The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-03-05

serseas chaPess Against ths syn1lsae<
which Controls the Mnnagsmsnt ~ ~
reansylvsuls soldlsrs' Orphan Schools
4 Systematic Ceurss % Robbery and NEG
ieet % the statss' wards.
| PHILADELPHIA. Feb. "a morning
| paper publisheds six column article on
the management Of the soldiers orphan
schools o. Pennsylvania, which alleges
not only ofIlclal discrimination. neglect
and corruption, but also that syndicate
10 prodting a. the rate Of $4,000 yea,
In the management OF the schools. A
voluminous array Of figures, taken from
the books OF the institution and from
those In the Soldiers Orphan Department
81 the state are given 10 support the a..
legations. The article says: "Though
the war ended twenty-one years ago, and
though all the children whose fathers
died on the battlefield have long since
passed their majority, the soldiers or.
phan schools are still maintained hy an.
nual appropriations from the Legislative
body, mainly for the enrichment Of few
men whose faces are well known IA the
lobby at Harrisburg.
Strange, a. II may seem. yet neverthe.
less Il IL true. q syndicate headed bv
ex-senator George Wright, Of Mercer.
Pa, profit II the rate OF about ESQ. 200
. year upon the management al
four schools located at Nj. Joy. Mer.
Ger, McAllisterville and Chester Springs. !"
There II evidence at hand that the chief
clerk Of the Soldiers Orphans Depart.
ment, James L. Paul. was particjpator
In the profits Of the Mt. Joy school, and
received checks for three years In suc-
cession at the rate Of $4,000 q year.
All OF which was charged upon The
books Of the concern ~ "loans."
The State pays . specific amount Der
week for each child admitted 70 schools
under private management and the State
laws require that the children shall be fed
and clothed In addition 70 their instruc.
tion In educational and industrial pur.
suits. The express requirements Of the
law have been literally disregarded.
When this fact was called to the attention
OF the State superintendent OF soldiers
orphan schools, Rev II. II. Higbee. he
remarked; "well, guess they got more
than they would have got at home.
In some OF the syndicate schools chill.
dreu are packed together In bcd-r ,oms
and school-rooms like herrngs. Al Nc. |
AIlisterville the boys bedding was found |
to be ina disgraceful condition. Al Mer.
GER, In consequence OF the penurious
methods Of the management, some OF the |
boys bathed In pickle barrcls-two bows
20 each barrel. At Chester Springs some
twenty-five or thirty pupils have been de-
prived OF schooling for three months OF
more upon some pretcxt. Twelve chill.
aren were crowded into hovel at Mt.
Joy TO sleep while rooms capable OF com.
!or1ably accommodating sixty children At
Mansfield were vacant. But Mt. Joy was
run BY the syndicate and Mansfield was
,ot.
While Chester Springs was run in Other
lands, the sum Of 81 IS per week pc,
'apita was paid for feeding the children.
ut when Wright, Paul and Geo. n. Pear.
ION bought the schools last June, Wright
ala ne and his partners would make their
'roht on the food. All regard for the
children seems to have been subordInated
Q . heartlcss grab for profit, and this
wi influence has been carried to such an
xtent that premium Of twenty dollars .
lead has been paid TO agents 10 re.
ruit children for various schools. Its
because OF this competition. and because
4 the comparative scarcity Of orphans.
hat the schools are now half filed with
hildren whose fathers are living. ~
ne s55o,000 appropriated annually by the
tate to pay for feeding. clothing and ed
eating these wards Of the State, Il II
alculated that nearly ninety thousand
ollars 10 absorbed In excessive profits.