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S. Griffing at North Capitol st. has a daily session from 9 oclock A.M. to 3 oclock P.M. She does not report any assistant or salary for herself. I think she and two assistants are paid by this Bureau. Mrs Griffing teaches nothing but sewing. She has fifty eight (58) women enrolled with an average attendance of 30. There have been made 341 garments during the month for which they have been paid $104.87  These garments are all disbursed by the Local Agent of this Bureau. Mrs Griffing reports that during the month double the number of applicants now employed have been refused for want of material and room, and at no time since the organization of the school has it appeared so important a manner of relief as at present. The distress among women and children for want of employment, being much greater than at any previous time and the number daily increasing by destitute families from the country coming in as a last resort from extreme suffering and death.

Without reporting the other schools more fully I will only say that in the six schools there are enrolled 340 persons, 74 of whom receive rations. Number of garments made and repaired 1876. Amount paid for work $694.87. Amount of rent paid $136.66  There has also been paid toward the building which is being erected for Miss Walker's Industrial School $305.76. The Friend Freedmens Association of Philadelphia have aided Miss Carters School with quite a large amount of material.

It will be seen by this report that the amount paid for making up clothing is quite large; this with the rent and salaries of Superintendents and Teachers of Schools; and coal and other things for the schools will make their expense fully $1000.00 per month beside the material. I respectfully recommend that instead of paying out this large amount a cutter be employed; then the visiting agents report the persons who need clothing, then the cutter be ordered to cut clothes to fit those persons; they then receive from the cutter the parts cut and instruction about putting them together, and the needed thread and needle and make themselves, the work being subject to the approval of the cutter and the visiting agent. When the persons receiving are children or men, the mothers or wives can do the sewing. It is found that the little girls in our schools know how

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how to sew very well. They have been taught at home or have already learned somehow. It is a mistaken idea that the women generally do not know how to sew quite well. The persons who want this clothing have nothing to do; that is the reason of their need. By allowing them to make their own clothing they are furnished with work, and also with knowledge of the way to put garments together properly. If money is saved in the manufacture many more garments can be furnished. Where persons needing garments are sick their clothing can be made at the Freedmens Village Sewing School.

Very respectfully
Your obedient servant
[[signature]] John Kimball [[/signature]]
Superintendent of Education.

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Bureau Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Head Quarters Asst. Commissioner D.C.
Washington January 2d, 1868.

[[underlined]] VanDerlip [[/underlined]] Major [[underlined]] W.L. [[/underlined]]

Are you expecting a meeting at Annapolis? I think General [[underlined]] Howard [[/underlined]] will come out. Had you not better get the thing under way pretty soon? Please inform me what you think best to do. Hoping to get the December reports very soon

I am, Yours respectfully
[[signature]] John Kimball [[/signature]]
Supt of Schools

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3

Bureau Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands
Head Quarters Asst. Com'r D.C.
Washington January 2d, 1868.

[[underlined]] Janny Friend: [[/underlined]]

We have paid bills for lumber used in the Brighton School House to the amount of $438.20 and I do not know but we have to pay for some more bought at Brighton. This being the case we cannot pay more or help more, and if a part of the lumber has not gone for desks then they must take hold and make their own desks. We cannot send more lumber or send ready made desks. I think you will agree with us that we have done very well for Brighton. I have showed your letter to General Howard. [[/page 2]]