and excepting the premises demised in the lease of Ward's island and the buildings thereon from the city to the state of New York, but only for the period of said lease.

§ 253. It shall be the duty of the commissioner to inspect all charitable, eleemosynary or reformatory institutions, in which any person shall have been placed, committed, or received, or is retained, as a charge against the city, and he shall make no certificate that will enable any such institution, claiming the moneys of the city for the care, support, secular education, or maintenance of any such person, to obtain payment therefor, and no payment shall be made to such institution therefor, if it shall appear in the judgment of the commissioner that such person is neglected or is received and retained therein in violation of the rules and regulations of the state board of charities, or that moneys paid by the city to any such institution for the care, support, secular education, or maintenance of its inmates shall have been expended for any other purpose. Whenever the commissioner shall decide, after reasonable notice to any institution, and a hearing, that the cost and maintenance, education, or medical treatment, of any inmate therein is not a proper charge against the city, and a written notice thereof, with the reasons therefor, is given by him to such institution, thereupon all right on the part of said institution to receive compensation from the city on account of such inmate shall cease.

§ 254. The term poor person " when used in this chapter means "one unable to maintain himself," as defined in the poor law. The word "institution" whenever used in this chapter shall include any charitable corporation, one of whose objects is the care of children or the placing of children in families.

TITLE 18.

Department of Correction.

Section 255. 1. Except as otherwise provided in this act, the commissioner shall have charge and control of all prisons and correctional institutions belonging to the city, including the county jails of Queens and Richmond and the institution heretofore described as the county jail or sheriff's prison of the county of New York, commonly known as Ludlow street jail.

2. He shall have custody of all persons lawfully committed or remanded to any institution under his control.

3. He shall, upon such terms and conditions as shall be prescribed in the administrative code, receive and detain, when lawfully required by the sheriff of a county wholly included in the city, any person under arrest or detention pursuant to the order of any court or judge in a civil action or proceeding, subject to the order of the sheriff; provided, however, that all such persons shall be held and maintained entirely separate and aloof from prisoners charged with or convicted of crime.

§ 256. From and after the date when this act takes effect, the prison located upon Riker's island shall be known and described as the New York city penitentiary, and, thereupon or as soon thereafter as may be practicable, the commissioner shall transfer to said penitentiary all employees of and all prisoners confined in the institution known and described as the New York county penitentiary on Blackwell's island, which institution, as such, shall be abolished from and after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and eleven.

257. The commissioner shall have exclusive jurisdiction and control over Riker's and Hart's islands and, until as hereinafter provided, over such portions of Blackwell's island as are under the jurisdiction of the department when this act takes effect. He may cause to be removed to Riker's island or to Hart's island, the penal institutions under his jurisdiction on Blackwell's island, or any of them and the jurisdiction and control over any buildings or premises upon Blackwell's island, becoming thereby vacant, shall thereupon immediately vest in the charities department.

TITLE 19.

Bellevue and Allied Hospitals.

Section 258. The "Board of Trustees of Bellevue and Allied Hospitals" shall have charge and control of all public hospitals now owned and hereafter established by the city upon Manhattan island and in the borough of The Bronx, except such hospitals as are or may be under the charge and control of the health department.

259. The board shall consist of eight members, to be appointed by the mayor as hereinafter provided, seven of whom

shall be residents of the county of New York, and at least five of the borough of Manhattan. The remaining member shall be the charities commissioner who shall serve ex-officio. The term of office of the members of the board, other than the charities commissioner, shall be seven years from the first day of February following their appointment. In the month of January, and on or before the twentieth day thereof, prior to the expiration of the term of office of any trustee, other than the charities commissioner, the mayor shall appoint his successor for the term of seven years. The mayor shall appoint and remove trustees, other than the charities commissioner, in the manner prescribed in the administrative code. Every trustee shall serve without pay. No trustee shall be interested directly or indirectly, in the furnishing or performing of work, labor, services, materials, or supplies of any kind to or for said hospitals by contract, or otherwise.

