Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-22
State Industrial Schools.


trial schools might be used for other purpos-
es more advantageous to the State. or that
taxation might be reduced the very small frac-
ton which this expenditure involves. They
willingly vote to pay money for courts, sher-
ifs. attorneys, jails, and prisons, as well as
other expenses caused by immortality and
crime. The Legislative, judicial State and
County Treasury records show how vast is
the aggregate thus appropriated and expend-
cd without dissent or negative votes. But to
small allowances for instrumentalities and in-
stitutions which tend to prevent immortality
and crime. they make objections or give em-
phatic opposition. They ignore the familiar
practical truth that ''dn ounce of preren-
ton is ro,th a pound Of cure" The estab-
lishment and support of Industrial schools,
receptacles and homes for a class of utterly
helpless, exposed, and more than motherless
and fatherless children, is not the result Of
impracticable theorzng or uncertain expert
mcnt. They are far less expensive, more
economical and certain in their operation
than jails and prisons. Just in proportion
as States and nations have advanced in sound
institutions have been created and received
the approval and active cooperation of en-
lightened legislators, rulers, and people.
Leaving ont of view the nobly humane and
benevolent objects and tendencies of such
schools, purely on economic grounds they de
serve the support of the State, and of all citi-
zens who would have the State conducted on
sound financial principles. The officials of a
city without fire engines and fire depart
ment would not be wisely economical in vot-
ing down necessary appropriation for fire
extingiishing apparatus 1t is because that
experience has demonstrated conclusively
again and again in various ways the practical
success of Industrial Schools for the class of
children indicated, that the most carefully
managed governments have given their en-
phatic approval of, and generous support for
them Those in operation in the States of
this country present uniform record of sue
cess, and the longer they have been main
tanned, the more conclusive are the facts of
experience in their favor. Those of Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jer-
sew, Michigan, Maryland, and our own at
Hallowell, have been strikingly so, though the
last named has but one home and one family
where another building for the acccommoda-
ton of another family is needed, thus to give
the school the fullest economical success.
France, England, Switzerland, Denmark, and
Sweden are among the European nations
which AS the result of years Of experience, have
permanently established Industrial Schools
for children in danger of falling into immo-
rality and crime. These years Of experience
on the most carfully collected data, prove to
the European legislators and administrators
that from serenity to ninety per cent. of the
children are saved, who would otherwise in
evitably fall into immortality, restitution, and
crime, yet costing less to the government
than they would if they had been allowed to
go the way of vice.
1t is admitted that England is well governed
financially, whatever may be her faults in
some regards. 1t certainly will notbe charged
that she is too humane, or is wont to expend
her cash on impracticable schemes and insti-
tutions. The writer of this has before him an
abstract of Blue Book giving the annual
report, for 1877, of the Government Inspcc-
tor appointed to visit the Reformatory and
Industrial Schools of Great Britain. He is
independent of, and no way responsible to,
these institutions or their managers. He
gives the facts in plainly unbiased and dis
passionate manner. England began to es-
tablish these schools more than a quarter of
a century ago. In 1861 the number of eerti-
fed Industrial Schools was 81, the number of
children then in them, boys 297, girls 1873.
These Industrial Schools are distinct from
and i'm addition to her distinctive Reform
Schools. In 1877 there were l24 Industrial
Schools, with 1875 boys and 3,044 girls.
The discharged from the Industrial Schools in
1877 were boys, 2,l93; girls 657. They
were distributed as follows: To employ
mcnt or service, boys 1888; girls 436. Placed
out through the agency of friends, boys 622 ;
girls 1856. Sent to sea, boys 373. Commit
ted to Reformatores, boys Al; girls H.
Died, boys, 92; girls AZ. Near birmingham,
England, there is a collection of separate
buildings, ten in number, for homeless and
destitute children, supported by private
beneyo violence, where 800 of those who were in
danger of falling into vice and crime, are be-
ing trained and kindly cared for-30 in each
family, the number which the Industrial
School building at Hallowell accommodates.
and is about the number now allowed in all
the best managed institutions of the kind
wherever located.
In all the countries where these schools are
in operation, experience shows that young
girsl are more easily moulded and directed
wisely than any other class of persons for
whom the assistance Of the State is given
They are under kind, womanly matrons and
teachers whose sympathy, love, and instruc-
ton win to good behavior, virtue and intelli-
gence those who, when sent to these institu-
tons, seem utterly helpless and sometimes
repulsive. Nothing is more conclusive that
:. =. Ia n.