The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-25
ghis paper as Democratic "a PRINCIPLES
end Is sadependeat ia its etesus on all focas
questions


Horrors of snake Hill.
There have been rumors for a long
time of gross abuses in the management
Of the pauper children at Snake H'a
Neglect, bad food, insufficient sanitary
precautions and evil moral influences
havs repeatedly been alleged as promi-
nent features of the freebooter admins
tration of the children's department OF the
A~lmshouse. Definite facts. however. nave
not, In the past, been easy to obtain.
The Hoboken observer now fur
nishes what rave hitherto been lacking
specific charges and positive evidence OF
an almost unbslievably horrible condition
Of affairs. According to the article which
il published, yesterday, the Aimshoase
children are the victims of an epidemic
of loathsome kin disease, and, so lar
from any pains being taken to eradicate
IL there seems to be a fendish ingenuity
shown In spreading it among the cni1-
dren. The disease is the seabies or ltchs
and 1t Is a highly infectious malay. It's
49,
appearance among any large body OF
children should be the signal for the
complete isolation of the patients n the
most radical disinfection of the rest.
of the clothing. furniture and buildings
used by them. 1t is needless to say that
no quarantine steps whatever have neeh
aiken at Snake Hill. The children who
have the malady are thrown in among
those who have not acquired 1t, some
of the elder among the sound ones have
contracted it through washing n treat
ing the infected ones.
This hideous story is supported by the
evidence OF the children themselves, by
the investigation Of a clergyman, 10
whose notice the facts were originally
brought, and by the admissions OF at
least one of the Freebooters. Even the
half-hearted denials Of the Snake Hill Of
icials confirm all the essential particu-
lars. ana as the case stands there is not
the least room to doubt the barbarous
conditions which exist in the h~eadauar-
tiers Of the county's charities.
Here Is a state Of things really crying
out for Investigation by the Voorhees,
committee. The people are being heavily
taxed for the maintenance of this institu-
ton. They are paying more money this
year than ever before. Yet Jersey City
patients are being refused at the county
hospitals, and the care of he children is
given over to paupers and to the elder
ones among themselves. to the ruin OF
health and morals.
What Is being done with the peoples
money? Does anyone know? Former
Boards Of Freeholders used to publish In
several newspapers. after every meet
ing, a full and detailed report of their
proceedings. Thus 1t was possible to Keep
track Of what they were doing. Tn
present gang of Freebooters not only
prints no line of it's doings, but further
practically excludes reporters from its
business meetPgs. This is accomplished
by the Committee of the Whole dodge.
The meetings of this precious body are
always secret. and 1t is then that the pub
lie money is jugsled and juggled away.
When the regular business meeting of the
Board is held, it is merely an unintelligi-
BILE routine, in which 1t is impossible to
trace any meaning or significance, espec-
tally where public one is concerned.
The state Of the county affairs at this
moment Is the worst that has existed in
twenty years, and there is no hope of re-
form for fifteen months. unless the Leg
stature comes to the rescue.
NOW that Chief Murphy has turned his
attention to the employment agencies. he
would do well to investigate some Of the
women who pretend to supply domestic
servants. There are no doubt several
agents in the city who are honest and
eJficient and Who try to do justice both
to their patrons and to the girls. There
are. however, one or TIVE which are mere
swlndling concerns. taking the money of
people who do not know them and making
not even . pretence of giving value in re-
turn.
The Board Of Aldermen should adopt an
ordinance to license and regulate employ
ment agencies and the police should watch