Two cottages have been built, in which there was a departure from plan of cottages previously built, as they were thought too small for comfortable accommodation, and it was especially desired, both for sanitary and moral reasons, that the dormitories be large enough to permit each child to occupy a single bed. Each cottage is full two stories in height, has a commodious hall, a large living room, a large dormitory, a play and work-room, and a bath-room. They are furnished with abundant flues for heating, finished in natural wood and roofed with slate.

An addition has been built to the school-house, adding a hall, four school-rooms, a kindergarten-room and a library-room. This improvement has been made in the best manner, all finished in natural wood, and the whole building roofed with slate.

An additional boiler has been put in, and steam-heat extended through seven cottages and the hospital. The underground steam pipes, needing repairs, were taken up, and tunnels built throughout, through which the pipes are conducted, thus affording ease and economy in making repairs in future. The brick used in this improvement was from the debris of the burnt building. There now remain unheated seven cottages and the school-house.

A brick ice-house has been built of sufficient capacity to meet our needs.

All bibles and hymn-books belonging to the Home were burned, and a portion of our library fund was used to replace them. We have subscribed for a number of juvenile periodicals, and bought some books. A list of books now made out will exhaust the funds.

All these buildings are of brick except the last four, which are

of wood, the barn having a stone basement.

OUR NEEDS.

We labor under great disadvantages, because we have not sufficient room. Three cottages are diverted from their proper use; one is occupied by the Superintendent and family, two by teachers and other employes. The teachers are obliged to occupy one dormitory together, and have absolutely no privacy, a condition objectionable to refined persons. There is no suitable provision for Superintendent's office, none at all for the Matron's office, no place for the reception of visitors, or for Trustees' meetings. The business and the domestic work of the institution lack suitable room for carrying them on properly. We do not wish to indulge luxurious tastes and habits in our employes. The work of the Home is confining, and those who engage in it are entirely isolated from society, and we feel that it is due to them that they should have comfortable and respectable surroundings and private apartments. We do not wish the children under our care to form luxurious tastes and habits, either through influence or example, or personal indulgence, but it is our desire to educate them to regard the decencies and refinements of life, and to inculcate habits of cleanliness and order. We therefore respectfully ask for an appropriation for a main central building. We do not ask for money to be expended in showy adornments or luxurious appointments, but for a tasteful, commodious building, of good style of architecture, finished in a good and substantial manner, furnishing the best possible sanitary conditions. and facilities for carrying on the work of the Home. To this purpose we respectfully ask that the sum of $35,000 be appropriated. An abundant supply of pure water is a necessity in this institution, both for promotion of cleanliness and health, and for fire protection. Many children enter the Home suffering from filth diseases, and in order to secure a healthful condition it is necessary that they should have good bathing facilities. At present all children are bathed by sponge bath from basins containing about two quarts of water, and water for all purposes is carried into cottages in pails. We do not deem it advisable to have a central bath-house, where large numbers of children would be bathed together, but think there is an imperative demand for a bath-tub in each cottage, with an abundance of hot and cold water, so that each child should be able to secure perfect cleanliness, and that the bath should be taken in privacy. During the past biennial period there has been at all times an alarming scarcity of water. Cottage matrons have been obliged to save bath-water to water the few

plants that they keep. There has not been sufficient water to keep the cottages and out-houses in decent order. The cemetery of Davenport is across the street from the institution, and the water used for drinking is from wells that certainly cannot be entirely free from contamination from that source. There is absolutely no protection in case of fire. We most earnestly ask that there be appropriated the sum of $10,000 for the purpose of bringing water from the city water-works, and distributing it throughout the premises, believing that this is the only certain method for procuring an abundant, unfailing supply of pure water. We think an attempt to supply water by boring an artesian well would be experimental, and attended with disappointment and useless expenditure.

The vital importance of manual training and industrial education is daily becoming more widely recognized with reference to young people, and it is especially important in the case of the children of this Home, who are thrown upon their own resources at an early age. The girls of the institution are regularly employed under the direction of the Matron and cottage matrons in domestic duties. It is more difficult to carry out our rule with reference to the boys. We would recommend an industrial building with suitable machinery and instructors to give each boy elementary instruction in some trade. The present temporary building could be moved and used with advantage for that purpose. We respectfully ask for the appropriation of five thousand dollars for the purpose of furnishing manual training and industrial pursuits, which sum should be expended by the Trustees in the most advantageous manner, independently of the regular farm work.

One of the most perplexing problems to be solved is that of sewage. After careful consideration, we ask an appropriation for the purpose of introducing the dry earth system, and replacing the present out-houses, which are old, offensive and unsanitary, with new ones, constructed for the use of that system.

During the past biennial period but little insurance on buildings was carried, until January, 1889, when policies for $18,000, irregular insurance, were canceled, and insurance renewed for $40,000 on all the buildings together. All insurance has heretofore been paid from the support fund. We ask that a special appropriation be made for that purpose.

We ask for an appropriation for a library fund. Our books are constantly read, and worn out by constant use, and need frequent renewal. A number of books also need rebinding.

The total special appropriations needed are:

Careful consideration as to the actual needs of the institution, and estimates as to the sums required, have been made before it was decided to ask for these appropriations. Although the charity of this institution is one that appeals strongly to the sympathy of every benevolent person, we do not on any sentimental grounds ask for generous support for it from the State of Iowa, but on the grounds of justice and economy.

its

It is but just that this great State should throw her protecting care around every homeless, friendless child within her borders, furnishing it either directly or indirectly with a home, rescuing it from ignorance and vice, and securing for it such development of powers as will render it self-supporting. That it is only wise economy for her to do so, will be shown, not only by the most cursory examination of the statistics relating to expenses of our pauper and criminal classes, and of our penal institutions, but also by a careful examination of statistics of our insane asylums and other institutions for the helpless and unfortunate, in which many inmates will be found whose condition is either the direct or hereditary effect of vice or ignorance. Surely there can be no wiser expenditure than that which lifts innocent, helpless little children above degradation and misery, rescues them from pauperism and crime, and rears them to be good and useful citizens, whose happy and virtuous lives are an honor to the State that claims them. HENRY EGBERT, President.

S. L. T. HUTCHISON, Secretary.

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

IOWA SOLDIERS' ORPHANS' HOME, AND HOME FOR INDIGENT CHILDREN.

To the Honorable Board of Trustees:

I have the honor to submit the following as my report for the period of thirteen months, extending from June 1, 1888, to July 1, 1889. My connection with the Home is for that time only.

The number of children present June 1, 1888, was 314 of whom fifty-seven were soldiers' orphans, and supported by the State, and 257 were county children, and supported by the counties.

During the time covered by this report 104 children have been admitted; of these twenty-nine were soldiers' orphans and seventyfive were county children.

During the same period forty-one children have been dismissed to homes, seven died; total discharged, forty-eight. The present enrollment is as follows: Eighty-eight soldiers' orphans, 282 county children; total, 370; of whom 204 are boys, and 166 are girls.

The parents or guardians of the children have called for and taken twenty-eight of the forty-one that have been dismissed; the other thirteen were provided carefully selected homes by the Trustees.

The representation by counties is as follows: