PART IV.] SECRETARY'S REPORT. [CHAP. II. well educated female physicians, either free or at a moderate charge. The Institution is the owner of buildings valued at $20,000, and invested funds amounting to $7,000. It receives and cares for a large number of homeless women and unfortunate girlsthe whole number admitted from the first being 516, of whom a very large proportion were unmarried. It is claimed that its six years of work has fully shown the importance and utility of a lying-in hospital, although, in checking the social evil of the age, this Hospital can administer only in special cases. It is also claimed that the success of women, in performing the operative part of obstetrics, is satisfactorily proved by the difficult and complicated character of a large number of the cases successfully treated in this Hospital. (11.) The Temporary Asylum at Dedham. The history of another year in the work of this Institution has given additional evidence of its usefulness as an auxiliary to our prison system,-its design being to provide shelter, instruction and employment for discharged female prisoners who manifest a desire to reform. As an available means for the protection and reformation of friendless women and girls who have fallen into vicious and criminal indulgences, the Asylum is gaining greater influence and efficiency. The Report of the Secretary for the past year, enumerates some notable instances of reformation, wrought through kindly and encouraging influences, among those previously regarded as incorrigible drunkards and criminals. Without the timely ministrations of such an Asylum, many poor, deserted, wayward women, anxious to return to honest and virtuous life, would never be reclaimed from their misery and degradation. The Asylum is in charge of a Board of Managers, consisting of twenty-four ladies, who are aided by an Advisory Board of seven gentlemen. During the past year, it has furnished a temporary home to 114 needy victims of intemperance and crime, of whom 44 have been sent to service, and many others have gone forth to provide for themselves. The expenses for the year were $5,154.55; and the receipts included $2,304.25 HOME FOR FRIENDLESS WOMEN, ETC. from donations and life-membership, $1,147.37 from earnings of inmates, and $2,500 appropriated by the State. A farming department has now been added to the Institution, and other plans are being matured for the better perfection of its working arrangement, and for the enlargement of its sphere of influence and usefulness. (12.) The Home for Friendless Women and Children. This Refuge, located at Springfield, though embarrassed by somewhat limited means, is doing what it can to relieve the homeless and friendless. Its income the past year was only $4,241.80, including the State appropriation of $2,000, the same amount as was granted for each of the two preceding years; and its total expenses were $3,407.94. The whole number of beneficiaries aided during the year was 70, an increase of 12 over the previous year, the average number being about 20. The only salaried officers are a Matron and Assistant, who receive a very small compensation for their services. The Institution continues to furnish a home not only for friendless and indigent women and children, but also for such discharged female prisoners as its room and resources permit it to receive. (13.) The Disabled Soldiers' Employment Bureau. The first effort to provide employment for disabled soldiers was initiated by the late Governor Andrew in 1865, and proved, as it has ever since, a very efficient source of relief to those for whose benefit it was intended. After struggling through that and the following year, the Bureau was finally established upon a more permanent basis in the beginning of 1867. It has been sustained mainly from private benefactions; at first under the direction of the Surgeon-General of the Commonwealth, and latterly under that of two of the members of Governor Bullock's staff. The Bureau received its first State appropriation ($2,500,) from the Legislature of 1868, but this sum proved insufficient for the year, and the deficiency has been supplied from private sources. PART IV.] SECRETARY'S REPORT. [CHAP. II. In the fulfilment of its service the Bureau has aided large numbers of worthy soldiers, and saved their families from suffering and want. Thus far it has registered nearly 4,150 disabled soldiers, the greater proportion of whom have been furnished with employment suited to their condition. In addition to these, about twenty-five men, badly disabled, have found constant employment on the Soldiers' Messenger Corps connected with the Bureau. Other evidence of its continued usefulness appears in the fact that, during the past year, 815 disabled soldiers have been furnished employment. The needed relief thus given to deserving soldiers and their dependants, and the actual suffering thereby prevented, seem