Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-03-08
NEW HOSPITAL IS
NEEDED IN EAST
Important Recommendations
Made to the State Board of
Public Charities Today

Members of the State Board of
Public Charities at their Spring meet
ing here to-day adopted report by
Secretary Bromley Wharton urging
that steps be taken at the next Legis-
lature to secure new State hospital
for the insane east of the Allegheny
mountains and that State home for
incurables be established. 1t was also
urged that the State village for feeble
minded women be completed.
The reports showed that orders of
/ the Board for improvements at a
number of county prisons and aims
houses had been complied with.
Mr.. Wharton's report was, in sub
stance, as follows:
"A synopsis or review OF the legis-
| lation of the General Assembly of 1915
shows conclusively that Pennsylvania
has taken a decided stand in favor of
judicious penal reform, child better
ment and in various lines of eleemosy-
| nary work. Time and space will not
| permit me to enumerate the legisla-
tion in which this Board was inter-
ested. Suffice to say, some twenty
| four bills We're in charge of your sec
retary and over one-half of them be-
came laws.
"An important piece of legislation
was the act providing for the selec-
tlon of site for a new State hos
pital for the insane to be erected west
| of the Allegheny mountains. This
| bill received the approval of the Gov
ernor and the Commission has been
appointed and is now trying to locate
a site. One bill that failed of final
s,,
passed the House, was that which
would have prohibited magistrates OF
justices of the peace from sentencing
or committing for trial, dependent
neglected, incorrigible or delinquent
children, under the age of 16 years
end provided for the disposition OF
such children by the juvenile courts
and authorized said courts to COM
NIT such children, in proper cases, tc
the custody of their mothers, ito be
retained in their respective homes anC
providing for the payment of the cost
OF such maintenance by the proper
county" This bill should be reintro.
duced at the next session and strongls
urged by our Board
Among the other bills that failed
of passage was one providing for tho
establishment of State farms to be 10,
Gated in six districts in PENNSYLVANIA
and providing for the employment o.
! PRISONERS In outdoor work. 1t is to bC
regretted that the initiative was mo-
taken for the establishment of a hos
pltal for the insane i'm Eastern Penn.
sylVania. l again urge this Board Il
introduce a bill, which failed of pass
age, for the establishment of a State
home for persons suffering from in.
curable diseases, such as cancer, pa.
ralysis and locomotor ataXia.
Il would also suggest that thi:
Board recommend the early compile
tion of the village for feeble-minde(
women of child-bearing age, located
at Laurelton, Union county. There
are about three hundred acres under
cultivation. Farm buildings are OF
the property. If additional cottages
are erected at a cost proportionate t,
the present building, it will be goot
J investment for the State. Stone is t,
be had, without cost, within q few
hundred yards of the institution.
The Governor has shown an activ,
interest in the work of the Board, an,
in order to increase it's efficiency ant
give it greater supervisory power il
the inspection of the numerous insti
tutions of the State, he has approved
the appointment of two additional as
sistant general agents. and one wom
an agent, who inspects homes for chill
dren and aged persons"