The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-02
JERSEYS PAUPERS.
Managers of the State Char
tiles Aid Make Their
Annual Report.
ALMsHOUSE EDUCATION CONDEMNED
Mercer County Recommends
Changes in Treating the
Insane Poor.
Special to the Jersey ottu Nous.

Special to the Jersey Citu Nc1rs.
TRENTON, Jan. 2, 1Sg7.-The eleventh
annual report of the Board of Managers
of the State Charities Aid Association has
just been printed. 1t contains much valu-
able information. General Secretary En-
lily E. Williamson, in her report, which
summarizes the entire report, says
There are in the State Al p~oorhouses
of a public nature, of which IL are county
almshouses supported by a county tax.
In % towrthips-not interested in the
county houses-are township poorhouses.
In II townships there are no poorhouses,
and the poor are boarded with relatives
or in private families.
THE condition of these a~lmshouses shows
some improvement along various lines.
There are not as many ablebodied paupers
cared for as there were five years ago,
but this great imposition upon the tax
payers is difficult to entirely eradicate.
There is no more perfect system for per-
petuating pauperism than that Of board
ing the poor with private families; farm
ing out is the technica term-sold to the
lowest bidder We dc most earnestly adj
vocate the establishing of ~almshouses in
~ LAAO VI IL oiaeC tAC N6tN
Of the poor. County care is preferable,
both on the score of humanity as well IS
economy.
There are still in the a~lmshousas a
number of chronic insane. TIL keeping
of the insane in the almshouses of this
Stale cannot be too strongly condemned.
Without proper medical treatment, with
no chance of recovery, they are kept from
year to year in a hopeless condition.
mo matter how kind the treatment
bestowed by the warden of the aims
houses. it is simply impossible to care
for. these unfortunates as they should
be cared for. We understand they are
kept in the almshouses because it is
more economical, costing one-third less
than the board asked by the State and
county asylums. This. we maintain, is
false economy. Two cases la come to
our notice of women under forty years
of age, who had been in the county aims
house for several years, their conditions
becoming worse each year. Upon re-
moval to the asylum they Immediately
began to improve and are now at home
fulfilling their duties.
Something must be done for the pau
pcI Clkl1QIcl lOW III tlS dli1lSLOuSSS VI
our State. An almshouse education kills
all sense of moral right. The stigma of
pauper goes through life with all children
brought up in such institutions. h
warden of the largest almshouse in this
State is constantly bringing the matter
before the association, begging that
something b. done forthe three OF four
hundred children that are under his care.
He says: I try to take good care of
the children, but / realize the fact that
such an education Injuries forever the
moral life of the child We do earnestly
request hat a commission be appointed
to investigate the condition Of the pauper
children of the State, and to indicate the
best way of providing for their care.
THE jails of the State are now most
of them in good condition. Some are old
and unfit for the proper classification of
inmates, but they are clean and comfort
able enough.
ssThe State Institutions are generally
we'll managed and in good condition. The
State Prison, under its new Keeper, is
advancing along the lines which were
years ago. The State Reformatory should
be pushed to completion as rapidly as
possible. h need of this institution is
growing greater each year. me refor-
of first offenders by New York, Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania n "a number of
other States has more than fulfilled the
hopes of It's early advocates.
Where a young man has fallen into
crime and has been detected and con-
victed. experience shows that the worst
effects upon his character are likely to
follow from the life and association
of a prison. but that multitude of such
transgressors may be saved from be-
coming confirmed criminals If surround
ed with proper moral Influences. The
subject has already received sOure at
tenfion from the executive and the Leg
islature OF the State. m we earnestly
repeat our recommendation of former
years, that provision be made for the
speedy opening of the reformatory now
In process of erection at Railway.
1T is certain that the infiexibI1ity OF
in the reinforcement and perpetuation OF
the criminal classes. Most Of the hab-4
tfual criminals who prey upon society