buggies, wagons, sleds and cutters, and farm implements are painted. Here furniture is brightened and painted. The hospital has a large farm. A training school for nurses is maintained, also a wellappointed pathological laboratory.

KANSAS.

No report received.

KENTUCKY.

BY EMMA A. GALLAGHER, ACTING CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

A bill for the appointment of jail matrons, and requiring that a matron be recommended by a committee of ladies selected from and appointed by the benevolent organizations of the city, was passed by the united and earnest efforts of philanthropic women of Louisville. And to the same influence may be ascribed suggested improvements in the jail, which will add to the health and comfort of the inmates. Among the new charitable organizations or institutions of Louisville is a Neighborhood House, under charge of four residents; Head Resident, Mr. A. A. Hill. Its faithful workers are accomplishing much good. The Florence Crittendon Home was awakened to new energy by a series of public meetings conducted by its founder, Charles N. Crittenton, during a recent visit to this city. By the Order of Odd Fellows a Widows' and Orphans' Home is to be erected at Lexington, Ky., that city having offered a generous. moneyed inducement to have the home located there.

A.

Class 1.- Criminals.

GROUP OF DELINQUENTS.

Are confined in two State prisons. During the past year 2,709 prisoners were received at the two penitentiaries. On hand at close of year, 1,700. The wardens strongly recommend the introduction of the "grade" system for the prisoners. Considerable money has been expended to insure greater comfort and better health.

Class 2.1- The Vicious. Are committed to the City Workhouse to serve terms of from thirty days to one year. Whites committed during year, 683; colored, 1,140; total, 1,823.

Class 3- Insubordinates. Are committed to the Industrial School of Reform, if under seventeen years old. Two commodious buildings, one for white and one for colored children. The highest number of inmates at any one time throughout year was 630; in school at close of fiscal year, 384.

B. GROUP OF DESTITUTES.

Class 1. Such persons are supported in county poorhouses, also in institutions under the management of charitable societies or religious bodies.

Class 2.- The Children's Home Society in its various bodies throughout the State and the Kentucky Humane Society has a watchful care over this class. Of course, the numerous orphanages are open to many of them.

Class 3. The hospitals of the different cities and the infirmaries are independent charitable corporations. Notably, the Children's Free Hospital of Louisville does noble work in caring for children. of this class.

C. GROUP OF DEFECTIVES.

Class 1.The Kentucky Institute for the Education of the Blind, located in Louisville, received during the year 128, of whom 24 were colored. The annual allowance is $13,000, with a regular per capita of $140 a year. In connection with this institution the American Printing House for the Blind had 114 pupils.

Class 2.- The Institution for Deaf-mutes, located at Danville, Ky., enrolled 339 white pupils and 56 colored; total, 395.

Class 3. The new buildings of the Feeble-minded Institute, erected at a cost of between $50,000 and $60,000, with all modern improvements, are open. There were 127 patients. They are admitted between the ages of six and eighteen. Only such as can be taught or are susceptible of mental development are received. A yearly allowance is made to relatives for the care of those who cannot be received at the Institute.

Class 4.— Three State Insane Asylums exist,—the Central, at Anchorage; the Eastern, at Lexington; and the Western, at Hopkinsville. Reports of these three asylums show that the increase of insanity is at about the same ratio as increase of population. Number of

patients during the year, 2,995. The physician in charge of the female service in the Western Asylum is a woman. About $140,ooo has been expended on improvements in these institutions during the year.

In charity organization methods, co-operation is steadily on the increase. The Wayfarers' Lodge of Louisville is unique, in that it is self-sustaining. It saves to the city both trouble and large

expense.

In the past year from its wood-yard were sold 22,337 barrels of kindling-wood.

LOUISIANA.

BY MICHEL HEYMANN, CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

Our legislature was not in session this year; but we have now a Constitutional Convention in session, which has passed two ordinances, one for the abolition of the lease system of convicts, and the other for a State Board of Charities and Corrections.

Our Charity Organization Society of New Orleans has done well, and may be compared favorably with older organizations.

Our Prison Reform Association has done splendid work. One of the most important reforms accomplished has been the separation of boys from adults in the local prisons. At the next meeting of our legislature, in May, we shall try to have a law passed for the indeterminate sentence and the separation of first offenders from hardened criminals, and, if possible, the creation of a reformatory for boys and one for men.

