THE SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MANAGERS OF THE STATE CHARITABLE AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTIONS WAS HELD AT ROOM 228, THE CAPITOL, ALBANY, N. Y., ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1910, AT 2 O'CLOCK P. M.

Mr. Martin E. McClary, Vice-President of the Association, in the chair.

Present:

William N. Eastabrook, Esq., Secretary of the State Board of Managers of Reformatories, Elmira, N. Y.

Mr. Andrew H. Bown, Secretary of the Board of Managers of the State Agricultural and Industrial School, Penfield, N. Y.

Dr. Thomas Wilson, Treasurer, 'Board of Managers, New York State Training School for Girls, Hudson, N. Y.

Mrs. Jane L. Armstrong, President, Board of Managers Western House of Refuge for Women, Rochester, N. Y.

Mr. Peter Kemper, Jr., Treasurer, Board of Managers State Custodial Asylum for Feeble-Minded Women, Newark, N. Y. Hon. R. C. Briggs, President, Board of Managers, Rome State Custodial Asylum, Rome, N. Y.

Mr. Abbott Low Dow, Secretary, Board of Managers, Craig Colony for Epileptics, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Hon. Franklin B. Kirkbride, Secretary, Board of Managers, Letchworth Village, 37 Madison avenue, New York city.

Gen. Clinton D. MacDougall, President, Board of Trustees, New York State Soldiers and Sailors' Home, Auburn, N. Y. Mr. Samuel G. Keyes, Member Board of Managers, Thomas Indian School, Gowanda, N. Y.

Mr. George F. Wheelock, Member Board of Managers, New York State School for the Blind, Moscow, N. Y.

Mr. Martin E. McClary and Dr. Charles Stover, President and Member of Board of Managers of New York State Hospital for the Treatment of Incipient Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Ray Brook. The following institutions were not represented:

1. New York State Reformatory for Women, Bedford.

2. New York House of Refuge, Randall's Island, N. Y.

3. New York State Training School for Boys, Yorktown Heights.

4. Syracuse State Institution for Feeble-Minded Children, Syracuse, N. Y.

5. New York State Woman's Relief Corps Home, Oxford, N. Y.

6. New York State Hospital for the Care of Crippled and Deformed Children, West Haverstraw, N. Y.

The following were also present by invitation of the association: Hon. Robert W. Hebberd, Secretary State Board of Charities. Hon. Dennis McCarthy, Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities. Hon. Raymond Pearson, Commissioner of Agriculture Henry C. Wright, Agent, State Charities Aid Association, and the Russell Sage Foundation.

The minutes of the meeting, of the association on December 8, 1909, and of the meetings of the committees of the association held during 1910, were presented by the secretary and approved.

The secretary stated that the bill amending the State Charities Law generally, had passed both houses of the Legislature and received the approval of the Governor, copies of which had been sent to presidents of boards of managers and the superintendent of each of the State charitable and reformatory institutions.

The Secretary stated that the sum of $175 was appropriated by chapter 513 of the Laws of 1910 (supply bill), available immediately, and the sum of $350 was appropriated by chapter 512 of the Laws of 1910 (appropriation bill) for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1910, for the expenses of the association, and stated some provision should be made by the association for the payment of clerical and other charges.

On motion of Gen. MacDougall, the matter was referred to a committee of three for consideration and report to the association with recommendations, such committee to be appointed by the chair.

The chair appointed a committee consisting of Messrs. Kirkbride, Briggs and MacDougall.

The secretary stated that Commissioner Pearson had been invited to address the association.

On being introduced by the chair, IIon. Raymond Pearson, Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of New York, addressed the association, giving a review of the legislation during the last session of the Legislature with relation to the Department of Agriculture and the institutions, stating that the law now provides that the Commissioner of Agriculture shall visit from time to time the institutions under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Charities, the State Commission in Lunacy and the State Commission of Prisons; that the work to be performed under this act will be advisory only, devoted to the observation of conditions at the institutions, and making suggestions and recommendations to those in charge. That the department will co-operated with the institutions to the best of its ability, considering the limited appropriation and force of employees at its command, and do all in its power to assist the institutions. The only machinery the department has at present for such work is a force of men employed a part of the year as institute conductors, good practical farmers. The chair thanked Mr. Pearson for his remarks.

