The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-22
Reports oft Omcers of the State Reform
-a aIr School.

The advance sheets of the eighteenth annual
Report of the Trustees and Superintendent of
| the Reform School have been received and, as
| usual, contains many matters of interest. The
Trustees say that the success of Rev. e. w.
Hutchinson, the Superintendent, in the man.
agement of the institution has come fully up
to their hopes and anticipations In his efforts
he has been faithfully and efficiently sustained
by the assistants and teachers. Improvements
have been made outside and inside and MOTH
ing has escaped their vigilance and thoughtful
ness.
The commitments the present year were fifty
nine; falling off of six from last. Portland
contributes nearly half of these. There have
been no admissions during the year from the
other larger cities; from the fact, it is suggest
ed, that in certain cases, a recent enactment
compels municipalities to pay dollar week
for the support of the boys consigned to the
school. The Trustees express doubt as to
the wisdom of the law. The steam heating ap-
paratus for which the last Legislature made an
appropriation has been put into the building
and is highly satisfactory.
The Treasurer's report shows that the ex-
penses of the year ending December 31st, 1871,
were 800, S10.79 the estimates being $21 ,050.-
The estimates for the present year, $21 ,050; of
this amount $7450is derived from the revenue
of the school, leaving $13,6 600 to be provided by
the Legislature The Superintendent succeed
ed in bringing the ordinary expenses of the in
stitution considerably below the estimates
The Superintendent reports the whole of num-
Der of boys in the school, Dec. 31st, 1871, to be
134; and the whole number connected with the
institution, since its establishment, is 1851
OF the SO committed during the year, 45 were
for larceny; 10 for truancy; l for
assault; for cheating by false pretence; for
arson;1 for attempt to steal The ages of these
are as follows: eight years of age, 2; ten years,
4; eleven years, 8; twelve years, 5; thirteen
years, Is; fourteen years, II; fifteen years, 49,
Of the moral condition of the boys received, it
is stated that % had Incorporate parents, IA
have lost the father and IL the mother, while Is
had step parents, 80 were idle, % much neg
lected, 10 truants, 81 were Sabbath breakers IS
were untruthful, 48 profane. As is well known,
the inmates of the reform school are recruited
from the ranks of ignorance as we'll as vice.
Of the 63 that have been received in the depart
ment of instruction, only were able to read in
the fourth reader, q had never studied arith-
metic, and but two had ciphered through re-
duction, only one had studied grammar "a
could not write at all, Is could could write their
names and easy words but II could write let
tiers. The teachers show that the boys have
made good progress in their studies Mr.. J.
w. Brown, the principal of the school, is
graduate of the Pennington Normal School.
The boys are employed on the farm in the
brick yard, shoe, chair shops, laundry and sew
ing rooms. The products of the farm the past
year were valued at $71O5.15. Much attention
qas been given the farm by the Superintendent,
who is an excellent farmer. The stock and
stables are considerably improved. But little
has been done in the brick yard In the shoe
shop Is boys were employed in charge of j.
M. Libby, making 1897 pairs of children's
shoes for Cole, Wood & Co., Boston, 2280
pairs small shoes and 1880 pairs cloth slippers
for Messrs Tyler Il Cox of Portland, besides
doing all the mending of the institution In the
chair shop % boys are employed. They have
seated 10,S02 chairs, IS sleigh seats and some
other work. Mr.. Maberry of Windham, is in
charge of the shop About 40 of the smallest
boys work in the sewing room, where the sew
ing, knitting and mending for the school is
done.
The heating of the building by steam, the in
PRODUCTION of better bedding and more gener-
GUS bill of fare are decided Improvements and
have resulted in the general Improvements of
the institution, both in health and contentment
and easier discipline of the inmates.
On the whole, the institution seems never to
have been in so healthy condition in every re-
spect, or under more intelligent and conscien-
tious superintendence than at the present time