Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-10-06
WHARTON SPEAKS
ON OUR CHARITY
Secretary Says Last Legislative
Session Produced More Good
Laws Than Amy Other
PENNSYLVANIA NOW LEADING
Governor Tener Commended For
What He Has Done in Behalf
of the States Charges
PENNSYLVANIA NOW LEADING

| PENNSYLVANIA needs more provision
| for the insane, State system of work
| houses and a continuation of the pro-
gram begun by the Legislature of 1913
to take care of the feeble minded and
other State charges whom public pol
icy requires must be separated from
the rest of the people. declared Brom-
| ley Wharton, secretary of the State
Board of Public Charities, in an adj
dress before the State Poor Directors
| Association at Carlisle to-day Mr..
| Wharton spoke on past legislation and
present needs of the charities of the
state and reviewed what the Common
wealth had done from the days of
| William Penn, declaring that the last
session of the Legislature enacted
more important legislation affecting
the dependent and delinquent classes
of this community than any session OF
the Legislature in this generation.
This assertion may be startling, but it
is true. Legislation was enacted which
commits the State to the further care
of the children, the feeble-minded and
;epileptic the inebriate and the woman
offender"
Mr.. Wharton reviewed the laws en-
acted for the State village for feeble
minded women, industrial home for
women. State institution for inebriate
and other projects, together with vot-
ing 81 ,551 200 for enlargement of the
homes for feeble minded at Polk and
Spring City, thus caring for 6O4 un-
fortunates. This was in addition to
child welfare. insane patient and State
supervision of jails and almshouses,
which were all enlarged
The Big Things
Mr.. Wharton also said:
Finally, one of the most important
pieces of constructive legislation that
has been attempted for years has been
the appointment by the Governor of
the State Dependents Commission,
whose duties are to investigate the
present condition of all classes of de-
pendents of the State and to recon-
mend in their report to the Governor
such changes as will make this great
philanthropic work of the State more
effective and the administration of
the institutions devoted to their care
more efficient Such is the eleemo-
synary legislation of the last session.
1t speaks for itself. Is there any true
Pennsylvania who is not proud of
what has been accomplished through
1.-THE efforts of the good men and women
of this Commonwealth?
First and foremost on the roll of
honor is one who has ever been the
steadfast friend of this legislation for
the last two sessions-His EXcellency,
the Governor of this Commonwealth
John X. Tener In his message to the
Legislature, he officially recommended
the establishment of a Woman's In
dustrial Home and he threw into the
balance the power of his great office
to the consummation of this desire.
When all this legislation was on trou-
bled waters and the situation looked
black, he was ever encouraging and
cheerfully optimistic of the final out
come.
AS to the future, we should have
more accommodations for the insane.
THE committee on n-lunacy of the Board
of Public Charities has strongly rec
commended a new State Hospital for
the southeastern district also one for
the southwestern part of the State.
) Philadelphia has now between four
land five thousand INDECENT insane, half
of whom are in State hospitals, and
the remainder in the Philadelphia
!; hospital, at Blockley and Byberry
Farms AS the overcrowding here is
4 great and the care and treatment of
: lpatents unsatisfactory. and as the city
of Philadelphia is unable to remedy
this State of affairs, it is suggested a
State hospital in the southeastern dis
trct would correct this. The semi
State hospital at DiXmont (near Pitts
burgh) is too small to respond to
the needs of the large district in
(which 1t is situated, and it is, there
should also be built in the southwest
ern district.
THE last Legislature made magnifi-
cent provision for the class popularity
known as the feeble minded espec-
tally for the women. Before we ad-
vance further In this direction, legis-
Ilation must be provided declaring and
defining the degree of feeble minded
ness that unfits man or woman for
lsocial life and requires his or her per-
, lmanent detention in an Institution
where the feeble-minded and epileptic
are committed for custodial care.
The rich and populous counties of
|, Allegheny and Philadelphia have
workhouses. In the latter case it is
lcalled the House of Correction, En-
ployment and Reformation. Originally
1.-THE House of Correction, Philadelphia.
was part of the city almshouse. Courts
. and magistrates can commit vagrants
and misdemeanors to these institu-
Itions, where they must work, which
they cannot be compelled to do in the
Iordinary almshouses.
!, "At the present time it seems to me
la system of State warehouses would
add much to the solution of this
lproblem. 1t is evident from the ex-
lperience of nearly 200 years in this
commonwealth that the counties are
, either unwilling or unable to avail
themselves of the opportunity of es-
Itablshing county warehouses; There
fore, the only alternative is a system
of State warehouses; and the Board of
Public Charities, at the session of
lt909. and each subsequent session has
advocated the adoption of the State
workhouse system, and through Presi-
dent Torrance of our board intro
, duced a joint resolution providing for
1.-THE appointment by the Governor of a
commission to consider and report on
the advisability of establishing sys-
tenn of State warehouses;, to which
, warehouses; shall be committed per-
A., sons convicted of misdemeanors in the