The State Charities Aid Association. at the request of individuals. In many cases these children would have become public charges had not the agency provided for them. The number of children under the oversight of the agency October 1, 1900, was 69. Twelve have been added to the list during the past year, and four have passed from our care-of whom one has been legally adopted, another has become 18 years of age, and two were returned to parents or relativesleaving 77 children under our oversight on September 30, 1901. Of these 77 children, 58 are in free permanent homes in families, 3 are being boarded in families at the expense of members and friends of the committee, 3 are in hospitals (2 of them boarded at the expense of friends of the committee), and 13 are in various institutions for the special training of those who are physically, mentally, or morally defective. Of these 77 children, 45 have been inmates of the City Children's Home, 14 of the Home for the Friendless, and 18 have been received at the request of individuals. FIRST ANNUAL Report of THE COLUMBIA COUNTY AGENCY FOR DEPENDENT This agency was established in January, 1901, for the purpose of assisting the superintendent of the poor in the investigation of the circumstances of children who are, or are sought to be made, a charge on Columbia county. All dependent children in this county are county charges, and must be passed upon annually by the superintendent of the poor. As this officer is also the keeper of the almshouse, it is impossible for him personally to make the investigations required by the rules of the State Board of Charities in pursuance of the provisions of the State Constitution. The association, desiring to assist the superintendent of the poor in the observance of the law, brought the matter to the attention of the board of supervisors, the assistant secretary appearing before the board in Hudson on December 5, 1900. The association offered to undertake the work of investigation, through its Columbia county committee, if the county board of supervisors would pay $500 to the county committee towards the salary and expenses of the agent. The offer was accepted, a member of the Columbia county committee was engaged to act as agent, and the work was initiated in January, 1901. It was found that at the beginning of the year there were 98 children maintained by Columbia county in private institutions; at the end of the year the number was 62-a reduction of nearly 38 per cent. The bills presented to the county for the maintenance of children, which had in recent years amounted to between $9,000 and $10,000 a year, were between $2,000 and $3,000 lower for the present year, though the full effects of the reduction in the number of children maintained did not begin to be felt until the middle of the year. The following reports and papers have been accepted by the APPENDED PAPERS. Report of the Committee on Reformatories. Report of the Committee on Idiots and Feeble-minded. Report of the Committee on Soldiers and Sailors' Homes. Report of the Board of Managers of Craig Colony. Report of the Committee on the Blind. Report of the Committee on the Deaf. Report of the Committee on the Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children. Report of the Committee on the New York State Hospital for the Care of Crippled and Deformed Children. Report of the Board of Managers of the New York State Hospital for Crippled and Deformed Children. Report of the Committee on the New York State Hospital for the Treatment of Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Report of the Board of Trustees of the New York State Hospital for the Treatment of Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Report of the Committee on State and Alien Poor; including annual report of the Superintendent of State and Alien Poor. Report of the Committee on Inspection. Report of the Committee on Orphan Asylums and Children's Homes; including report of the Superintendent of Inspection. Report of the Committee on Placing-Out of Children. Report of the Committee on Dispensaries. Report of the Committee on Almshouses. Report of Visitation of Public Hospitals and Almshouses in the First Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Second Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Third Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Fourth Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Fifth Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Sixth Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Seventh Judicial District. Report of Visitation of Almshouses in the Eighth Judicial District. Report on Compliance with the Public Health Law, by Inspector Mary E. Moxcey. Manual of the State Board of Charities. |