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The necessity for the numerous increases in charge for board and tuition is clearly demonstrated by the following summary:

In thirty years the per capita cost has almost trebled and there is every indication that it will further increase in the near future. The expenses for the year 1946-1947 are based on estimates and represent the budget approved by the Board of Trustees at its meeting on September 10. The total income from all sources for the same period is estimated at $411,000, which indicates an operating deficit of approximately $34,000.

With this figure in mind coupled with the fact that the $600 per pupil now paid by the States covers approximately only one-third of the per capita cost, the Trustees voted on September 10 to increase the charge from $600 to $800 per annum. The various States, whence our pupils come, have been notified of this increase and are impressed by the strong case we present of ever-increasing costs which necessitate increased charges. We are confident the increase of $200 per capita will be approved but are doubtful if the full amount will be received during the present school year, as State budgets already in effect will not permit. We must endeavor to keep our operating costs as reasonable as possible, compatible with the high standards of Perkins, as there is somewhere a limit to the amount the States are willing to pay for the education of blind children.

Of the 256 pupils enrolled for the present school year 227 come from New England, distributed as follows: Maine 32, Massachusetts 142, New Hampshire 18, Rhode Island 20, Vermont 14, Connecticut 1. From outside New England there are thirty pupils who come from twenty States, and two foreign countries. This distribution demonstrates the national scope of Perkins.

The war years with their ever-increasing difficulties are behind us but the transition back to peacetime operations presents its difficulties also, but under the able leadership of our Director, Dr. Farrell, we can look forward to the future with confidence. To him, and to every member of the faculty, to the members of the maintenance staff, to the matrons, the ground keepers, the maids, the cooks and to everyone connected with Perkins, the Trustees wish to give hearty thanks for their devotion to our Institution during the years of trial.

We regret to report the death, during the year, of the following members of the Corporation: Mrs. Henry H. Fay, Mrs. Cora L. Gleason, Miss Mary B. Lothrop, Mr. John F. Tufts, Hon. Robert Luce, Miss Alice Sargent, Miss Lenna D. Swinerton, Miss Lucy Wheelock.

Respectfully submitted for the Trustees,

ROBERT H. HALLOWELL, President.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
November 4, 1946.

THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT which covers the year ending August 31 is presented formally at the Annual Meeting of the Corporation held on the first Monday in November. At this time the report is "accepted and ordered to be printed with the addition of other matters of general interest to the work." The Annual Meetings are usually quite formal and routine in character: receiving reports, electing officers and trustees, and approving the activities of the committees during the year. But the one held at the beginning of this year, November 5, 1945, was unique in that, for the first time in ten years, a new officer was elected.

Mr. Roger Amory, who was elected Treasurer ten years ago, had requested that he be not nominated, and re-elected. This decision was accepted with regret by the Corporation, and appreciation was expressed for the fine stewardship of Mr. Amory during the difficult decade in which he served. Mr. Amory's interest in Perkins reached beyond business affairs, and during his tenure of office he felt a concern for the whole life of the institution, and he was always ready to help in any problem that arose. The resolution passed at that meeting, and recorded in the report of last year, is evidence of the appreciation of all for Mr. Amory's services and friendship.

NEW TREASURER ELECTED

To take Mr. Amory's place, the Corporation was fortunate in securing the consent and election of Mr. John P. Chase, who has been a Trustee since 1940. Mr. Chase brings to the office a wide experience in financial matters. He holds many positions of trust, ranging from the treasurership of Wellesley College to the coach of the Harvard hockey team. The latter testifies to his youth and vigor, which qualities were demonstrated during the year as he has carried on the affairs of Perkins. With a change in the treasurership also went a change in the office of Assistant Treasurer. Mr. Francis C. Rogerson, Assistant Treasurer during Mr. Amory's tenure of office, retired from that position, and his loss is deeply felt because of his keen personal interest in the school, its staff and activities. This position was filled by Mr. Howard Whitmore Jr., associated with the office of John P. Chase Inc., upon his return from duty with the Navy in the Pacific.