state institutions intended for this class, making an aggregate of 2,571 under care.

The Insane.— On Oct. 1, 1901, 23,581 insane persons were under care. Of these, 22,654 were in the state hospitals and 927 in private asylums.

The Epileptic.-On Oct. 1, 1901, there were 743 epileptics at Craig Colony, and 292 in almshouses, making 1,035 of this class under public care.

The number of defectives in these five classes aggregated 29,593. The total number of delinquents, destitutes, and defectives under care Oct. 1, 1901, was 108,762.

NORTH CAROLINA.

BY C. B. DENSON, RALEIGH, STATE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The General Assembly of North Carolina holds sessions of sixty days biennally; and, as its next term will be held January, 1903, there is no legislation to report this year. But strong popular movements for upbuilding the state have been in progress, especially in education and road-building. The educational forces are directed by the present governor, Charles B. Aycock, who has signalized his administration by an active and persistent educational campaign.

It is perceived that the limit by state taxation for education has been reached, as the amount devoted to that purpose is threesevenths of all the revenue of the state. Much also has been done by local effort in the towns, as there are very few towns of any size that have not well-equipped graded schools in operation, supported by local taxation. The present effort is to improve the public schools of the country by consolidating small districts and improving the character and means of instruction. One feature is the holding of educational rallies in prominent towns, which the country superintendents and teachers attend. Subscriptions are made by the townspeople to assist the districts in the country which will vote to tax themselves locally to improve their schools both in buildings and equipments, as well as the duration and standard of the instruction therein. There is more well-ordered, well-combined, and persistent effort in this direction than ever before.

The charitable institutions are gradually increasing their opera

tions, and are receiving more public funds than at any time heretofore in the history of the state.

The following figures are from the reports directly to the state Board of Public Charities, and are all for the year ending Nov. 30, 1901. The published reports are made biennially, the next to be issued being for the fiscal year ending Nov. 30, 1902.

The State Hospital at Raleigh (insane), 437 patients remaining. The appropriation (regular) was $71,500, with $1,250 for special improvement and $10,000 for payment of indebtedness. The per capita cost was $150 on the basis of 475 patients. The State Hospital at Morganton (insane), 745 remaining. The total number treated during the year was 877. The regular appropriation was $100,000 for support and $10,000 to discharge indebtedness, also $50,000 per annum to erect and equip additional building, which is now progressing, and the capacity will reach 1,100. The per capita cost was $133. The State Hospital at Goldsboro (insane colored), 467 remaining; whole number treated, 522. The regular appropriation was $47,500, and $25,000 for addition to buildings now in progress. Notwithstanding some 1,900 were treated during the year in the state hospitals, a considerable number of infirm mind. are in the county homes, and a few in the prisons, until increased accommodations are completed. Those at the homes, for the most part, are imbeciles, idiots, and epileptics. Those regarded as too dangerous or unfit for the homes are in prison, usually in special quarters. Earnest efforts will be made to relieve such cases as early as possible. The State Hospital for dangerous insane has been. opened at the state prison. Whole number treated, 45, not including four white women in State Hospital proper at Raleigh. The quarters accommodate 49. Appropriation, $5,000; and per capita

oost, $104.79.

The North Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, Raleigh, is divided into practically two institutions in separate quarters of the city. It reports 187 white blind pupils and 63 colored. The deaf and dumb department, in which all are colored, has 99. The total is 352. The annual appropriation is $55,000, with special appropriation for improvements of $10,000. The average attendance was 260, and the per capita cost nearly $200. Extensive additions and improvements were made during the year. The North Carolina School for the Deaf and Dumb, Morganton, reported 237 pupils,

of which four completed the course and three were discharged. After the completion of some small additions in progress, 300 can be accommodated. The present appropriation is $40,000; and the per capita cost, including improvements, was $170. But the cost for support and tuition apart from the improvements was about $155. A complete water system was added.

The North Carolina Soldiers' Home reported 85 inmates on Nov. 30, 1901, with an average of about 75. The number now slightly exceeds 100. The appropriation for support is $10,000, with a special appropriation of $5,000 used last year for building a new dormitory that was much needed. The home is now in much better condition than ever before, all the rooms of the new building having been handsomely furnished by Chapters of the Daughters of the Confederacy.

