Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-02-17
MONSTER PETITION
WILL ASK STATE CARE
OF FEEBLE-MIINDED
Million Signatures Will Be
Sought at Travelling EX-
hibit to Plea for
Segregation
WILL GO TO S DION S

| "One million signatures to a petition
| urging the 1917 Legislature to appropriate
/ money for the care of the fecble-mlndcd
| in Pennsylvania"
| This is the aim of the promoters of the
| educa tional exhibit. who met this morn
| ing at the. Civic Club, 1900 Spruce street
| 10 receive assignments of booths for the
| two weeks exhibit. which is to he held
| in the Wdener Building, Chestnut ana
Juniper streets, February 20 to March D.
Mrs Charles II. Frazier. wife of the
president Of the Public Charities Associa.
| tion of Pennsylvania. presided this mcrn-
| ing and told women representing scores
Of organization cooperating in the eN
hibit plans of the aims of the exhibit.
The Public Charities Association Is spon-
I sor for the exhibit
Miss Mary Sinnott is in charge of pro-
curing signers to the petition at the
Widener Building. No one will be asked
to sign until after seeing the II booths,
which wilr be featured at the exhibit.
This petition, which will be launched in
Philadelphia on February %, will have
long and varied existence After being
signed oy thousands of men and women
here children are not permitted to enter
the eXhibiD the petition viii wend its
way through many cities in Pennsylvania.
Ii will accompany the exhibit. which Is to
be travelling one. Already the itinerary
for the exhibit has been made out, in
Guiding Bethlehem, Scranton, wilkes
Barre. Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Lancas-
ter. York, Williamsport, Johnstown and
Erie. Other cities will be added later.
In each city there will be committees OF
men and women, who will solicit sigma
lures. The million mark is the coveted
figure at which they aim.
Then the petition. hundreds of feet long,
will be sent TO the 1917 Legislature. with
the request that money be appropriated
for the fpnbla- minded Of
collaborating age at the village already
esta slished by the State but st!ll unoccu-
pied on account of lack OF funds.
Il am asking you to embark upon
campaign" said Mrs. Frazier this morn
ing when talking to the women. I'VE
have to start somewhere. The funds are
so inadequate that we are planning to
devote our attention at the beginning TO
feeble minded women OF Chtld-bearing age
and demand their segregation, This cam
paign is TO he an educational one, to
awaken people, to Great public opinion so
that money will be forthcoming at the
next Legislature to care for these feeble
minded people,
There are between 5000 and 1900 feeble
minded women i'm Pennsylvania. About
$500 are in suitable institutions. About
600 are in institutions where they are Il
hindrance, These people are not insane.
Sometimes there is hope of curing in
sanity. Curing feeble-mindedness is i'm
possible. our solution rests in the segre-
cation OF the sexes so they will not
produce their kind
At the meeting this morning the booths
were placed in charge of the following
organizations and women:
Booth l. Mrs. William Platt, Shelter
ing Arms; booth 2, Mrs. Morris Kohn,
Philadelphia Section Council of Jewish
Women; booth g. in charge of experts:
booth 4, Mrs Ellen Bartol. Children's
Aid; booth ;, Miss Florence Kane, OF the
Prison Committee of the Public Charities
Association of Pennsylvania booths 6-7
the public schools; booth 8, will be cared
for by various institutions of Pennsylva-
mia; booth 3, Pennsylvania Training
School for Feeble Minded Children
booths lO-ll. College Club with Mrs. Wal
ter NJ. Newkirk and Miss Edith f. Fales
in charge; booth T., Civic Club Dr. Ber-
tina Lewis
Mrs. c, c. English. Mrs. william o,
Rowland and Mrs Richard Peirce form !
the registration bureau; Miss Constance |
Biddle is in charge of the information |
bureau. and Miss Mary sinnott in charge |
Of the petition,