§ 260. The board shall have power and it shall be its duty, subject to the provisions of this act and of the administrative code:

1. To appoint and remove such superintendents, including a general superintendent, and such medical officers and other subordinates and employees as may be necessary for the efficient management and control of said hospitals; in making such appointments, except in the case of superintendents and of employees performing duties that are personal to a member of the board, the board shall consider the nominations, if any, of the general superintendent;

2. To make suitable provision for the reception, medical examination and temporary care of persons alleged to be insane;

3. To receive, and provide temporary care and treatment, within any hospital under its control, for all persons irrespective of their residence, when such persons shall become injured or ill in any public place within the city and may not be safely removed to their homes;

4. To exercise general control over, and to establish rules and regulations governing, all ambulance service in the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx, except such ambulance service as may be maintained by the department of health; to establish ambulance districts therein; and to establish and maintain such ambulance stations therein and to provide and maintain such ambulances as it deem necessary.

§ 261. The board may receive and treat in the hospitals under

its control persons who do not reside within the city, provided that such persons shall pay such sum for board and attendance as may be fixed by the board, and that such persons shall not be received to the exclusion of residents of the city. The board may also receive and treat in any hospital under its control any person able to pay, in whole or in part, the cost of his care and maintenance therein, and it shall be the duty of the board to collect from each such person such partial or entire payment therefor as he may be able to make.

§ 262. Whenever any sick person in said hospitals shall, in the opinion of the board, cease to be a proper case for treatment in said hospitals, the board may cause such person to be transferred to the care and control of the charities commissioner who shall forthwith receive and care for him. If any sick person under treatment in any of said hospitals shall die while under the care of the board, it may call upon the charities commissioner forthwith to remove the body of such person, and he shall forthwith remove the same for burial or other proper disposition; and the cost and expense of the removal, burial, or other disposition shall be paid by the charities department.

8263. Subject to approval by the board of estimate and apportionment, the board may enter into a contract or contracts with the Bellevue Training School for Nurses for the occupation and use of any building or buildings as a training school for nurses and may establish, maintain and direct such training schools for nurses as may be requisite for the proper administration of the hospitals under its charge.

264. The medical board of each of said hospitals shall continue as constituted at the time when this act takes effect. Members of these medical boards and their successors shall serve without pay and shall hold office as long as they shall perform their duties in a manner satisfactory to the board of trustees. Vacancies occurring in the medical boards shall be filled by the board of trustees by appointment of members of the medical profession resident in the city. The board of trustees shall, on nomination of the medical board in each of said hospitals. appoint medical and surgical house officers in the respective hospitals, all of whom shall serve without pay.

CHAPTER IX.

Assessments for Local Improvements and Awards for Changes of Grade.

§ 265. The word "assessment" wherever used in this chapter shall be construed to mean an assessment for any local improvement which may lawfully be confirmed otherwise than by a court of record.

§ 266. There shall be a board of assessment and award consisting of three persons who shall appoint a secretary, clerks and subordinates when provision for their salaries shall have been made by the board of estimate and apportionment.

§ 267. The board of assessment and award shall be charged with the duty

1. Of making all assessments;

2. Of making all awards as compensation for loss and damage caused by a change in the grade of a street theretofore established by lawful authority in either of the following cases:

(a) When assessments are about to be made for the regulating and grading of such street. The amount of such awards shall be included in the assessment for the regulating and grading of such street as a part of the expense thereof. In such cases, the awards so made shall be limited to compensation for loss or damages caused to buildings or other improvements.

(b) When the grade of any street has been changed by reason of the building of any bridge, bridge approach, viaduct or other structure, and where no assessment for the expense of such construction is to be laid. The award in such cases shall cover damages caused by such change of grade to both land and buildings. The said board shall certify such awards to the comptroller for payment.

3. Of making all awards as compensation for loss and damage in cases arising under subdivision (a) to unimproved land, whenever such awards are authorized by the board of estimate and apportionment.

4. The board of assessment and award shall have power to compel by subpoena the attendance of witnesses, with or without books