An interesting experiment has been carried on by a joint committee of the State Charities Aid Association and the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, in co-operation with the Commissioner of Public Charities, in boarding in families some of the foundlings and motherless babies, who are charges upon the city, and have heretofore been cared for in the Infants' hospital on Randall's island. The following is taken from the report of the joint committee:

The extreme and very unusual heat of the past summer, which resulted in a death rate in the city as a whole, during the month of July, among all classes of children under one year of age, including those nursed by their own mothers, of 32 9-10 per cent., and the condition in which the children were received from the Infants' Hospital, have together constituted the severest test to which the plan could possibly be put. The committee, moreover, could not, of course, select its children with a view to securing a low death rate, but rather has endeavored to do the very best possible in each case for those for whom there was no hope on Randall's Island. Notwithstanding these unfavorable conditions, the death rate among the boarded-out foundlings has been very much lower than among the foundlings in the Infants' Hospital in any of the three preceding years. The committee received up to September 30, 1898, 45 children, of whom 16 were living September 30, 1898; 1 had been returned to the Infants' Hospital for special reasons, and 28 had died-a mortality rate of 62 2-10 per cent. This figure compares very favorably with the records of the three preceding years, and it must be borne in mind that it covers only about five months, including the portion of the year that is most dangerous to child life. The committee believes that, by the end of the year covered by the agreement, this death rate will be materially reduced, and that working along the lines that have proven so successful elsewhere, the lives of a larger proportion of the motherless infants of this city will be saved.

The report of the committee on hospitals alludes to the large number of consumptive patients in the public hospitals in New York city, and suggests the consideration of the feasibility of establishing a State hospital for consumptive patients in the Adirondacks. An interesting account of the care of consumptives in foreign countries is given, including the following statistics as to the results secured in certain German institutions:

In the Sanatorium at Gaerbersdorf 5,440 patients were admitted during the eleven years-1876 to 1886 inclusive. Concerning 408 cases the records are missing, but the results in the remaining 5,032 have been carefully tabulated and are as follows:

A special inquiry made in 1890 as to the later history of cases discharged as cured showed that of 40 patients discharged in 1876 as cured, or nearly cured, 25 were living and in good health in 1890; 2 had died from phthisis and 13 from unknown causes. Other results were as follows:

At Falkenstein's Sanatorium of a total of 1,022, 132, or 13 2-10 per cent., were discharged as cured, and 110, or 11 per cent., as nearly cured. Of 99 patients discharged as cured, 72 were living and in perfect health from three to nine years afterward. Of the 15 cases of a recurrence of the disease 12 were again restored to health.

At the Reiboldsgrün Sanatorium the following statistics are given as to the results of the treatment of 2,000 patients:

The statistics of these three institutions, covering more than 8,000 cases, show an average of about 13 per cent. of cures, and a still larger percentage of patients nearly cured or materially improved, these cases being often equivalent to complete recovery ultimately. When one remembers that only a short time ago consumption was held to be, under all circumstances, an incurable disease, such sanitoria must be regarded as remarkably successful.

In forty-five of the sixty counties of the State the association has organized county visiting committees, whose duty it is to visit the public charities of these counties and report to the central office. Abstracts from the reports are given, showing the improvements made during the past year in various almshouses and the present needs of these institutions in various counties. following paragraphs are taken from this portion of the report:

The

The 45 county visiting committees continue their supervision over the county, city and town almshouses and hospitals of their respective counties. Reports have been received from 43 of them and show that about 300 visits have been made during the past year to the institutions subject to the inspection of the committees. This number does not include the very large number of visits made by the members of the New York and Kings county committees to the numerous public charitable institutions of the Boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The assistant secretary has visited during the year the county almshouses of Montgomery, Suffolk and Westchester counties and the town almshouse of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay, and has attended most of the meetings of committees in the counties in and near New York city. Many improvements have been secured during the past year as a result of the visits and recommendations made during the previous year. Of the 38 county, city and town almshouses visited from the central office during the year ending September 30, 1897, 16 have since had their needs brought to the attention of county boards of supervisors or city boards of estimate and apportionment, through representatives or communications from our committees, supported in several cases by letters from the central office. The results of this action are given under the reports of the different committees. The general effect of this widespread appeal to the official bodies which have charge of the distribution of public money may be summed up by saying that in almost every case the suggestions of our committees have been courteously received and carefully considered and some or all of the needs which seemed most urgent have been met by suitable appropriations.

