legislation.--New York Commercial Advertiser, August 14.

ARE CHARITY WORKERS OVERPAID?

GEORGE C. BENNETT.

"Throw mud, keep on throwing mud, some of it is bound to stick," was the motto of Tallyrand, the famous Frenchman in dealing with his enemies, and this appears to be the motto adopted by those opposed to present charity methods.

Charity work is conducted by two classes of workers: the outside workers, known as the visitors; and the inside workers, who conduct the office work.

It is a well-known fact that seven out of every ten who attempt visiting work, make a failure of it. This may seem a large proportion, but it is due entirely to the mistaken idea that visiting is simple, and decidedly easy work.

Let us see. Each visitor handles from five to ten cases daily. These must be attended to in all sorts of weather-in all quarters of the city-and almost invariably in the very worst parts of the city. Some of the so-called homes are literally reeking with filth, vermin, and disease, and the access to these rooms may be up flights of dirty stairs, through dark, greasy halls. The visitors are at times sullenly received, and particulars are obtained only by persistent and tactful questioning. If the visitor is not tactful, able to keep her temper, and above all disposed to do the right thing, and do it quickly, her visit will be a failure. She encounters

all nationalities-all kinds of temperaments many in the depths of despair and many tricky and ready to take any advantage. All of them look to the visitor for assistance. A day's work among these people will often send the most experienced visitor home heart-sick at the genuine misery she encounters and the discouraging viciousness and depravity displayed by others. It must also be remembered that one visit hardly ever suffices for a case, and that many of these cases are in the hands of the visitor for months; she must keep them constantly in mind, and a failure to do so is considered a grave offense.

In regard to the records of these relief cases, it will not be out of the way to correct a mistaken idea as to the so-called red tape process used. The truth of the matter is, that perhaps a dozen lines will dispose of any ordinary case. This requires ability on the part of the visitor to condense records, and the visitor who can say most in fewest words, and does her work with fewer words, is considered valuable.

The salaries paid these visitors range from $35 to $55 a month. An exceptionally good worker may receive a little more. When you consider the mental ability required, exposure to all sorts of weather, every form of disease, the tax on the visitor physically, to say nothing of the wear and tear on their clothing, especially shoes, the constant mental strain, and the judgment and tact

required, I am sure no fair-minded person will say that these visitors are overpaid.

As to the office workers, I say without any hesitation that there is no class of workers whose duties involve more responsibility and caretaking, for the slightest mistake will often cause much trouble and a great loss of time. The average salaries are from $30 to $65 per month.

Charity work, so called, is thoroughly practical and is run on the soundest of business principles. If any are looking for an easy position, I advise them to steer clear of this work, for those who imagine it to be anything different are indulging in a beautiful dream, from which they will be rudely awakened when they attack the reality.

NEEDS OF THE KINGS COUNTY HOSPITAL.

The following report has been presented to the State Board of Charities regarding the Kings County Hospital by Commissioner Edward H. Litchfield:

"The needs of the hospital, for which application to the Board of Estimate for appropriations will be made this year, are partly:

"A training school for male nurses and orderlies, the present training school being entirely devoted to the training of female nurses, and it being deemed essential that the force of ward attendants on the male side be carefully prepared for their work.

"An enlargement of the present

general storehouse so as to gather together under one roof, all the stores of the public charities, thus making it possible to abolish the numerous smaller storerooms now necessary, and by this centralization simplifying the work and lessening the cost of distribution.

"A third pavilion for the idiots' hospital in which to locate the common dining and day room, using a part of it, however, in place of the present inadequate school room. The superintendent purposes to make application for this in addition to a reconstruction and enlargement of the present buildings occupied by the idiots, but it would be better if each sex had its own dining room in its own pavilion.

"It is not always possible to get all the money necessary for improvements, as witness the following list of amounts asked for and allowed last fall:

"Nurses' home, $28,000; idiot pavilion, $7,000; toilet rooms, hospital, $50,000; infants' hospital, $14,000; consumption hospital, $16,000; heating plant, $75,000 asked, $25,000 allowed; bakery, $15,000 asked, $5,000 allowed; crematory for garbage, $5,000; water plant, $5,000; plumbing, male and female hospital, $25,000 asked, $10,000 allowed; new roof, main hospital, $5,000; store house at cost of $24,000, no provision made; pavilion for almshouse, to cost $100,000, no provision made. "It will be seen that the $369,000 were required to cover the various

needs of these Flatbush institutions, and of this amount only $170,000 was allowed. It will also be seen that of this $170,000 the greater portion was allowed for the hospital itself, and that a comparatively small amount is set apart for improvements in the almshouse.

"The items not allowed include $100,000 asked for the new pavilions for the almshouse. It is to be hoped that all the items not granted in this year's appropriation will be provided for next year and that the completion of the additions and improvements for which appropriations have been made will progress rapidly, for these will make the hospital very satisfactory yet not complete. As the number of patients increases the hospital will naturally expand and be compelled to provide more room. The future growth of the hospital, however, must be in the direction of additional pavilions rather than that of additions to the present main building.

"The inspection of these institutions has shown a determination on the part of the Department of Public Charities to bring the several departments up to a high grade of efficiency. The present officials seem without exception to be imbued with an earnest desire to do good work in their several positions, and evince a sympathetic interest in the welfare of all who are placed under their charge.

"Throughout the hospital, as well as throughout the other institu