Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-30

that the county may have the use OF
this Institution which has been erected
at considerable cost to the taxpayers.
I'VE further respectfully present that
the u~nderkeepers at the Essex county
JaIl are now required to devote twelve
to fourteen hours a day, including sun
days and holidays, to the guarding OF
prisoners confined therein IN the per-
Torrance of their duties as county
employees. Thus the said underkeepers
serve in two shifts and are virtually
confined within the prison walls for the
greater part of each day OF twenty
four hours. In the opinion of the grand
jurors, the %ervants of the COUNT
should not be compelled to work more
than eight hours in any t~wenty-four In
order to perform proper and efficient
service, and the force of keepers and
u~nderkeercrs at said institution should
be Increased so as to make it possible
TO divide the number of said employees
into three shifts in each day Of twenty
-four hours.
City Home Commended.
I'VE have visited the City Home for
Boys at Verona and find II a credit to
the county.
THE Isolation Hospital is in good
condition. but it is too crowded In the
nurses department.; also there is a
great need of more room for its medi-
cal laboratory, as we'll as a new wing
for typhoid and measles patients. The
management is to be highly commend
ed.
"The Aims House is as clean as such
IN old building can be. A new building
should be provided In a different loca-
ton No fault is to be found with the
management. and the inmates are as
well cared for as the conditions per-
NIT.
THE pe~nitentiary is in good order,
and under a capable warden. We dep
recate, however, the commitment of
three to ten days prisoners to this
Institution as trivial offenders must be
treated the same as hardened crimi-
nails, and we recommend that such Of
tenders hereafter be confiped in the
county jail.
The City Hospital management is
all that can be desired. but the build
ing needs more Microscopes. which
might be so considered that they may
be used for open-air wards Also that
a home for nurses be provided and the
portion now occupied by them added to
hospital uses.
THE Essex County Hospital for the
Insane has been the subject of an tx
haustive investigation. We find that
1t is badly managed. and that acts of
~indecency and incompetence are nu-
merous. but for which We are informed
by our legally constituted adviser. the
prosecutor, convictions capnot be had,
and that this grand jury sincerely re-
grets that they are compelled to bring
this ma liter to your honor's notice in
this form rather han by Indictments.
We now have a modern hospital, and it
should have proper discipline and man
agement.
immortality 81 Hxytmm.
Not only the general dicipline, but
also the moral tone could hardly be
worse. %1nebriety, improper food, ne
glectful handling of milk. taking female
patients out of the institution and re-
turning them ar all hours of the night,
d'sre gard for the time-iimlt when at
tendants and nurses should be in the
institution, lax methods for accounting
fer linen and laundry, pregnacy among
unmf rried nurses. and one case In par
ticular in which a female patient vas
made pregnant by a male attendant.
all have gone unnoticed by the man
agement. -
Even where one of he physicians
of the hospital was accused of assault
ing a nurse. every effort was made to
cloud investigation, the hospital COM
mittee of the Beard of Freeholders re-
fusins to make inquiry when the mat
ter was brought to their D"tice.
superintendent Incapable.
The superintendent Of the %institu-
ton is, to our minds. utterly incapable
of fulfilling the duties OF his Office. and
his quick removal is desired. We fur
tier find that the present power OF the
fosrital committee of the Board If
Chosen Freeholders is a detriment to
the institution.
eve therefore recommend that the
hospital should be taken fpam the man
of the Board of Vreeholders,
who have failed In their duty, and that
IL he placed In the hands of a COM
petent board of management, or fail
Ing, under state control. That a more
qualified medical superintrp dent, under
the supervision of "a board ~ managers,
lie given pIenary powers, nut hnmpered
In his work, and that such superinten-
dent be held solely responsible for the
administration of the institution, the
warden being appointed by the board
and given full charge of his DEPART
Inent, bat subject to the orders of the
medical superintendent in 30 far as 1t
concerns the welfare of the patients.
In conclusion we urgently recon-
mend that proper legislation be en-
acted whereby officials OF the county
who fail to perform their duties will
be amenable to the criminal law. so
that in the future such occurrences as
are herein descrihed need not go m