Five new kindergartens in the slums of the city are doing well, and we hope that many more will be added to the list in the near future.

Class 1.- Criminals. Are confined in the State Penitentiary at Baton Rouge. The present number of convicts is 1,047, of which 168 are white, and the rest negroes. Most of the convicts are in camps, employed in building roads, levees, etc.

Class 2.The Vicious. Number of prisoners in Parish Prison April 1, 1898, 211; in the Police Jail, 90; total, 301. The inmates. of our Parish Prison and Police Jail are not of one class. They

are composed of prisoners arrested for simple offences, as well as criminals. No proper classification is made except the separation of children from grown men, as mentioned above.

Class 3.- Insubordinates. Number of boys in the House of Refuge, 91; wayward girls in the House of Good Shepherd, 303; total, 394. The House of the Good Shepherd is really not a State nor a city institution, but is governed by the Sisters of Charity.

B. GROUP OF DESTITUTES.

The Poor in Poorhouses.

The Shakespeare Almshouse

Class 1.reports on April 1, 1898, inmates, 123.

Class 2.- Destitute Children. The average number of children in orphan asylums (sectarian), 2,000.

Class 3. The Sick and Injured. The Charity Hospital of New Orleans, a State institution, has a daily average of 715 inmates. There is another State institution in Shreveport, of which I can get no statistics.

C.

Class 1.- The Blind. by the institution of the Rouge.

GROUP OF Offenders.

There are about 35 blind children raised
State in the School of the Blind at Baton

Class 2.- Deaf-mutes. The number of deaf-mutes taken care of by the State is 93.

Class 3.- Feeble-minded Children. We have no provisions made by the State for this class of unfortunates.

Class 4.- The Insane. The State Insane Asylum at Jackson con

tains 1,023 insane persons, both male and female.

COMPARATIVE SHOWING OF THE HANDLING OF THE CONVICTS OF MISSISSIPPI, TEXAS, ALABAMA, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, AND LOUISIANA, PROFITS, STATE CONTROL, AND Death-rate.

Mississippi.- The Board of Control of the State Penitentiary says, in their annual report of 1897:

"It is now demonstrated that the State can, without any danger of financial loss, employ its convicts in agricultural labor upon farms owned by the State.

"In 1895 the State made to its share 2,777 bales of cotton, in 1896 3,399 bales of cotton, in 1897 4,243 bales of cotton and 35,400 bushels of corn.

"At the end of 1896 there was to the credit of the Penitentiary Fund in the State treasury $47,397.23, and the net profit of the crop of 1897 is $30,090, making a total of $77,488, after payment of all expenses.

"The farms are worth from $5,000 to $10,000 more each than when purchased, improved by ditching, fencing, building, etc."

Texas. The system of handling State convicts is partly on State farms and public works and partly on the lease system; but the State now furnishes all food, cooks, waiters, and camp-tenders.

L. A. Whatley, superintendent of the State Penitentiary, writes, under date Feb. 17, 1898, “I am strongly in favor of abolishing the lease system entirely, and working all convicts on State account."

In his biennial report he further states: "The second-class negroes who have been employed on the farm have proved more profitable to the State than those of the first class who have been leased to contractors.

"On said farm 164 convicts in two years, 1895 and 1896, produced a net profit of $101,905 over and above the cost of their keep.

“In my judgment the contract, or lease, system should be abolished: first, because of the uncertainty of contracting this labor at remunerative prices; second, from a humane standpoint the State control system should be adopted, even though it did not promise the financial results now obtained."

Alabama.- The Board of Inspectors of the Alabama Penitentiary, in their first biennial report, recommend that the State "take as many convicts out of the mines as practicable upon the expiration of the present lease, and have the State by that time as nearly independent of contractors as possible and with sufficient employment for its convicts."

Virginia.― Entirely under State control as to feeding, guarding, housing, clothing, discipline, punishment, and hours of labor exacted ; but the labor of the greater part of the convicts is hired to contractors, who use them in the manufacture of shoes. Some 300, who are not fit for contract purposes, cultivate farms owned by the State.

The Board of Directors of the Virginia Penitentiary, in their annual report of Oct. 30, 1897, say, "There remains a net bal