The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-12-17
MUNICIPAL HOME
ADVOCATED
Pbilanthropists Meet in the
Library and Discuss the
Protection of Juvenile
Delinquents.
{. A. RANSOM jR.'s PAPERS
County Institution Instead OF
city's Suggested = Com
mittees to Forward
the Work Named.
{. A. RANSOM jR.'s PAPERS

4 meeting called by Chairman Robert
L. Tlemming, chairman Of the Society for
The prevention of cruelty to Children was
held last night in the Public Library build
ing and was well attended by prominent
members of the Organized Aid ,Associa-
ton. The object of the meeting. was
primarily to discuss the problem as TO
how TO protect and care for the children
who are cruelty treated and neglected.
The appropriation 10 establish a Munici-
pal Home, where such children can be
temporarily cared for. where juvenile
CRIMINALS can be sent instead of to jail
and where fallen young girls and innocent
witnesses who cannot procure bail can be
detained brought about a very interesting
discussion. in which Assistant Prosecutor
yickers, Probation Officer Richard A.
Stevens. Assistant Probation Officer Jas.
A. Butler. who is also secretary of the
Catholic Children's Aid Society, Police
Justice James Manning and Chief At
tendance offieer Stell, of the Public
School department were the chief partic-
ipants.
Chairman Flenmiue presided and Mrs
Briee eellard acted as secretary pro tenn.
Clerk E. A. Ransom, of the First Grim
inal Court and member Of the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Children.
started the discussion By reading a paper
of which the following is part
Still, there is mcnacing US an evil,
problem that l fear we have given TOO
little thought to; the juvenile criminal
who is not the ward of the state--tne
child who, with parents living, is worse
Than parentless-for whose care the
State will not accept responsibility Our
poor laws are such that if ehild's
parents or near relatives are living, they
are held responsible for its keep. A
child may be abandoned and neglected;
it may wander the streets homeless. If
it comes within the pale Of the law, in
stead Of being picked up and cared for
and removed from IT'S environments, it
is turned back to its parents. if they may
be found. and while the law compels
them 10 keep the child, its condition may
become worse than in its abandoned
state.
Zone of the greatest problems that con-
fronts Us is the child of degraded parents
who is forced to remain in an environ
ment Of debauchery and criminality.
Despite our wise laws concerning the
education and employment Of children,
Juvenile crime is increasing enormously
! speak now particularly. of Jersey City.
Here we are forced to face conditions
which are found, probably, in no other
city Of the State We are the gateway of
the country, where the foreign popula-
tion is dumped by the thousand. We are
a railway centre. Six trunk lines have
their termini here. We are manufac-
4uring city. Our railroads ana our manu-
factories give employment to thousands.
All around thehome are railroad yards
filled with coal-large humps and small
Jumps; soft coal and hard coal. It lies
upon the ground and becomes imbedded
in it-part of it. Why should there be
such a plenty, and they suffering for tle
lack Of it? The freezing children are
given bucket and sent out to pick coal
At first they may go to the dumps and
sort the cindess. but they soon find an
easier Nag Of getting It, direct from the
yards. be n~sst step IS pick itsin the
yards from The ground. The next, to
selid one Of their number over the coal
cars to pick it off. The next TO fill the
buckets direct from the cars. From the
harmless picking Of coal which has been
abandoned 10 stealing from the railroad
company is an easy STEP The child
stead Is rapid pupil. All through our
City there are unscrnnulous persons.