to obtain medical or surgical relief. Persons suffering with nearly every form of chronic disease or infirmity, as the blind, injured and crippled, consumptive, scrofulous or cancerous, are embraced in this class. They had been led to believe that it only became necessary for them to appear at the doors of these hospitals to gain free admittance; they learn to the contrary when too late, and in their helplessness are compelled to seek the friendly shelter of some poor-house or almshouse. As these persons are in no wise legitimate permanent charges upon the counties of this State, they are returned to their homes, when their consent can be obtained, and they are in condition to bear the fatigue of travel. This class often express their gratitude upon reaching their homes, for the timely aid thus rendered.

5. Persons coming into this State for temporary employment: There is a large class of persons that have no fixed habitation, nor follow any steady employment. These engage upon public works, corporation improvements, and the canals when open, and they change from locality to locality, as opportunities for labor of this kind offer. As a class they are careless of their earnings, and unmindful of their obligations to themselves and to society. When in health, and the kind of employment they seek is abundant, they are independent, but when in sickness and without such employment, they are dependent. This class, when committed to the protection of the State, is held until recovered, and then generally discharged, with sharp admonitions to provide for themselves.

6. Insane, idiotic, feeble-minded and other irresponsible persons: The security of the public institutions for the insane, idiotic and other irresponsible persons, in many of the surrounding States, is not of the most enduring character, nor are these classes in family custody, always secure. Hence, it is quite common to find insane, imbecile, idiotic, epileptic or other dangerous persons at large in this State, who can be traced as coming directly from the public institutions or families in other States and countries. When this fact is fully determined, these persons are placed in charge of suitable attendants, and delivered to the institution or family from which they had escaped. To trace out these, a large amount of correspondence often becomes necessary, and great care needs be exercised in properly disposing of them. In several instances, every effort to find out their homes or friends has thus far failed, and they are retained under the protecting care of the State.

7. Wounded, sick and disabled soldiers of the late war: At the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, large numbers of young men temporarily in this State enlisted in the army in New York regiments or in the navy, recruited at its ports. Many of these, more or

less disabled, were discharged from the service, in other States, in which they took up their residence. Under the pressure of misfortunes, from increasing disability or otherwise, these from time to time appear in this State, and claim its fostering care because of their services in its behalf. The early practice was to obtain admission to the National Homes, but since the opening of the State Home at Bath, measures are taken to secure to them the benefits of that institution. The number of this class thus aided, since the law went into effect, has been quite large.

These are mainly the classes of persons that the Board has to deal with in the execution of the law regarding State paupers. The number brought under its operation varies, from time to time, from influences over which the Board has no control. The pressure of want in other States and countries, as has been shown, induces large numbers of these classes to leave their homes and come to this State, while many others are influenced by a desire to obtain the relief offered by our numerous public and private charities. The geographical position of the State, with its extended and exposed borders, and the varied lines of communication leading to it, give them easy access. Once within the State, they gravitate to our poor-houses and other institutions of charity, and unless promptly investigated and dealt with, are quite sure to remain within its borders, the subjects of public care, the remainder of their lives. We believe it to be the duty of the State, both in the interest of humanity and wise public economy, therefore, to return these unjust and onerous burdens upon our charities to their friends, or to the homes from which they came.

The tables relating to State paupers are Nos. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35.

REMOVAL OF CRIPPLED, BLIND, LUNATIC AND OTHER INFIRM ALIEN PAUPERS.

The last Legislature, by chapter 549 of the laws of 1880, authorized this Board to remove to the countries whence they came, any crippled, blind, lunatic or other infirm alien paupers, sent to this country by cities or towns in the various governments of Europe, or by societies, relatives or friends. In the execution of this statute, the Board decided to adopt the following course of action.

1. To make no removals of such alien paupers, landing at the port of New York, whose return, under existing statutes, could be enforced upon the steamship companies bringing them to this country.

2. To restrict the removals, except in extraordinary cases, to such paupers as had been less than one year in this country.

3. To preserve family ties, and to make no removals of such paupers

as were accompanied by, or had relatives or responsible friends in this country to provide for them.

4. To submit all such paupers to medical examination before removal, and to place them under the immediate charge of the surgeon of the steamship, by which they were to be returned to the places from which they came.

5. To keep a full and careful record of all cases removed, as to their birthplaces, the countries whence they came, their physical and mental condition, the condition of their near relatives, the agencies through which they were sent to this country, with the date and cost of the removal.

The first removal of such alien paupers was made July 1, 1880. The number of removals from that time to December 31, 1880, was 30. Of these 25 were males and 5 females.

The places at which such paupers landed in this country were as follows: At the port of New York, 12; at other United States ports, 11; at Canadian ports, 7. The latter two classes finding their way into this State, come within the design of the law providing for their removal, as likely to become permanent burdens upon its bounty.

