The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-16
DON'T LOCK GIRLS UP
Industrial School Managers
Deny Charities Aid
Statements.
MRS. WILLIAMSON CRITICIZED
Secretary Lois Parker Is Indignant
and Has Something to Say
About the society's :
Recommendations.
special to the Jersey City Ne,cs.

ISOLATION, held at Newark on Wednesday,
the report of the Board of Managers, as
read by Mrs. Emily e. williamson, CEN
sured the management of the Girls In
dustrial School, at Trenton, as follows
"At present the locking of each girl at
the New Jersey Industrial School, at
Trenton, at night will, we fear, produce
terrible calamities in case of fire. A lock
opening all the doors at one time should
be procured. An institution for the blind
is needed, as the expense of sending
those so afflicted out of the State is
large"
In addition the Committee on Reforma-i
tories said in part:-"TheS Industrial
School for Girls at Trenton continues to
be admirably managed, but it Is over
crowded and the new building now under
way is greatly needed. There are Jos
girls in the school,, thirty-two having
been received during the year and twenty
one being placed in homes. Our people
are already alive to the necessity that
presses upon us for the establishing of
a ~reformatory prison for women like that
at Sherbourne, Mass. At this place all
the officers are females. The fact that
in the State in one year there are more
than $500 females committed to county
jails and penitentiaries is sufficient to
emphasize the necessity of this import
ant institution. The State Reform
School is in excellent order, but the estab-
lishment of an intermediary prison or
reformatory is urged. More truant
schools, not prison schools, are needed,
for f1ogging is better than the jail"
STATEMENTS ABSURD.
nI1 aro,.t ~ooIn ~ n n n Hons for
First, supervision of homes to prevent
children from being abused. Second,
supervision and care of infants who are
in danger of becoming criminals. Third,
the establishment of a refornnatory for
those who are advanced in age or crime
beyond the degree treated in a reform
atory for juvenile d~elinquents." d
Knowing the disposition of the Board
of Managers of the Industrial School,
and their efforts to provide every pos
sibe safety for the protection of the
inmates, Nj. Lewis Parker. the Secre-
tary, was shown these statements.
Touching that portion concerning tht
locking in of the inmates. Mr.. Parke,
said the statement was perfectly absurd
In considering this fact tive years ago
the board Experimental with several
varieties of bolts which were claimed to
be adapted to the instantaneous opening
of all the doors in case of fire. They
were found unsatisfactory.
The board resorted to the best posi-
BILE means of effecting the desired enc
and secured a night watch who was
placed on duty from the time of locking
in the inmates at night until their re-
lease in the morning. 4u
Mr.. Parker further said that1the dor
mitories all opened into each other anc
the majority of the inmates were all or
the second floor.
In addition, all oil lamps and range
fires in the institutions have been done
away with. The only fires are contained
in the boiler house, fifty yards from the
main building. All heating and cooking
Is done by steam, n the school is
lighted by gasoline, manufactured in a
small building fifty yards away.
In conclusion, Mr.. Parker stated hat
inquiries had been mad in regard to
protection afforded by other institutions
and from what had been ascertained
there was no other establishment in the
country where there is less liability thar
at Trenton.
AN OLD STORY.
Mr.. E. r. Cook, the Managing Trus-
tee, who was next seen, said that two
years ago the same point was made by
the State Charities Aid Society, and
thinking that a system OF instanta-
neous locks would be advisable, the
board advertised and experimental with
different apparatus. The only thing at
all likely to prove meritorious was g
cumbersome Jail and prison lever that
savored too much of a desperate criminal
institution. AS the idea of the Indus
trial School Is to avoid any semblance OF
such associations, n IN aadltlon to the
liability of cogs and gearing %rusting,
catching or otherwise becoming inopera-
tive when most wanted, the board de-
cided hat they would institute a night
school-whose duty 1t would be to make
regular tours through all the wards. In
addition, a time detectOr was installed,
and regular periods of inspection re-
The old system. Mr.. Cook said, re-
quired all keys to be taken from the
doors after locking them; now they are
left in. so that very little delay would
ensue in case of trouble.
Noting that portion of the report con-
corning the Imprisonment of females in
county jails, Mr.. Cook said:-"Instead of
the Aid Society casting reflections on in
stitutions that are conducted properly,
and calling attention to unnecessary mat
tiers, they should keep within the line of
work its members can handle. One of
the worst features of this business, that
we have time and again mentioned. is
the condition in which the girls are sent
to us. They are kept lying in jails and
other places of detention three or four
months, until they are filthy, diseased
and covered with vermin. We are sup
posed to take them in this condition and
restore them to decency, and at the same
time protect tthose already quartered
there. BY great exertion and preeau-
tions we can do the one, but to free
tb nir minds from th0IGhtS and hGhifS
acquired through the surrounding from
whence they come is another matter.
This I consider legitimate business
for the Charities Aid Society to attend
to. They have been asked so to do, but
l do not see any effort put forth to ac-
complish it."