The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1917-03-24
ial COmmisTousr for Ths Menace.

T@TN1 URING the last week Of Feb
WI ruary, 1917, the supreme
IS1& court Of Pennsylvania de-
@ clared as unconstitutional the
law passed in the 1915 session
by the state Legislature which pro-
vided for the appropriation Of $780,
900 for the erection Of Home for
Girls, by Allegheny county. On what
technicality the decision was based.
is unknown to your commissioner and
In view Of the facts 1t Is decidedly
immaterial, for after all is said, the
supreme court did just what Rome
desired it should do. Why? The
question is easily answered.
In the Protestant city Of Pitts
burgh, Pennsylvania, 1t is a notorious
fact that Protestant, Jewish and
Catholic girls alike are sentenced to
the ignoble sweat shops and profit
extorting sectarian House Of the
Good Shepherd. We find also that the
legislature in this state donates out
Of the public funds, each session, large
sums Of money for the maintenance
Of this and similar sectarian insti.
tutions, in direct violation Of the con-
situtional law Of the commonwealth.
City and county appropriations, how
ever, have been withdrawn from this
particular Home Of the Good Shep-
herd.
Abuses Of every privilege became
20 apparent some time since that
tremendous agitation against the
Pittsburgh House Of the Good Shep-
herd was launched and at last one
important official was elected on q
thoroughly American platform by the
patriotic forces on his promise that
he would institute proceedings against
this vicious institution Immediately
upon his being sworn into Office. This
mans name Is R. Il. Jackson. He
is at present serving as district at
torney and incidentally we learn that
he is a candidate for reelection.
No Action Taken
However, Mr.. jackson has not to
this good day begun proceedings for
the elimination Of abuses conducted
In or by the House Of the Good Shep-
herd In violation Of the state consti-
tuition. According to reports consid-
cred reliable conditions are even
worse today than they were before
Nr. jackson was elected to enforce q
cleanup and compel the institution
to comply with the laws Of the state.
This papal slave pen, according to
the best information obtainable, now
confines some two hundred or more
girls, all Of whom are compelled to
work long hours upon scanty rations.
Indeed, the hours are said to have
been considerably increased since the
city and county appropriations have
been withdrawn, in order that these
poor slaves might grind out sufficient
dollars to make up for the loss in
public funds. II Is said upon good
authority that this institution clears
approximately $4,000 a year in the
laundry alone, which In addition to
the monies from the state appropria-
tions granted by the legislature, nets
this Troy Hill House Of the Good
Shepherd in round numbers $4,000
per year.
A Jesuitical Trick
To maintain this un-American
proft-psying sweat shop in a healthy
condition Rome Is constantly on the
alert. To make 1t appear desirable
that the courts sentence girls to this
House Of the Good Shepherd, Rome
some time since conceived the scheme
Of making the state institution, titled
the Industrial School for Girls, ap-
bear not only obnoxious, but impos-
sible, as a reformatory home. Thif
could be accomplished by bringing