The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-25
COUNTY ABUSES.
Grand Jury This Morning
Made Two Present.
ments.
CONTRACT SYSTEM A FRAUD
Almshouse to be Reorganized
Temporary Separation
of Inmates I'm
perative.
STORE HOUSE TO Be IMPROVED
Legislation To Reduce Num-
ber of Freeholders to Five
Would Have Been
the Remedy.
STORE HOUSE TO BE IMPROVED


The Grand Jury came into court this
morning and handed up the two present
ments which follow. Justice Lippincott
asked Foreman George T. Bouton if he
desired the presentments to be read, and
on his replying in the negative, turned the
documents over to the County Clerk, re-
marking that they might be made public.
To the Court of Oyer and Terminer and
the General Jail Delivery of the County
of Hudson:
The Grand Jury for the current term
In the proper discharge of its duties, felt
it incumbent to make an inspection OF
the several county institutions, and while
such inspection was not intended to be
cursory one, it was expected by US that
with the exception of a few details OF
management which would be found easy
of correction and the possible necessity
for the recommendation of some better
ment in methods or appurtenances, the
general conditions would be commend
able. The result of our inquiry and in
vestigation is herewith submitted. 1t IS
an unbiased, unprejudiced and deliberate
statement of our findings, in which every
consideration but a desire to be just has
been put aside
County Jail-The management of this in
stitution was found to be excellent The
prisoners appear to be well fed and as
we'll cared for as the restricted and some
what primitive conditions of the building
would .nerDlif of Immediate action should
be taken toi enlarge the jail SO that pet
ter accommodation can be afforded TO
those whose only guilt is oftentimes the
nosseesion of an unwilling knowledge OF
crime committed. The detention room
for male witnesses affords most mlser-
able apology for comfort, while that for
females is positively indecent. We can
refer to case where but for our inter-
position child would have drawn It's
FIRST breath within the confines OF the
iail its young mother but an innocent
witness of a crime, attended IN her ac-
commencement by the babel of felons. This
IN the enlightened civilization of the
nineteenth century should be rendered I'M
possible and we earnestly recommend thai
q corrective be at once instituted, that
proper room be provided. that witnesses
be supplied with reasonable comforts,
and that proper provision be made Tor
women who are so unfortunate as to pc
comnelled to assume the duties of mother
hood during the period of their necessary
detention.
Too much praise cannot be accorded to
the keeper of the Penitentiary. The build
ings, though not new, are kept marvel-
ously clean, while the prisoners appear
to be well managed and clothed and are
eertainlv well fed. The entire air of the
place evidenced active and intelligent su-
pervision.
The asylum is likewise a well managed
intendent. The building, which is new
and supposedly a model of its KIND, is
as well kept as could be desired. The pa
tients. in so far as we are able to judge,
are treated kindly and humanely and we
can suggest no betterment.
store House-The, Store House system
oo,.;5arab1a i,,,,,raye-
ment. The storekeeper is supposed to keep
check on deliveries for quality as well as
ouantitv. 1t is admitted that the in
spection is but superficial 1t could not
under this system be much else, and we
would suggest that some other method
he adopted. A decided change should also
be made in the checking for goods re-
ceived, in that dealers responsibility
should cease on his delivery of goods; the
present requirements which deter him
from rendering a bill until the goods
delivered at the Store House have been
allotted to and checked for by the heads
of the various institutions, not only
smacks too much of red tape, but is an
open door for evils which suggest them
selves.
Almshouse-our investigation of the
almshouse. limited as to time though we
were, brought to light conditions which
appalled, US Children in rags and with
out proper covering for their feet, sani-
tary conditions, primitive, utterly in
sufficiently and in some cases disgustingly
unclean. Healthy children and those inn
pregnated with loathsonle disease COM
pelled to bathe in the same vessels and
after thus cleansing themselves, drying
on towels used in common.
The men vermin infested and compelled