Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-30

from his department. He, however,
| wants to have final disposition of
plans for State institutions and be
| empowered with the privilege of criti-
| cizing plans prepared for public In
| stitutions.
Speaking of the alien deportation
| law, by which New Jersey rids itself
| of undesirable aliens, Commissioner
| Byers suggests that New Jersey
should provide for the return to her
| institutions Of such citizens COM
mitted to institutions in other States.
That so per cent. of the State prison
population can be profitably em'
ployed in work outside the prison
walls is another proposition ad-
vanced by the report, The successful
Inauguration of outside work for
prisoners on roads and at the prison
farm has greatly simplified the prison
labor problem. He advanced two
propositions for making the State
prison a modern institution. The first
is the abandonment of the present
site for a new building at Railway,
or the alternative of the rehabilita-
tion of the present prison along more
modern lines.
The law under which the depart
ment of charities and corrections
. tended TO discourage unworthy ana
I incompetent organizations from geek
| ing public aid and has protected those
whose work, methods and resources
justify their existence.
Regret is expressed at the failure
of the last Legislature to indorse the
recommendations Of the special COM
mittee that reported upon conditions
of the insane In this State this year,
Hope is expressed that the Legisla-
ture, when it convenes, will see At
10 be guided by those recommended
tions in developing and extending the
States policy for the care of IT'S
mental detectives.
Burlington county has done re-
markable work in the organization
OF a colony for the care Of feebla-
minded men. The colony is under
the direction of the training school
at Vineland, and is located upon
State forestry land. The maintenance
OF its inmates is provided for out OF
the funds paid for that purpose to
the training school at Vineland. A
transfer Of more boys to the colony
is anticipated in January, which will
bring the population to forty
"The inability of the State to pro-
vide for all feeble-minded children ut
the Nineland institution makes it i'm
peratiYe that some outlet for the
older inmates of that school be pro-
vided else the children committed to
1t for training remain indefinitely At
the school and this policy tends
more and more to make of the school
custodian institution" confines
Mr.. Byers's report
But the training school at Vine
land cannot provide for that group
OF feeble-minded classed as low
grade imbeciles and idiots. For this.
the most helpless and dependent
class, New Jersey has made no pro-
vision. It may be possible, with the
development of the colony to pro-
vide therein for this group.
But the colony, as so far devel-
oped, and at least for the immediate
future, offers no hope that it can ex-
tend its care to women, and there
is no reason why it should do so.
The State Home for Feeble Minded
Women should be provided with ia
cilit1es for caring for all feeble
minded women above the age OF
twelve years and for feeble-minded
girls of any age or grade.
More Recommendations.
IT would recommend as furnishing
safe policy for the State to adopt and
develop:
Increased accommodations at the
State Home for Feeble-Minded
Women, with an amendment to the
present law that will authorize that
institution 10 receive all low grade
feeble-minded women and girls of
any age, and the higher grades of
minded women and girls over
the age Of twelve. Trainable girls
over the age of five years go to the
training school at Vineland. These
as the occasion may arise should be
transferred to the home.
1.-THE taking over by the State OF
the Burlington County Colony and the
extension of the present colony build
ings to provide for feeble minded men
to be directly admitted thereto or on
transfer from the training school, the
colony to provide for the care of low
grade feeble minded men. Suitable
buildings to accommodate 100 colony
cases can be provided for at a cost
not to exceed $4,000, and the main
tenance Of these cases at the colony,
after the number has reached 100,
should not exceed 5000 per annum, and
We might reasonably expect that it
would be considerably less. The labor
of these colony inmates can be profit
ably utilized by the State on the
forest reservation, in the cutting and
maintenance of fire lines, ditching
further development of water supply
and in other ways advantageous to
the State.
1.-THE continued use Of the training
rEtN,1 "a
trainable cases and the continued ap-
preparation of 100000 for that pur-
pose; also an additional supplemental
appropriation of $4,000 for the sup
port Of colony cases in the Burling-
ton County Colony at a per capita
cost per annum of not to exceed S230.
including clothing. outlets from the
training school can be provided
through the State Home for Feeble
| Minded Women and the colony as in
dicated above.
THE purchase of additional land
/ in connection with the State Home
for Feeble Minded Women. to enable
that institution to adopt the colony
care for feeble-minded women.
THE continued development of the
! special classes in our public schools
| The classes already organized are
! bringing to notice children whose
mental status is such that they can
not receive any adequate benefit from
public school instruction and who
should without question, become
wards of the State. When, through
the sitting process provided through
these special classes, children OF pro-
nounced mental defect are located,
the state should be in position tG
give to that class State custodial
care. But these children should not
be taken over by the State until the
school authorities have exhausted
every effort 10 successfully control
and educate them The State should
be prepared when this point is