SUMMER CONCERTS. The distribution of the summer concerts during 1902 was as follows: Common, Sunday afternoons . e - e. so . 1 The attendance at the forty band concerts may be estimated at 275,000. The band consisted of forty players, under the leadership of Mr. Emil Mollenhauer. WINTER CONCERTS. As in the previous year, a regular orchestra of nine players, assisted by a vocal soloist, gave concerts in school halls and other convenient places during the winter months. Latterly an instrumental solo has been contributed at each concert by some member of the orchestra. Concerts upon this plan are varied at rare intervals by others with enlarged orchestra, two such having been given during the year. A feature of this winter's work has been the opening of several new halls in the poorer sections of the city. The concerts were distributed among the different districts, in the ratio of their population, as follows: City Proper, Faneuil Hall . CONCLUSION. Besides furnishing these concerts, the department exercises a limited control over the musical features of the holiday celebrations. We desire to renew the recommendations made at some length in our last report. An appropriation sufficient to meet legitimate demands is urgently needed. As the office expenses of this department are practically stationary, the whole of any additional sum granted by the City Council, with Your Honor's approval, would be directly devoted to music for the benefit of the people. HON PATRICK A. COLLINS, SIR, - The Board of Overseers of the Poor herewith present their thirty-ninth annual report of the present, series, covering the year from February 1, 1902, to January 31, 1903. EXPENSES OF THE DEPARTMENT. Our drafts upon the City Treasury during the year ending January 31, 1902, amounted to $123,234 69 Sundry receipts paid over to City Collector . 13,951 73 Leaving the net charge to the city for the de partment for the year $109,282 96 This is $2,137.95 more than the previous year. y Amount collected by us for care in City Hospital of State paupers, and those belonging elsewhere than in Boston . so to . $39,975 11 A mount paid over to the Trustees of the City Hospital in the year . g e . 33,973 69 Balance paid over in February, 1903 . . $6,001 42 STATISTICS OF CASES AIDED. The number of families assisted by us in the year was 2,420, a decrease of 217 families from the previous year. Of these, 290 families resided in other cities and towns, but had retained their settlement in this city ; and we received payment for aid rendered to 172 families residing in Boston whose legal settlement was elsewhere. The number of new cases aided during the year was 514, a decrease of 8 from the year previous. The total number of cases dealt with since 1864 is 36,834. The number of official visits made by our visitors during the year was 22,916, of which 17,682 were made in the homes of the poor, and 5,234 for information. FAMILIES AIDED DURING THE YEAR ENDING JANUARY 31, 1903. 1,444 having settlements here, aided directly from this office, or by agents in the outlying districts. 290 having settlements here, aided in other cities and towns, through the overseers of the poor of those places. 202 families, of which the man is unsettled, the wife and children having a settlement here. 172 residing here, having settlements in other cities and towns, which refund amount of relief granted. 252 unsettled cases aided on account of the State. 60 non-settlement cases, temporarily aided. _2,420 families, representing about 7,260 persons. NUMBER OF FAMILLES AIDED IN EACH MONTH OF THE PAST Two YEARS. 1901. Feb., 1,467 families. 1902. Feb., 1,316 families. March, 1,446 “ March, 1,260 “ April, 1,137 “ April, 1,048 “ May, 1,003 “ May, 985 “ June, 964 “ June, 967 “ July, 986 “ July, 978 “ Aug., 930 “ Aug., 913 “ Sept., 934 “ * Sept., 953 “ Oct., 1,013 “ Oct., 1,026 “ Nov., 1,042 “ Nov., 1,035 “ Dec., 1,307 “ Dec., 1,237 “ 1902. Jan., 1,412 “ 1903. Jan., 1,331 “ The sum of $72,408.34 has been given directly to the poor, to which should be added the sum of $3,170.68 paid for burials, the sum of $5,128.54 paid for support of the Temporary Home, and the further sum of $9,792.19 paid for support of the Lodge for Wayfarers, making a total of $90,499.75 actually paid out by the Overseers of the Poor from the tax levy for the direct relief of the poor. We have also disbursed as trustees the further sum of $24,213.26 to the various pensioners and beneficiaries adjudged worthy and falling within the provisions of the trusts. THE WORK TEST. The Board has continued to demand work of all able-bodied male applicants in return for groceries and coal furnished their families. 1900. 1901. 1902. Number of men who worked for aid given e * e 399 309 190 Number of days’ work actually performed 3,128 2,545 1,425 Number of men receiving work cards who did not present them for work . to so 60 54 37 THE WAYFARERS’ LODGE. The past winter was one which taxed the wood yard to its fullest capacity. Our trade in wood was tremendously increased by reason of the coal famine during the months of December and January, and we found it impossible to meet all the demands made upon us. We were forced to hire men to saw and split wood, in addition to utilizing, as always, the labor of the wayfarers and order men. It was extremely difficult to get seasoned wood suitable for our customers, and the committee spent much time in securing it. The amount of wood sold and delivered by us in the months of December and January was 553 cords, 5 feet and 4 baskets, which corresponds to sales in the same months a year ago of 278 cords. Evidence of general prosperity and of the small number of unemployed in Boston at the present time is found in the statistics of able-bodied male applicants to the Overseers of the Poor who worked in the wood yard for supplies furnished their families. In the last year only 190 such applicants were given work, whereas in the year 1901 there were 309, and in the year 1900 there were 399; while, if we go back to |