Summary of Statistics, in accordance with form adopted by the National Conference of Charities 53 Population and Per Capita Expense of State Institutions, 1891-1907.. 54 67 THE BOARD OF STATE CHARITIES. GOVERNOR J. FRANK HANLY, President, Ex-officio. STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1907. On Penal and Reformatory Institutions.-Demarchus C. Brown, Sarah Stockton, Timothy Nicholson. On Hospitals for Insane.-Timothy Nicholson, Sydney B. Davis, William P. Cooper, Carrie Goodwin Rexford. On Institutions for Defectives, Soldiers' Home and Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home.-Sydney B. Davis, William P. Cooper, Sarah Stockton. On County Institutions.-William P. Cooper, Timothy Nicholson, Carrie Goodwin Rexford. On Statistics and Publications.-Demarchus C. Brown, Sarah Stockton. On Auditing.-Demarchus C. Brown, Carrie Goodwin Rexford. On Children.-Sydney B. Davis, Sarah Stockton. Indianapolis, Ind., December 24, 1907. HON. J. FRANK HANLY, Governor of Indiana: Dear Sir-In compliance with law, the Board of State Charities has the honor to submit herewith its eighteenth annual report, being for the eleven months ending September 30, 1907. Respectfully, TIMOTHY NICHOLSON, CARRIE GOODWIN REXFORD, SARAH STOCKTON, DEMARCHUS C. BROWN, AMOS W. BUTLER, Secretary. The Board of State Charities. GENERAL REPORT OF THE BOARD. The Indiana Board of State Charities was established over eighteen years ago. One of the original appointees has been a member continuously from that time to the present. The membership at the end of this fiscal year remains the same as it was a year ago. Looking back over the reports of the earlier years, one finds it hard to realize that so much of that which was then looked forward to as the end to be attained in Indiana's charities has been accomplished. The removal of the institutions from partisan politics and their establishment upon the merit system; the creation of the Reformatory for men, with the indeterminate sentence and parole laws; the separation of the Girls' School from the Woman's Prison; the removal of children from poor asylums and all the subsequent legislation regarding truant, dependent, neglected and delinquent children; the adoption of a poor relief law which provides for the administration of that work in accordance with the best known methods-these are but a few of the many notable and far-reaching things which have been accomplished and for which the Board has stood from the time of its beginning. We do not believe our people, even in a small way, appreciate the progress that has been made, or know the conditions that have developed in the public charities of our State. It is surprising how little is generally known on these subjects which are of so much importance to the social as well as the material welfare of our people. While the Board is charged with the supervision of the whole system of public charities of the State and its duty is to see that the institutions are properly conducted, the inmates properly cared for, and the public funds properly expended, yet at the same time. it can render a valuable and helpful service by interesting our people in their own institutions and awakening them to a realization of conditions and needs. Probably more of this should be done. With the growth of the State have come greater demands upon her charities. With the growth of the interest of our people in philanthropy have come greater efforts for charities. Our great State institutions have grown and improved much in the past few years. With this have come increased demands upon the Board ( of State Charities and greater opportunities for usefulness. This may be understood better, perhaps, by the following showing of persons who come under the supervision of the Board: The following is the expense incurred by the above agencies: Boarding jail prisoners (State Statistician's report, 1906). 215,594 44 The last legislature passed more laws relating to public charities than any two previous general assemblies--thirty-five in all. We find that many people do not understand these laws. They are unfamiliar with the conditions the laws are designed to meet and with the experience of those engaged in active philanthropy; hence they do not know how to apply them. For that reason conferences of officials and interested citizens have been held in several counties and other counties contemplate doing this. While these laws are not the goal towards which we have been striving, they are in the main |