1 Black Brigade, Cincinnati, Ohio. 2 Franklin Co., Ohio Association Union ex-prisoners of war. 2 State Fencibles. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A HOME FOR THE TREATMENT AND EDUCATION OF DEFORMEND AND CRIPPLED CHILDREN. State of Ohio, Executive Department, Office of the Governor. COLUMBUS, JANUARY 1, 1917. To the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: I transmit herewith the report of the Commission to establish a Home for the treatment and education of deformed and crippled children. With the recommendations of this report I heartily concur. Ohio can do no nobler work than to proceed at once with the establishment of this institution. As is pointed out in the report of the Commission there is now no state institution in which these unfortunate little ones can receive proper treatment and education. Other states of the Union are ahead of Ohio in this humanitarian work. The experience of these states shows that at least 50 per cent of crippled children can be permanently cured, and 25 per cent more very much improved in their condition. The highest humanitarian considerations demand that no effort shall be spared in this commendable project to alleviate human suffering and help these children to become useful, self-sustaining citizens. I recommend that $90,000.00 be appropriated at the earliest possible date to enable the Commission to secure a site and provide necessary equipment and maintenance during 1917 and 1918. In order that there may be no delay in the progress of the work I respectfully but very urgently recommend that $60,000.00 of this amount be made immediately available. FRANK B. WILLIS, Governor. COLUMBUS, OHIO, December 28, 1916. The General Assembly of Ohio: GENTLEMEN: In 1906, the Ohio State Legislature passed laws and appropriated funds for the building of a State Institution for the treatment and education of deformed and crippled children. The need for this Institution had been clearly demonstrated by a Commission appointed in 1902 to investigate the subject. In accordance with the laws, as above mentioned, passed in 1906, a Commission was duly appointed by Governor Pattison. This Commission consists of the Governor of the State and the State Auditor, as ex-officio members, and three private citizens. The present Commission is acting under these same laws, but only one member of the original Commission, appointed in 1906, is now a member of the Commission. The Commission appointed in 1906, had available funds appropriated for its uses and purposes in the sum of $50,000.00. $3,196.44 of this amount was spent for plans and specifications and expenses, and the balance of the original sum appropriated, $46,803.56, lapsed, and was returned to the General Revenue Fund of the State. No minute books or records are available to show just what action the 1906 Commission took, or why they did not proceed to buy a site and erect a home for indigent, deformed and crippled children, as the statute commanded. During the 1915 session of the State Legislature, $1,000.00 was appropriated for the general purpose of a Crippled Children's Home Commission. The purpose of this appropriation was to give the Commission money to properly investigate and visit the Crippled Children's Homes in other States, and, generally, to study the subject so as to be prepared to recommend to the 1917 Legislature, the amount required for acquiring the necessary site and buildings, also the maintenance and cost for 1917 and 1918 of this Institution. The present Commission has made a very careful study of this subject and several members have visited various Institutions of the kind in other States. Only $71.35 of the $1,000.00 appropriated, has been expended by this Commission, notwithstanding the large amount of work they have put in on the subject, because some of the members have paid their own expenses in the investigation and visits above referred to. This present Commission feel such an interest in this subject, and such a need for this Institution, they want to conserve all the money possible, both in the preliminary work and in the actual creation of the Institution, in order that your Honorable Body should be thoroughly convinced that money appropriated for this Institution will be economically and wisely expended. Two other states have blazed the way for this Institution for Ohio and have clearly demonstrated the great need, and the good results accomplished by a State Institution of this character. The Massachusetts Institution, located at Canton, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston), has a capacity of 250 in-patients, and is filled up at all times. The maintenance expense per capita of this Institution is about |