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Assets October 1, 1884.

The Custodial Branch of the New York State Asylum for Idiots was opened for the reception of cases and commenced operations under the control and direction of this board of trustees six years ago. The chief and special object intended was the care, custody and protection of a class of adult female idiots and imbeciles of the child-bearing age. It being the first attempt of the kind in the State, and in fact in the country, to provide for a special class of idiots requiring simply custodial care, it was in one sense a matter of experiment, and at that time so considered and understood by its projectors. For this purpose an unoccupied and unfinished school-building located in the town of Newark, Wayne county, was accordingly leased for a term of years, fitted up, furnished and put in order for the reception of inmates in the summer of 1878. How well it has performed its mission and met the want for which it was established, the previous reports of this committee and of the State Board of Charities will give ample and abundant testimony.

The experience of its operations for the past year has not been in any sense .materially different from that of previous years. The one hundred and fifty-two girls it has provided for have at all times been kept in a cleanly and presentable condition, properly fed, comfortably clothed and protected from the community and the dangers of the county poor-house system to which many had been to their ill fortune previously surrounded.

As an evidence of the actual necessity of maintaining this or some other similar establishment of its nature, it is but proper to say, that of the girls already received under its protection, about twenty per cent of the number had, prior to their admission, borne illegitimate children, several of them more than one, and one as many as four. These conditions came about in nearly every instance while residents of the county poor-houses, and as the result of a loose and inefficient system of supervision permitting an unfortunate and scandalous misassociation of the sexes. The result already accomplished has been not only to awaken the attention of the poor authorities to a greater vigilance over this class of cases, but also, especially to relieve the various counties of a source of their increasing dependents, and when fully considered in all its significance, has indeed become a blessing of large proportions to the future welfare of the State.

It has besides all this accomplished still another happy result in proving itself a training school for these girls to pursuits and habits of industry. As a matter of record, when they were brought from their homes and from the county poor-houses to this place, save two or three exceptions, none of the others knew how to sew even as much as to hem properly an ordinary garment, or to do the simplest kind of work. Now there are from fifteen to twenty of the present number who can operate the sewing machine, many of them skillfully. About thirty are kept at sewing daily, either by hand or with the machine, and in all over ninety are regularly employed at some kind of work required in or about the house.

The average cost of support for the inmates of this branch has always been moderate in amount, and for the past year rather less than heretofore, owing to fewer repairs and improvements, less new furniture and the diminished prevailing cost of all kinds of supplies and provisions.

The appropriations made in previous years for its maintenance have been generally sufficient in amount, and for the coming year although the daily average number of inmates may be slightly increased, it is believed that not more than $20,000, the sum appropriated last year. will be required to cover all expenses likely to occur.

At the opening of this building in 1878, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Warner were placed in its immediate charge, a position they continue to hold with entire satisfaction to this board and with credit to themselves.

N. F. GRAVES,
R. FRISSELLE,
JAMES C. CARSON,
Special Committee in charge of the Custodial Branch.

APPENDIX.

Extract from the minutes of the annual meeting of the board, October 8, 1884.

On motion of Mr. Wilkinson the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted:

WHEREAS, Since our last meeting the Hon. Allen Munroe, for thirty years a member of this board, for twenty-eight years its secretary, and for twenty-two years the treasurer of the asylum, has been suddenly removed to a higher and better state of being; therefore, be it

Resolved, That we fully recognize the zeal and constant interest which Mr. Munroe always manifested in the welfare of the asylum, so far as we know, never having missed a meeting of this board;

Resolved, That in his urbanity, courtesy and philanthropy he was a christian gentleman;