to render the Bureau a channel of meritorious benefaction. (14.) The Clarke Institution for Deaf-Mutes. The use of articulation in the education of the deaf, as taught by Miss Rogers at this Institution, continues to be attended with good results. Very marked progress has been made in this direction the past year; and the friends of the Institution, and of its method of instruction, are greatly encouraged at the success already attained. Investigations in deaf-mute schools, both in America and Europe, continue to develop facts and experiences favorable to articulation in all cases where it can be introduced, while confidence in its practicability and advantage appears to be gaining strength in thoughtful and unprejudiced minds. During the year the Institution has had twenty-four State beneficiaries under its charge; but in regard to its operations and progress, the Board of Education, to whom its annual report is made, will doubtless communicate all important information. SUMMARY OF PART FOURTH. A review of the preceding statements shows that the whole number of inmates in the ten Establishments owned by the Commonwealth, (the State Prison excepted,) has been 7,582, (exclusive of nominal admissions, duplicates and transfers,) for the year ending September 30, 1868, and, including the State Prison, 8,296, of whom about 7,300 were chargable to the SUMMARY OF PART FOURTH. State. The average number has been a fraction over 3,695 in the former, and, including the latter, 4,241,-a small increase over the previous year; but of these, only 3,594 have been supported at the expense of the State. It will be seen by reference to the last column of Table IV., page 100 of this Report, that the amounts there stated, in accordance with returns from the several Institutions, include all receipts from the State treasury within the year for current expenses, although some portion of these expenses accrued previous to October, 1867, and do not, therefore, properly belong to the year itself. A careful analysis of these apparent expenses, derived from an examination of the accounts as allowed by the State Auditor, indicates that the cost to the State for the actual current expenses of the ten Establishments for the year, amounted to $103,135.98, sub-divided as follows: Almshouse Establishments and Rainsford Island Hospital, $181,378.95; Reformatories, $124,403.40; Lunatic Hospitals at Worcester, Taunton and Northampton, $97,353.63. These sums show a net decrease of nearly $10,000 from the preceding year; but, taking into this account the State Prison, which paid to the State a profit of $26,171.24, and adding to that the income received from the Almshouses and Reformatories, amounting to $32,705.43 more, and the actual cost to the State for the current expenses of these Establishments for the past year is reduced to $342,784.06. This shows, upon the same basis of computation, a total net decrease of about $24,000 from the previous year, exclusive, in all cases, of the interest on the cost of construction. The twelve organizations or Institutions aided by the State, received from its treasury during the year, for strictly current expenses, about $81,000, making the actual aggregate cost to the State, for the current expenses of both classes of Institutions, about $423,784.06, excluding the interest and deducting the income above named. 22 PART V.] SECRETARY'S REPORT. [CHAP. I. PART FIFTH. THE PAUPER RETURNS. CHAPTER I.-PAUPER RECORDS AND RETURNS. A good degree of improvement appears in the matter of Records and Returns pertaining to pauper support and relief. Greater care and diligence are manifest on the part of city and town officials in answering the requirements of the Act regulating this branch of service; and it is a gratification to be able to anticipate prompt and courteous response to every reasonable request for information relative to the condition and working of the departments under their charge. Assurances are almost daily received by the Secretary of your Board, from various sections of the Commonwealth, indicating a most friendly desire to afford all possible aid in this direction; in return for which, good care will be taken to accord every reciprocal and official courtesy. Answers to the numerous interrogatories proposed have been received, mostly complete, from all the cities and towns in the State. From these it appears that 224 of the municipalities make use of Almshouses, which they either own or lease; 111 have no such establishments, six of them using the Almshouses of other towns, and the rest, 105, supporting their paupers outside. CHAPTER II.-IN-DOOR AND OUT-DOOR RELIEF IN THE TOWNS AND CITIES. The valuation of real and personal estate belonging to the municipal Almshouses is now more than $1,880,000-an increase of $64,000 over last year. The maintenance of these establishments has cost upwards of $25,000 over the previous year, |