Mrs. Armstrong stated that the Western House of Refuge for Women at Albion had employed as farmer, at a compensation of $50 per month and maintenance, with house, fuel and light, a graduate of Cornell College of Agriculture and things looked very promising in the farming department at the institution.

The Commissioner of Agriculture stated that the sum paid might be considered as about the minimum for which a graduate of an agricultural college or an experienced farmer, could be obtained and expressed the opinion that the average price would run from $50 to $150 a month with house and board, depending upon the size of the farm. That the larger farm would require a man with greater executive ability, but that a farmer for a 300 acre farm would not require double the salary of one managing a 150 acre farm, and therefore a compensation based upon the acreage, so much per acre, could not be made.

Hon. Robert W. Hebberd, Secretary of the State Board of Charities, on invitation of the chair, addressed the association, stating that it was a pleasure to be able to be present at the meeting of the association; that the members needed no assurance of the high regard and respect in which the boards of managers of the State charitable and reformatory institutions were held by the

State Board of Charities; that it is the belief of the board that the system under which the institutions of this State are managed is the best system and it has always been anxious to perpetuate and improve that system; the board believes that the institutions exist for the care of the inmates and that the watchword should be "Excelsior;" that it should be the effort of the institutions and of the supervisory boards, to secure for them better opportunities in the way of money and in all other ways to improve their work so that they may hand to those coming after them that work in better form than that in which it was received. The State Board of Charities was glad to have one of its members appointed as Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities because he knew of their work and was in sympathy with the desires of the State Board of Charities to improve their work and I believe that he will help make progress; that as soon as he has had a full opportunity of knowing your needs you will have an earnest helper in securing the means whereby they can be met. I believe it will be his purpose to cut down the red tape as far as possible. I am sure that his desire to have the estimates sent in once in three months was a step in that direction. The simpler you can have a system so that all can understand it, in my opinion, the better it is, and I hope and believe it will be the purpose of the Fiscal Supervisor to simplify the system and make it easy to understand. Commissioner Pearson has shown in a very few words that one swallow doesn't make a summer, that because they can obtain a farmer at Albion with their farm of 97 acres at $50 a month and maintenance, it does not necessarily follow that the other institutions with larger farms can get one at the same salary. It is well to pay good people good salaries. I believe the returns will be more than sufficient to make up for a reasonable increase in salaries, especially in the case of the farmer, who is expected to work a large amount of land and bring about good results. The State Board of Charities is required by law to visit and inspect the institutions which you administer and bring to your attenton any evils, defects. or abuses which it may have discovered in their management. I am glad to say that they are at the present time very free from such evils, defects and abuses. Possibly when you read some of the recommendations of the board you may from your more intimate experience with the institutions find that it will not be wise

to carry them out; the board does not expect you to do any unwise things even though some of its inspectors may advise such things. If there is anything the secretary can do to in any way facilitate your work you will find him generally at his desk at the Capitol, and he is always ready to help you and to wish you Godspeed in your great work, for it is a great work, of helping the poor and unfortunate in the State of New York.

The chairman thanked secretary Hebberd for his remarks. The following resolution, offered by Mr. Bown, and seconded by Mr. Dow, was unanimously adopted:

Resolved, That a committee of three be named to consider the matter of farm employees at the State charitable and reformatory institutions, and that the members of such committee be requested to represent this Association at the annual meeting of the Salary Classification Commission to be held in September next.

Upon the adoption of the foregoing resolution, the following committee was named by the Association: Messrs. Bown, Kirkbride and Briggs.

Dr. Robert W. Hill, Secretary of the Salary Classification Commission, stated that the Commission's powers were to recommend changes in the salaries and wages schedules of the institutions to the Governor for his approval.

The Chairman stated that Hon. Homer Folks, Secretary of the State Charities Aid Association, had been invited to address the Association, but had found it impossible to attend, but that Mr. Wright, Agent of the State Charities Aid Association, and of the Russell Sage Foundation, was present, and would be glad to address the Association.

Mr. Wright stated that the State Charities Aid Association had carried on an investigation of the fiscal affairs of the various institutions for the past year, of which a report had been prepared and is being printed and a copy of which will be sent about August first to each member of the Association.

Hon. Dennis McCarthy, Fiscal Supervisor of State Charities, addressed the Association, and presented the following statement of the work of his Department for the past six months:

The activities of the Fiscal Supervisor's office since the last