The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-03
STATE COMMISSION
PURIFIERS PLANS
TO CHECK CRIME
Assemblyman Prince, Named in
an Advisory Cafacity,
Gives His Views.
COMMITTEES NAMED
FOR IMPORTANT BODY
Passaic AppOintee of Governor
Outlines His Idea of What
Lines Should Be Followed.

A meeting of the New Jersey State
Dependency and Crime Commission was
held today in the headquarters 1t has
taken in the old Kinney building, at
Broad and Market streets. Mrs. Caro-
line B.. Alexander, of Hoboken, ana
several other commissioners were pres
ent. Former Senator M. I. Barrett,
the president, called the meeting 20
order, and DR.. Charles A. Rossnwasser,
the vice-president. presided at the
morning session.
These chairmen of committees were
appointed:
Alcohol n narcotics. the Rev.
Ernest A. Boone, MerchantVilie;
present penal system, Benjamin Muir
ply, Jersey City; conditions Of popq-
lation and unhealthy tenement house
conditions, Edward A. Ransom, jr.,
Jersey City; diet and home training,
Mrs. Emil E. Williamson, Elizabeth;
laws affecting c~riminality and depend
ency, M. r. Barrett, Newark; amuse-
ments and their relation to crime and
dependency. Mrs. Caroline B. lexan
der, Hoboken; disease and its relation
to c%riminality and dependency, DR..
Charles A. Rosenwasser. Newark.
It was decided in making inyestlga-
lions 10 follow the questions used by
the Massachusetts State Labor Bureau
and the Committee of Fifty of New
York
Assemb5yman John ID. Prince, of Pas
sale County. who introduced in the
Legislature the bill authorizing Sthe
creation Of the commission, wrote that
he was %sratlhed that Governor Fort
had appointed him IN advisory COM
missioner, and he would do all in his
power TO assist the commission in its
labors.
Mr.. Princes letter continued as fol-
lows in cart;
"As to The work of the commission.
/ should say hat the work might be
divided under five 90 categories, viz,
(a) bad housing. (b) bad diet, (c) the
influence of drink. cd the proportion
of crime in relation to foreign birth or
parentage. and also among negroes and
negroids. and (c) the prevalence of
truaney These five subjects are. in
my opinion, very closely involved in
connection with the study of the Grim
nal and defective classes.
"As to the question of bad housing,
e.. crowded tenements. bad v%entila-
ton, sweatshops and their resulting
immoral influences. | cannot do better
than suggest that you confer with
Robert w. De Forest, 7 Washington
Square, New York city. who has, ] am
informed, made a specially of this diff
cult question. The commission, or a
committee of the commission which !
should gladly join, might make several
tours of inspection in the congested or
J.-4a;.f1 80 a.an osa tot.
cities where the evil influences in ques-
ton are most likely to prevail.
LAS to the question of bad. INSULT
cient or malnutritious diet, this is so
closely connected with the subject of
bad housing that it could be studied
at the same time.
1.-THE drink question is, TO my mind,
much more complicated. | would di-
vide all criminals in this respect into
three classes. viz. (a) those who drink
to excess on account of their criminal
heredity or upbringing, in which in
stance drink is regarded as an effect
rather than a cause of their criminal
ity; (b) those who are criminal because
of a diseased taste for drink, where
drink is, of course. the cause of their
criminality, and (c) criminals who do
not drink. or. at least, not to excess, in
which cnse drink should not be re-
garded as a casual factor in their crimi-
nality.
"As to crime among the colored and
foreign population, Investigations
should be made regarding the ratio of
crime among these peoples in proportion
to c%riminality among the American
whites.
II have found that much crime among
foreigners might be prevented if they
could be instructed in their own Ian
guages, say, in night schools, concern
ing American institutions and in the
-IMouNoe Su1uIouu sIql lInoo Gl sde9G
English language"
Mr.. Barrett said that he was about
to sail for Europe. With him away
the commission will have only six ac-
tive members, as Mrs. Emily William
son, one of the members. is abroad.