Library Collections: Document: Full Text

There are certain repairs and improvements which were contemplated by my predecessor which are necessary for the comfort of the household. They consist of the enlargement and raising of the rear central part of the north building. The construction of water-closets and baths for same. The provision for the north wing oft additional dormitory and other needful room for the particular class of children there accommodated. For the main or original building much in the way of repairs is necessary. The stairs and considerable of the flooring and ceiling require replacing. If this is to be done, and it should be done to prevent waste, I would most respectfully urge that it be made as far as possible fire proof, the doors and ceilings, to prevent spread of fire, and the stair-ways should be of non-combustible materials, and made in such manner as to secure escape in case of fire, or panic from a fire alarm. The laundry and bakery, which were built for a much smaller household than we have at present, also require repairs and additions for the economy and comfort of the establishment. The same is true of the internal water service. Estimates for this work are herewith submitted.

On every hand, turn where we may, the results of the conscientious and painstaking work of the late Dr. Wilbur are manifest in the wisdom and forethought of the provisions made for this class at this institution, and to one unfamiliar with the hopes and fears for the future of all of the helpless and dependent classes of this world, experienced by the charitable heart that has arranged it, there has been left a record at frequent intervals of his recommendations. It has been his mission to plant, as it is that of others to water, that those who are in need may gather according to their wont from the most beautiful of all growths -- charity. He having been a pioneer in the work, and the executive of this department of charity of the State, the administration thereof has been like that of a wise physician or surgeon, conservative, demonstrating and diagnosing accurately the existence of disease, studying carefully its form and pointing out its treatment with wisdom and success to the point of more radical treatment in the dealing with it according to its extent, when he was cut off in the full tide of his usefulness and experience, and before the execution of plans for the further relief of community at large in the care and training of these unfortunates. Other and younger communities, profiting by his experience, have been able to provide more thoroughly for this class, and monuments to his disinterested and conscientious work have been built to him by them. It will, therefore, be in no spirit of change, but rather in furtherance of his plans that a coordination and extending of the benefits of this institution to the limits of the wants of the people of this great State, that recommondations -sic- for increased accommodations and facilities are made.

This institution now accommodates three hundred and forty (340) children at Syracuse, and one hundred and forty (140) at the Newark branch. The United States census reports in the year 1880 a total of 6,084 persons of this class in the State of New York. The census also reports 14,111 insane persons in a population of 5,082.871. The same census reports in the State of Ohio 6,460 feeble-minded, and 7,286 insane, in a population of 3,198,062. Or in other words, there are classed as feeble-minded in the State of Ohio 376 more persons in about three-fifths the population of the State of New York. There are over twice as many insane enumerated in New York than of feeble-minded, while the same report makes the number of the two classes about the same in Ohio. There are undoubtedly many feeble-minded persons classed as insane in the census reports for this State, as the relative number of the class are about equal everywhere. If all of the children of this class could be reached in this State, the number of the feeble-minded would probably exceed that of the insane. In dealing with the questions of pauperism, public health and crime this is a class whose condition cannot be ignored, and it is important that the condition be recognized in childhood rather than later, and that they be searched out in the family, in the alms-houses, orphanages and other refuges, and every means applied during the early years of their lives to the highest mental and industrial development, that they may lead productive and honest lives to the extent of their capacity rather than suffer the neglect they now endure, retaliating upon society by increasing their kind, and whose increase will in their turn burden the community, with their care if helpless; or in the interchange of infirmities of this condition compel their conviction and custody as petty criminals. If there be any obligation toward any, it is certainly equally strong toward all. And if the capacity of this institution be doubled for the training and development of young children it will scarcely meet this pressing want. The necessity for the admission of imbecile children whose parents were in this condition before them is waste of this provision, for the reason that this source of unfortunate life could and should be prevented by the custodial care of such cases. A sufficient number of cases will always tax the care of the public where the causes that have lowered the vitality of parents of average mental strength predisposing their children to imbecility, to say nothing of the accidents to infancy and childhood, without this seeming organization for the propagation of this condition by systematic neglect or exposure of its unfortunate subjects. The condition of an idiot mother of a number of bastard children, for whom refuge is sought by an alarmed community, is no less pitiable than the pleadings of a mother for the protection of an imbecile daughter whose ruin is apprehended, or the same plea urged by the thoughtful officers of orphanages, who have brought their wards to the age of discharge, and which is really that of the greatest danger to themselves as well as the community that neglects them. The remedy for all of this is the increase of the capacity of this institution in its training department which will prepare them for useful and industrious lives to the extent of their capacity. Thus doing away altogether with the cost of care in many cases and lessening it greatly in others to friends or to the public, if the latter is required to care for them. A great change can be made in nearly every case. The noisy and rude can be made quiet and orderly. The filthy can be made neat and clean in their persons and habits, and the feeble of limb can be taught to walk; the dumb to speak and sing; a large proportion to spell, read, write and draw. They can learn something of geography and still more in regard to the objects about them. The girls can learn to sew and do housework, and the boys to work in the garden and on the farm, while some will succeed in various mechanical employments. By skillful and patient training they can be taught good manners, good habits and to acquire self control, their mental and moral improvement keeping pace with improvement of their physical condition. What has been actually accomplished elsewhere may be thus formulated: sixty-nine per cent learn to work: seventy-four per cent learn to read and write; forty-three per cent make useful progress in arithmetic. All are improved in personal habits. With this result rewarding their early care and training, surely the burden of care later in life is greatly reduced by relieving their care-takers in the family and restoring them to the body of workers, and in the care of the public so preparing them that they can, not only care for themselves, but actually assist in the care and support of the younger and helpless of their class. No matter how much the individual may be elevated or improved, however, we do not feel nor believe that they should ever be encouraged to assume the social relations of life as the mentally strong. The transmission of their infirmity seems certain in any case. It should, therefore, be the duty of their stronger fellows to so direct their lives that the unsymmetrical shall not be called into existence. They should be gently isolated and insulated, their lives rendered happy and useful by careful development, seeing to it, however, that their infirmities pass away with them.