The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-23


house children. There are now about 700
persons in the aimshouse, adults and
children. There are only two bathtubs
in the building The children are adj
mitted without any certificate from a
physician or any physical examination.
The aImshouse school is under the sole
direction of the Freeholders and has no
connection with the Board of Education;
nor is it under the supervision of the
State Board. There are only two teach
ers man of about seventy, and a
woman. No examinations are held and
there are no special standards, the teach
ing consisting of the mere rudiments of
an elementary course
A number of children have been placed
out by indenture, but there is no system
in it. A constituent of Freeholder will
perhaps ask for handy boy or girl and
is sent to the Almshouse to make the
selection. Many poor women take likely
young girls away to mind the baby"
while the mother goes out to work. The
Warden apparently has no power to make
an investigation of the family before
hand. though he now sends his deputy
to visit the family at regular intervals
afterwards to see that the child is proper
ly cared for. This is. however, a recent
Innovation A number of boys were in
dentured to men on the New Jersey race
tracks several years ago and since the
closing of these tracks they have been
removed to other States and the Free
holders have entirely lost all knowledge
of them.
In short the Freeholders have been
| wickedly negligent and incompetent IN
their duty to the poor children who are
their wards They have done nothing 70
better the condition of the children of
their own initiative; the few improve
ments that have been made being in re-
sporse to pressure from outside their
board.
On the other hand, it is only fair to say
that the Warden of the Almshouse, the
deputy and the matrons, as well as tbe
heads of the county institutions, are full
| ly alive to the short comings Of this de-
partment, and have done the best they
could within their limitations to minimise
the evils.
We recommend that pending the action
Of the Legislature the indenturing Of
children be done under the direction of
| the Warden; that thorough investiga-'
tion Of the prospective home be made be-
fore a child is placed in it, and that the
Warden be allowed TO use his discretion
as to releasing children from the Aims
house.
Your Committee on Children has is
sued a pamphlet setting forth the laws
regulating the care and disposition of
poor children in New Jersey, which
shows substantially
First-Overseers must have consent Of
! two justices of the peace before binding
out or indenturing any dependent enid
Second-Such justices and overseers
must see that any child is taught to read
and write and help said child under super
| vision until of age.
/ Third-That the president of the Board
of Trustees Of every poorhouse. or direc-
tor of Board of Chosen Freeholders, each
! with the consent of a majority Of Trus-
/ tees or Freeholders, are empowered to
bird out children in same manner and
under same conditions governing Justices
| of the Peace and Overseer of the Poor.
| Fourth-Either must in all cases where
children are indentured to residents Of
/ other States, secure approval of one of
the Justices of the Supreme Court or the
presiding Law Judge of the county.
Fifth-No overseer or other officer has
a right to place out any child except by
indenture.
| Miss Edith w. Cook, of Hoboken, made
| a report of Hudson county and she said
| that the principal work of the year has
| been in the direction of securing more
suitable provision for the dependent chill
| dren of the county and better acconlmo-
| dations for the detention of witnesses and
/ Ttxr;txr faf
| the officers was somewhat lessened, the
report went on to say, by the disturbed
condition of the Board of Freeholders,
and delay in legislative action by the
State in the question of the disposition of
dependent children. Miss Cook further
reported that rs sick soldiers were treat
ed in Jersey City Hospital for typhoid
| fever and other sicknesses incident to
camp and field life, without any loss by
death. Only twelve of the cases were
| extremely serious. The report goes en-
/ TO state that the Warden of the peniten-
tiary had, through the State Charities AS
/ sociation, been able to exercise great
moral force in the disciplinary measures
instituted by him for the reformation of
the prisoners under his care. In conciu-
sion the officials of the various county
| ara CITY INSTITUTIONS were lHdtiASu aot
their courtesy and attention given to
committees of inspection.
/ Major z. K. Pangborn read his report
| of the hospitals and asylums. It adyo-
Gated giving employment to insane pa
| tients whenever feasible. 1t also suggests
that insane patients be housed in cottages
in preference to the system now in vogue
Of herding them together in large nGm-
4 bers under one roof.
'The practice still prevails of appoint
/ ing deputy keepers and assistants at the
dictation and direction of the Board Of
Freeholders," said Major Pangborn. this
practice in vicious and it interferes with
and impares the efficiency of the work of
the medical superintendent. This should
not be tolerated in any institution for
the care or cure of the insane"
The election of officers for 1889 follow
ed and resulted in the following:-Presi-
| dent Charlton T. Lewis, LII. D., Morris
town; Vice President, Rev. Albert Erd-
mann. D. D.. Morristown; Treasurer,
Thomas M Gopsill, Jersey City; Secre-
tary and Librarian, Mrs. z. E. William
son, Elizabeth.
BOYS STONED HIS HOUSE.