The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-05-25
Managers Of the New Jersey
State Home Propose to
Establish One On State
Prison Lines
PROCEEDS TO GO TO THE STATE
COMMISSIONER WIGHT FAvORs.
INDUSTRIAL TEACHING IN
CONNECTION WITH REFORMS
GOVERNOR COULD PROVIDE
FUND.
Especial to ..The Jersey city News.sy

Nopecial 10 Inc Jersey lily NEWS
TRENTON, May %, 1906. Managers
Of the New Jersey State Home for Girls
will likely consider at their next meeting
a proposition for the establishment at the
home of handkerchief factory to be op-
Grated on about the same lines as a like
establishment which is now conducted
in the New Jersey State Prison. Whether
this matter will receive favorable con-
largely up on the likelihood of providing
room at the home by the erection of
new building for the installation of ma
chimes necessary for the manufacture of
handkerchiefs.
Jerome NJ. Schwerin, of Newark, was
in Trenton this week and in consultation
with several members of the Board of
Managers of the home. Mr.. Schwerin
has the handkerchief making contract at
the State Prison and the plan outlined by
him for a similar industry at the State
Home for Girls closely follows that now
employed at the prison. Mr.. Schwerin
visited the home and made tour of the
grounds for the purpose of familiarizing
himself with conditions that he may be
ready to proceed in the event of favor
able decision by the home managers.
1t is claimed by the promoter that
with handkerchief industry at the
home, the State would receive an annual
revenue of about $4,000. This amount
would be applied by the managers to-
ward the support of the institution His
estimate is that each girl who should be
employed at making handkerchiefs would
earn for the State thirty-five cents a day.
George B. Wight, State Commissioner
OF Charities and Corrections, was seen
relative to this industry and while he
would not commit himself as being favor
able to this specific work, he voiced the
sentiment that he would support any de-
parture which would tend toward teach
ing inmates of penal and correctional in
stitutions to earn an honest livelihood.
At this time there is no. loom at the
home for the installation Of the handker-
chief factory and in the event of the de-
parture it would be necessary to con-
struct an additional building. The type
of building necessary would likely be a
one-story frame structure Of 6Ox2OO feet
with basement. The machines would
be installed on the ground floor and the
basement wouldtlikely be used for laun-
dry. The motive power for the machin-
cry would probably be electricity.
There is no money available in the ap-
preparation for the State House for the
erection of such a building The only
way in which a fund could be provided
would be an advance of the amount re
quired, estimated at about $4,000, from
some contingent fund over which the
rangement of this sort could be made,
the building of the handkerchief factory
would have to wait until an appropria-
tion should be made for it by the next
Legislature.
The work of making handkerchiefs at
the State home would be a precedent in
that institution and the establishment of
factory would give employment to
many girls who are now unfit for any
employment except general housework
and cooking. There are a few inmates
at the home who can do the finer kinds
of fancy work, but this class is of linn
tied number. The girls who cannot do
other than general housework are now
somewhat at loss for employment which
would be of practical value to them upon
their discharge from the home.
If handkerchief factory should be es-
tablished the employment of girls in it
who are between the ages of seven and
fourteen years, the ages provided BY law
between which children must attend
school would follow this occupation af-
ter they had completed their regular and
formal educational duties BY tins ar
rangement the compulsory education law
of the State would not be interfered
with.
cnAApAMY C'S PICNIC