The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-12-29
DR.. WIGHT MAKES
HIS FIRST REPORT
Charitable and Penal Insti-
tutions Exhaustively Dis
cussed By the conmis-
sioner
PRISONS new WING

pRlSUMS NEW WINE
ADDITIONS TO STATE HOSPITAL
FOR THE INsANE-QUEsTIoN.
OF TRANSFER AND COMMIT
MENT 20 IMPROVEMENTS SUG-
GEsTED.
In his first report 10 the Governor, the
Rev. Dr. George B. Wight, Commission
er Of Charities and Corrections, discusses
at length the conditions, needs and
abuses in the various charitable and PEE
nal institutions of the State and makes
a number Of recommendations for better
ments The report on the whole is an
interesting document. and shows that
during the few months from the creation
Of the department to the close of the
fiscal year on October u.
Dr. Wight makes plea for county in
sane asylums, which. despite the criti-
scisms that have been made about them
fill, in his opinion. an important and de-
s:rable place in caring for this unfortu-
nate class. He urges, however, that a
close scrutiny be exercised over commit
ments to both State and county institu-
tions of this kind to AVOID their being
filed with inmates who are not really
insane, but through old age or inirnity
or other causes, have become a burden
to their. families. The commissioner de-
plores the number of young children in
the State homes for boys and girls, and
suggests that in some cases it appears as
if committing magistrates had been inn
posed upon by parents anxious to escape
the burden Of supporting their offsprinss.
Several suggestions are made for changes
in the methods of the State prison. DR..
Wight in his report say s.:
"The law provides for the appointment
OF an assistant commissioner who shall
be q licensed architect. and with your
approval appointed to that position
George E. Poole, of Morris County, an
architect of long standing and admitted
ability, who has given his time and du-
ties, and / am confident he has saved
the State many thousands of dollars by
his intelligent professional services. I'm
der Mr.. Poole's direction, plans fer buiid-
ings have been made, contracts awarded
and the erection Of these buildings
started.
a new wing to the New Jersey STATE
prison, for which the Legislature appro-
priated $250,0OO. Original plans con.eli-
plated the tearing down of an old wing
containing 100 cells and the erection Of
a new wing with 800 cells, or a. net i'll
crease of $50 cells, for quarter Of a mil
lion dollars Mr. Poole's plan was to
allow the old wing to stand for future
disposition, and to take out a section of
the front wall and erect new wing Oil
its site, which was adopted, and the
building is in course of cons5,uc.:c:l 1T
| contract price complete of S226,3S5.
| When finished it will have 300 modern,
high-class steel cells, with perfect s;sni-
tary and locking facilities, unsurpassed
| by any penal institution in this country.
"Plans or drawings were made for
two additional wings to the State Hos
! pital for the Insane at Trenton. for which
| $250,000 had been appropriated The
| new buildings will have 100 rooms for
patients and will contain all modern i'm
provements. The total cost will be
1929, $50.
The legislature appropriated $4,000
| for now building for the State Home for
Girls at Trenton and $1,TO0 for nrfg
boiler. Thinking the whole work could
be done without the last appropriation,
the department allowed the Si.Io0 to
lapse into the trea sury os the State end
provided for a binding with rooms FOR
sorty-eight persons, Fogcsller with 4 rev
boiler and additions e The boiler-sorse
at a total cost of $3G,T36.
Discussing the charitable institutions
of the State. DR.. Wight says:
The charitable Institutions are the
hospitals for the insane at Trenton and
Morris Plains, the yillaee for Epleptics
at Skillman, the Home for eeble-minded
MANuFAcrURERs.
CLEVELAND. COLLINWOOD