The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-01-06

whose jails reported frst-class by the board
| Of public charities are Armstrong. Clarion,
| Clearheld, Lehigh and Potter. In Berks, BlaiT,
| Bradford, Butler. Cambria, Cameron Carbon {.
Centre, Chester, Clinto' Crawford, Cumberland,
| DauphIn, Delaware Fayette, Juniata. Lancas-
ter. Luzerne, Lycoming, NJ Kean, Mercer,
Miffltn, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry
| Philadelphia, Schuylkir, Susquehanna, Warren, ,
Wayne Washington aud York, the same author
| ity report the jals good and substantial, al
though some are small, A few counties Greene,
| Monroe and northumberland, are now building
| new ones. Amy legislation tending 10 hasten the
action of the balance will he to the benefit OF
| the counties and the state. The reformation of
| persons convicted of crimes of u venial charaG-
| ter will be sooner attained in a community
! where they are known, and when they are
spared the deeper disgrace of penitentiarv i'm
prisonment and separated from the hardened
and desperate characters who will be turned
over to the care of the state Whatever action
| is taken, should be taken at once. The trouble
| Is constantly increasing, and measures should be
devised Immediately to relieve the psniten.
| tiaries from the pressure of an over population,
which impairs their efficiency and endangers the
security and safety OF tn sir inmates.
BOARD OF PUBLIC CHARITIES.
The annual report of the board of public
! charities will place before you much valuable
statistical and other information in regard TO the
condition of the various charitable, reformatory
! and penal institutions of the state. Much has
| been accomplished during the past year i'm the
| correction of abuses still lingering in sOme of
! the county institutions by the assiSta nee rem
! dered by wise counsel ami iu tcious encourage
ment to those who are endeavorng to improve
| the condition of the unfOrtunates intrnsted to
! their C are, and by careful and discriminating
| oversight of the manner in which the funds of
| the state are appropriated to puolic charities
and expended by them. marked improve
ment is observable in the general attention paid
! by the local managements of almost all grades
| of institutions coming under the jurisdiction of
the board Of puolic charities, to a strict economy
and care over the various classes of inmates
more in accordance with the advanced views of
-our modern civilization. The benefits of an in
telligent, experienced and disinterested super
vision, such as is afforded by the public chsr-
| ties, which were very imperfectly understood at
| first, have come 70 be more and more appre-
ciated by the local managements of public in
stinutions and it is matter Of sincere congratu-
lation that q growing spirit Of confidence and
| cooperation is clearly perceptible as the work
! of the board extends itself. The cost of man
aging such a state agency, trifing as It is, be-
| comes wholly insignidcant when compared with
the large saving of public appropriation and
the constant improvement OF tRe States care of
the defective and criminal cl asses within its bor
ders.
| The operations In the ish department during
| the year have generally kept abreast of the
movement In other st Ites. The commissioners
tributing and cultiv ating new tribes of fishes,
and in purchasing, on reasonable terms, another
| extensive Matching establishment west of the
| Allegheny mountains. The state Is now in pos
session of two establish ments of the kind. The
| hshwavs continue TO admit shad in large num-
bers but they cannot as vet be said to have rein-
| no physical impediment to the fish passing
| through them, the failure is ascribed to the
natural timidity of the shad, the predatory fish
| ing of the riv 5Imen and the deDosit of detri-
mental substances in the river. The neglect of
the local authorities to enforce the appropriate
legislation, OF, possibly, some inherent defects
| commission to stock the waters of the state with
food fish. The results in other states and the
drawbacks, have fully proven the feasibility of
| the scheme when properly supported. The i'm
portance of an unfailing supply Of cheap food
calls for an energetic and systematic effort to
stock the magnificent water courses of the state
before the attempt is ally aban Toned.
| INSURANCE
desire to repeat and emph asize the encom-
ium of last year passed upon the insurance de-
partment fhe labors of this department, though
| arduous and of great service to the people, are
| of the quiet and unobtruslve kind, which escape
publicity and are too often passed over without
credit. IL performs work of great utility, not
only to the public. but to the responsible COM
pa1ies as well. BY exposing fraudulent COM
saves the public from loss by annually Inform
| ing them of the character and standing of all in
surance companies, foreign and domestic. To
| do this 1t must often contend against cOmbina-
| tons and corporation that are Intent upon pri-
vate gain at the risk and expense of the people.
| The department is most important one, the in
terests 1t serves and protects are vast, and 1t
should receive, at your hauls, cordial support
and proper attention.
CONSTRUCTION OF PU SLIo BUILDINGS.
! The recent holocaust in. B rooklyn Is terrible
reminder of subject that has been frequently
| agitated but never sufficiently investigated. In
the lurid glare of thai sad experience, the laws
relating to the cons' Luction of public buildings
| and places of amusement ought to be examined.
II fouud to be SUI Icient, measures should be ta-
| ken to have theTI vigorously enforced. IT found
TO be deficient, ample provision should at once
be made to prevent the recurrence of such
frightful Gala mites. The law should be largely in
favor of safety and security even at the expense
| of p.ivate profit and convenience. 1t generally
fG Nnln hAtn lnn
of the means of escape until some sacrifice re-
veals their utter inefficiency. Such matters
csHnot safely be lett to the discretion of indi-
vlduals bur must be controlled by power hay
ing a supreme re gard for the public welfare. II
than that hundreds of our fellow creatures
should eXpiate our irresolutlon.
NAvIG ALTON OF OHIO RIVER.
On April 81 1876, had the honor to call your
attention, in speeial communication, to the ne
ces lty or legislation by the state of pennsYlva-
MIA to provide fOv the ces,ion of jurisdiction over
, land, within the limits this state, required for
the sites Of locKs and dams on the Ohio river
in the prosecution OF improving the navigation
of said river by the natiO nal government In ac-
coTdance Herewith, house bill No. 2l6 was intro
duced but no final action taken thereon
Tue act should be passed promptly, not only out
of respect TO the national government which il
voluntarily doing work of great utility TO the
stat but on account of the great imp nee OF
3 the work itself.
By the act of congress of July 2, 1864, the
Preside of the United States was ''authorized
to invite each and all the states to provide anC
furnish statues, in marble or brenze, not eN
= ceeding two In number, for each state, Of de
. ceased persons who have been citizens thereof
! aud llIistriuus for their historic renown, or tO
y distinguished civil or militia y service, such a
: each state shall determine TO be worthy of tina
national CONNIE moratiOu and when so fur
q nished, they shall be placed in the old hall o
= = the house of representatives, in the capitol o
. United states, which is hereby set apart, or s.
= | much thereof as may be necessary, as nationa
u statuary hall. for the purposes herein indr
. catedn Several of the states have av tiled them
+ selves of the invitation and caused to be erected
= in the capitol at Washington, statues of thel
. illu ,triOus citizens. do not doubt that IL vii
e be your pleasure TO seiect from the long list o
: the famous men of this commonwealth, two
y u whose lives and services CONNIE morate grea
D :, events and great principles, and provide TO
= placing their statues in the national capitol, :
: remind observers of the part Pennsylvania ha
i contributed to the greatness and glory Of tn
= nation.