Brief reports of the Hospital Book and Newspaper Society and of the Society for Instruction in First Aid to the Injured, both of which were established by the State Charities Aid Association, are included.

The closing paragraph of the report is as follows:

We would close our twenty-sixth annual report to the State Board of Charities, by expressing our conviction, never clearer nor stronger than at present, that citizens who wish to help their fellows can do so in no way more effectively than by uniting their efforts with those of public officials, in behalf of the charities that are conducted in the name of all the people. Our observation and experience lead us to believe that year by year conditions become more favorable for such co-operation, and the future of our public institutions becomes correspondingly more hopeful.

TWENTY-FIFTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHARITIES AND

CORRECTION.

New York State was honored by having its greatest city chosen as the meeting place of the Twenty-fifth National Conference of Charities and Correction. This important Conferencewas organized in New York City in 1874, and very appropriately returned there to celebrate its quarter-centennial anniversary. The Board was at the same time especially honored by the election of its President to the responsible position of President of the Conference.

Early in the year a local committee of one hundred, composed of New York City's most representative citizens was appointed, with Hon. Joseph H. Choate as chairman and Mr. Jacob H. Schiff as treasurer, and the arrangements made by this committee for the reception and care of the members of the Conference and in all the other matters committed to its care were of the most satisfactory nature and contributed largely to the unprecedented success which attended the meeting. An auxiliary committee of ladies, also appointed by the President, rendered efficient service, particularly in the decoration of the places. of meeting.

The opening session was held in Carnegie Music Hall, in New York City, on the evening of May 18, 1898, and probably never before was there gathered in New York, or possibly elsewhere, such a large, intelligent and enthusiastic audience of men and women actively engaged or interested in practical philanthropic work. The cordiality of the welcome extended to visiting delegates by the citizens of New York City who were interested in the Conference was of the most pleasing nature and a credit to the State. The Conference was called to order by the Presi

dent, the presentation of whose address on "The Duty of the State to the Erring and the Dependent," which is printed as an appended paper to this report, being reserved until the opening session of the following day. Addresses of welcome were delivered by the Hon. Joseph H. Choate, for the local committee of one hundred, by President Seth Low, of Columbia College and ex-mayor of the city of Brooklyn, speaking for the city of New York, and by Archbishop Corrigan and Bishop Potter. These were responded to in behalf of the Conference by Mr. Alexander Johnson, of Indiana, President of the Twenty-fourth Conference, speaking for the West; by Mr. Frank B. Sanborn, of Massachusetts, President of the Eighth Conference, speaking for the East; and by Jeffrey R. Brackett, Ph. D., of Maryland, speaking for the South.

General sessions of the Conference were held at Association Hall, Twenty-third street and Fourth avenue, daily thereafter, except on Sunday, until the morning of May 25th, when the Conference closed. Sectional meetings for the more intimate consideration and discussion of selected topics were carried on by the various committees, at Association Hall'or in assembly rooms near by, on the mornings of the 20th, 21st and 23rd insts. On Sunday evening, May 22d, an impressive Conference service was held at Grace Church, Broadway and Tenth street, at which an eloquent sermon was preached by the Rector, the Rev. William R. Huntington, D. D.

The meetings throughout were well attended, many useful and interesting papers were presented, and the discussions which followed them were of so earnest a nature as to maintain an almost unflagging interest in the proceedings.