Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-01-16

me conclusive. The foundations of tnis
new building have been laid and are ready
for the superstructure. The building /:
located directly in rear Of, and about ], ,OOC
feet distant from, and rs feet higher than
the site OF the present building. The new
building will have frontage OF $50 feet
and a total depth Of about 300 feet. Fol
q fu4 and complete description Of the pro
posed building l refer to the report OF the
managers. They state that, in its plan
ming, "solidity, permanence and utility
have been most carefully considered, (" and
an examination Of the contract, plans AND
specifications will fully sustain their state
ment.
OF the $12500O originally appropriated
for the construction OF this building but
$50, 900 will be available during the pres
ent fiscal year. After the passage of tht
law appropriating $125, 600 the genera
appropriation bill (chapter 434, laws 81
1880 was passed, wherein it was provided
that for account Of the appropriation OF
S125, 600, pursuant to chapter 297 Of the
laws Of 1885, there shall be available dur
Ing the present fiscal year.. e., the yeal
ending Oct 81, 1895-s75, 900, and no
more, and the remainder Dc $50, 900 shall
be available during the fiscal year men
toned in the title of this act'-nameIy,
the year ending Oct. 81, 1895.
The managers urge the Importance OF al
rapid progress in tho completion Of the
building as possible. They say "it Is not
In harmony with public policy to contract
debt We can proceed only SO fast and far
as the appropriations will admit
How much (if any Of the appropriation
of S75, 600 limited to the fiscal year ending
Oct. 81, 1895, Is unexpended I am not ad.
vised. Ii there be any, it should be added
to the sum Of $50, 900 appropriated for the
present fiscal year. 1t would also seem
proper that to this aggregate sum should
be added sufficient to permit the work I'd
be prosecuted vigorously during the year,
provided you are Of opinion that the
finances Of the state will allow such action.
Very considerable improvements have
been made during the past year to the
grounds and buildings OF both hospitals,
all Of which are fully detailed in the re-
ports OF the respective medical directors
and wardens
The estimate Of the warden Of the Tren-
ton hospital Of the needs Of that institu-
tion for the ensuing year as compared
with the amount appropriated shows dis
crepancies which should be reconciled al
your honorable bodies may deem proper.
Epileptics.
The last legislature, by joint resolution
No. /, reciting s'that there are hundreds
Of epileptic persons in this state, many oI
whom are in our insane asylums and in
stitutions for the feeble minded, without
those proper environments, and that special
and - -
and physical condition" provided for the
appointment Of a commission Of five per
sons to make careful investigation Of that
subject and report TO the present session
OF the legislature. The commission was
duly appointed, consisting Of F. @. Barker,
NJ d., and Rev. James NJ. Buckley OF
Morristown; William L. Newell, NJ d.,
Of Millville; John FL. Ewing, NJ d., Of
bennington and Professor 5. Olin CARR.
son Of Vineland. These gentlemen have
given to the subject careful and thought
full investigation, Of which full and de-
tailed report will be presented to your
honorable bodies. They find nearly 400
epileptics in various institutions through
out the state, most Of them in associations
harmful to themselves and injurious to
their fellow patients. They have also dis
covered over ], 900 outside of the institu-
tions and estimate that there are at least
2, 000 in the state. New York and Ohio
have separate institutions for this class OF
unfortunates, and other states are moving
in the same direction. The best and most
enlightened opinion on this subject il that
8 distinct establishment should be main
tanned for persons thus afflicted.
In this state such an institution, aside
from its primary object, would also afford
substantial relief to the state hospitals,
both Of which, as before stated, are over
crowded. In this connection | call atten-
tion to the fact that there are So epileptics
In the Trenton hospital, an increase Of 16
during the year. The number In the Nor
ris Plains hospital does not appear, but is
doubtless in excess of those at Trenton
The medical director of the Trenton hos
pital thus deals with this subject: During
the past year movement has been inau-
gurated to seek, from the state aid in
making some different provision for the
care Of the epileptic class than now obtains
in our state institutions. That this should
be done scarcely seems to admit Of argu-
ment. 1t is difficult, almost impossible,
to properly care for this class in an ordi-
AAOoRAtca4 III AASthlCy anu
is this true of our overcrowded state hos
pitfalls. This peculiar malady requires they
should have almost constant supervision
by day and night. The effect OF an epilep-
tic seizure on the other insane, especially
on conyalescent cases, Is often painful and
depressing. The isolation Of the epileptiO
class by colonization es Is wise, Just and
humane"
Penal Institutions.
The State Prisons.-The cell capacity OF
the present prison is 700. The number OF
conyicts at the date Of the keepers report
(Oct. 81, 1895) was 977, a decrease Of AZ
since the report Of 1894. In my former
messages I directed attens ion to the over
crowded condition Of the prison and the
pernicious results thereof. The law re-
quires that each prisoner shall be con
fined in one of the cells Of the prison, sep
arate and alone" Manifestly, with a con
vict population Of 300 in excess OF the cell
capacity, the law cannot be complied with.
This evil, SO long complained Of, is about
to be remedied. The legislature Of 1895
appropriated s15O,000 and appointed a
commission for the purpose Of making
necessary enlargement and improvements
Ill tIlG clatd DIlcODs uO COLuullSSlOu IL
performing its work in a practical and in
telligent manner, and it will not be long
before the prison accommodations OF the
state, including the refornatory, will be
ample for many years to come. "A new
wing Is being added TO the prison and Is
nearing completion, containing 200 steel
cells. These are constructed in the most
approved manner Of modern prison archi-
lecture. A new prison hospital, long need
ed, is also under construction. "A chapel
for religious exercises and storage room for
supplies and provisions are to be provided
The inspectors, in their report, recommend
an electric light plant be provided to light
the prison buildings and grounds. They
estimate the cost Of such plant at s15, 600,
to be operated mainly by convict labor. 1t
now costs about s., 500 per annum to light
the buildings alone with gas. The inspect
ors further recommend that provision be
made for an independent water supply by
means of artesian wells, the cost OF which
they estimate would not exceed $40, 600.
1t now costs the state over $3, 900 each
year for the water supplied. It would seem
that the recommendations OF the inspect
ors are wise and prudent from every stand
point. The improvements suggested would
be economical investments and contribute
largely to the welfare and efficient govern
ment Of the institution and the comfort OF
its inmates.
The State Reformatory The legisla-
ture Of 1895 authorized the erection at or
near Railway, in the county Of Union, OF a
state refurmatory for male criminals be-
tween the ages Of 16 and 80 years, and not
Ernxvn IA have haaf rrpvioYSlr aautnprnI