Collection: Documents - Full Text

JAMES H. TITUS, FRANKLIN TOWNSEND,
ALLEN MUNROE, LYMAN CLARY,
GEORGE F. COMSTOCK, E. W. LEAVENWORTH,
FREDERICK D. HUNTINGTON, LAKE I.TEFFT.

SAMUEL J. TILDEN, Governor.
WM. DORSHEIMER, Lieutenant-Governor.
JOHN BIGELOW, Secretary of State.
LUCIUS P. ROBINSON, Comptroller.
NEIL GILMOUR, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

JAMES H. TITUS.

ALLEN MUNROE.

E. W. LEAVENWORTH, JAMES H. TITUS,
GEORGE F. COMSTOCK.

SUPERINTENDANT: HERVEY B. WILBUR, M.D.
MATRON: MISS ALVIRA WOOD
ASSISTANT MATRON: MRS. F. A. HARDY
HOUSEKEEPER: MRS. M. A. YOUNG.

MISS S. P. YOUNG MRS. M. E. COOK,
MRS. R. VAN VLECK, MISS L. E. KNIGHT,
MISS L. PETHERAM.

BENJAMIN N. EASTMAN.

STATE OF NEW YORK.
IN ASSEMBLY,
January 13, 1876.

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE NEW YORK ASYLUM FOR IDIOTS.

To the Legislature of the State of New York:
Agreeably to the provisions of the act establishing this institution, the undersigned trustees respectfully submit this their twenty-fifth annual report.

The total cash receipts for the year ending September 30, 1875, as will be seen by the treasurer's report, herewith annexed, were as follows.

RECEIPTS.

Cash from state treasurer, annual appropriation	$36,000.00
County treasurer's, for clothing state pupils	2,506.95
Individuals, for board, instruction and clothing, pay pupils	5,904.89
Special appropriation for fence	1,500.00
Cash in hands of treasurer of asylum, October 1, 1874	151.81
Cash in hands of superintendent, October 1, 1874	72.56
	$46,136.21

EXPENDITURE FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30,1875

Provisions and household supplies	$11,519.62
Salaries	6,878.00
Wages and labor	6,923.61
Fuel	3,871.87
Gas	1,180.82
Farm and garden	677.15
Stable, horses and cows	1,343.26
Furniture, furnishing articles and household linen	3,332.49
Clothing	2,892.53
Books, stationery and school apparatus	264.93
Discount	71.22
Drugs and medicines	315.91
Repairs and improvements	5,216.55
Postage	84.71
Printing	51.50
Water	300.00
Freight, express and telegraph	145.44
Traveling expenses of trustees	155.50
Traveling expenses of superintendent	91.40
Funeral expenses	117.40
Money to boys	9.10
Sending children home	56.04
Sundries	8.15
	$45,507.20

From the above statement it will be seen that there was

in the hands of the treasurer, October 1, 1875	$231.95
In the hands of the superintendent	396.96
There was also due from the friends of pay pupils, sums amounting in the aggregate to	2,003.45
Due from counties for clothing state pupils	430.00
Total cash assets	$3,062.36

The liabilities of the asylum at that date were as follows:

Salaries of officers and teachers for quarter ending
September 30, 1875	$1,662.50
September bills for supplies	2,862.84
Liabilities of asylum, September 30, 1875	$4,525.34

There is thus an apparent deficiency of $1,500; but this is owing to the fact that the coal bill for the coming year, amounting to $1,700, has been paid out of the income of the past year. In the various store-rooms of the asylum, there is also, at this date, a stock of household supplies, clothing and materials for clothing, considerably in excess of that usually on hand at the close of a fiscal year.

The actual expenses of the pupils during the last year, including all bills except those for clothing and construction account, are at the rate of $195 per pupil. This sum may be considered as a basis for calculating the future expenditures of the asylum, so long as the number of beneficiaries remain as at present. An appropriation of $36,000, or the same as last year, will be sufficient for the next.

When this asylum was founded, it was distinctly established as an educational institution. The original members of its board of trustees saw that, sooner or later, it must be supplemented by another, to meet the needs of unreachable or custodial cases. From time to time they have called the attention of the legislature to this public need. At one time they hoped that provision would be for such cases in connection with the asylum for chronic insane at Willard. No action has yet been taken by the legislature to accomplish this desired end. They now again call the attention of the legislature to the subject.

If provision were made for such custodial cases, this asylum would be relieved of a certain number of inmates whose unfitness, on account of disease and unteachableness, only embarrasses the present management.

The superintendent of the asylum, in his report to the board, hereunto annexed, has presented some conclusions as to the best policy of future state provision for idiots, derived from his observation of similar institutions in Great Britain. These we commend to the notice of the legislature for their consideration.

The asylum has now been in operation more than twenty-four years.

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