Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-05
FOR INDECENT CHILDREN.
The Association of Poor Directors
Will at Once Recommend
ACTION BY THE LEGISLATURE.
An Authority on Charity Matters Talks on
the Subject.
THE SCHEME IS SAID TO BE POPULAR

John D. Carr, of Uniontown, was il
| Pittsburg yesterday on his way to Erie,
Pa, where he will next week attend the
annual meeting of the State Association OF
Poor Directors, to be held in that city. Mr..
Carr is Steward OF the Fayette County
Almshouse. He is recognized as an author
ity on charity matters, and for many years
he has been conspicuous in every move
ment made in the State to improve the con-
dition of the poor
The gathering of Poor officials at Erie
next week will be decidedly important, and
one of the most interesting subjects to be
considered will be the preparation of a
memorial to be presented to the next Legis-
lature asking that the soldiers orphans
schools be transformed into industrial
schools for the INDECENT children of the State.
Mr.. Carr will propose the undertaking to the
Erie Convention. He has for several
months been in correspondence with the
Poor Directors in every county in the State,
and majority of them, Mr.. Carr says, have
written him to the effect that they will favor
the scheme. Governor Pattison has already
declared himself in favor Of the industrial
schools and the Soldiers Orphan School
Commission will meet in Harrisburg on Oc-
tober 13 to consider the same subject.
New Use for Orphans Schools.
There are at present four soldiers Or
phans' schools in the State. They are
located at Chester Springs Chester county;
Hartford, Susquehanna county, Philadel-
phia and Uniontown. No new pupils have
been admitted to any of the schools since
1887, and when the schools reconvened some
weeks ago for the winter term, less than
500 scholars reported. The pupils are dis
charged from the schools at the age of 16,
and it is estimated that in three years all
the schools will be closed, all the wards
having by that time reached the age limit
'My proposition to continue the orphan
schools as industrial institutions for the
poor children of the State under the pro-
lection and management of the State au-
thorities is not new one" Mr.. Carr said.
cat our last annual meeting suggested
this scheme, but the delegates to the con-
vention from Philadelphia county jumped
on me with both feet. I was not given a
respectful hearing. Since then, however, a
great change of feeling has been worked
and have had great encouragement from
every Post of the State. have been asked
to prepare and read paper on the subject
at the Erie meeting, and with these re-
quests have come assurances of support, and
1 am now confident the Erie Convention
will unanimously petition the Legislature
in behalf of such a law. and I am just as
confident that the Legislature will find little
or no trouble in legislating the suggested
transformation in the Soldiers Orphan
Schools
The Rights of Poor Children.
s'The proposition is not only feasible, but
such institutions are positively necessary.
The State has very generously provided for
all its unfortunates save the children, and
the constant neglect of children is re-
sponsible for the greater part of our
pauperism. Poor children have the same
right to an education and careful train
ing as do rich children. Some of the
best men our country has ever known
were poor They were successful only be-
cause they were looked after and properly
guided in their youth Under our present
charity laws child cannot be kept in
poor house but for short time The laws
say positively that We are not allowed to
keep them, but they do not say what we
are to do with them after we turn them
from our institutions. We are al
lowed to keep children between the
ages of years and 16 years
Just four months. Then We must dispose of
them in some way not specified. No pro-
vision is made for their care and unless the
Ladies' Aid Society or some charitably dis
posed persons take them up and care for
them we must either cruelty turn them out
to siarve or else violate the plain letter of
the law by keeping them with us.
The Prevention of Pauperism.
'T have always contended that the only
possible preventive of pauperism is the
education and training of our INDECENT chill
dren. If we look after the boy the man, as
q general thing, viii look after himself. We
have now asylums for the insane, lnstitu-
tions for the blind, the deaf and dumb. We
have almshouses tor grown people and we
have hospitals for the sick, but we have alb |
solutely no arrangement for the care of our
INDECENT children, the absence of which in
nv Judgment makes many of the other in
stitutions necessary.
Inc people OF the state are realizing
our condition in this respect, and they are
in dead earnest in securing some remedy.
Onr Erie meeting will hear the report of
the commission appointed to amend and re-
the charity laws of the State The
report of the commission will by the con-
vention be formed into bill which will also
be submitted to the Legislature, and will,
no doubt, be promptly enacted into a law.
The new law will correct many of the evils
in our present system. 1t will prohibit the
hiring out of paupers, and it will work
many other reforms"
Endorsed by a State Legislator.
NJ. B. Lemon, a member of the State
Legislature from the Third district, Pitts
burg, and also member of the COM
mission of soldiers orphans schools
Of the State, said last night that he was
heartily in favor of transforming the
schools into industrial institutions for the
care of INDECENT children. "Our commits
sion has been considering this matter for
some months, and we will heartily Join with
he poor authorities in bringing about such
an arrangement Our commission will
meet in Harrisburg on the 18th and among