PART II.]

SECRETARY'S REPORT.

[СНАР. ІІ.

3. This last named mortality can be reduced by the establishment of Foundling Hospitals, as is shown by the experience of nearly every European country, and of the city of New York. But,

4. It cannot be reduced to a minimum except by introducing a system radically different from that of the Foundling Hospital; namely, by placing these infants in actual families, receiving only one at a time, and giving each infant the care and nursing that our own children receive.

5. Between these two extremes, the great Foundling Hospital and the family system reduced to its lowest terms-the numerator being one baby and the denominator one nursing woman-stands the Asylum or Mixed Family System, such as has been adopted at Paris, at Dublin, at Berlin, and in the Massachusetts Infant Asylum. This requires a receptacle for motherless infants, which may also be a Home, but which is never to contain more than twenty or thirty infants at once, and, if possible, never half so many, the others being given out for adoption or placed at nurse in good motherly hands.

6. The tendency in all civilized countries is toward the Family System, through first, the Foundling Hospital, and second, the Asylum or Home System; and the mortality among infants of this class is reduced from 90 or 95 per cent. under the old no-system, to from 40 to 60 per cent. in well managed Foundling Hospitals; from 30 to 50 per cent. in good Asylums, and from 20 to 35 per cent. in good single families, the last being scarcely above the normal death-rate of all infants.

7. The effect of any good system of preserving these neglected lives is to increase the apparent number of illegitimate births, and greatly to increase the number of such children who survive infancy. But there is no good ground for believing that fornication is thus increased, while it is well known that abortion and infanticide are considerably diminished by a better provision for these infants.

8. That there are many diseased and worthless infant lives which can never be preserved, is true; but these should be

PROPOSITIONS TO BE CONSIDERED.

allowed to go back to the God who gives and takes away life, without having death hastened by our neglect.

9. That the most precious of all increase is that of human lives, and that none better deserves the wise protection of the State.

10. In fine, it is the duty of the State to provide by law for the better care of motherless infants by directing that the Overseers of the Poor and the State officials shall in all possible cases place such infants in private families to be nursed; and failing that, in small establishments where they may receive individual care; while the small residue who reach the larger public institutions should be tenderly nurtured under special regulations.

The wisdom of others will correct what may be erroneous in these statements, and will devise ways for putting in practice those suggestions which are found to be practicable and wise. I submit them modestly, as the result of such reflection as I have been able to give to the subject.

I. MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY PRISONS.

Until there is some provision for a vigilant inspection of our county prisons by a central board of State officers, there will be comparatively little to report concerning them,-unless through the voluntary efforts of this Board, which, as at present constituted, and with its present duties, must be of small avail. Considering the magnitude of the interests involved, and the importance of thorough inspection and supervision, the wonder is that we have not adopted a better method of examination and report. The visits of the local Inspectors are too often perfunctory merely, while those of legislative committees do not answer the purpose, though necessary for the information of the Legislature.

The whole number of persons committed to the Jails and Houses of Correction is larger by about one-tenth, than last year, as is also the aggregate number of prisoners, while the number committed for the non-payment of fines and costs is also considerably increased, being 4,275 against 3,663 the year before. At the same time, the net cost of the county prisons is somewhat less, while their earnings, though still in advance of previous years, are also less than those of 1867. The number paying fines and costs is greater by 158, though the amount paid ($18,731.10) is a little less.

In the twenty-three county prisons, the libraries-amounting to 3,768 volumes-have been increased by 200 books, or about nine to each collection.

D

THE MASSACHUSETTS PRISONS.

The following Table (Table I.) shows the nature and amount of expenditures in each of the county prisons, the cash earnings, the earnings not paid for in cash, and other matters of interest.

The Boston House of Industry is not included in this Table, but its statistics will be found in the Prison Summary on a subsequent page. As spoken of in the Reports of the Board of Directors, annually printed by the city government, this institution includes the prison and almshouse; but I have endeavored to separate the prison expenses, so far as possible. It has been visited by officers of this Board, and its general condition found to be what it has been in recent years. It is the largest, and, in effect, almost the only municipal Workhouse. It receives the same class of persons as are sent to the South Boston House of Correction, but generally for lighter offences.

I have collected no statistics of the other class of municipal prisons, the Guard-Houses or "lock-ups" having no means or authority for doing so. They should be inspected and reported upon by some officer, as being an essential part of our prison system.

New Bedford Jail and House of Cor.,. 11,551 00