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THE STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES.

The State Board of Charities was created in 1867, and became a constitutional body January 1, 1895, under the provisions of article VIII of the Constitution of the State of New York, which was adopted in 1894. This article of the Constitution provides that the State Board of Charities shall visit and inspect all institutions, whether State, county, municipal, incorporated or unincorporated, which are of a charitable, eleemosynary, correctional or reformatory character, including institutions for epileptics and idiots, and all reformatories (save those in which adult males convicted of felony shall be confined), and excepting institutions for the care and treatment of the insane, and for the detention of sane adults charged with or convicted of crime, or detained as witnesses or debtors.

The Constitution also provides that the members of the Board shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, that all the existing laws relating to institutions above mentioned, and to their supervision and inspection, in so far as such laws are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, shall remain in force, and that the Legislature may confer upon the Board any additional powers. It further provides that while payments by counties, cities, towns and villages to charitable, eleemosynary, correctional or reformatory institutions, wholly or party under private control, for care, support, and maintenance, may be authorized, they shall not be required by the Legislature, nor shall such payments be made for any such inmate of such institutions who is not received and retained therein pursuant to rules established by the State Board of Charities.

The Commissioners comprising the Board are twelve in number, and are appointed for the term of eight years, one from each of the nine judicial districts of the State, and three additional members from the city of New York. The Commissioners are required to reside in the districts or city from which they are respectively appointed, and no Commissioner can act as such while a trustee, director or other administrative officer of any institution subject to the visitation and inspection of the State Board of Charities.

Each Commissioner is paid actual expenses necessarily incurred while engaged in the performance of the duties of his office, and receives, as compensation, $10 for each day's attendance at meetings of the Board, or of any of its committees, not exceeding in any one year the sum of $500.

The chief officers of the Board are a president and a vice-president, elected annually from its members.

The principal duties of the Board are to visit, inspect and maintain a general supervision of all institutions, societies or associations which are of a charitable, eleemosynary or correctional character, whether State or municipal, incorporated or unincorporated, made subject to its supervision by the Constitution and the statutes of the State. Other duties are to establish rules for the reception and retention of inmates, to approve or disapprove the organization and incorporation of all institutions which are or shall be subject to the supervision of the Board, to license dispensaries, supervise the placing out of dependent children, secure the just, humane and economic administration of all institutions subject to its supervision; advise the officers of such institutions in the performance of their official duties; aid in securing the erection of suitable buildings for the accommodation of inmates in such institutions; aid in securing the best sanitary condition of the buildings and grounds of all such institutions, and advise measures for the protection and preservation of the health of the inmates; aid in securing the establishment and maintenance of such industrial, educational and moral training in institutions having the care of children as is best suited to their needs; investigate the condition of the poor seeking public aid and advise measures for their relief; administer the laws providing for the care, support and removal of State, nonresident and alien poor, and the support of Indian poor persons; collect statistical information in respect to the property, receipts and expenditures of all institutions, societies and associations subject to its supervision, and the number and condition of the inmates thereof, and of the poor seeking public relief.

The Board is required to report to the Legislature annually. Its seal is the arms of the State surrounded by the inscription, "State of New York - The State Board of Charities."

THE COMMISSIONERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES

OF THE

STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES

1909

COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. NAMES AND RESIDENCES.

First Judicial District.-WILLIAM R. STEWART, 31 Nassau street, New York City.

New York City.- STEPHEN SMITH, M. D., 431 Riverside Drive.

New York City.- JOSHUA M. VAN COTT, M. D., 188 Henry street, Brooklyn.

New York City.—THOMAS M. MULRY, 51 Chambers street. Second Judicial District.-AUGUSTUS FLOYD, Mastic, Moriches P. O.

Third Judicial District.- SIMON W. ROSENDALE, 57 State Street, Albany.

Fourth Judicial District.- RICHARD L. HAND, Elizabethtown, Essex county.

Fifth Judicial District.- JOHN W. HOGAN, 841 Onondaga Savings Bank Building, Syracuse.

Sixth Judicial District.- FRANK A. FETTER, Ithaca, Tompkins county.

Seventh Judicial District.— HORACE MCGUIRE, 910 German Insurance Building, Rochester.

Eighth Judicial District.-WILLIAM H. GRATWICK, 814 Fidelity Trust Building, Buffalo.

Ninth Judicial District. JOSEPH C. BALDWIN, Mount Kisco, Westchester county.

[3]

THE STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES.

The State Board of Charities was created in 1867, and became a constitutional body January 1, 1895, under the provisions of article VIII of the Constitution of the State of New York, which was adopted in 1894. This article of the Constitution provides that the State Board of Charities shall visit and inspect all institutions, whether State, county, municipal, incorporated or unincorporated, which are of a charitable, eleemosynary, correctional or reformatory character, including institutions for epileptics and idiots, and all reformatories (save those in which adult males convicted of felony shall be confined), and excepting institutions for the care and treatment of the insane, and for the detention of sane adults charged with or convicted of crime, or detained as witnesses or debtors.

The Constitution also provides that the members of the Board shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, that all the existing laws relating to institutions above mentioned, and to their supervision and inspection, in so far as such laws are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, shall remain in force, and that the Legislature may confer upon the Board any additional powers. It further provides that while payments by counties, cities, towns and villages to charitable, eleemosynary, correctional or reformatory institutions, wholly or party under private control, for care, support, and maintenance, may be authorized, they shall not be required by the Legislature, nor shall such payments be made for any such inmate of such institutions who is not received and retained therein pursuant to rules established by the State Board of Charities.

The Commissioners comprising the Board are twelve in number, and are appointed for the term of eight years, one from each of the nine judicial districts of the State, and three additional members from the city of New York. The Commissioners are required to reside in the districts or city from which they are respectively appointed, and no Commissioner can act as such while a trustee, director or other administrative officer of any institution subject to the visitation and inspection of the State Board of Charities.

Each Commissioner is paid actual expenses necessarily incurred while engaged in the performance of the duties of his office, and receives, as compensation, $10 for each day's attendance at meetings of the Board, or of any of its committees, not exceeding in any one year the sum of $500.

The chief officers of the Board are a president and a vice-president, elected annually from its members. The principal duties of the Board are to visit, inspect and maintain a general supervision of all institutions, societies or associations which are of a charitable, eleemosynary or correctional character, whether State or municipal, incorporated or unincorporated, made subject to its supervision by the Constitution and the statutes of the State. Other duties are to establish rules for the reception and retention of inmates, to approve or disapprove the organization and incorporation of all institutions which are or shall be subject to the supervision of the Board, to license dispensaries, supervise the placing out of dependent children, secure the just, humane and economic administration of all institutions subject to its supervision; advise the officers of such institutions in the performance of their official duties; aid in securing the erection of suitable buildings for the accommodation of inmates in such institutions; aid in securing the best sanitary condition of the buildings and grounds of all such institutions, and advise measures for the protection and preservation of the health of the inmates; aid in securing the establishment and maintenance of such industrial, educational and moral training in Institutions having the care of children as is best suited to their needs; investigate the condition of the poor seeking public aid and advise measures for their relief; administer the laws providing for the care, support and removal of State, nonresident and alien poor, and the support of Indian poor persons; collect statistical information in respect to the property, receipts and expenditures of all institutions, societies and associations subject to its supervision, and the number and condition of the inmates thereof, and of the poor seeking public relief.

The Board is required to report to the Legislature annually. Its seal is the arms of the State surrounded by the inscription, State of New York- -The State Board of Charities."

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