the public schools is from six to twenty dollars. The annual cost of the support of an individual in the House of Reformation, the cheapest of all such institutions, is forty-four dollars, and in the House of Correction probably not less than one hundred dollars; and in this estimate is not included the great expense of the administration of criminal law, much of which might be prevented by the proper education of these children. “‘It is a defect in the organization of this (School) Board, that there is now no person connected with and acting under direction of the Board, to ascertain what children of the legal age are not in the schools, and to use measures to bring them there. This Board is the only one which has, officially, a knowledge of the numbers of children in the schools and of those who ought to be there. It is the one whose duty it is to provide means for the education of all the children. It would be well if it could have authority not only to use means to bring wandering children into the schools, but to provide for the instruction of those portions of the adult population who are without, and who desire elementary instruction,--that is, instruction in reading, writing and accounts.’ “I know of no one thing,” says the City Marshal, “that is so much needed as a proper home for idle and vagrant _female_ children, the ascertained number of which class is 184. There are, undoubtedly, 300 of the same character now in the City, they may be seen at the entrance of every public building and every great thoroughfare, peddling small articles or begging, and insulting every person who refuses to buy, or give when asked. Many of them have been so long neglected, that they are familiar with crime in its worst forms, but against whom it is difficult to procure evidence, and when procured, the only place they can be sent to, is to the House of Correction or House of Industry for short terms, and then they are suffered to go at large without a proper home or friends to care for them. “In regard to habitual truants from the schools, I am satisfied that the powers of the Courts, and the City authorities, are entirely _inadequate_ to meet the evil. The late Mayor directed me to detail some officer whose whole duty it should be to look after the truants that were reported to him, by the masters of the several schools. “From the report of the officer detailed for this purpose, I make the following extract: