CRAIG COLONY, SONYEA, LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

[Established 1894.]

The Colony has, at present, capacity for 740 inmates. The number of inmates October 1, 1900, was 621, and 259 were admitted during the year, making the total number under care 871. Of these 92 were discharged and 36 died, thus leaving 743 present October 1, 1901, of whom 440 were men and boys and 303 women and girls. The average number present during the year was 676, and the average weekly cost of support, including the value of home and farm products consumed, $3.71; excluding the value of home and farm products consumed, $3.16.

The receipts during the year ending September 30, 1901, were: From cash balance at the close of the previous year, $686.95; from special appropriation, $82,622.74; from general appropriations, $111,084.39; from the sale of farm and garden produce and miscellaneous sales, $2,729.34; from all other sources, $2,930.78; total, $200,054.20.

The ordinary expenditures were: For salaries of officers, $10,400; for wages and labor, $39,898.99; for provisions, $27,696.96; for household stores, $3,773.38; for clothing, $5,131.88; for fuel and light, $13,357.56; for hospital and medical supplies, $1,753.67; for transportation and traveling expenses, $163.06; for shop, farm and garden supplies, $4,317.57; for ordinary repairs, $871.79; for expenses of managers, $995.60; remitted to the State Treasurer, $5,655.58; for all other ordinary expenses, $2,790.48; total, $116,806.32.

The extraordinary expenditures were: For buildings and improvements, $73,665.43; for extraordinary repairs, $4,060.78; for all other extraordinary expenses, $4,896.53; total, $82,622.74, making the aggregate expenditures for the year $199,429.06.

The cash balance at the close of the fiscal year was $625.14, and there was due from counties, cities and towns, $2,404.53; total, $3,029.67.

Of the ordinary expenditures, 45.2 per cent. was for salaries, wages and labor; 24.9 per cent. for provisions; 3.4 per cent. for household stores; 4.6 per cent. for clothing; 12 per cent. for fuel and light; 1.6 per cent. for hospital and medical supplies; 3.9 per cent. for shop, farm and garden supplies; .8 of 1 per cent for ordinary repairs; .9 of 1 per cent. for expenses of managers; and 2.7 per cent. for all other ordinary expenses, including a small expenditure for transportation and traveling expenses.

Chapter 644, Laws of 1901 (appropriation bill), appropriated for the salary of officers and employes, for the maintenance of the institution, and for ordinary repairs, $125,000.

Chapter 645, Laws of 1901 (supply bill), appropriated for maintenance, to be paid from the moneys turned into the treasury of the State under section 37, chapter 580, Laws of 1899, $8,000.

Chapter 330, Laws of 1901 (special act), appropriated for additional dormitories, $90,000; furnishing cottages and dormitories, $10,000; four cottages for employes, $4,000; water and sewerage connections, $1,500; steam pipe conduit to infirmary, $1,500; clearing and draining, fruit trees and vines, $1,200; hothouse and forcing beds for garden, $2,800; storage reservoir and stormwater drain, in addition to $800 appropriated by chapter 314, laws of 1900, $3,200; farm stock and implements, $1,000; two silos, $900; books and instruments, $1,500; graveling pond, $300; putting electric-light and telephone wires under ground, $3,750; feedwater heater, pump and fixtures, $550; finishing cold-storage and bakery building, in addition to balance of $100.11, $1,450; construction of third wing of trades-school building, in addition to

unexpended balance of $4,199.62 under chapter 284, Laws of 1899, $2,000; brick conduit for steam heating pipes, $6,000; incidents of construction, infirmary buildings, $400; completion of dormitories provided by chapter 284, Laws of 1899, balance of $984.85; general repairs and improvements, $5,000; a total of $142,334.58. Thus the total of all appropriations, special and general, was $275,334.58..

The appropriations of $90,000 for additional dormitories and $10,000 for furnishing, remain intact.

For four cottages for employes, $4,000 was appropriated, and the lowest bids were $6,450, so the appropriation is intact.

For storage reservoir and storm-water drains, $4,000, the bids all exceeded the appropriation, and this appropriation also remains intact.

Plans have been made for putting the electric light and telephone wires underground, for which the sum of $3,750 was appropriated but no bids have been received; $6,199.62 was appropriated for third wing to trades-school building, and a contract has been made for the work.

The work of installing the conduit at the women's group, for which the sum of $6,000 was appropriated, is being done by days' labor, using the Colony teams and men.

All the other work provided for by chapter 330, Laws of 1901, has been done or is under contract.

The additional buildings intended to accommodate the "infirmary" class of epileptics have progressed toward completion during the past year, but are not yet ready for occupancy. It is promised, however, that they will soon be completed. They will constitute a very essential addition to the buildings of the Colony.

The delay in preparing the plans of the additional dormitory

buildings provided for by the last Legislature, has prevented their commencement during the past summer. It was hoped and expected when the appropriation was made that by the present time they would have been well advanced toward completion. The delay is unfortunate as it retards the development of the Colony.

The Colony has made steady advancement in its work during the past year. The number of inmates has increased with the opening of new buildings. A census of the dependent epileptics in the almshouses and similar institutions in the State shows that, on October 1, 1901, about 700 dependent epileptics were awaiting transfer to the Colony. They can be taken into the Colony only when it has the dormitory accommodations necessary for them. The managers ask for an appropriation for this purpose, and it is hoped that the plans for such additions will be ready for estimates at an early date, that building operations may be expedited and the almshouses be relieved of the care of epileptics.

The records of the Colony are being arranged in accordance with a system which will make them readily available for study, and assist in the classification of the important scientific facts and other data which they contain.

The development of the several departments of this extensive institution gives rise to many problems of administration; but as indicated above, the most urgent need at the present time is for sufficient dormitory accommodations for those dependents for whom provision is still to be made. The second great need is for the establishment of a greater variety of technical industrial pursuits.

The agricultural feature of the Colony is a most important one, as it has a direct bearing on the problem of self-maintenance,

but other occupations are required for those patients who are not fitted for work in the gardens or on the farm. This need is even more pressing in the winter season, when ordinary agricultural employment must largely cease. In this direction it is proposed to begin the manufacture of brooms, and a small appropriation is asked for this purpose. This can be made a profitable industry, even if the finished product be used solely for Colony work. There are other similar light, safe industries which are well adapted to the class of labor available in Craig Colony. Employment, properly regulated, is a curative agent, while enforced idleness insures mental, moral and physical decay. It will, therefore, be a wise expenditure of money to establish suitable industries for the patients of the Colony capable of work; for the effect of labor will supplement the scientific and remedial efforts to cure the epileptic tendency.

When the buildings now under way and those provided for in the appropriation of 1901 are completed, the Colony will be able to accommodate 1,030 patients. As there are over 700 dependent epileptics outside of Craig Colony, cared for in almshouses and other institutions, it is apparent that provision must be made for new cottages to receive them. Besides the epileptics actually resident in the Colony and comprising the number for whom maintenance is required, there are patients who have been relieved and discharged to attempt self-support, but in whom the disease is so firmly seated as to make their need of future care inevitable. Not less than 120 additional patients should be provided for by an appropriation for new buildings.

The work of making roads and walks, and of grading the grounds where required, must be continued to keep pace with the building operations, and for this an appropriation will be

necessary.