Studied from the point of view of the objects of this investigation, the population of 65 years of age and over falls into the following divisions: 1. Inmates of correctional institutions. 2. Inmates of hospitals and asylums for the insane. 3. Inmates of almshouses. 4. Inmates of benevolent homes. 5. Recipients of public outdoor relief. 6. Recipients of private outdoor relief. 7. Recipients of State and military aid, soldiers' relief and federal pensions. 8. Non-dependent aged, including persons who have never received aid from outside sources, public or private. The information concerning these classes of the aged population which is presented in this report has been gathered in part through returns made by officers of institutions and societies in reply to inquiries by the commission, and in part by agents of the commission through personal visits to institutions, societies and individuals. The investigation of the aged institutional population, including inmates of correctional, pauper and benevolent institutions, was extended over a period of twelve months, September 1, 1908, to September 1, 1909.1 The number of inmates on September 1, 1908, 65 years of age and over, the number admitted during the succeeding twelve months, and the number of inmates deceased, discharged or transferred during the year, were duly enumerated. It was necessary to extend the investigation over a twelve-month period, in order to determine the full extent and movement of this population. A mere day count gives only a partial indication of the burden imposed by this dependent class, and affords an inadequate basis for calculating the scope and the cost of any pension scheme. It is essential to know not only how many persons might come under the provisions of a pension scheme 1 September 1, 1908, was selected as the earliest date on which the statistical investigation could be started. The appropriation which made this investigation possible was not voted until June, 1908. The engagement of a chief investigator and the formulation of a definite plan of investigation required several weeks. It was not possible therefore, to begin the statistical enumeration before September 1. at ary date, but how many persons must be provided for dur ing an entire JEET. It is obvious that an investigation of this scope covering a study of the aged population during an entire year could not 19 made absolmely complete and accurate in all its details. Great Care, however, has been taken to make the enumerain comprehensive on the one hand, and to exclude duplications on the other hand. Repeated visits have been made by ures of the commission to cities and towns, in order to ob tain full returns. It is believed that the census of the aged population in almshouses and benevolent homes is reasonably complete. Doubtless some cases of aged persons in receipt of publie relief outside of institutions have escaped the enumeritos. The enumeration of aged recipients of private door relief is only partial, for reasons that are later exel. The same statement holds true of the enumeration Led recipients of State aid, military aid and soldiers' reSef and of the non-dependent aged. 1. The statistics of aged inmates of correctional institutions have been compiled partly from the records in the ofce of the State Board of Prison Commissioners, and partly from returns obtained through agents of the commission. The statistics cover the fourteen county jails and the four State penal institutions that have aged inmates, namely, Charlestown, Bridgewater, Rutland and Sherborn. The jail population was not studied in detail, as regards the industrial and financial records of the inmates, as this class does not fall strictly within the scope of the present investigation. It is clear that the members of the criminal class would still have to be maintained in institutions, even if a pension system were adopted. They are, moreover, debarred from the receipt of a pension under most pension schemes that have been proposed or adopted. In estimating the scope, cost and need of any pension scheme, the prison population may therefore be eliminated from detailed consideration. 2. The statistics of aged inmates of insane asylums and hospitals were furnished by the superintendents of the fourteen institutions. This class of the pensionable population was treated in the same manner as the jail population. The insane fall outside the province of this investigation, strictly defined, for the same reason that has been explained in connection with the jail population. Consequently, the inmates of institutions for the insane were not investigated, further than to determine the numbers in the age groups under consideration. 3. The aged almshouse population, including inmates of the two State institutions, the State Farm at Bridgewater and the State Infirmary at Tewksbury, and inmates of the 192 local almshouses of cities and towns, was enumerated by means of card schedules which were filled out by officers of the institutions and agents of the commission. The form of schedule used for this purpose called for detailed information concerning the industrial and financial records of the aged inmates, particularly such facts as would throw light on the causes of dependency, and the possibility of providing for these persons outside of institutions by a pension scheme. 