Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-26
7HE sTArA's CHAksTi M.

The Hoard of Public Charities Report on
Benevolent and Reformatory Work.
The commissioners OF public charities
have just issued their sixteenth annual re-
port, giving a review OF their work In the
various reformatories, nlmshouses and pris-
ons OF the state during the year just past.
The attention Of the board was devoted
chiefly to the institutions supported In whole
or In part by the state, all OF which were
visited during the year byCsdwaiader Bddle,
esq, secretary OF the board, who was gener.
orally accompanied by one or more OF the
members OF the committees Of the various
counties
The enforcement OF the law against the
confinement OF children between the ages OF
and 10 years In almshouse and poorhouses
has received especial attention from the
board, and In this connection the report
states that at this time there are but sixty
nine children In the class prohibited by law
inmates OF the almshouses, being an average
Of about one for each institution. The COM
missioners have been unremtting In their
efforts TO prevent children prohibited by the
act OF assembly from being committed to the
almshouses, or retained therein longer than
sixty days, as limited by law, and have only
failed In the efforts in consequence Of the
great difficulty experienced In some locall-
ties OF finding homes more suitable for them
than tho alnishouses, In which they are still
retained.
The board IL particularly severe In It's com.
ments on the condition OF most OF the county
jsils and reterates that these jails, when they
are under the control and management OF the
county sheriiis, exhibit want Of proper disci-
pline. Norules or regulations are establ ished
for the government ot the inmates at least
none are enforced. The prisoners are gener-
ally permitted to congregate, during the day,
In the yard and corridors. Here men,
women and, sometimes children mingle in
discriminatory T; the advanced and hardened
criminal teaching the novices in crime the
ways OF those experienced In wickedness and
educating them for crime life when they are
released from confinement.
Their unfavorabe comments do not apply
To county prisons under the management OF
inspectors appointed by the judges of the re-
spe,tive counties. These are found to be in
gariaby in good condition, and. In order to
secure such q state of things throughout the
state, the board obtained the passage OF bill
which authorized counties in which reforma-
tion was desired to establish boards of In
spectors they to have, under the supervision
Of the court OF the judicial district the entire
management of the county prisons, appoint
wardens and all other officers me-
:y cessary to guard the institutions,
except for cause thus insuring for the Jail
experienced and well-tried officers The
bill WAS, however, vetoed by the governor,
who believed IL to be unconstitutional, Ii is
the intention OF the commissioners to present
1t at the next session OF the legislature with
such notifications AZ will meet the COVER.
nors objections
The report Of the secretary and general
agent shows that there are 81 alushouses I'm
this state, 81 of which are county institutions
and 80 Of which are local or district alms-
houses. The aggregate number OF inmates of
these institutions Excluding the insane of the
Philadelphia slmshouse, who are treated of in
connection with hospitals for the insane) was
at the beginning Of the year, October |, 1884,
s60l TO these IL, 1888 were added during the
year, making population Of 22,7a2- There
were discharged during the year IA, 10, leav-
ing at the end OF the year, September 80
1885, S,673 resident in the almshouses. The
population, 25,7g2, was ,2l5 or Sos per cent
more than the number OF the previous year
The adults increased l,525 or s-06 per cent
The children decreased $40 or Il-64 per cent
The admissions, Ia, ls9 ~ compared with the
previous year, increased S25, or 6g7 per cent
The board relieved during the year IL, 0s2
vsgrants an increase Of over the previous
year of 1905. or the 81, ,0S2, &C, ,504, or "a i6
per cent were males, and l,57s, or 2-5i per
cent, females. OF the number relieved in
alnishousee, g7-T0 were males and 2-30 per
cent were females OF those in receipt Of
oudoor relief, so per cent were males and
IS 20 per cent were females