ALMSHOUSE.

At a Special Meeting of the Overseers of the Poor, held January 9th, 1871, the following resolution was passed:

Resolved, That the Chairman be requested respectfully to represent to the City Council, that in the opinion of this Board, it is desirable that the situation of the proposed Home for the Poor should be such as to avoid any actual or supposed association, between the provision made for the relief of the deserving poor, and the punishment of offenders against the law; and to mitigate, so far as the proper regulation and management of such an Institution will permit, the separation of its inmates from their kindred, homes and friends.

And that, in their opinion, in view of these considerations, Deer Island is not a suitable place for such an Institution.

In addition to the Overseers of the Poor and the City Physician,. the following societies have rooms in Charity Building:

Boston Provident Association.

Industrial Aid Society.

Massachusetts Soldiers' Fund.

Boston Soldiers' Fund.

Boston Sewing Circle.

Ladies' Relief Agency.

Young Men's Benevolent Society.

Some account of each of these societies will be found on the following pages:

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BOSTON PROVIDENT ASSOCIATION.

ORGANIZED 1851; INCORPORATED 1854.

The organization of this Association extends over the whole city which is divided into 12 districts, which are subdivided into 167 sections, for each of which a Visitor is appointed, whose duty it is to attend to every applicant for relief within its limits. The Association issues its directory annually, in October, giving its classified lists of visitors, sections, streets, how to direct applicants, &c., &c.

This Associatlon is the only one in Boston which gives away clothing to any considerable extent on the orders of its visitors; not cast-off clothing only, but new garments, for the most part. It makes no discrimination on account of creed, color, or nationality.

The payment of not less than one dollar constitutes membership; this plan is adopted to secure the co-operation of every citizen. Tickets will be furnished to members at any time, on application at the Central Office. Subscriptions may be sent to the treasurer, or to the General Agent. Communications should be addressed to the General Agent.

The Office hours are from 9 till 2, and from 3 till 5 o'clock; in summer, from 9 till 1 only.

The Annual Meeting is held on the third Wednesday in May. The amount expended during the past year by the visitors, for coal and groceries, was $8,335.55; expended for garments, shoes, etc., distributed, $1,819.35; estimated value of donated goods distributed, $1,791; paid from central office in wages, rent, etc., to needlewomen, being received from private sources, $2,110; number of American families aided, 664; foreign, 1,543-total, $2,207; American persons in these families, 1,927; foreign, 4,915-total, 6,842; visits made by the visitors, 6,078; orders received from visitors for poots, shoes, and clothing, and filled from the central office, 1,453. Officers for the ensuing year :

President. Hon. Robert C. Winthrop.

Vice-Presidents. Hon. Jacob Sleeper; James M. Beebe, Esq.;

Rev. S. K. Lothrop, D. D.; Hon. Albert Fearing; Rev. J. T. Sargent.

Executive Committee. Hon. Francis E. Parker; M. C. Greene, M. D.; Francis Minot, M. D.; Charles D. Homans, M. D.; Algernon Coolidge, M. D.

Auditor. Charles H. Fiske, 20 State street.

Secretary. William Hedge, 35 Court street.

Treasurer. Edward Jackson, 24 Franklin street.

General Agent. A. G. Goodwin; assistant, Miss E. S. Nesbitt.

INDUSTRIAL AID SOCIETY, MAY, 1871.

This society was established thirty-five years since, on the plan of prevention of pauperism, by timely advice and assistance, and procuring employment, and thus saving the annoyance of street and house begging, and the additional cost to the city and state, as well as to individuals, by any increase of the pauper class. An examination of the records, or a few weeks experience will show that the public and the tax-payers are thus relieved, and that individuals are benefited continually. If all are not employed, or aided to become self supporting, it is because they will not accept of it, or will not remain at the places found for them. It is therefore necessary to refuse aid in some cases, and allow the pressure of poverty to cure indolence. The object is, however, to prevent or cure poverty and crime as much as possible, also to detect imposters. To this end, we co-operate with the other societies in the Charity Building. The mere statement of the great number of applicants testifies to the amount of work done, for a great many of these applicants have already been aided, and others would not come, unless they had good reason to believe we were willing and

able to assist them.

For the year 1869 and 1870, to October 1, the num

ber of applicants were

For the subsequent six months

6,468

3,215

- 9,683

During this period of a year and six months, places were found for 3,288, besides aid given in various ways; one of which, is the return of persons to their homes in Europe, who were unable to work, or not able to succeed here. It is difficult to describe the work of the society, as there are so many different cases; no charge is made to any applicant for services rendered, and many are furnished with writing materials and stamps to answer advertisments, and for writing to their friends, and in various other ways, we aid those who desire to help themselves. The work is constant throughout the year, allowing no time for vacation while the subscriptions and resources of the society are inadequate, though they have been increased somewhat by two or three timely legacies.

Much good might be accomplished by sending boys in to the country upon farms, or to learn trades, if the means were furnished to pay their fares, or a working suit of clothes, and the number of boys that apply yearly is over sixteen hundred.

A new enterprise has recently been organized under the auspices of this society, which is the importation of Swedish domestics and laborers. This is successful, and they make the best of citizens. It will supply, in part, a want much felt in the community, that of good female domestics.

OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY, 1870–71.

President, Thomas Hollis.

Vice Presidents, Andrew Bigelow, Albert Fearing, Lewis E. Caswell, Andrew Cushing.

Secretary, Samuel B. Cruft.

Treasurer, C. H. P. Plympton.

General Agent, Edward Winslow.

Directors, John P. Robinson, David Pike, Luman Boyden, Edwin J. Gerry, George F. Bigelow, D. Waldo Salisbury, George H. Lane, John Pratt, Dr. Samuel A. Green, Joseph E. Barry, William P. Tilden, Samuel Condon, Thomas C. Amory.

Executive Committee, Thomas Hollis, Samuel B. Cruft, George F. Bigelow, John P. Robinson, Andrew Cushing.