The Oxford Orphan Asylum has 221 pupils. The receipts were $29,447 of which the state appropriation was $10,000, the Masons contributing $4,473. The earnings of the institution were $12,659, although each child spends one-half day in school. Improvements in progress are additional buildings, etc., to cost $3,500. There have been placed in approved homes 41; employed on salary, ; sent to college, 1. Per capita cost for maintenance alone, $50.86; with education, $63.18. The Colored Orphan Asylum (Granville County) had 109 inmates. Receipts, $7,600, of which state paid $5,000. Expenditures, including improvements, $8,049. Placed in approved homes, 20. The Children's Home of Buncombe County, Asheville, supported in part by county funds, has two departments, white and colored, maintained separately. There are 28 whites and 14 colored. Since its organization, out of 350 received, 275 have been placed in good homes, 20 died, 10 were taken by parents, and 3 returned under the law. Many of these are very young, and have been legally taken from vicious or abandoned households. The per capita cost has been $30 per annum, with voluntary aid.

The Lindley Training School, Asheville, for unfortunate young women, has 18 inmates at present. 50 per cent. of those received have been reclaimed to a virtuous life.

In addition to the orphanages heretofore reported, as doing effective work and sustained by the principal religious bodies in the state and by the Order of Odd Fellows, two others are now pro

jected, one by the Order of Red Men and one by the Junior Order of American Mechanics.

The hospitals in the leading towns, mentioned last year, are improving in means and equipment. Omission was made of the excellent institutions in Winston and Salem, the successors of much benevolent work in the past hundred and fifty years, of the Moravians in Salem. These consist of the Twin City Hospital and the Old Ladies' Home. A valuable adjunct is the Slater Hospital for colored at the Slater School. To this Mr. R. J. Reynolds, a citizen of Winston, has given $5,000.

A special hospital for the treatment of consumptive negroes, is situated at Southern Pines, and called the Peckford Sanatorium, maintained throughout the winter months, and is almost wholly absolute charity. Its superintendent is a colored physician, Dr. L. A. Scuggs, of ability and experience. It has its own building and grounds, and is incorporated by the state, but maintained by donations. Number under treatment, 41. Of these 75 per cent.

were benefited.

A thoroughly equipped private institution for the care and treatment of the insane, near Morganton, known as Broadoaks Sanatorium, was opened in September, 1901, for the reception of patients. It is under the supervision of the Board of Public Charities, and was licensed by that body, under a recent statute.

The merits of the parole system are engaging public attention to some extent, and the Board of Charities is making a thorough investigation of the subject for the information of the people prior to the meeting of the General Assembly in January next.

The inspection of the county homes and jails by the boards of visitors organized in each of the ninety-seven counties by the Board of Charities, and reporting upon blanks forwarded in March and September, have been steadily performed; and correspondence from this office with the commissioners of the counties in charge of these institutions, upon their condition and management, is slowly, but quite noticeably, bringing about improvement to some extent in the structures built, but still more in the standard of maintenance, although many are still deficient in important respects.

OHIO.

JOSEPH P. BYERS, COLUMBUS, STATE CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

The Ohio legislature has just compléted its biennial session. The enactments of the session concerning the work in which the National Conference is interested were fewer than had been hoped for, but we have no reason to be entirely ungrateful.

A law was enacted extending to each of our workhouses the benefits of the parole law.

An act providing for the voluntary commitment of persons to state hospitals was passed. Under the provisions of this act

A person in an incipient stage of mental derangement may apply for admission to and treatment in the state hospital for the district in which such person resides; and the superintendent of such hospital is authorized to receive such person as a patient in said hospital for not more than sixty days, if he is satisfied from his own examination and the written statement of some reputable physician familiar with the applicant's condition, . . . that the applicant is in an incipient stage of mental derangement, in need of such treatment as the hospital affords, and likely to be benefited thereby. The applicant must be . . . able to appreciate the reason for and the purpose of his application. . . . The number of persons cared for as patients in any hospital under this section shall not at any one time exceed five.

The administration of the State Reformatory at Mansfield has been greatly strengthened by some important amendments to the laws governing that institution; particularly with reference to the parole of prisoners. The statutes now directly prohibit the consideration by the board of managers of any petition, request, or other form of outside influence for the parole of any prisoner. This institution has what is known as a "field officer," whose sole duty it is to look after prisoners discharged on parole. Provision has been made for enlarging the trades-school.

A bill was passed providing for the appointment at the Boys' Industrial School of a record officer. His duty will be similar to the work of a state agent, consisting of the after-supervision of boys discharged from the institution, the collection of statistics and records, etc.

The repeal of the habitual criminal law, marks in the opinion of many of our citizens, a distinctly backward step. The constitutionality of the law was not in question. A number of years ago the