REPORT. To the State Board of Charities: The Third Judicial District presents such wide variance in way of city and country, commercial and farming districts, that a report covering the seven counties with their eight almshouses, makes it on the one hand a difficult task to make a general summary, and on the other hand a most interesting task, for, the statement presents a fair sample of the almshouses of the State. In this district will be found the small almshouses of the farming locality, like Schoharie county, where almost every inmate is beyond the ability to labor, to the city filled almshouses of Albany and Rensselaer counties, surrounded by cities and receiving, by reason of railroad, canal and river, a large influx of population unknown to the country almshouse. In the latter counties may be found summer or winter, a scandalously large number of apparently able-bodied men, whose presence should be denounced by press and routed by tax-payer, as an infamous burden permitted to accumulate by careless, to say the least, officials. In the minds of a majority of the inmates and some county officials, there does not seem to be a very clear idea of the uses to which an almshouse should be put. The uses and abuses would if printed, fill quite a book. The uses the principal is so simple -should be comprehended by all. It should be known that those only are proper wards of an almshouse, who through lack of friends or those able to care for them, are by reason of physical disease, or disability or through advanced age, unable to provide for themselves. They are entitled and should receive from their county, care in well ventilated, well heated, sanitary buildings, a simple, abundant, varied, healthful diet; neat and sufficient clothing and facilities for maintaining cleanly persons and surroundings. Protection also, for the feeble-minded women by separation from the opposite sex, and for all, hospital care with competent nurses when sick. If among the population there are any capable of labor even the slightest, it should be exacted as their due. When through any misconception of the proper functions of an almshouse, the population is permitted to number the able-bodied, there is but one solution for an economical management and their speedy return to society. They are robbing society of the value of their labor, and subjecting it to the cost of their support in idleness. There should be a rigid exaction of the full amount of labor each is able to render. The farm, dairying, poultry raising and work of providing simple articles for almshouse use offer field enough, in connection with the labor of the house and farm for all the hands likely to remain. During the past summer, in addition to the visitations and inspection made by myself, there has been a most careful examination and inspection, of the almshouses of the district by Inspector of Almshouses, Cyrus C. Lathrop. These inspections are to be made from time to time and the almshouses kept under constant supervision. The census of the almshouses will be of interest although given for the months when the population is at the lowest number. |