Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-11
lFrom Elizabeth Daily Journal. May 8. 1891

RuaiuidEc ASccutif dppOintcu ny 0OfcAhOl
Voorhees, met yesterday afternoon at tht
home of Mrs. E. E. Williamson, who il
one of the members, and completed tht
organization by the election of the follow
ing officers
President, Hugh F. Fox, Bayonne secre-
tary, Mrs Katherine E Abbey, Mount
Holly treasurer, Joseph w. MeCrystal
Paterson executive com mittee, Mrs E E
Williamson, chairman Frederick 6. Burn
ham of Morristown, and A. T. Williams
of Trenton
Josiah Wistar, of Salem, who was one Of
the commission, owing to i'll health has
forwarded his resignation, and Governor
VOORHEES, informed the board yesterday
that he will Immediately appoint one to
fill the vacancy. The main Office of the
board will be at S28 Broad street, Newark,
N. J.
The board is appointed to put into effect
the act recently passed by the legislature,
which was drawn by the commission on
dependent children.
Under the act it is the duty of the board
to assume the care and supervision over all
helpless, dependent, abandoned, friendless
and poor children, who are nav or who
may hereafter become public charges
Such children are to be committed by the
=" overseer of the poor or other officer in
any county, city, township, borough, or
other municipality, having jurisdiction
and power to do 500 to the keeper of the
almshouse. By virtue of this commitment
such children Immediately become the
wards of the State Board of Guardians,
who are to remove them within thirty days.
This is the specific rule, but it is qualified
for the present by provision which allows
the board six months to rut the plan in
operation.
The method of disposing of the children
is SET forth 10 the act as follows
sit shall be the duty of the state board of
children's guardians, upon receiving notice of
the commitment of any child as public charge,
to place such child il the care of some family,
within the state, with or without the payment of
board, and with without indenture; and it
shall further be the duty OF such state board of
chidTen's guardians TO place such children in
the of family of the religious faith of the
parent or parents of such Child, and during the
period in which the state board of children S
guardians is seeking such family for such child.
and until such family is secured as hereinb efore
provided it shall be the duty of the state board
of children's guardians to place such child in
the custody and care of an institution in this
state for the care of children, provided that the
Institution in which the child is placed shall be
one maintained for children of the relg us
faith of the parent or parents of such child
when such an institution exists therein. In case
no institution OF such religious faith exists in
this state. then said board of chiidrens guar
dams shall use its discretion IN providing an
institution for the care of such child until q
family has been secured.
II is expected that homes will be found
for a large proportion Of the children,
without the payment of the board. Judg-
ing from the applications which are already
coming in, it will be certainly be possible
to find such homes for the very young
children, and those over ten years OF age
who are old enough to get along without
attention aud perhaps may even be made
of some slight assistance iD the household
Probably the greatest difficulty will be
found in placing the children between six
and ten years of age, and for these board
will have to be paid, for a time at least, in
many cases. The board is not empowered
to surrender any children for adoption, but
will make use of the orphans courts for
this purpose, when the occasion arises. As
a general rule, however, child will be
placed on trial for a sufficient length Of
time TO determine the wisdom of such a
proceeding, before the matter of adoption
is concluded.
The act provides that the county boards
of chosen freeholders of the respective
counties in this state shall annually here
after provide sufficient funds for the objects
of this act in their respective counties, for
the support, care and education and main
teBance of any child or children adiudged
to be public charge, and who shall become
thereby wards of the state board of chill
drens guardians said sum shall not be
less than one dollar and fifty cents Isl 50)
per week for each child.
at shall be the duty of the proper officers in
any county, township. borough, city or other
municipality in any county In the state having
jurisdiction to provide in their annual budget
for thesexpeuse of maintaining such children
dollar and fifty cents (si.50) per week for each
child
The expense of administering the work
will be borne by the state.
Applications for children should be adj
dressed to the state board Of children's
guardians, 1928 Broad street, Newark, N. J.
No children can be placed outside of the
state). The board will provide application
blsnks for this purpose The board will
visit at least once quarter all the children
committed to its care, and will keep itself
informed in regard to the education, the
mUtdA auu pHySiCdl COuuIbiUu, anu Tue
general happiness and well-being of the
children by correspondence with ministers,
school teachers and others.
The board has a right to determine by
investigation, whether the children com
mitted to its care are properly q public
charge and if any relatives can be found
who are liable for the support of such
children, action will be taken to force
them to support such children.
An examination has already been made
Of the children of the Hudson county
almshouse at Snake Hill, N. ]. Contrary
to general expectation the children were
found to be in a remarkably healthy con-
dition. Only eight of them. out of two
hundred and fifty FIVE, are eithet mentally
or physically defective, and on the whole
they present very attractive appearance.
The same conditions will no doubt be
found to prevail in the other aImshouses.
w. c. r. U. School of Methods.
The Spring School of Methods of Glou-
ceeter Counfy Womans Temperanee TInion