REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE PIONEER SOCIETY. OFFICE OF THE PIONEER SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, HON. JOHN J. BAGLEY, Governor of Michigan: Sir.-In compliance with the requirements of Act No. 209, Session Laws of 1875, being an Act to provide an appropriation for the benefit of the "Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan," for the years 1875 and 1876, I have the honor to present you the following report: The members of the Pioneer Society present at the annual meeting held in February, 1875, voted that the proceedings of the society and the materials collected relating to the history of the State both past and present, should be preserved in a permanent form. It was proposed to continue the society as a State institution and one that should be fostered and assisted by the State government itself. The Legislature was therefore memorialized to make an appropriation of $500 per annum for the benefit of the society. The appropriation was made, and the Act approved May 3, 1875. A business meeting of the society was not held until the regular annual meeting in February, 1876, at which time the society appointed a committee of five historians, whose duty it should be to prepare and publish a volume of "Pioneer Collections." The historians met on the 28th of February, 1876, and decided that the proceedings of the State Society, from its organization to the present time, should be published in the first volume of the "Pioneer Collections," and also issued a "General Circular" to the pioneers of Michigan, and a "Circular Letter," with a view of collecting the proper materials for insertion in this volume. In answer to the circulars, the historians have collected and arranged ready for publication, much interesting and valuable matter pertaining to the early history of our State. It is desirable that this volume should be published, and that an annual or biennial publication should be continued. The report of the finances of the society commences with the quarter beginning July 1, 1875. FINANCES. DR. By cash on hand June 30, 1875,. "cash received of the appropriation for 1875,. membership fees received from July 1, 1875, to Sept. 30, 1876, "interest received,.. $142 50 116 00 11 70 250 00 The itemized vouchers, showing the receipts and disbursements of the same, have been placed on file in the Auditor General's office; also, duplicates of the same with the Secretary of the Society, in compliance with the requirements of Act No. 148, Session Laws of 1873. It will be seen from the statement of the finances that only $250 of the appropriation for 1875 have been drawn from the treasury of the State, the society not being in a condition to use it as required by the law. It has consequently been lost to the society. The appropriation of $500 for the year 1876 will probably be expended by the committee of historians before the close of the year. As before stated a continuation of the publication of the "Pioneer Collections" is considered important, consequently a further appropriation by the Legislature will be needed. The society now numbers 301 members. JONATHAN SHEARER, President. COUNTY AGENTS OF THE BOARD OF STATE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE GENERAL SUPERVISION OF CHARITABLE, PENAL, PAUPER AND REFORMATORY INSTITUTIONS. REPORTS FROM COUNTY AGENTS OF STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES. To Hon. J. J. Bagley, Detroit, Mich. : Michigan, December 5, 1876. MY DEAR SIR:-Yours of November 20 has been received but a short time, and I improve the earliest opportunity to reply. My experience in regard to the workings of this law has not been so full as that perhaps of some living in the larger cities. Still, I have not been without some experience. I think there can be no question as to the real cconomy of this law. I believe that the expense attending the agency of this county has not exceeded $50 during the past year, and has been the means of keeping two boys out of the Reform School during a minority sentence, getting a poor girl out of our county house into a home, and this would not have been brought about only through some similar agency. One of the boys belonged to a very hard family, but had a good heart. Public sentiment was against him. It seemed to be so strong that but for my learning the fact that a relative in a distant city would gladly give him a home, he would have been sent to the Reform School. But I secured a suspension of sentence and sent him away to a distant home with good surroundings, certainly saving to the State in this one case more than the entire cost of the agency in this county for a year. Another boy entirely without criminal intent was, on account of a family quarrel between his parents and the parents of another boy about his age (10 years) inveigled into a fight, and this was persevered in several times, until they could make it appear that it was an aggravated case of assault, for which he was arrested, and which I got let off. There was sufficient influence in the prosecution of this case to have sent him also to the Reform School, and he was arrested with the avowed intent. I have now in my school room a boy 14 years of age who has only been kept from a criminal course during the past few months by his feeling that as State agent I had some authority over him, and upon his knowing that his father had consulted me regarding the matter of having him arrested unless he gave up his bad life and devoted himself to school. Hss parents are wealthy, and a good family. A girl of sixteen has been in the Poor House for about two years, is not entirely compos mentis, but still somewhat capable. The lady having charge of the house always kept insisting that she could not get a home for her, but finally said she could not spare her as she needed her help, and I found it no small trouble to secure her release even after a home in a good family had been secured. (This last is a local case involving some prominent parties, but of course the use you desire to make is in a general way, not referring, I presume, even to the county by name where the cases occur.) I have also been consulted by a good many parents who had wayward children likely to finally go into criminal life, and they seem to feel that they are through this agency brought into a line of communication with the State Institutions very much more desirable than through the court officers, and in some instances have been asked to come and see a wayward boy and let him understand as though coming from an officer instead of a mere friend what the result of his course would be, their feeling seeming to be that the children had more respect for the suggestions than in case of the local officials with whom they are quite apt to be on familiar terms. I have told you what seems to be of any value in my slight experience so far. The |