The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-02-20

HVttScgo " eftc CVttHtY VI -1UFtsftSoOfes
Your committee, appointed by. a res
luton of your Board at it's last meeting
and upon the nomination Of your Direc
or, to investigate alleged abuses at tt
county Almshouse, beg leave to report
follows:
We have, in conjunction with the Aim
house Committee and the Committee Q
I Insane, held three public meetings: tw
at the Almshouse and one in the Coul
4 House.
i AT these public meetings opportunit
was offered for all persons having charge
to make against the institution, or keeper
to make them.
THE STATE BOARD OF oHILDREN's GUARDIAN
HEARD.
Some of the officers of the State Boar
of Children's Guardians came before U
at our first meeting. They then state
that they had no charges to make agains
the Steward or his wife, as keepers of th
institution.
They called attention to the individus
case. of Margaret Hoffman, who had Civ
en- birth to children. alleged to have bee
begotten and born in the institution.
Being questioned as to the purpose O
the citation of this Individual case, the
admitted that the argument to be draw
from it was looking to the compliance o
the law requiring total separation O
the sexes in our county Almshouse.
We find that the statute law of 1889
page $50, and its several supplements (P
L. 1890, P. 74), (P. L. 1891, P. 1922, (P
L. 1894, P. 371), require the total separa
ton of the sexes in all Almshouses Of thi
state, and places the responsibility TO
1 MI Al.
Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The statute of 1879, page 1893, section
| 19, relating to the Office of Steward, make
the Steward of the county Almshouse tn
servant of the Board of Chosen Freehold
ers, subject to its control, and regulated
by its rules and bylaws.
We find no rule or bylaw of the Bur
lington County Board of Chosen Free
holders requiring the Steward to keep tn
sexes entirely separated.
FACTS CONCERNING THE SEPARATION OF TIL
SEXES.
The sexes, however, in our County
AImshouse are separated in the sleeping
rooms and Railways of the upper floors
they are separated in the living rooms OF
the ground floors and eat in the same din
ing rooms, but not at the same time anC
not together; they have separate retiring
yards, and only have opportunity to b.
together in the main hallway of the
ground floor and in the front yard, and
then only in the day time, under the eyes
of the Steward or his assistants.
The law requiring complete separa
ton of the sexes in the Almshouse is very
nearly complied with, and whether the
further compliance Herewith is practica
bic must be left to deliberate discussion
and determination by your honorable
board and some action subsequently taken
to place yourselves right under the law.
This is not a penal institution; the per
sons committed there are paupers, not
criminals. The term of their commit
ment is indefinite, and their detention
cannot be compelled; and when they be
come able to work, are expected to secure
their living elsewhere. A very large pro
portion of both sexes In the institution
are old and otherwise enfeebled, and al
though poor and unable to earn hveli
hood, they should be allowed as much
liberty as is consistent with propriety and
the proper government of the institution
The system which at present prevails ii
undoubtedly more economical to the tax
payers than the proposed innovation, The
law on the statute book, however, makes
it mandatory that complete separation
of the sexes must be made. If you, the
Freeholders, think the present system il
sufficient, some steps should be taken tt
either have the law repealed, or to have
second-class counties (of which Burlington
county is one) exempted from It's pro
visions, by an act of the Legislature.
THE REPORT TO GOVERNOR VOORHEES,.
The report of the State Board of Child
Voorhees,, Governor of New Jersey, con
gard to the Burlington County Aims
house, which we have investigated:
''Sexes not separated.
Records show startling facts in regard
to illegitimate births y
Records imperfect"
Books kept away from the Aims
house"
SUBJECT OF SEPARATION OF THE SEXES PRE-
vIoUsLY DISCUSSED.
1. 'siSe1es not separated (Item from re
port of s. B. G. g..
This subject has been thoroughly ven
tilated and discussed in the former por
tions of our report.
FACTS CONCERNING ILLEGITIMATEs.
2. "Records shoao startling facts in regart
to alegit5naate births. Qtem from report
of S. B. G. 60.
We find that there have been only six
illegitimate children born and probably
begotten in the institution in twenty-sev.
en- years.
In some of these cases the mothers left
the institution and were readmitted, dur
ing which time of absence they may have
become pregnant.
The small average of this class of cases
in twenty seven years seems to us to ar
que the excellent personal management
of the institution, considering that the
sexes have never been totally separated
OF the illegitimate children born in the
institution and begotten outside, before
the mothers were admitted thereto, we
find an average of four per year, anG
these cases are fewer in the last five years
than in previous years, and are on the
decrease.
In cases of lewd women, whose credi
bility has been destroyed by their immor
al conduct, it is impossible to ascertain
the supposed father and make him sup
port the illegitimate offspring. This is s
case that sometimes reaches the Aims
houses and under the law her reception
cannot be avoided.
Also where the reputed father leaves
the jurisdiction and the mother throws
herself upon the overseer of the poor fol
relief, the Almshouse is the only place fol
her to be relieved, under our poor law.
When these pregnant women, whose
legal settlements are in this county, are
regularly committed as paupers to thu
Almshouse by Justice of the Peace 9TH
father of the bastard not being able to b,
ascertained), the Steward is compelled t.
receive them and relieve their necessity
and distress.
We fail to see how the Board of Chosel
Freeholders or the Steward can be held IL
anywise responsible for this class of cases
WHAT THE BOOKS SHOW.
8. "RecordS imperfect" Qtem from re
port of S. B. G. O..
These books show that there were, OF
December twenty first, 1899, eighty-on'
males and forty mine females in the san
department, and forty mine (males and fe
males) in the insane department, making
total of one hundred and seventy-nin
inmates in the institution.
OF the eighty one males the books show
there were as follows:
Eight less than ten years,
Four between ten and twenty,
Three between twenty and thirty,
Five between thirty and forty,
Ten between forty and fifty.
Twelve between fifty and sixty,
Fourteen between sixty and seventy,
Fifteen between seventy and eighty,
Eight between eighty and ninety,
Two over ninety years of age.
OF the forty nine females there were a
follows: