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vest of good. But the public patronage has greatly declined. The annual subscriptions for the second year, 1825, sunk to $1018; for the year 1826, to $698; for 1827, the receipts were $1232, nearly one half arrearages; for 1828, the subscriptions and donations have amounted to only $646.

How utterly inadequate this society is, under its present reduced support, to meet the wants of the ill-fated women, for whose benefit it was intended, is obvious from the mortifying fact, that, although there are one thousand applicants, there was paid for work in 1828 only $2,253, being less than two dollars and a half to each individual.

I cannot resist the temptation to offer a few remarks on the operations of this society, to which I earnestly and respectfully invite the attention of the president and managers. That it originated in the purest motives of benevolence and beneficence, I cheerfully bear my testimony; and likewise that it has done and is doing good. But that the good has greatly diminished, cannot be doubted, as appears from the preceding paragraph. It affords employment in the winter season, when work from the tailors slackens, and when the sufferings of the poor are at their height. This is beneficial. But I am constrained to say, there is a great drawback on it. The wages given are insufficient to support human nature, even allowing the employment to be constant-no sickness to interfere-no children to attend to no casualty to take place. The maximum of the women's earnings is a quarter dollar a day, and not more than one in ten can earn more than a dollar or a dollar and a quarter per week! I have been told in justification, by a benevolent manager, that they make no complaint-that they are satisfied with the wages they receive! But does this prove that they can pay rent, and feed and clothe themselves for such wages? If the price of making shirts, were reduced to 10 to 8, or even to 6 cents each, the poor women would still receive them thankfully. Why? Because they have no other resource-the alternative is a total want of employment, or the paltry wages of perhaps 12 or 15 cents, or, at most, a quarter dollar per day! During the season of 1828-9, the women have never received more than four shirts, and most of them not more than two per week!

I have understood that when the society was formed, it adopted the minimum wages of 12 cents, given at the time by tailors. Some, I am informed, (but cannot vouch for the fact,)

paid more liberally. But as soon as the society fixed the prices, they were regarded as the general standard. If this be so, as I believe it to be, it was a most serious evil-almost enough to countervail all the advantages resulting from the society. The Female Hospitable Society pays, and has uniformly paid, of late years, 18 cents cash, for the same kind of shirts. The Provident Society ought to raise the wages to a similar price, so as to enable the women to earn a subsistence. If the society sets the laudable example, it will probably be followed by some of the tailors and others who give work to this interesting class, and be a jubilee to them and their children. There will be no generosity in the rise. It will be a mere act of humanity and justice. The present system is literally" grinding the faces of the poor." If, as I have been told, the funds will be exhausted by this measure, it is better so than half starve the poor people who work for the society. A proper appeal to the public would, undoubtedly, procure such additional sums from year to year, at the approach of winter, as would enable it to continue its operations.

These observations apply with equal force to all societies here and elsewhere, whose object is to give employment to the poor. They ought to give full wages, lest, by reducing rates, they produce a permanent and general evil, while they at best do but a partial and temporary good.

Societies for the Promotion of Education.

25. "The Infant School Society of the city of Philadelphia" was established in May, 1827. It is under a board of twenty-five managers, of whom Mrs. M. P. Moore is president, Miss Sparhawk secretary, and Miss Yarnall treasurer. There is a board of advisers composed of nine citizens. The annual subscription is two dollars. The number of subscribers 320. The amount of annual subscriptions in 1828 was above $600. Life subscriptions, $800, which indicates the number of life subscribers to be 40. Donations, $928. Liberal as are these contributions, they are inadequate to the support of the number of schools that would be requisite for the purpose of carrying into full effect the benevolent objects in view. The life subscriptions are invested as a permanent fund-and, without an increase of annual subscriptions, the Society will have to depend on an income of about 700 dollars a year. There are three

Schools in active operation, and a fourth is in a state of preparation. An act was passed by the Legislature, in April 1827, authorizing the Controllers of the public schools to incorporate the infant schools in their system of education; and a memorial, praying them to adopt this salutary measure, has been presented to the board by a meeting of citizens.

26. The Infant School Society of Southwark, consists of 166 annual subscribers. The receipts of 1828 were $460, of which $166 were from annual subscribers, and the remaining $294 donations and life subscriptions. There are enrolled on the books 246 children, of whom about 170 attend daily. Numerous applications for admission have been rejected, for want of Want of funds alone has prevented the opening of an

other school.

