The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-20
GOVERNOR, IN PULPIT,
PLEADS FOR PINEYS
Five Thousand Jersey Residents
Lack Religion and Educa.
ton. Says Fielder.
POLNGAMY is COMMON
Clergyman Declares Many
Adults in Pine Belt Cannot
count Beyond Three.

GOV Fielder Of New Jersey. standing
n 'hc pulpit Of St Johns Episcopal
Church Jersey city. Yesterday morning
declared without mincing any words.
that II is up 10 the State to give the
5000 Pineys, rs the natives of the min.
holt of South New Jersey are called, eLu-
cation, religion and social uplitt.
The novelty of = Governor speaking
from pulpit on a Sunday moving at
trac;rd congro cation that filed the
quaint little church to overlooking. The
Governor had with him the Rev. Alex
ander W. Bostwick. rector of Trinity
Episcopal Church at Nincentown, right
In the heart OF the district, who dealt
with individual cases. His advocacy of
reforms was enthusiastically indorsed by
Gov. Fielder.
The residents of the pine belt are Of
Just as good ancestry as the best people
in Jersey, the Governor said IL they
hut knew how they could trace their
family trees back to Revolutionary times
The trouble with them is that they have
not had the religious, educational and
social advantages that Others have had
The people must have religion and ed,-
cation at once. said Gov. Fielder. He said
that while the Rev. Mr. Bostwick and
other clergyfnen are doing all that they
possibly can. their work has been greatly
hampered because they have had no help
He made an earnest plea for immediate
cooperation on the part of churches in
other parts OF the State.
school IL Established.
The Governor said that he knew little
about the Pineys until his Gubernatorial
campaign last fall. What he has said
and done since then has resulted in the
establishment OF school for detectives
a. Four Miles which Is branch OF the
Vneland School for Detectives The Gov
etnor has also prodded the truant officers
10 insist that children be compelled to
attend school.
ITS disgrace to the State that this
condition of affairs has been permitted to
exist for so long continued the Gov
ernur. The pine belt is less than thirty
miles from Philadelphia 1t covers parts
OF three counties--Burlington Atlantic
and Ocean. While there are many who
are mentally defective, there are many
more VINO have good mentality which re-
spends II the children are taken away
from their home environs at an early age.
We have made good start. bu. we
must not stop. We must not only give the
Tineys religion and education but we
must also teach them how to live prop
clN It's up to the State"
The Rev. Mr.. Bostwick said that there
are three points to he considered in the
treatment of the natives, the mental de-
fectiNes. the moral detectives and their
existence in general The mental defcc-
tives. he said. consist Of persons who
through nhre, ding for generation have
developed INTO such condition that
while they are physically mature they
are as children mentally, Many of them
don't know the months of the year and
are unable to count beyond three.
Women with four or five husband :
and men with as many wives are not
uncommon" said Mr. Bostwick. There
is such miXup that it is impossible to
md who's who
Poverty Is Their Enemy.
Poverty also has had much to do with
this condition of affairs. according 10
tho speaker. He said there was a time
when they made a fairly respectabl liv-
lng on the cranberry boys, but they are
70 longer able to compete with firms
which cultivate the berries along scientific
lines. They also are being crowded out
o' huckleberry picking. About the only
thing left for them to do is to gather and
sell swamp NOSES or cordwood Another
enemy of The development of the belt Is
the prevalence of diseases. Cancer and
consumption are the most common.
Thanks to Gov. Fielder and other
friends said the Rev. Mr.. Bos,wick in
conclusion. we now have a defective col
ony. We also are going to establish a
social centre. 4 deaconess is already at
Nork. so that a start in settlement work
has been made"
After Gov Fielder left the pulpit the
Rev George ID. Hadley rector of the
church. commenting upon the two SER
mons. said
i don't believe that any more horri-
PIE sermons have ever been heard in St
Johns Church II is really sordid tale.
That such conditions have been allowed
10 exist in our State may be due to the
churches Its pretty plain talking that
we have been observation-disclosures too hard
Tor respectable congregation to listen
10 But. after all, there is no better place
~ hear about such shocking things than
nght IN church When the Christian
chufch becomes so respectable that I,
Doesn't want to hear about such things
mink It Will be time for us 10 80 out OF
business"