The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-17
FOR CHILDREN
Committee of the State
Charities Aid Assocla-
ton Reports on the
Neglected Little
Ones.
COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ASKED FOR
Stamp Of pauper Placed on Hud-
dreds Each Year by Com
initial to AlmshouSes.
COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ASKED FOR

Mrs. L. Williamson, Mr.. Francis b.
Lee, Mr.. Richard Stevens. Miss Tweedy,
Mr.. Ogden Bowers. Mr.. r.. e.. Taylor, Rev.
Alexander Mann and Mr.. Hugh +. Fox,
the Committee OF Children of the State
Charities Aid Association of New Jersey,
have issued the following circular on de-
pendent and neglected children in the
State. The circular is as follows
This association has requested the
Governor to appoint a commission TO in
quire into the condition of the neglected
and dependent children in this State,
many of whom are in almshouses With
out the proper environment suited to their
mental and moral condition. We are
educating each year several hundred chill
dren as professional paupers, and this
system is filling our jails. reformatorics.
penitentiaries and State Prison. 1t is also
a great EXPENSE to the taxpayers. The
stamp of pauper is found impressed upon
the lives of these young, children, they
know nothing of home. There is nothing
in fact more pathetic than a poorhouse
school. Cut off as they are from the ex-
ercise of the ordinary affections, many
of them diseased in body and feeble in
mind, the poor children exhibit little OF
the vigor and joyousness of youth, be-
come l~istless and subservient in manner
and seem broken down by misfortune be.
fore they have entered into life. First
entrance into crime can be traced gener-
ally to neglected youth. Even with our
system of free education there is still a
lower stratum of society which is not
reached by the public school system. In
/ OH 41,a La roo ai+sae of +1,o ,,n4r 49, a., 4la
squalid courts and alleys, exist children
who know nothing better than the gutter.
Any inspector will tell you of the exist
ence of this untaught and uncivilized
class. Go to the tenement districts OF
Jersey City, lying under the mill, and you
will find many suck chiidren; children
who are untouched by any of the institu-
lions of our State except the poorhouse;
children of parents who live in semi-bar-
bariSn, giving way to the loweSt Instincts
and passions; having 40 fear or care for
their present needs; making no sacrifice
to obtain proper education for their chill
dren.
The Society of Prevention of Cruelty
to Children of the city of Bayonne in its
annual report sets forth the following
facts:-
This society is now a year old. The need
for it is attested by the fact that it's in
tervention has been called for in twenty
eight cases. OF these, seven have been
disposed as follows
Girl of three placed in the School for
Deaf MuteS in Trenton.
Girl of nine taken into the family of a
clergyman.
Three small children, half orphans
(Inother destitute and feeble-minded),
sent back to Ireland by st. Mary's r. c..
Church.
Boy sent to Home for Predetermined at
Vineland.
Girl placed through st. Mary's R. G..
city.
Family of young orphans whose grown
brothers were dissolute, placed in charge
of a respectable uncle.
Two children taken from an utterly dis
solute mother. On of them placed IN
taken in a family.
Other cases are as follows:-
One referred to Charity Organization
Society, Staten Island.
Three parents warned.
One special medical advice and dispei-
sary treatment secured.
Four moral influence brought to bear
successfully.
One girl of fourteen sent to penitentiary
before action could be had.
MINI still under investigation or sur
VIGILANCE.
Of the cases still stopen'' some need
vigorous attention. but we lack the salts
factory evidence upon which to base sue
| ceSSful action.
1t is the duty of this society to invests-
gate cases of exposed, destitute and way
ward children; to prevent cruelty to chill
dren, and in general to Safeguard their
well-being. It's work should therefore be
constructive as well as merely preventive
and curative.
The removal Of children from their
homes must be undertaken only in cases
of absolute necessity, when all other
measures nave failed. Every effort is
made to maintain family ties, and to
bring about such improvement in the
home as to render the separation of chit
dren from their parents unnecessary. To
this end we shall avail ourselves of otFer
agencies, such as the churches, the friend
ly visitors of the Charity Organization
| Society, the St. Vincent de Paul Society,
etc, to visit families and watch over the
children.
We desire to call special attention to
the evil of giving aims to child beggars.
1t not only pauDerises the child but puts
a premium upon the idleness and vicious
Necessary to relieve distress in families,
relief should not go through the children.
send their children for relief. 1.-THE les
sons of dependence and deception so
taught are never unlearned."
We call attention to this report be-
cause it is the best statement of facts
that has ever been presented to us. and
because we find its parallel in ali our
manufacturing districts. The suggestions
are most valuable.
1t is expected that the Commission will
nah an exhaustive investigation, re-
porting TO the Governor at the next ses-
| SlDH OIL lHt Lc5iSidtdfS - LII II Is the ue-
sire of this association to secure the CO.
operation of prominent citizens through
! out the State.
Appended to this is the following table
showing the number of children In the
principal almshouses of the State on Feb
ruary Is, 1857
Blackwood, Camden county........ IS
B~ranchviile, Sussex county. Is
Ciarksboro, Gloucester county...... 4
Cumberland. Cumberland MY. II
Elizabeth City, Union county.......... 20
Snake Hill, Hudson ounty........... s52
Newark, Essex county.... ...... 6
Paterson City, Passaic county........ 40
Pemberton, Burlington county. ......... 81
-
4o3
Scattered in the other thirteen aims
houses Of the "a
--
AS