CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETIES, first established in New York city, chiefly by the exertions of Charles L. Brace, about the year 1853. The object of this and its many imitative societies is to care for the poor and neglected children of large cities, to rescue them from want and crime, afford rudimentary education, and provide homes for them, usually among the farmers of the agricultural states. At the last annual meeting of the New York society, the report showed that, during the 26 years of its operation, 55,717 persons had been sent to homes and places of work, and of these more than 45,000 were children. During the year 1879, no less than 3,713 persons were sent to homes, of whom 1920 were boys, 1380 girls, 210 men, and 203 women. In the lodging-houses, during 26 years, 200,000 different boys and girls have been sheltered and partly fed and instructed. In the industrial schools over 50,000 poor little girls have been taught. The society brings forward the police statistics on crime to show that "vagrancy and crime among young girls have been greatly diminished during the past 15 or 20 years; while among boys, criminal offenses have not grown with the population, but have been held decidedly in check." Among 162, 153 boys who, during the past 25 years, have been in the newsboys' lodging-house, there has been no case of contagious disease, and only one death. The other boys' lodging-houses have been almost equally fortunate. Statistics arc given to show that since the establishment of the sick children's mission and summer home six years ago, 1000 lives annually have been saved under diarrheal diseases alone, and that the genera] death-rate has been reduced from 33.76 to 24.93 per 1000. The
total expense of the 21 industrial schools in 1879 was $71,540.15, and the average attend ance 3,632, making the annual cost for each child $19.69. The cost in 1878 for each child in the public schools, not including rents, was $38.41; this expense not including food or clothing. In the lodging-houses, 13,652 boys and girls were fed, sheltered, and taught during the year, at a total expense of $47,143.66. Deducting the receipts, together with the cost of construction ($26,916.17), the net cost was $20,227.49; dividing this by the nightly average attendance, the average cost to the public of each child was $42.67. The average cost per year of each prisoner in the Tombs is $107.75, and the Roman Catholic protectory draws from the city treasury over $100, annually, for each of its inmates. The total number placed out by the society, mainly in western homes, during last year, was 3,713; the total cost for railroad fares, clothing, food, salaries, etc., was $29,679.48; the average cost to the public, accordingly, for each person was $8.04. Yet any one of these children placed in an asylum or poor-house for a year would have cost undoubtedly nearly $140. The number who enjoyed the benefit of the summer home was 2,912; the total expense, deducting cost of construction, $1000.28, and rent of 1878, $350, was $5,036.30; making the average cost for each child $1.89.