Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/379

 NEW YOEK (STATE) 367 incorporated charities of the state comprise 128 orphan asylums and homes for the friendless, 46 hospitals, and 57 dispensaries. The prison system of New York comprises three state prisons, six county penitentiaries, two state and eleven local reformatories, besides county jails, city prisons, &c. The general supervision of the prisons is vested by the constitution in three inspectors elected for three years. All prison officers are appointed by the inspectors. Cigars, shoes, harness and saddlery hardware, tools, machinery, and axles are made at Au- burn and Sing Sing, while in the latter a large number of convicts are employed in the mar- ble and lime works. In the Clinton prison, at Dannemora, the manufacture of iron, nails, &c., from ore mined on the premises, is the chief employment of the convicts. All the industries are managed by contract in Auburn, all but stone cutting in Sing Sing, and none in Clinton prison. No one of the prisons is self- sustaining. In all instruction is afforded to convicts, and all have libraries. The condition of these institutions for the year ending Sept. 30, 1874, was as follows: PARTICULARS. Auburn. Clinton. Sing Sing. 1292 548 1200 Capacity for inmates Number of prisoners Sept. 80, 1873 j 1,300 1,104 540 548 2,508 1,354 Admitted during the year.. 664 543 183 164 928 976 In prison Sept. 80, 1874 Advances from state I treasury j 1,204 $233,167 552 $337,678 1,306 $360,054 Earnings $101,910 $153 473 $124,009 Excess of expenditures $131,257 $184,205 $236,045 Including $26,231 miscellaneous expenditures not distributed, the entire excess of expendi- tures was reported at $588,537. This, how- ever, is reduced by stock on hand, permanent improvements, and unpaid accounts of the pre- vious year, amounting to $68,358 in favor of Auburn, $225,748 of Clinton, and $163,370 of Sing Sing. With these deductions, the real excess of expenditures over earnings becomes $131,060. The expense of maintaining each convict is from $3 to $4 a week in excess of the income. The prisons are full, and a great- er capacity is needed. The six penitentiaries are situated in Buffalo, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Eochester, Albany, and New York (Blackwell's island). In the three first named, trades are taught to the inmates and evening schools are held. The state has no share in the manage- ment of these institutions, which are under the control of the counties where situated; but state prisoners are confined in them. The to- tal number of prisoners in the penitentiaries at the beginning of 1874 was 5,940. The prison association of New York is an organization for the repression of crime, the reformation of the criminal classes, the aid of discharged convicts, &c. It has agents in all parts of the state and at all the prisons, who visit persons detained under charge of crime, with a view of 601 VOL. XIL 24 aiding them to obtain justice, and who look after the interests of discharged convicts. In 1873, 1,257 discharged prisoners were aided by the general agency in New York city, while 4,735 in prison accused of crime were visited and advised, of whom 204, being friendless, were defended. Annual reports are made to the legislature. The common school system of New York may be traced to a law passed by the legislature in 1812, which provided for the division of the state into school districts, the distribution of the interest of the school fund in the ratio of the number of children from 5 to 15 years of age, and the annual levy by each town of a tax for school purposes. As early as 1795, however, an annual appropriation of $50,000 for five years was made by the le- gislature for public instruction. The acts re- lating to public instruction were revised and consolidated in the general law of 1864, which was several times amended until 1867, when the free school system of the state was fairly established. For school purposes the state ia divided into general districts and city districts created by special acts. There is no state board of education. The general supervision of the common schools is vested in a state superin- tendent, who is elected for three years by a joint ballot of the legislature, receives an an- nual salary of $5,000, besides an allowance of $3,000 for a deputy and between $8,000 and $9,000 for clerk hire, and makes an annual re- port to the legislature. By virtue of his office he is a regent of the university, chairman of the executive committee of the state normal school at Albany, a trustee of the people's college and of the state asylum for idiots, and is required to provide for the education of all Indian chil- dren in the state. The office of county super- intendent was abolished in 1847, and that of town superintendent in 1857. Their duties are performed by district commissioners elected for three years by the people. Each school district has also one or three trustees, who exercise authority in relation to school funds, property, &c., and report annually to the district com- missioner. The common schools are free to all persons between 5 and 21 years of ^age. Separate schools are provided for the Indians, and any city or incorporated village may es- tablish schools exclusively for colored children. The compulsory educational law of 1874, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 1875, re- quires all children not physically or mentally incapacitated, between the ages of 8 and 14 years, to attend some public or private day school not less than 14 weeks every year, 8 of which must be consecutive ; or they must be taught at home for the same time in spelling, reading, writing, English grammar, geography, and arithmetic. Manufacturers and others are prohibited, under penalty of $50, from employ- ing during school hours children under 14 years of age who have not received the instruc- tion required by the act. Boards of trustees are directed to make provision for the instruo