The condition of these paupers was as follows: Insane, three; imbecile, seven; epileptic, one; crippled, six; paralytic, three; feeble-minded, seven; old and infirm, three.

The following are the agencies through which these paupers were sent to this country: By cities and towns, five; by societies, seven; by relatives and friends, eighteen.

The conntries to which these paupers were respectively returned, are the following: To England, ten; to Ireland, four; to Germany, nine; to Switzerland, three; to Norway, France, Holland, and Austria, each

one.

The total expenditures for the return to their natural homes of these 30 paupers, was $786.97; the per capita expenditure, $26.23.

All of them were found in some poor-house, alms-house, or other charitable institution of this State, and most of them had been supported in these institutions from the time of their landing in this country. The expense of their removal, it will be seen, did not exceed. the amount that would be required to maintain them a fraction of a year. When it is considered that all of these paupers would have been a charge upon the charities of this State during the remainder of their lives, had they remained in this country, the wisdom and economy of returning them to their homes is apparent.

The average cost to the counties for supporting each of these thirty incurable paupers may be estimated at $150 per annum, or a total for the whole number of $4,500, annually. Averaging the duration of

life to only fifteen years each, the total cost to the tax payers of the State, on account of these paupers, in the end, if permitted to remain here, would be $67,500. It will be seen, therefore, that the insignificant expenditure thus far of only $786.97 has saved the counties of this State, in protecting them, from heavy illegitimate burdens of a kind to which no reasoning can demonstrate that they should be subjected. It is quite as much a duty to protect the thrifty and industrious from needless charitable burdens, by reducing in every proper manner the number of public dependents, as it is to provide for those who make such burdens a necessity.

The experience of the Board in the execution of this law, the past year, fully confirms its observations and investigations, heretofore made by this Board, regarding the importation of crippled, blind, lunatic and other infirm alien paupers of Europe, to this country, as set forth in its last annual report to the Legislature. The evil has assumed great proportions, and if not checked, it is likely to increase correspondingly with the increase of immigration. The complete

remedy undoubtedly lies in Federal legislation, but until this is secured, there seems to be no way by which this State can protect itself against the permanent support of these unjust burdens, other than by returning them to the countries from which they are sent. The cases of a number of this class of paupers yet remaining in our poorhouses, and other institutions, are being investigated, and such of these as circumstances seem to warrant will, from time to time, be returned to their native countries.,

Three thousand dollars were appropriated by the last Legislature to defray the expenses of returning this class of dependents, thrown by those whose natural duty it is to support them, as an imposition, on our public charities. It is not considered needful to ask the present Legislature to make a further appropriation this year, as it is estimated that sufficient funds remain unexpended of last year's appropriation to answer for the coming year. In the meantime it is hoped that congress will pass a law in the interest of all the States, creating a penalty which shall be a lien on any steamship or other vessel which shall land at any port in the United States, any of the mentally or physically disabled persons of the pauper class described, collectible by prompt process, of the agents here, of such steamship or other vessel.

UNIFORM ACCOUNTING OF STATE CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. The plan adopted by the Board of requiring from the institutions of the State uniform accounts, covering the months of each year, corresponding with the fiscal year of the State, ending September 30,

with supplementary itemizations and details, was brought into complete operation for the first time for the full year, October 1st, 1880, the reports for 1879, in some instances being only for a portion of the year. In consequence of the omission or failure of the Managers of the State Lunatic Asylum, at Utica, to comply with repeated requests to forward to this Board its itemized report as has been done by all of the other State institutions, the expectations formed of the plan, have thus far been defeated. The form of itemized return of expenditures was carefully prepared by this Board, and is no more minute than is required of the institutions of Illinois and many other States, and is in harmony with the wishes of those who contribute by taxation to the support of these institutions, to know fully how the funds appropriated to them, by the Legislature, are expended. We know that public information in this direction is especially desired by citizens in all parts of the State, and we feel that it would be of great value to the Legislature, when considering its appropriations to its charities. The authority to collect this information is expressly given to this Board under chapter 571 of the Laws of 1873. The defeat of the measure by the non-compliance of the request of the Board, under the statute, by one institution of this State, is a matter of such importance that we feel justified in calling the special attention of the Legislature to the subject.

APPENDED PAPERS.

The following papers are appended to this report:

1. Report upon the charitable institutions of the second judicial district, by Miss Sarah M. Carpenter.

2. Report upon the condition and needs of the insane in the county of New York, by Mrs. C. R. Lowell.

3. Report upon the public charities of Kings county, by Commissioner Ropes.

4. Report upon the charitable institutions of the fourth judicial district, by Commissioner Foster.

5. Report upon the charitable institutions of the seventh judicial disrict, by Commissioner Craig.

6. Report of the committee of the Board relating to the condition of the Binghamton Asylum for the Chronic Insane.

These several papers and reports are communicated to the Legislature