The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-05-26
CLASSIC YIN(3
DEFENDANTS
s,gEssFws4 ..------
Board Of Charities and Cor
rections Discusses the In
crease Of Detectives
INSPECTION TOUR UNDER WAY
ADMINISTRATION OF STATE IN
sTITUTIoNs STUDIED BY The
CONFERENCE

The problem presented by the very
rapid increase of detectives in New Jer-
sey, and definite arrangements for more
intelligent management of the States
correctional and charitable institutions
were the chief questions discussed at
the quarterly conference of the advisory
board of the State Department of Chari-
ties and Corrections at Trenton this
week. The board is composed of DR..
George B. Wright, Commissioner Of
Charities and Corrections, chairman; and
the executive heads of the various State
institutions. DR.. Wight presided at the
conference yesterday, and Miss Sutphin,
stenographer of the department, was sec
retary.
The conference began at 1890 A. nj.
DR.. Wight presented a report of his visi-
tations during this year. DR.. Wight said
he had visited every institution in the
State which receives funds from the
State treasury and has familiarized him
self with many of the details of their
management. He said that New Jersey
has no reason to feel ashamed Of the
standard of its institutions of this char
acter by comparison with those of other
States.
DR.. Wight said that the executive de-
partment of the State had expressed its
approval of the work accomplished by
the Charities and Corrections Depart
ment during the the first year of its ex-
istence. The commissioner said that he
had just started another tour of inspec-
ton of the State institutions.
The heads of the institutions repre-
sented at the conference gave detailed
oral reports as to the number Of inmates,
condition Of health, accommodations and
needs of the various institutions, there
being no exception to the plea for more
room.
Superintendent L. L. Mcconnell Of
the Atlantic county hospital for the in
sane, said it would be wise for the state
to take mo consideration the rapid in
crease in the number of it's dependents
and in making additions to the various
institutions provided for future wants.
DR.. Henry M. Weeks, superintendent
of the state village for epileptics, at
Skillman's. read an able paper on 'sThe
Admission, Classification and Transfer
of the States Dependents" The paper
took the ground that an exact classifica-
tion of each state patient was necessary
in order hat every patient would be sent
to the institution where he properly be-
longs. Ancher matter touched upon
was the necessity for better rules for the
transfer of patients. It frequently hap
pens that a feeble-minded dependent de-
velops insanity, or that other complica-
tions arise which make necessary a re-
classification Of a particular dependent.
Under present conditions there is too
much red tape attached to transfer.
DR.. Weeks hald that there should be
change in the laws in the direction of
greatly simplifying transfers when they
become necessary.
There was general discussion on the
subject Of the enrolment Of patients
The main questions taken up were as to-
what facts should be agthered by the
department with reference to the habits,
degeneracy and heredity of dependents
for the future use of the State. 1t was
during this discussion that the matter
Of the rapid increase of the States de-
fectives was touched upon. As one IL
lustration, it was shown that the insane
dependents in New Jersey have increased
]. 800 per cent in the last so years, and
during the last fifteen years the increase
ha sheen at least 66 2-3 per cent. This
condition of things makes it necessary,
in the opinion of the advisory board, to
investigate the situation carefully.
Another discussion took place on the
question of the administration of the
State Institutions. The matters touched
upon were the recreation, occupation,
sanitation and hygenie of the patients in
the Institutions.
AS the result of the conference DR..
Wight was empowered to appoint
COMMITTEES of five members of the board