27. The Infant School Society, of the Northern Liberties and Kensington, has established four schools. It was organized in May, 1828, and between that time and January 5, 1829, there were raised by subscriptions and donations, $770; and received for tuition, $119.-The subscription is one dollar per annum; there are 450 subscribers.

It may be confidently asserted that there is no object, in the wide range taken by beneficence in this city, in which so much substantial, permanent good can be done to society, in proportion to the expenditure, as by these infant schools. They call loudly for the support of the opulent.

28. The Apprentices' Library has 165 annual, and 37 life subscribers. The subscription is two dollars per annum. The receipts from March, 1828, till April, 1829, were $681, of which $330 were for annual subscriptions; the remainder life subscriptions, donations, &c.

29. "The society for the free instruction of female children," consists of eighteen ladies, of the society of Friends, who have a school called, "Aimwell," and employ two teachers for the instruction of about 70 children. Their income last year was $742.

30. The Philadelphia Society for the establishment and support of Charity Schools, received in 1827, from 85 subscribers, $196. The total income of the year was $2656. This institution is in a most flourishing condition, and reflects the highest honour on the city of Philadelphia, and on its liberal founders. It holds in real estate and capital stock $37,110; of the former, $15,415, and of the latter $21,695. There are about 450 scholars, male and female, under its care.

31. "The Philadelphia Union Society for the education of poor female children," is incorporated, and has a school for the purpose. As its resources are by no means commensurate with its benevolence, it is obliged to limit its attentions to fifty scholars. The subscription is generally one dollar, The annual subscriptions are not sufficient to defray more than half of the expense. The remainder is borne by the interest on some legacies:

There are 156 annual subscribers. The total receipts of last year were, 404 dollars-156 dollars for annual subscriptions, and 248 dollars for dividends on stock.

32. The Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb is supported chiefly by the state, which maintains thirty-nine of its pupils. The whole number there in March, 1829, was 68, of whom three were supported by the state of New Jersey, two by Maryland, and there are, besides, 24, of whom 13 are paid for by their friends. The subscription is two dollars per annum. There are 143 subscribers, who in 1828 paid $286. The receipts of the year amounted to $18,059, of which the commonwealth paid $7,459; private pupils, $2,337; State of New Jersey, $402; donations and life subscriptions, $126; John S. Brown, of Chambersburg, 8300; John Grandom's legacy, $5000; Daniel Suter's, $100; for manufactured goods, $1905.

33. The Abolition Society formed a fund at an early day, for the education of coloured people, which was liberally supported until the directors of the public schools made arrangements for their education.-The school is still continued; but there are only ten subscribers. The annual subscription is five dollars. The total receipts of 1827, were 341 dollars, of which 75 dollars were from subscribers, and the remaining 266 dollars from rents, dividends, &c.

34. The Philadelphia Association of Friends, for the instruction of poor children, is supported by rents, dividends, and stocks. Its receipts last year were 900 dollars.

35. "The Pennsylvania Society for the promotion of Public Schools," consists of 120 members. Its receipts in 1828 were 154 dollars. It has no permanent funds. It has distributed about 1000 circulars through the state, at a heavy expense of postage, to arouse our citizens to a sense of the importance of the subject of a general system of public education, and to efforts commensurate with that importance. It is to be greatly

regretted, that the success has by no means corresponded with its exertions.

Athough the Institution for the support of Public Lancasterian Schools does not, strictly speaking, fall within my plan, I think it may not be amiss to devote a few lines to its details. It was organized in 1816. There are at present 19 schools; 10 in the city, and 9 in the adjacent districts. About 31,000 children have been educated in them. The average number, at one time, is about 4000. The cost to the city and county averages about six dollars each per annum. The boys are received between the ages of 6 and 14; the girls between 5 and 13. The institution is governed by directors and controllers chosen annually by the City Councils and the corporate authorities in the districts, who serve without compensation.

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I have taken great pains to render these tables correct, but believe there are some errors in them; none, however, very material, or affecting the general result.

+ Exclusive of 2500 dollars from the state treasury, and 5000 dollars from the county.

The Pennsylvania Hospital was inadvertently omitted in the above statement. The amount of contributions and donations in the year 1828, was only $381. The total receipts were $45,065-of which more than onebalf, $23,528, was for pay patients-Interest, dividends, and ground rents, $11,073-Legacies, $5620-Sundries, $4844.

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