Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-04-11
Appropriations Of tho Reform Farm---Mr
nlonrOe's Remarks

nlonrOe's Remarks
When the House was discussing the appro
priation bill on Saturday, an attempt was made
TO reduce the appropriations for the State Re.
form Farm on the ground, that that institution
ought, by this time, to be sef-supporting. It
was urged also, that when it was first proposed
to establish Reform Schools, assurances were
held out, that after one or two years they would
be of little or no expense to the State.
Mr. Monroe replied to these objections. He
was decidedly opposed to reducing these appro-
priations. They had already been put as low
as the best interest of the Farm would admit
The question whether they should be retained
in the bill to the full amount specified was one
Of life and death to the Farm. 10 was mistake
to suppose thut the Farm could be sustained
without aid from the State. Some friends Of
this institution might formerly have expressed
the opinion, that it would soon be entirely self
supporting, but this had never been his own
opinion. At u former session of the Legjsla-
ture, he had repeatedly told members, that they
must not expect that the Farm would ever be
entirely sustained by the labor of the boys upon
it, The reasonabeness of this view Of the case
would be evident, if gentlemen would bear in
illluu buN lOubu dllh OF LltEe DONk,
their idle habits, the necessity of employing oil
GERS to be constantly with them and the fact that
they spend half of each day in acquiring
knowledge of the common branches Of study
| Butt must not be supposed that the boys on the
Farm had done nothing during the past year to-
upon tie Farm in January, 1858. They were
but eight in number, and had not very much in.
creased when the Spring work came on, and
there were but about forty at the end Ofthe year,
And yet these boys, under all the disadvantages
of a new and imperfcctly organized enterprise,
cultivated. during the past season, 40 acres IL
| oats "a acres in corn, and 10 acres in potatoes.
| They put out 1000 fruit trees and 20O0 grape
vines, and sowed 55 acres in wheat They
cleared some new lands, built and repaired great
deal of fence, and did nearly all the digging for
the new buildings in the process Of ereotion.--
They hauled sand, carried brick and mortar, and
did all the ordinary chores upon the Farm
such as taking care of stock and other worh
around the house and barn When it should b,
remembered, that besides this, they were du
ring the whole period, pursuing an educational
course with n fair degree of success; h,
thought the House would admit that the,
had not made very bad year o; it, for the frs
one.
He trusted that when the farm would bo ful
ly stocked, and the necessary buildings com
pleted, the labor of the boys would deiray on
half to two thirds of all the expense; bat he di
not believe that the expense could ever b
wholly met in that way.
Mr. Monroe added, that il would no doubt b,
very satisfactory to US, If we could maintain al
our Benevolent Institutions without its costin
US anything, but unfortunately such state o
things had not yet arrived.
The House concuned in these yewa; and tn
appropriations for salaries of officers and sup
port Of pupils at the Farm amounting TO abou
5000, were granted.