Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-11-01

style, objects and dimensions of the building
ordered by the Legislature.
Our State can now show a building equal
to any in the United States in its equip
ment for the practical purposes of a reform
school
Its heating, cooking, washing and drying
are done by steam.
\ steam pump will supply the tank in the
attic with water from the cistern, should
the aqueduct fail. and this may be relied
on in case Of fire.
Fire hose Is attached 10 the water pipes
in each story of the building,
The lighting i by gas manufactured in
the building.
It, four school-roOmS. chapel. workshop
and dermitory leave nothing TO be asked for.
The modern Improvements, when judged
necessary TO bring the Institution up to the
requirements Of the times and ofthe best
ordered establishments. have been adopse.i
/ The Trustees believed they would have fail
ell in their duty to the State TO have done
otherwise And the Institution Is now
fitted to school two hundred and fifty boys
or more and to set them forward in the
right path TO become honest and respectable
men.
Throughout Christendom there Is rapidly
spreading the spirit of inquiry for the best
means of restoring TO society erring youth
whose moral education has been neglected
And the thoughtful men of the Christian
world have come to the conclusion that il Is
the wisest policy to take erring boys and de
yelop the better parts of their natures, and
cultivate in them good habits by systematic
training. This makes of those who, in the
absence of this compulsory training. would
become the criminalsof the land useful men
and helpers in the moral and material ad-
vancement of the country.
Vermont cannot lead in this reform if she
would. 1t is too late But it has been our
effort that she should not be completely in
the wake of progress And from the many
visitors from abroad. the general methods
of our school and the Encouragement Of the
building iorit~purpoSes, ,hayeelicited strong
approval
II Is peculiarly fortunate that the erection
of the new building was begun and COM
pleted when it was, a. various materials
that entered largely into the expense have IN
creased In price from twenty To thirty per
cent.
rNrlN~Es CF NEE LriLrINc ANu rINIveEs.
Whole amount expended iornew buildings
ofthe Vermont Reform mSchool...-.-......s,. $50 Co
Amount expended .or steam and gas FIX
tures tr the ll.tI u
Total cost Of building and Xtgres...-..-s $50 q
ulthe above amount there has been
PAID by the state Treasury .'- !,
surplus earnings Of the school, 2,l71 -
Trustees. borrowed. ..-....-....---. i.-i3 ~
Am. amt u0N due on bills uuia d...-..-..-- 7.7s -
si7.q9o "A
There remains due from the State the sum
Of S9,02l 80 This includes the sum of
81 .s43 20, borrowed by the Trustees. and
the sum OF = .l7o 10 due on unpaid bills A.
stated. And % meet this sum an extra ap-
preparation by the Legislature will be re-
qUired.
Il will be observed that there Is stated
under the head of amount expended for
steam and gas fixtures, the sum Of Sll.-
ABS H. II Is proper to say that these fix
turc> also furnish steam for cooking purposes
and for washing and drying clothes for the
whole Institution during the entire year.
In the amount of the cost of the new build
ing. there l. no mention made of labor done
| by inmates Of the school with the team of
the farm in hauling brick, sand. stone. lum-
Der. &c., and in other work which. if paid
for from the treasury of the State. would
have incfeascd the expense something more
than - .O00. This amount. therefore. has
thus been saved 10 the State.
EXPENSES rog the TWO YEARS ENDING july
81, lS12.
Ii will be seen by the Report of the super
intendent that the current expense for
ls70-7l and ls7l-72 are SO, 200 L.
This sum will be found to include many
items which belong rather to the class Of
necessary iurnishingSwhich viii not have 10
berepeated.
And the earnings of the boys will not
again be diverted To building purposes. but
will go to reduce the current expenses. This
result, compared with that in other schools
in the neighboriug States. Is quite satislac-
tory. when we consider the extraordinary
calls upon the the school during two years
ofbuilding and the inevitable diversion Of
| its forces.
FENCES AND GRADING.
All the time of the officers Of the school,
| the work Of the boys. and the whole of the
| appropriation by the Legislature. have been
employed on that which was absolutely
necessary to be done at once.
The fencing and grading have been passed
over to more convenient season. And To
| this matter, as one in some measure of taste
and ornamentation, we ask the attention OF
| the usual Committee of the Legislature as Ia
! style and amount OF expenditure.
TERN OF sEvrExcr.
Many justices and other persons are
ayerSe TO sentencing boy to the Reform
| School till his majority, unless for very
| grave ofenSes. But by such the object of a
sentence to the Reform School IS not fnlly
| understood Ii is not to punish the boy for
| his ohensc. 80 much a. to put him into a
| good school where he will be truly reformed
and where his moral character will he
strengthened till he shall be able to resist
the temptation to do evil. And Just as soon
As this point shall be reached, As attestcd by
! his persistent good conduct in the
school. the boy viii be sent TO his own home
if a suitable one, and if not the school will
provided suitable one for him, and act a,
his guardian a to his earnings and his con
| duct.
The knowledge that boys stay at Water
bury is determined by his good conduct anC
the actual advancement he shall make in the
| grades Of the school, works wonders TOWARD
a complete change in the characters of most
1t is sometimes of importance that tn,
wages of Il boy with intemperate parent
should not be wasted by them for rum. bu
be preserved for the boy and used for hi
own benefit,
And if boy Is furloughed Tor good be
havior, instead of being discharged. and hi
conduct under his furlough shows that h,
needs further discipline, he is easily recalle,
to the school without additional legal pro
ceedings, and thus no pretended reformation
can deceive the officers of the school.
Hence, after considerable experience. i
has become our practice not to discharg
boys, but to furlough them for good conduct
On the old plan, every boy goes at the ex
piTation of his sentence however short, an,
however unrepentant and defiant.
No invite attention IN two of tho loo din,
principles affirmed by the National Congress
of Penitentiary Reform and Reformator'
Discipline for 1870. found on pages sal ant
5i3
Art VIII Peremptory Sentences ough
to be replaced by those of indeterminat
length. Sentences limited only by satislac
tory proof of reform should he substitute
for those measured by lapse of time
Art XII. 1t is the Judgment of thi
Congress that repeated short sentences 70
minor criminals are worse than useless; tina
in fact, they rather stimulate than repres
transgression. Reformation is work G
time; and n benevolent regard to the goo
of the criminal himself, as well as to tn
protection of society, requires that his sen
tence should be long enough for re!ormator
processes to take effect
CONDITION OF TIE SCHOOL.
We insist that our Institution has bee
and is school, and not a prison We re
eeive boys that are sent us, feed and cloth
them well, instruct them to the full exten
of their capacity, set before them good eS
amples, surround them with all possible in
ducements for good conduct, stimulate thei
hopes and make their stay at Waterbur
compulsory only till they have received
fair common school education, and have &C
quired sufficient moral strength to resis
temptation. In every case the attempt i.