Worcester daily spy., 1872-01-06

aee' we nave nothing whatever for erring
girls OF this class but jas and houses of correc-
ton; and nothing for BOYS of the same class ex
eept that few of those between sixteen and
eighteen may be sent to the school shin
Hundreds OF youths of both sexes 90 IN de.
suuchon every year simply because we are
without means for their temporal salvation.
The reform school at Westborourb provides for
boys under sixteen, as the industrial school nj
Lancaster does for girls under that age HAVING
advised the breaking up of the nautical school
and the aImShouseS at MOnson, suggest 10 vour
serious attention the eXpediency of providing at
Monson, it it cannot be done at Lancaster, for
the older girls guilty of minor offences, and at
BridEewateF for a similar class of boys, as well
as iOr those now on the school ship, most Of
whom are over sixteen | am fully saTisfed
mat OV using buildings already constructed the
changes l suggest could be carried out with
very little expense to the state, and that it
would be pecunarily the gamer in the end if, as
certainly should b. done, work is provided at
BrldSeWater for the boys and young men sent
there. The new institutions might soon be
made almost or wholly selfsustaininr, and
they would prove 10 be reformatories in the best
sense, by furnishing juvenile offenders a chance
to learn useful and remunerative trades, through
which they could earn an honest livelihood
when restored 10 society and the world. press
TINS matter upon your sympathetic dCliberation
convinced that the time is ripe for the action
recommended, and with assured faith that The
IN the saving Of many young men and young
women annually lost in the vortex of sin,
Chiefly because there is no hand TO guide them
with tender regard into the paths of virtue.
ne stare visiting agency was established in
the summer of 1869 for the special purpose of
looking after vicious and dependent children
who had already come under the care of the
commonwealth or were candidates for its cor
rective custody. That it has been Of abundant
aud excellent service in its legally designated
field of operations, is beyond candid question
through the efforts of the visiting agent the
commitments to our reiormatory institutions
have been materially diminished. He has pro-
vded homes for some fifteen hundred children
in rood families, where they are urIounded by
influences prOmOtive of honor and integrity BY
this arrangement the saving of expense to the
state is great, while the advantage to the chi-
dren cannot be computed in figures.
A stranger undertaking to study the workings
of our charitable, reformatory and correctional
system, must be surprised to learn how many
advisory and supervisory boards and agents of
one sort or another are connected Herewith He
finds that each institution has its superintendent
or general manager, with board of trustees,
oyerseers, or inspectors, and perhaps an advisory
bolrd in addition; that there are also general
agents whose duty seems to be to look after the
management of the various separate institutions ;
and, finally, general boards or commissions
whose duties are not very clearly defined
though they appear to have supervisory powers
within certain limitations. Thus connected more
or less directly with the higher branches of this
work he ascertains that there are upwards of
two score boards and agents, most of them re-
Sponslbe 10 no particular head, widely differing
III view as to plans of administration, frequently
ciashing as to their respective rights and jursdic
tlon. He sees system, built up from time to
time as the necessity of the case required, and
observes that it was natural, as each institution
came into being, to appoint board charged
with its interests; bat now that the system has
come meaSuratly near completion, when the
paramount object of solicitude should be to
unity and perfect it as a whole, devising and in
rOduciag into each department the best posi-
BILE plan for the accomplishment of the work in
hand, he is at loss to understand why it is
thought necessary 70 have so many separate,
Scmi-indcpendent officers and organizations to
bring about the end which the system obvious
ly seeks. He cannot comprehend why that end
would not be reached more surely, more ecOnOmi-
cay, more eXpedltiously, with less friction and
less embarrassment of administration, by giving
one board absolute control OF the whole, with
direct responsibility 10 the executive or the leo
isature for the detail rs well as for the principles
ofmanagem With the limited opportunity
| have had for looking into this matter, | con-
Tess that | am unable to see why some change
ought not 10 be made, looking to the Uhiica-
ton and simpliicatiOn of our reformatory svs-
TEN, and the reduction in number of our boards
and commissions, whence would follow a de-
crease in our annual expenditures under this
head. By virtue of my office shall be brought
into intimate relations with these institutions
during the year, and it will be my aim to study
their management more thoroughly and to as
certain what means can be devised for increas-
ing their efficiency and diminishing their ex-
pense.
