THE INSTITUTE FOR THE
EDUCATION OF THE
BLIND
enrolled 127 pupils sixty-six male, sixty-one female representing fifty six Counties. The inventory shows real estate valued at $353,738, and personal property valued at $20,906.44; in all, $374,644.44. Of the $27,000 appropriated for support, $25,912.08 was expended for current support and ordinary repairs, leaving $1,087.92 unexpended. The Trustees request an appropriation o $27,000 per annum as now for the years 1882 and 1883, to meet current expenses, and but $2,000 for repairs.
A comparison of expenditures chargeable to the state on accounts these three institutions justifies the enactment of the existing laws, and is favorable to the Trustees and subordinate officer now in the service of the State. In 1869 no account appears to have been kept of the sums added to the revenues of the hospital from sales of lead, old iron, hogs, tallow, hides, flowers, tobacco, ect., commonly known as the "steward's fund."" The receipts of this fund in 1870 are reported, namely, in 1877, they amounted to $11,200.67. Either amount may be fairly assumed as an average annual additions to the appropriations. A carefully prepared exhibit shows average daily number of patients and annual maintenance expense per capita, exclusive of disbursements from repairs, donations and sales funds for a term of ten years, as follow:
| In 1869 with 340 patients | $257.49 |
| In 1870 with 478 patients | 256.79 |
| In 1871 with 495 patients | 261.44 |
| In 1872 with 485 patients | 255.64 |
| In 1873 with 482 patients | 321.88 |
| In 1874 with 483 patients | 324.14 |
| In 1875 with 566 patients | 255.70 |
| In 1876 with 608 patients | 238.99 |
| In 1877 with 612 patients | 242.56 |
| In 1878 with 617 patients | 199.23 |
The expense for the last named year was apparentlv $122,176.66, but claims amounting to $10,- page: 24[View Page 24] 300.95 for October, 1878, having been presented and prepared with view to allowance and payment as a part of the series of the fiscal year ending October 31, 1878, were deferred and allowed in November, 1878, as the first claims chargeable on the new appropriation, the unexpended balance of $12,772.88 being left in the treasury as an apparent surplus. While the payment of $122,176.66 was apparently for one year's expenses, it was in fact for but eleven moths, and should be $132,477.61 for twelve months. The per capita cost would thus appear $215.60, showing a fluctuation of more than $100 per annum during the term of ten years. Arranged to show the actual expense for each of the past two years, the annual number of patients and annual maintenance expense would appear as follows:
| In 1879 with 626 patients | $188 20 |
| In 1880 with 896 patients | 193 84 |
Otherwise states, expenditure for the two years 1877 and 1878, a shown by the Trustees' records, amounted to $296,551.23, and for 1879 and 1880 to $298,025.95. During the former period the average monthly expenditure was $12,356.30, and during the later $12,417.75, while in the years constituting the former period the average daily numbers of patients were 612 and 617, and in the latter 626 and 896. In 1877, 1878 and 1879, the Hospital consisted of a single department, while during 1880 another separate department, larger than the original, was fully occupied and maintained. Under existing law, the amounts colled from Counties for clothing furnished patients are not, as formerly, available for expenses, but become a part of the unappropriated moneys of the general fund. The amounts required to be collected for the law four years were as follows: 1877, $12,715.30; 1878, $13,282.97; 1879, $3,561.15; 1880, $7,047.11.
The expenditures for the deaf and dumb were for 1877, $65,884.62, and for 1878, $62,997.99, being an average of $64,441.30. For 1880 they were $50,005.88, being an annual saving of $14,435.42. The per capita expenses per annum in 1877 and 1878 was $198.89; in 1880 it was $154.33, an annual reduction of $44.56. The collections for clothing were, for 1877, $3,698.57; for 1878, $3,282.23, and for 1880, $1,052 97. The comparatively small amount during the last year was because parents and guardians were required to furnish clothing when able.
The expenditures for the blind for 1877 were $29,108.15, and for 1878 were $30,304.96, an average of $29,708.55. For 1880 they were $25,683.57, an annual reduction of $4,022.98. The per capita expense per annum in 1877 was $264.62, in 1878 was $259.01, while in 1880 it was but $211.05, an annual reduction of more than $50. The collections for clothing were for 1877, $1,191.73; for 1878, $1,078.73, and for 1880 but $209.21.
Given equal efficiency in management and equal results to the beneficiaries of the appropriations to those charities, that administration of affairs showing the most rigid economy and exact compliance with the requirements of law, should receive the commendation of the people whose money is used and of their representatives who are to consider and vote on estimate for further supplies.