4. The aged population in benevolent homes, including inmates of 84 institutions maintained by private charity, was investigated by the same method as that pursued in the study of the almshouse class. Only permanent homes were included in this canvass. Twenty temporary homes open to adults were visited by agents of the commission, but it was discovered that the percentage of persons 65 years of age and over who were cared for in this class of institution was so small as to be practically negligible. The persons found in these homes were, with very few exceptions, below the pensionable age. The form of schedule used in this case differed slightly from the almshouse schedule, as the inmates of benevolent homes are not in the pauper class, and consequently are in different circumstances from the almshouse population. So far as possible, returns were obtained through the officers of institutions, but agents were sent to secure further data whenever that was necessary. 5. The aged recipients of public outdoor relief, including persons partially supported by the State, the city or the town, outside of institutions, were enumerated through the assist The form of schedule used ance of overseers of the poor. for this class was somewhat different from that employed for the institutional population. The instructions to enumerators called for a return for every person 65 years of age and over given poor relief by State, city or town during the twelve months September 1, 1908, to September 1, 1909. No attempt was made to make a separate "day count" and "year count," as in the case of the institutional population. That was impracticable, for several reasons. The enumeration of all persons 65 years of age and over aided by the city, town or State on a given date, and the later enumeration of all additions and withdrawals during the next twelve months, would have required innumerable house-to-house visits in each city and town in the State, and would have entailed an enormous expense. Indeed, to trace all deaths and removals accurately would be well-nigh impossible, even with a large permanent staff of field agents. There are no available official records which give full information. The attempt to make such a separate year count would, under the circumstances, have resulted in much repetition and duplication of the returns, which could not later have been deducted and eliminated. For these reasons, the persons aided during the course of the year were enumerated in one class, without further discrimination as to new cases, deaths, removals and the like. 6. The aged recipients of private outdoor relief, including persons aided by charitable agencies of all kinds outside of institutions, were studied by means of the same schedule as that used in the case of the public outdoor poor. The assistance of officers and agents of charitable societies was obtained in securing returns for this class. It was impossible, however, to make a complete census of the aged beneficiaries of private charity. The obstacles in the way of an enumeration of all the members of this class were found to be insuperable. In the first place, many officers of societies were naturally reluctant to furnish information concerning beneficiaries, or even to give the addresses of the latter to agents of the commission. The relation between the society and the beneficiary was regarded as confidential, and the request for detailed information concerning individual cases was often refused, for this reason. Furthermore, it was not practicable to follow up each individual case, even when addresses could be obtained, without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time, effort and money. In this part of the investigation, therefore, a sufficient number of cases to be representative of the condition of the aged private outdoor poor was enumerated, namely, 444 cases, and the total number and the expense of this class of the dependent population throughout the State were estimated. 7. The aged recipients of State aid, military aid, soldiers' relief and United States pensions were covered in part only, as in the case of the preceding class of private outdoor poor. Here again certain difficulties rendered complete enumeration of this division of the aged population impracticable. The total number of this class in the State exceeds 25,000. It was possible, however, without undertaking the expensive task of making a complete census, to determine from available records the approximate number of beneficiaries of this class 65 years of age and over, and the amount of aid given. A representative number of cases, 1,645, was enumerated on the schedules by agents of the commission. 8. The class of aged non-dependents, including persons 65 years of age and over not assisted by public or private charity, was treated by the same method as that adopted in the case of the private outdoor poor and the beneficiaries of military relief. A complete census of this class would require a house-to-house canvass of the State. The number actually enumerated in the investigation was 3,746. The schedule used for this class was more detailed than those used in other divisions of the investigation, the additional questions being designed to bring out pertinent facts regarding the present financial and industrial circumstances of the non-dependent aged. The particular portion of this class that is of chief interest in an investigation of this character is the group just above the dependency line, but below the poverty line. It is important to estimate the size and the composition of this |