SCHOOL MATTERS.
The annual report of the secretary of the
board OF education will be laid before you, and
! direct yonr attention to the suggestions and
recommendations of that officer. The standing
and character of a community are determined
in no small degree by its school privileges.
Happily in this commonwealth the supreme i'm
pOrtance of education was early understood
our cOmmOn-SchOol system is thing to con-
template with pride and uphold with steady
hopeiulneSS. That was a grand ldea-thc rem
derlng it possible for every child in the state to
receive Il free education; and no investment OF
our revenues has ever proved more profitable
than that made in common schools. We cannot
too carefully watch these schools, cannot 100
earnestly labor for their Improvement The
future growth and prosperity Of the common
wealth are dependent upon them; ii they are
suffered to lanGuish the state will inevitably
retrOgrade; if they are kept in Il thriving con
diuon the state will just as inevitably advance
to new cOnqueSts.
Through the untiring efforts of the secretary
there has been healthy and regular progress in
tIC ll@ul NIlCGtlOls lilDlONtu oClOOl-uOuoCo III
every quarter are an indication of the popular
feeling. The demand fol more thorough and
comprehensive teaching proves that at least a
portion of our ciGizens appreciate the necessity
of going forward if we would continue to oc-
cupy position in the front rank. The success
of the normal schools, established TO meet the
pressing need for a higher class of instructors
and especially the recent call for an increase in
tue number of these schools, shows that there
IS Il growing desire to raise the standard Of edu-
cation. And yet, Notwithstanding these cheer
ing signs of the times, am fully persuaded
tlat our educational affairs are too much left to
the management OF the few. There is not that
universal interest in the schools and the school
system which ought 10 obtain. If we are to
have model schools in a given town it will be
because the people OF that town determine TO
make them such. They will neither come them
selves nor through the sole endeavOrs of TWO OF
three individuals. Good teachers and good
methods Of instruction are requisite TO the end
III view, but these agencies can accomplish
nothing more than partial results if tue prac-
tical interest of the people themselves is want
ing,
The salient features of our educational reports
lor the past year are, that the aggregate OF eX
renditures in behalf OF public schools was So :.
2I2,335, exclusive Of S1,712,073 expended in
erecting school houses, and that of 27S,249 chill
dren in the commonwealth between the ages OF
i've and fifteen years, 273,661 were connected
WIN lDe SCHOOLS. lhat we eXpend over i've
million dollars annually for popular education,
and that all our boys aud girls but 4,5SS are
more or less constant in attendance upon the
public schools, iCstihes to a condition Of Things
Itch in promise for the future Of Massachusetts.
What progress We are making will! be shown by
reference TO past years-Say to 1858, when with
223 BOA children, our public school expenses
were S14744SS. In other words, for tho six
dollars and sixty cents devoled to each child in
the state thirteen years ago, we now cheerlulY
spend eleven dollars and seventy-fve cents,
Inc career OF our agricultural college has been
observed with no ordinary interest, The school
was at first looked upon by some of the wisest
and most sanguine friends OF liberal education
us doubtful experiment. Several Institutions
OF the kind organized in other states had either
wholly failed or met with indifferent success.
ana The wisdom OF undertaking to furnish scien-
thc education TO Oung men intending to be
farmers was widely questioned. The school has
Justified the faith Of those who favored IFS nr-
ganlzation, and now is generally admitted to he
one OF the most valuable Institutions i'm the
state. The course Of instruction pursued the,e
Is thorough ana comprehensive, and Us each
student IS required to perform certain amonnt
OF outdoor labor every yorkiug-day. ali who
take llle course gain practical as well as n
ibear0hoal knowledge Of farming. This insti.
tuition is conceded by those competent 10 farm
an opinion TO he one Of the hest of its class in
the country, That it is so, is greatly owlnG m
'he rare energy and well directed labors OF IFS
otncers, who have omitted nothing of effort or
NIn IN - l.at. IL